Vaz drops attack on Gleaner over WikiLeaks cables
Published:Thursday | July 14, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
Daryl Vaz, the Government's chief spokesman who has been claiming that The Gleaner was biased and selective in its reporting of the United States' Kingston Embassy diplomatic cables acquired through WikiLeaks, has backed off.
"Coming out of today's newspaper, there really is no further to go in terms of comments," Vaz said as he abandoned the combative stance he adopted after The Gleaner published its first cable which it acquired through the whistle-blowing entity in May.
Several Government officials, including Prime Minister Bruce Golding, have criticised The Gleaner over its selection of the cables it published, and last Sunday Vaz stepped up the pace.
The minister, who is responsible for government information, used a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) political platform in St Elizabeth to accuse The Gleaner of cultivating an agenda while promoting and protecting the interests of the Opposition spokesman on finance, Dr Peter Phillips.
"How come The Gleaner never print the WikiLeaks that say Peter say him no like Portia," Vaz declared to cheers from party supporters.
He further charged that there was a connection involving Phillips, a former police commissioner and the North Street-based newspaper.
Changed tack
But addressing the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday, Vaz changed tack as he declared that he was satisfied with an explanation printed on the front page of the newspaper.
"I take at face value what has been printed by The Gleaner today (Wednesday) in terms of their position and, therefore, this doesn't need to be tit-for-tat.
"This is a matter that The Gleaner has responded to this morning and I accept their response," declared Vaz.
He said his comments on the political stage were not intended to cause JLP supporters to target The Gleaner or its employees.
"I want to assure, not only The Gleaner, but the wider public, that my comments were not intended to be an attack on The Gleaner. It (was) more about the principle that I had indicated."
Vaz noted that the paper's editor-in-chief was upfront in his admission that it regretted not printing the controversial cable.
According to Vaz, the matter is now settled.