Jobs allies slam former exec

Apple's board — which includes friends of Steve Jobs such as Al Gore, the former vice-president — has declared its confidence in the Apple chief executive. The board's statement comes a day after Fred Anderson, the company's long-time chief financial officer, blamed Jobs for ignoring his warnings about the backdating of executive options, and misleading him as to the board's approval for such manipulation of executive pay. In a rebuke to the Apple turncoat, Jobs' board said: "we are not going to enter into a public debate with Fred Anderson." It's difficult to understand the need of Jobs' allies to go public. If Apple's legendary boss is to escape the government investigation with little more than a slapped wrist, why fuel the story? If not, then Jobs has greater worries than a public squabble with his former finance guy.

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