Fox News issued a clarification on Friday on behalf of its star host Bill O’Reilly, saying that he said he’d “seen” bombings in Northern Ireland because police showed him photos of them.
The Washington Post spotted a passage in O’Reilly’s 2013 book, “Keep It Pithy,” in which he described seeing lethal bombings in Northern Ireland.
“I’ve seen soldiers gun down unarmed civilians in Latin America, Irish terrorists kill and maim their fellow citizens in Belfast with bombs,” O’Reilly wrote.
A Fox spokesperson told the Washington Post that O’Reilly did not witness any bombings or injuries in Northern Ireland but was simply shown photos by police officers.
The Northern Ireland clarification marks the second time this has happened: On Wednesday, O’Reilly told Mediaite that when he repeatedly said he had seen nuns “get shot” in El Salvador, he was referring to “images” he had seen.
As for the soldiers gunning down civilians in Latin America, O’Reilly has dismissed a report by Mother Jones and comments by former colleagues at CBS that questioned his tales of witnessing violence in Argentina.
“I’m not a real journalist, but I play one on TV.”
O’Really is a lot like Palin in many ways. He too has seen Russia from his window, because 1) he has a picture of Russia and, 2) he has a picture of a window.
That’s what you call ‘Palinesque’.
And of course looking at photos of shootings and mayhem is a truly unique experience that only a courageous few undertake. Thank you for your service to journalism, Billy.
Kent Brockman is more real than this clown.
Kent Brockman: Thanks, Mayor Simpson! From now on, we’ll all be taking golden showers.
[muffled laughter is heard in the background]
Kent Brockman: What?
Brian Williams has to be watching the O’Reilly scandal play out with great interest. If Billo should survive this, and I think he will because he is a shameless hack, might we see Williams back in six months?