Conspracy? ABC Investigates

NIghtline email | 3/4/03 | Nightline Crew

[woofie]

TONIGHT'S FOCUS:

Several years ago, when President Clinton was still in the White House, and 9/11 was still not even a nightmare in anyone's mind, a group of mostly Republicans wrote a letter outlining a foreign policy strategy that involved regime change in Iraq, by force if necessary. Now that several of those Republicans are in key positions in the Administration, some critics of the White House's current Iraq policy smell something fishy.

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The Project for the New American Century. Never heard of it? Well, don't feel bad. Few have. But have you heard of Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld or Paul Wolfowitz? Back in 1997, those three out-of-office politicians and several other like-minded, mostly conservatives, were frustrated with American foreign policy. So they formed this new organization and a year later wrote a letter to then-President Bill Clinton calling for a "comprehensive political and military strategy for bringing down Saddam and his regime."

Today, a 76-page paper written by the organization reads like a blueprint for the policy being carried out largely by Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. In fact, of the 40 people who signed that letter, 10 are currently in the Administration.

Is this a case of democracy in action? Influential thinkers who became policy makers? Or is it, as some international critics of the White House's policy on Iraq have argued, a secretive organization pulling the strings of the President, with an imperialistic goal of dominating the world? Are these criticisms legitimate?

Tonight ABC News correspondent Jackie Judd will explore this conspiracy theory, and the influence and role of the Project for the New American Century. Ted Koppel will then speak with the Project's founder and chairman, Bill Kristol, who served in both the first Bush and the Reagan Administrations.

Also tonight we'll have another report from correspondent Mike Cerre with Marine Company Fox 2/5 in Kuwait. After 19 days in the desert, they got a shower and a hot meal. But more importantly, they also received their plans for their role in an invasion, if and when one is ordered. After months of training for war, they now know just what they're going to do.

And finally, Nightline's Chris Bury is in Kuwait this evening, the main staging area for the American invasion should it come. He'll give us the latest news of the military's preparations.

We hope you'll join us.

[woofie]

WOW !!!!it turns out Dick Cheney and Bill Kristol are the reason....

TIN FOIL!!!!!

[woofie]

Why cant woofie spell? CONSPIRACY

[Huck]

LOL. Too bad Nightline is past my bedtime.

[woofie]

We need a volunteer to watch

[hillsborofox]

This is terrible. A conspiracy to rid the world of a cruel and merciless tyrant, making our nation a safer place? I'm outraged, I tell ya!

[MamaLucci]

My memory must be failing, because I don't remember
Nightline investigating any of the countless conspiracy
theories (most of which turned out to be TRUE) surrounding
the Clinton misAdministration.

[woofie]

We should be busy preventing people from knowing about sexy young women coming and going in the WH...

[Slyfox]

Is this a case of democracy in action? Influential thinkers who became policy makers?

Sounds like somebody is royally PO'ed that the Clintonista's aren't the ones doing the policy-making.

[woofie]

We need volunteers to watch ABC...Hazardous Duty!!!! Extra Pay!!!!!

[Cicero]

Gee, this is terrible. Political thinkers have a vision of what America's security requires, and when they come into office they implement it. Shame on them for having ideas without Ted Koppel's permission.

It was public knowledge that these guys were hawks. And it's public knowledge that they cannot do a thing unless the President of the United States approves.

[dirtboy]

Several years ago, when President Clinton was still in the White House, and 9/11 was still not even a nightmare in anyone's mind, a group of mostly Republicans wrote a letter outlining a foreign policy strategy that involved regime change in Iraq, by force if necessary. Now that several of those Republicans are in key positions in the Administration, some critics of the White House's current Iraq policy smell something fishy.

Gee, how come they aren't investigating the members of the 105th Congress - in 1998, passed the Iraq Liberation Act, calling for the removal of Saddam Hussein's regime. So much for this conspiracy nonsense, this has been the policy of the United States going back to the Clinton Administration, and how Nightline can write a promo for this story without mentioning that salient fact beggars belief.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

...a secretive organization pulling the strings of the President, with an imperialistic goal of dominating the world?...

This is a hugh conspracy and I'm vey gladd that Night Lime is taking the issue series.

[woofie]

u spell as goode as mee

[Dont Mention the War]

Nightline Contact Information

[Williams]

and the secret organization would be the very public top officials of our government, whose views are quite well known??

[Williams]

Of course "9/11" specifically wasn't a nightmare yet, but certainly international terrorism and the threat of rogue regimes with WMD was very much a live topic. Indeed, a second attack on the WTC was very much a possibility.

[Diddley]

This is a hugh conspracy and I'm vey gladd that Night Lime is taking the issue series.

Who’s Hugh? And you have to watch those conspracies.

[trebb]

Gee, all you have to do is believe in the same thing for more than two consecutive years and it becomes a conspiracy - no wonder the Dims are always saying that they didn't mean what they said before, but they really really mean what they are saying today - they don't want to become part of a conspiracy...

If it wasn't so sad, it would really be funny...

[UncleSamUSA]

Like most left-wing America haters, ABC News is obsessed with "conspiracies" -- especially by the vast "right-wing conspiracy" against poor little old liberals and their crybaby apologists.

Their teaser describes what they view as a concrete "conspiracy" then disingenuously ask: we'll explore if there really IS a conspiracy and talk to the man who founded the conspiracy (hint hint).

I'll give you $100 if you promise not to think of a pink elephant. OK?

[Shermy]

Conspiracy? "Regime Change" was Clinton/Gore's public policy.