Steve Fossett faked own death? "News of the World" states CAP says possible

[dogboy]

The News of the World", an English scandal newspaper (known in England as "News of the Screws"), states:

But now the official search spokeswoman, Lieutenant Colonel Cynthia Ryan of the US Civil Air Patrol, has told the News of the World she believes he may NOT have crashed.

She said: "Anything is possible. There are a lot of raised eyebrows— even more so now. I know very few people here, friends in law enforcement, that buy this story like the rest of the world has."

and

Lt Col Ryan—closely involved from the outset—said: "I've been doing this search and rescue for 14 years. Fossett SHOULD have been found.

"It's not like we didn't have our eyes open. We found SIX other planes while we were looking for him. We're pretty good at what we do."

Lt Col Ryan confirmed claims that Fossett was cheating on devoted wife Peggy and suggested he might have faked his death to avoid a multi-million divorce settlement if she had ever found out.

And she hinted that he might have been in money trouble, losing out on investments in troubled financial institutions Morgan Stanley and Bear Stearns.

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/2707_steve_fossett.shtml

[Eclipse]

This thing makes that other waste of bits look credible...

[mikeylikey]

It was credible until LT Col Ryan said he was cheating on his wife.  How would she know??  Anything is possible, and his faking his own death was just as valid as him crashing. 

For a guy that always filed a flight plan, not to file one the day he crashes is like weird.  With his wife calling off any further searches funded by his estate or approved in good faith is well......weird too. 

We will never know, or maybe we will, no one knows for sure. 

[Major Carrales]

An example, if I have ever seen one, of why OPSEC should be followed.  Likely, these comments were made innocently and as specualtion (something we do here all the time).  That is all it takes for some people to "build" a theory on.  Hey, that's free speech, let them state their theories.

Is it true?  Who here or anywhere can say at this point?

[ThorntonOL]

Like any "pop" newspaper, handle it with fireproof gloves at a considerable distance.
We don't want to get involved any further and lets pray that all this about the member speaking  about these topics is assumed by the writers of the article.
Unless one of us heard her say it.

[Smithsonia]

So Steve Fossett wasn't shot down at area 51 AND is currently stowed in a large refrigerated lava lamp of blue liquid next to the space aliens in the basement at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base? What kind of leg pulling is Lt. Col. Ryan up to... with this staged his own death to run off with a honey thing? I like the former more than the latter because I'm Irish, I'm in the Civil Air Patrol, and I think it has more of an antidisestablishmentarism thing going for it. I know a guy, who knows another guy -- who has a grandmother, well... I say this for good reason, as I'm sure you know, CAP is a secret masonic cult and Mr. Fossett was about to stumble upon the truth about us.
WHOOPS. I may have broken a sacred CAP vow! Sorry, don't tell anyone of my indiscretion.

[PHall]

An example, if I have ever seen one, of why OPSEC should be followed.  Likely, these comments were made innocently and as specualtion (something we do here all the time).  That is all it takes for some people to "build" a theory on.  Hey, that's free speech, let them state their theories.

Is it true?  Who here or anywhere can say at this point?

You're assuming that she actually said any of that. The News of the World has paid out a fair amount of money in settlements to various celebrities for printing "quotes" that were pure fabrications.

[Smokey]

If she made those comments, it would be totally inappropriate. We do not speculate in that manner and especially do not make those kinds of statements to the press.

Any PAO who would make staements like taht to the press should be stripped of his/her PAO status.

[mikeylikey]

WHOOPS. I may have broken a sacred CAP vow! Sorry, don't tell anyone of my indiscretion.

Sir, you need to turn in your polo shirt and khaki shorts along with your 2B and report for remedial training with the US Ranger Corps..........immediately!   

[Frenchie]

If she made those comments, it would be totally inappropriate. We do not speculate in that manner and especially do not make those kinds of statements to the press.

Any PAO who would make staements like taht to the press should be stripped of his/her PAO status.

Assuming the statements did indeed come from the person in question, I would go one step farther and revoke CAP membership permanently.  Not only do those statements reflect poorly on CAP, they are hurtful to the family involved.  Those statements are completely unacceptable and should not be tolerated from any member, PAO or not.  If that person wants to express foil-hat personal opinions, that's fine.  Do it outside CAP, not from inside.

[RiverAux]

I seriously doubt that anyone who performed so professionallky during a very high-pressure mission is going to be saying stuff like that, especially to this particular person.

[♠SARKID♠]

The News of the World", an English scandal newspaper (known in England as "News of the Screws"), states:

...

I'll believe that when me boots turn purple and smell like rainbow sherbet!

Seriously, theres more fact in a torn page of The Onion than in a month's worth of NOTW.

[Major Carrales]

An example, if I have ever seen one, of why OPSEC should be followed.  Likely, these comments were made innocently and as specualtion (something we do here all the time).  That is all it takes for some people to "build" a theory on.  Hey, that's free speech, let them state their theories.

Is it true?  Who here or anywhere can say at this point?

You're assuming that she actually said any of that. The News of the World has paid out a fair amount of money in settlements to various celebrities for printing "quotes" that were pure fabrications.

That is most correct.  It is an assumption, I doubt these things were said in any context befitting printing (if at all).  However, the premise remains the same, we must be careful of what we say and of who is listening.

[BuckeyeDEJ]

If you read the story, you'll also see that CAP apparently has Blackhawks with infrared technology. And that CAP is only 40 years old. And that Cynthia Ryan is a light colonel -- unless she was promoted after I talked to her last (and I imagine that's possible -- score that as the only possible fact in that story)! There's no way in hell she said any of that stuff, let alone to a British tab!

I smell a libel lawsuit, if NHQ ever reads this site and cares to dig into it.

[Major Carrales]

If you read the story, you'll also see that CAP apparently has Blackhawks with infrared technology. And that CAP is only 40 years old. And that Cynthia Ryan is a light colonel -- unless she was promoted after I talked to her last (and I imagine that's possible -- score that as the only possible fact in that story)! There's no way in hell she said any of that stuff, let alone to a British tab!

I smell a libel lawsuit, if NHQ ever reads this site and cares to dig into it.

Really, what can be done about such things?  I would think that Major Ryan has the better case here.  If she never said these things, that is a violation of American Laws...however, this is the UK being discussed here. 

What happens in such cases?  Actually, I think Nick Critelli is a barrister, he might know (if he would ever reply to anything here again).  His insight is greatly missed.

[BuckeyeDEJ]

Really, what can be done about such things?  I would think that Major Ryan has the better case here.  If she never said these things, that is a violation of American Laws...however, this is the UK being discussed here. 

What happens in such cases?  Actually, I think Nick Critelli is a barrister, he might know (if he would ever reply to anything here again).  His insight is greatly missed.

Good question. I would imagine American law might be brought to bear, since the Web site has been published in the United States. But then again, I'm a journalist, not an attorney, and I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn last night.

[lordmonar]

It was credible until LT Col Ryan said he was cheating on his wife.

And we know that Col Ryan said this how?

I can't anyone is believing any of this.  If you do....I got a bridge for sale, where you can see big foot every other Tuesday.

[Camas]

It was credible until LT Col Ryan said he was cheating on his wife.

And we know that Col Ryan said this how? I can't anyone is believing any of this.  If you do....I got a bridge for sale, where you can see big foot every other Tuesday.

I don't see Lt Col Ryan making a comment like that. I know her and Lordmanor, she's in your wing so perhaps you know her too. I can only hope we're right.

[dogboy]

I smell a libel lawsuit, if NHQ ever reads this site and cares to dig into it.

Your JAG officer will explain that it's almost impossible to win a defamation lawsuit by a public official against a newspaper in US courts since New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964). 

Also, it's not sufficient that the News of the World misquoted the PAO officer Mason v. New Yorker Magazine (1991).

We conclude that a deliberate alteration of the words uttered by a plaintiff does not equate with knowledge of falsity for purposes of New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. at 279-280, and Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., supra, at 342, unless the alteration results in a material change in the meaning conveyed by the statement. The use of quotations to attribute words not in fact spoken bears in a most important way on that inquiry, but it is not dispositive in every case.

English libel law allows recovery for mere negligence for actual damages by a private individual but requires the same "actual malice" (knowing falsity or reckless disregard for the truth) for a public official to recover. In my opinion, a CAP PAO would be considered a public official is both jurisdictions.

[Cecil DP]

Really, what can be done about such things?  I would think that Major Ryan has the better case here.  If she never said these things, that is a violation of American Laws...however, this is the UK being discussed here. 

What happens in such cases?  Actually, I think Nick Critelli is a barrister, he might know (if he would ever reply to anything here again).  His insight is greatly missed.

Good question. I would imagine American law might be brought to bear, since the Web site has been published in the United States. But then again, I'm a journalist, not an attorney, and I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn last night.

Actually, if she were to sue, she'd be better off in a british court, The libel and slander laws are so much more protective of the individual.