-Caveat Lector- CNN settles former producer's wrongful termination lawsuit By FRAZIER MOORE, Associated Press NEW YORK (June 7, 2001 12:51 p.m. EDT) - CNN has settled a lawsuit filed by a former producer who claimed he was fired "to appease high-level military officials" after reporting a 1998 story that accused the U.S. military of using nerve gas on Vietnam War-era defectors. Terms of the settlement with Jack Smith were not disclosed Thursday. "The case has been settled by mutual agreement of both parties," said CNN spokeswoman Christa Robinson. While not disclosing a dollar amount, Smith called it "a down payment on restoring my reputation." Now teaching journalism at two Chicago-area universities, he has said the Tailwind controversy "destroyed my journalism career." News of the settlement came three years to the day after the airing of CNN's report on Operation Tailwind, which the Atlanta-based network soon retracted, claiming it could not verify the story's accuracy. Military experts disputed the contention that the lethal nerve gas sarin was used on a Laotian village in 1970 as part of a secret mission to kill American defectors. Airing on the premiere of a much-promoted newsmagazine called "NewsStand: CNN & Time," the report became a major embarrassment for CNN and its corporate partner, Time magazine, which had published a corresponding story based on the investigation. In July 1998, Smith, a longtime CNN producer, and his colleague April Oliver were fired. The on-air reporter, Peter Arnett, was reprimanded and ultimately left the network. "Ever since the report aired, CNN has been trying to drive a stake through it, and bury me with it," said Smith, who, with Oliver, has continued to defend the story. Oliver settled with CNN a year ago, several weeks before Smith filed his lawsuit for defamation and wrongful termination. Asked whether the timing of the settlement could be attributed to the merger of CNN parent Time Warner with AOL early this year, Roger Simmons, Smith's lawyer, said, "There must be some significance. But it's difficult for us to make the connection, since we're on the outside looking in." ANOMALOUS IMAGES AND UFO FILES http://www.anomalous-images.com <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
