Companies engaging in repositioning can choose to downplay some points of difference and emphasise others. Later, the Japanese Foreign Ministry tried to downplay or reinterpret his remarks. Strauss was also suspicious of Oppenheimer's tendency to downplay Soviet capabilities. US authorities stated that McKinnon was trying to downplay his own actions. Kerry and Edwards claimed newfound momentum, while Dean attempted to downplay the results. Some scholars downplay the geopolitical importance of water. Certain authors have continued to downplay Khmer Rouge atrocities in recent years. Government officials tried to downplay the attack by saying he was lightly wounded. Tarar tried to downplay the incident by stating that her account had been hacked. He would downplay their previous political affiliations and back them up. It continues to be a serious social problem although authorities downplay it. The Pentagon released a false story about the incident to downplay the dangers of Afghanistan. In the immediate aftermath, officials fed Gorbachev incorrect information to downplay the incident. First, the person may downplay the importance of the dissonant thought. However, Zuma sought to downplay the judgment.