Several leading Pakistani newspapers issued apologies today for publishing stories based on a fake WikiLeaks dispatch that claimed to quote U.S. officials making derogatory comments about Indian leaders.
On December 9, the Pakistan-based Online News Agency released a story in English, Urdu, and Arabic about the faked diplomatic cable, which was picked up by several news outlets.
It said U.S. diplomats had described Indian generals as vain, egotistic, and genocidal and that the Indian government had a covert alliance with Hindu fundamentalists.
Britain's "Guardian" newspaper later confirmed that none of the quotes was in any cables provided by the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks.
"The Guardian" report said it was the first case of WikiLeaks being exploited for propaganda purpose.
compiled from agency reports
On December 9, the Pakistan-based Online News Agency released a story in English, Urdu, and Arabic about the faked diplomatic cable, which was picked up by several news outlets.
It said U.S. diplomats had described Indian generals as vain, egotistic, and genocidal and that the Indian government had a covert alliance with Hindu fundamentalists.
Britain's "Guardian" newspaper later confirmed that none of the quotes was in any cables provided by the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks.
"The Guardian" report said it was the first case of WikiLeaks being exploited for propaganda purpose.
compiled from agency reports