At Jihad Watch we have never shared in the general enthusiasm for the Ayatollah Sistani, with his [1] classification of unbelievers as "unclean" on a par with blood, urine, and feces, but there is no doubt about which side the mainstream media is on in Iraq, and it appears that the AP story we posted [2] here on May 22 is inaccurate.

[3] Gateway Pundit (thanks to Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi) has details from the Iraqi press, including a denial from Sistani's office.

This instance of media irresponsibility and dishonesty illustrates yet again the "Good News is No News" dictum about which the estimable David Chavarria writes at [4] Outside the Wire: "It is an interesting look at how news from Iraq is 'made.' As I watched and listened to this interview, I couldn't help asking myself, 'Is this the way all / most reporters are? If it is, how much does that skew the news we get?'"

A great deal, my friend. A great deal, and not just in relation to Iraq, either.

UPDATE: [5] Not so fast.