Comment on "Gain-assisted Superluminal Light Propagation"

Wang, Kuzmich and Dogariu, in their 20 July, 2000, Nature article, describe an experiment ostensibly measuring superluminal speeds of 310c via a few percent shift in time of an optical pulse undergoing anomalous dispersion in a pumped medium. This paper seems to have become part of the superluminal lore and is often referenced as a profound example of superluminality. We have closely examined the article and find serious flaws that need to be addressed.