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Media Hunger Created A Grifting Opportunity
- Media hunger after 9/11 created intense demand for Special Forces sources and expertise.
- Jack Idema exploited that demand by posing as a Special Forces expert and gaining mainstream credibility.
Rapid Rise To Media Prominence
- Within weeks of the invasion Idema positioned himself as a leading Afghanistan and Special Forces expert.
- Networks and shows booked him despite shaky credentials and inconsistent stories about his footage.
Selling Staged Terror Videos
- Idema sold photos and claimed to have videotaped al-Qaeda training camps, then tried to auction the footage to networks.
- CNN researched his criminal record and blacklisted him, but other outlets accepted his material and publicity.