If you haven’t been following the controversy over The New Republic’s Baghdad Diaries written by the anonymous “Scott Thomas,” don’t bother with this post. It’s too complicated to explain.

But if you have, you’ll be interested to know that The Weekly Standard is reporting that the author has now recanted. The opening paragraph:

THE WEEKLY STANDARD has learned from a military source close to the investigation that Pvt. Scott Thomas Beauchamp–author of the much-disputed “Shock Troops” article in the New Republic’s July 23 issue as well as two previous “Baghdad Diarist” columns–signed a sworn statement admitting that all three articles he published in the New Republic were exaggerations and falsehoods–fabrications containing only “a smidgen of truth,” in the words of our source.

Back on July 18th I posted on the story under the headline, “The New Republic’s New ‘Fabulist.'”  It now seems that comparison was all too appropriate. And it serves as further evidence (as though we needed any) that the media elites cannot be trusted to check any story that fits their preferred narrative or report any news which doesn’t.