QUESTIONS ABOUT AUTHENTICITY OF NEW TERROR VIDEO

Blogger Megan McArdle, who is filling in for Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit, is raising questions about the authenticity of the new terror video Matt Drudge has been reporting on all day.

FURTHER UPDATE: A source at a news organization emails the following:
A CIA spokesperson whom I spoke to mere moments ago was very adamant in saying the ABC terror tape has ``not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not yet been authenticated.'' Thought you might like to know because, thanks to Drudge, a lot of people are getting this wrong.

Meanwhile, Drudge now says ABC withheld a portion of the tape from the CIA,

ABC NEWS withheld portions of an alarming new al Qaeda videotape which warns the next terror attack will dwarf 9/11 from the CIA when they submitted the video for analysis, a top federal source tells the DRUDGE REPORT. The CIA and FBI late Wednesday authenticated the tape, federal sources tell DRUDGE. ABC NEWS has been informed of the government's standing."What took place on September 11 was but the opening salvo of the global war on America and that our Lord willing, the magnitude and ferocity of what is coming your way will make you forget all about September 11," the man, whose face is covered by a headdress, warns in the video. "After decades of American tyranny, now it's your turn to die." ABC NEWS submitted portions of the video threat to the FBI and CIA on Monday for analysis, top government sources tell DRUDGE, after obtaining the tape from a source in Pakistan. A top goverment source said from Washington that ABC withheld the final 15 minutes of the tape from the CIA -- the portion of the tape where the man warns of retribution for Americans electing Bush and Cheney. "You are guilty, guilty, guilty. You're as guilty as Bush and Cheney. You're as guilty as Rumsfeld and Ashcroft and Powell...," the man states. He goes on to warn of an upcoming horror: "The streets will run with blood," and "America will mourn in silence" because they will be unable to count the number of the dead. "People of America, that was the verdict now for the sentencing: as participants and partners in the crimes of the regime, you too shall pay the price for the blood that has been spilled." One ABC source, who demanded anonymity, said Thursday morning, the network was struggling to find a correct journalistic "balance" before airing any story on the video. "This is not something you just throw out there while people are voting," the ABC source explained.

Looking at this from the standpoint of broadcast journalism, it is absolutely imperative that ABC get the video authenticated by a trusted source (in this case the CIA) before they air the report. If they get that authentication and then fail to air the report, I will find that very suspicious in light of how ABC and the other networks have treated these threatening videotapes.