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.

[prairiebreeze]

Very plausible explanation. Thank you.

Prairie

[DrDeb]

A thanks for posting this BUMP!

[freekitty]

I think O'Neil is a political patsy. It's just another truth stretcher to muddy the waters regarding Bush.

I saw the program and my post #69 refers only to what I think O'Neil thought from beginning to end.

[Mrs.Liberty]

bump for later

[Americalover]

This guys fifteen minutes will be gone in a few days.... Truer words never spoke.

[Texasforever]

Look if deposing Saddam had NOT been a priority from the first day then Bush would not have been doing his job. The policy of regime change was put into place by the Clinton administration and it was left to Bush to clean up after Bill. The second point is that at least one document from the Senate intelligence committee shown on 60 minutes was marked SECRET. If that is the case O’Neil needs to be in an orange jumpsuit not selling a book. The author claimed O’Neil gave him “thousands” of documents. How much classified material was he given?

[cubreporter]

Well that makes it even for me cause I hate CBS. They stink! O'Neill lied and they swore to it so what else is new?

[DoctorMichael]

Bump.

[JulieRNR21]

How can O'Neill give Suskind papers that contain information regarding our national security? It seems to me that such info would be highly classified.

[Denver Ditdat]

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

"1901" by Robert Conroy is based upon the German war plan for the US at the turn of the 20th century, except in the novel the plan is actually carried out. It's an interesting premise and a good read. I enjoyed seeing many familiar figures out of their normal historic context - a young Chester Nimitz, James Longstreet returning from retirement to lead the Army, and Theodore Roosevelt as a wartime president to name a few.

The book has been out of print for several years but it's well worth hunting down a copy if one is interested in the era, subject matter, or speculative fiction in general.

[Matchett-PI]

Thanks for posting that excerpt! I hadn't seen it.

[Arkinsaw]

The whole point of this, I think, is to give Democrats in Congress a public relations club to start calling for Congressional investigations and start browbeating Republicans down the path to subpoenas.

This is what the Rockefeller memo was all about. They plan on running on "Bush is a creepy, sneaky, liar" based on made-up stuff like this. It doesn't matter if their "evidence" is transparent because the public will just hear it on the news each night and distrust this administration.

[sauropod]

Is O'Neill now connected with MoveOn.org?

[cibco]

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

DPTO - Dept. of Planning, Training and Operations. In between and during wars... there are always plans. When the need arises, they go to the files, blow off the dust and revise to current needs and conditions.

[PhilDragoo]

Former Secretary of Treasury fails to
close the deal with West L.A. transvestite.

[expatpat]

Who the he11 recommended him for a Cabinet position? They should keep that guy well away from Federal Judiciary nominations.

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

O'Neil IS confused. WAS confused. That is why he is Ex-Secy of the Treasury. I rest my case. And kill his case.

[willieroe]

I have never trusted Bush even though I voted for him.Ive always suspected he wasnt very bright

Brighter than you are, troll. Welcome to FR, by the way.

[willieroe]

I have never trusted Bush even though I voted for him.Ive always suspected he wasnt very bright

Brighter than you are, troll. Welcome to FR, by the way.