Ex-FIFA vice president Jack Warner is facing extradition to the US on corruption charges. Warner turned himself in to Trinidadian police during the week after American authorities requested a warrant be issued for his arrest.
In a video posted to his Facebook page on Sunday, Warner made a lengthy and often confusing defence of his position. The most amusing part comes at the five minute mark of the video above. He cites an article titled 'FIFA Frantically Announces 2015 Summer World Cup In United States' from satirical news website The Onion in his defence.
Then I look to see that FIFA has frantically announced 2015, this year... World Cup beginning May 27th. If FIFA is so bad, why is it that USA wants to keep the FIFA World Cup? Why is it that they began games on May 27th, two days before the FIFA election? Why is it that the US authorities sought to embarrass FIFA in Zurich? Something has to be wrong.
Before you laugh at Jack (love that soundtrack by the way) - have a read of what French journalist Philippe Auclair has to say about the matter. He claims that it was a deliberate, cynical move by Warner to influence his own constituents.
Yes, Warner using The Onion as a source is very funny. Except that his video is aimed at people who've never heard of 'The Onion'.
— Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) May 31, 2015
Warner is addressing his own, local constituency. As cynical as it gets, not foolish at all.
— Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) May 31, 2015
Jack Warner is a very smart man. Why on earth would you believe he, ahem, swallowed The Onion if it didn't serve him at home?
— Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) May 31, 2015
What makes that theory less believable however is Warner removing the original video from his Facebook page and uploading an edited version featuring no reference to the Onion article.
Forward to the 5:00 mark to see the edit.
