Lesley Stahl Regrets Iraq Stories

The Virginian-Pilot ^ | 4-23-2004 | KATE WILTROUT

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

VIRGINIA BEACH - Lesley Stahl has had her share of journalistic triumphs in the 14 years she has traveled the world interviewing newsmakers for "60 Minutes ."

But Wednesday night, the CBS news correspondent and "60 Minutes" co-editor also talked about work she's less proud of: two pre-Iraq war reports casting doubt on Saddam Hussein's claim to have rid Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction.

"I look on those two stories as mistakes, journalistic mistakes," Stahl told a crowd of about 1,000 gathered in the Princess Anne High School auditorium. "I made them, and I regret it."

Stahl described a trip to Iraq in October 2001 , where she interviewed Iraqi officials, military leaders and scientists. They told her that Saddam had no ties to Osama bin Laden, that their secular Muslim country was just as much his enemy as the United States.

Stahl said she believed that.

They also told her that the country had gotten rid of its weapons of mass destruction - the continued possession of such weapons was later cited by President Bush as justification for a pre-emptive war.

Stahl didn't buy the Iraqis' claims. Her instincts, she said, told her they were lying. "I didn't believe anything the Iraqis were telling me about weapons of mass destruction," Stahl said. "Nobody believed their denials."

Stahl said she double- and triple-checked with lots of other sources.

No one had any doubts the weapons existed, she said - something she agonizes about now, but doesn't know what she could have done differently.

In her speech to the Virginia Beach Forum, co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Center Forum, Stahl touched on many of the biggest Washington stories of the past 30 years or more. She started at CBS's Washington bureau in 1972 on a story none of the "big boys" wanted to cover, involving a burglary at the Watergate hotel.

For 10 years , she was the network's White House correspondent, reporting on the Carter, Reagan and first Bush administrations.

George W. Bush reminds her of an earlier occupant of the White House. "I'm hearing echoes, not of his father's presidency, but of Ronald Reagan's," Stahl said.

Both convinced the nation they were "staying the course" even as they changed their positions, she said, citing Reagan's six tax hikes despite a pledge not to and now Bush's emphasis that the U.N. help out in Iraq.

Stahl said come November, Bush might be haunted by last year's appearance in a flight suit on an aircraft carrier, when he declared the end of major combat in Iraq. But it's way too soon to predict who will win the election, Stahl said. In response to audience questions, the newswoman guessed that presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry might choose North Carolina Sen. John Edwards as his running mate.

Stahl fended off a question about for whom she would vote for president. "You do know that news reporters have their opinions surgically removed," Stahl said. "I don't go there."

[OpusatFR]

"... "You do know that news reporters have their opinions surgically removed," Stahl said. "I don't go there.""

Is that disingenuous or what?

Why, oh why do these journalists think that no one can see their bias?

[Piquaboy]

President Bush did not say that the end of combat was over. He or that sign said Mission Accomplished. That particular mission was accomplished. It pisses me off that people don't understand what a particular mission is.

[glock rocks]

"You do know that news reporters have their opinions brains surgically removed," Stahl said.

[TomGuy]

Stahl said she believed that.

Yeh, Leslie, it is amazing how gullible most of the media really are. Anything that fits the agenda is fodder; regardless of it's truth or veracity. Too bad there aren't any real investigative journalists any more--those who dug until they found the truth instead of digging dirt to support their agenda.

[ClearCase_guy]

Lesley Stahl is an idiot. "60 Minutes" is way past its prime. CBS is a propaganda machine for the Left. All Network News is hopelessly biased.

And I say this, of course, in a completely objective manner, holding my own opinions close to my vest. I merely state the facts.

[ampat]

Of course you're right. The aircraft carrier in question was returning from its tour of duty in the middle east. It's mission was accomplished. In fact you could say that Kerry would agree since he see's the ongoing situation in Iraq as a law enforcement operation.

[Solson]

"No one had any doubts the weapons existed, she said - something she agonizes about now, but doesn't know what she could have done differently."

What the hell does this mean? Do something differently? Leslie...sweetie...you're here to report the factual news...not to change opinions.

Go jump in a cold lake!

[Lancey Howard]

Wow, Stahl is utterly lame.
What she regrets is her inability to shove it to Bush TODAY.
But watch - - when the motherlode is discovered, she'll be doing the Homer Simpson "doh...!" yet again.

[ken5050]

am I reading it wrong?..sounds like she's admitting that she's starting to understand W....

[toolbreaker]

Stahl didn't buy the Iraqis' claims. Her instincts, she said, told her they were lying. "I didn't believe anything the Iraqis were telling me about weapons of mass destruction," Stahl said. "Nobody believed their denials." Stahl said she double- and triple-checked with lots of other sources. No one had any doubts the weapons existed, she said - something she agonizes about now, but doesn't know what she could have done differently.

What happened to..."George Bush lied about WMD"? What a pompous, self absorbed witch. If only she had been more careful, she could have saved the world from this horrible war!

I'm truly afraid that the truth is, while we were yammering at the UN, Saddam's poisons were sent over the border, and are now in the hands of Al Qaida.

[Piquaboy]

I sure am glad that at least one person sees it the same way I do.

[ClearCase_guy]

I think the quotes from Stahl are very mushy and do not show any clarity of thought. Here's how I read them (YMMV):

Iraqi officials lied to Leslie and fooled her. They said Iraq had no connection to Osama Bin Laden and she believed them, but now knows she was fooled.

Iraqi officials told Leslie they had no WMD. She foolishly thought they were lying. The Evil George Bush convinced her that WMD did exist. She now knows that Bush was lying and that she should have believed the Iraqi officials who proclaimed their innocence in these matters.

In summary: Hussein lied, Bush lied, they're all the same. Moral Equivalence strikes again. I suppose if you want a perfect, unblemished politician, you will have to go to Cuba and interview Castro. As Rather will tell you, he's still The Man.

[SpinyNorman]

I smell (literally!) another Simon & Schuster book coming down the pike!

I wonder if she can get it done by October?

[bonfire]

"am I reading it wrong?..sounds like she's admitting that she's starting to understand W....
"

That's how I read it also.

[ken5050]

Look, I;m NOT defending her, but you gotta admit..it's bery rare for media trypes to admit publicly that they were wrong..also, so say that W reminds her of Reagan...it's not a comment you'd expect of her.....my tyake, FWIW, while the entire media establishment is focused on Kerry winning, a few are starting to understand that this is a war of good against evil, and if the bad guys won, well, folks like Ms. Stahl wold not find themselves in a prety place...sometimes it's very hard to confront the truth

[ClarenceThomasfan]

At least she compared W's presidency to Reagan's-which was a two-term presidency.

I thought she was going to say W would be like his father - a one-termer.

[OldFriend]

Liar liar liar liar liar.........

[OldFriend]

You are reading this incorrectly. She is saying that she didn't believe Saddam Hussein but she should have because there really are no weapons of mass destruction.

[ken5050]

I will drink a second cup of coffee, reread it again, and get back to you on that.....