By Mustafa Caglayan
NEW YORK
U.S. news anchor Brian Williams, whose reputation took a major tumble after he admitted to telling a false story about his role in a helicopter incident in Iraq, was suspended for six months, his company announced Tuesday.
"NBC News has suspended Brian Williams as Nightly News anchor and managing editor for six months without pay, effective immediately, following a review of his comments about an incident in Iraq," the network said in a statement.
Williams, host of the top-rated evening news program in the U.S., came under fire over his now-retracted statement that he was in a helicopter that was struck by enemy fire in Iraq in 2003.
He recanted the story on Feb. 4 after members of the military disputed his account.
“This was wrong and completely inappropriate for someone in Brian’s position,” Deborah Turness, president of NBC News, said in an internal memo obtained by the New York Times.
In a personal note published on Saturday, Williams said he would not be presenting his nightly show for several days as the network investigated the matter.
"In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions," he said.
