Mylroie: Big Error by O'Neill Author on 60 Minutes

Iraq News News Letter - sam11@erols.com | 1-11-04 | Laurie Mylroie

[Matchett-PI]

In his appearance this evening on "60 Minutes," Ron Suskind, author of The Price of Loyalty, based to a large extent on information from former Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill, made an astonishing, very serious misstatement.

Suskind claimed he has documents showing that preparations for the Iraq war were well underway before 9-11. He cited--and even showed--what he said was a Pentagon document, entitled, "Foreign Suitors for Iraq Oilfield contracts." He claimed the document was about planning for post-war Iraqi oil (CBS's promotional story also contains that claim): http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/09/60minutes/printable592330.shtml

But that is not a Pentagon document. It's from the Vice-President's Office. It was part of the Energy Project that was the focus of Dick Cheney's attention before the 9/11 strikes.

And the document has nothing to do with post-war Iraq. It was part of a study of global oil supplies. Judicial Watch obtained it in a law suit and posted it, along with related documents, on its website at: http://www.judicialwatch.org/071703.c_.shtml

Indeed, when this story first broke yesterday, the Drudge Report had the Judicial Watch document linked (no one at CBS News saw that, so they could correct the error, when the show aired?)

And what are we to make of O'Neill's bigger claims, including that the Iraq war was planned from the first days of the Bush administration (cited by Wesley Clark today to buttress his assertion that there was no need for the war, it was all political)?

In late 2000 and early 2001, the Iraqi regime was trying increasingly hard to shoot down US planes enforcing the no-fly zones. That may well have opened up discussion about overthrowing Saddam in January and February 2001, as Suskind claims, but "Iraq News," which followed the issue very closely at the time, doubts very much that any decision was made to do so then. Perhaps tellingly, Suskind doesn't claim that those discussions continued beyond February.

Finally, O'Neill's statement to Time magazine, "I never saw anything that I would characterize as evidence of weapons of mass destruction," is bizarre. From 1995 on, UNSCOM reported that Iraq retained major elements of its proscribed weapons programs. That was the consensual view within the US intelligence community on the eve of the war, as well as every other country engaged in the issue.

[Lancey Howard]

Indeed, when this story first broke yesterday, the Drudge Report had the Judicial Watch document linked (no one at CBS News saw that, so they could correct the error, when the show aired?)

Pesky facts will never get in the way of the CBS / DNC agenda.

[OldFriend]

Have to agree, this ought to be up top first thing tomorrow morning and kept up top!

[Maigrey]

I didn't watch, because I knew it was a liberal hitpiece, with slanted facts, biased information, and manipulation for viewers. (In essence, perfect for the Communist Broadcast Society)

[Matchett-PI]

A snake will do what a snake always does. GWB gives evidence of being quite confident in his snake handling abilities.

You've heard the phrase, "Walk softly and carry a big stick", I'm sure. Bush walks softly and carries a big, heavy burlap bag with a tight drawstring at the top, along with his stick. Hahahaha

[prairiebreeze]

ping Mo1

[MizSterious]

Maybe he was a mole all along.

[OldFriend]

CBS still smarting over their Michael Jackson fiasco and now this.

Someone ought to ask them if they deliberately misrepresented this document in their effort to harm the President's credibility or they simply didn't bother to check the facts.

[nj_pilot]

Brit's main points amounted to "It has always been only about him (O'Neill) from the very beginning." I would have to rewind my videotape, record his words on an audio tape, and then transcribe them to get his whole commentary. I don't have the time right now. Funny how the bitter noise of a disgruntled former employee suddenly make news, no?

[PGalt]

Great post. Thanks. I'm in the middle of Laurie Mylroie's The War Against America...very, very good.

[Matchett-PI]

Will do! She knows it, though. She reads Free Republic herself.

[John H K]

Actually, coming up with contigency plans is good training for up-and-coming mid-level officers and what not.

And lets face it; for anyone interested in things military, it's fun sitting down and coming up with a plan for invading a country.

Somewhere in some folder in the Pentagon there's probably a "plan" for invading and taking over Monaco, Brazil, Luxembourg, New Zealand, etc.

Just as some German major drew up plans for a war with the US in 1904 or so...

[Mo1]

Thanks prairiebreeze

I haven't had a chance to follow this story more .. but I get the feeling there is more to the reason why O'Neill was booted

[Maigrey]

If I had to guess, my assumption is that they "verified" the document as authentic, and then prefaced it with some (lightly) worded disclaimer, then run with it. (Still has legal denyability). This way, they can act surprised when the authenticated document turns up to be false.

"Honest, we didn't know that this document was fraudulent."
I bet the lawyers had their teeth in it before anything went on air, and said that any trouble that brews they would handle it.

[RightWhale]

Dr. Mylroie received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Harvard. I have heard her commentary several times over the past couple years and never heard that. She has credentials.

[Matchett-PI]

"This should be in breaking news. Keep it bumped!!!"

Bump! Maybe the sidebar moderator will want to put it there.

[OldFriend]

Not so much fraudulent but misrepresented.........no excuse can protect CBS.........

[Jorge]

It all stems from O'Neil's firing and the sour grapes he still carries around with him. O'Neil's an old fool who was fired for incompetence, and now harbors animus for the Bush Administration. CBS decided to pick up the ball and carry it, not because there is anything newsworthy here, but because CBS hates Bush.

Geraldo is now on FOX trying to make O'Neil's comments into another Watergate....he's hysterical.

I'm really getting sick of Geraldo lately.

[Maigrey]

I read somewhere on here tonight that O'Neill was fired because he misrepresented his position on the tax cuts that Bush wanted for the people, and that when he made the comment that "Tax Cuts are worthless." that was the straw that broke O'Neill's back.

[GUIDO]

I totally agree with you. This man is pissed because of the terrible job he did. Yes, Brit Hume was very forthtelling about this man. Maybe if he had been a good treasury secty we would somewhat believe and listen to what he said, but he wasn't he was terrible. Everytime he got on the sunday shows I cringed because he didn't stand up for this administrations policies. It seemed as if he didn't even know what was going on half the time.

[EllaMinnow]

Big PING, bump, and bookmark.