Posted on 09/08/2006 7:09:00 AM PDT by Mr. Brightside
Today: September 08, 2006 at 6:40:21 PDT
ABC: 9/11 Program Criticism 'Premature'
By DEEPTI HAJELA, ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK (AP) -
ABC defended a miniseries on the events leading up to the Sept. 11 attacks after Clinton administration officials said it distorts history so drastically that it should be corrected or shelved.
"No one has seen the final version of the film, because the editing process is not yet complete, so criticisms of film specifics are premature and irresponsible," the network said in a statement Thursday.
Former administration officials and Senate Democrats said in letters to the head of the network's parent company that the "The Path to 9/11" was "terribly wrong."
Former President Clinton, speaking with news reporters after a Democratic fundraiser in Arkansas on Thursday, said he hadn't seen the ABC film.
"But I think they ought to tell the truth, particularly if they are going to claim it is based on the 9/11 Commission report," he said. "They shouldn't have scenes that are directly contradicted by the findings of the 9/11 report."
The Washington Post, citing a network executive it did not name, reported in its Friday editions that ABC plans to make minor changes in response to the complaints from former Clinton administration officials
The ABC executive said the "adjustments and refinements" are "intended to make clearer that it was general indecisiveness" by federal officials that left the country vulnerable to terrorist attacks, "not any one individual," the Post reported. It said the executive requested anonymity because the network is making only written comments.
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, Clinton Foundation head Bruce Lindsey and Clinton adviser Douglas Band wrote in the past week to Robert Iger, CEO of ABC's parent, The Walt Disney Co., to express concern over "The Path to 9/11."
They were joined Thursday by Democratic Sens. Harry Reid of Nevada, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Charles Schumer of New York and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, who sent a joint letter to Iger asking that the broadcast be cancelled.
The two-part miniseries, scheduled to be broadcast on Sunday and Monday, is drawn from interviews and documents including the report of the Sept. 11 commission.
Thomas Kean, a former Republican New Jersey governor and chairman of the 9/11 Commission, defended the program.
"It's something the American people should see," he said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" Friday. "Because you understand how these people wanted to do us harm, developed this plot, and how the machinations of the American government under two administrations not only failed to stop them, but even failed to slow them down."
Kean said he hoped people would watch the miniseries to "understand better what went on, and hopefully understand what still needs to be done."
The letter writers said the miniseries contained factual errors and that their requests to see it had gone unanswered. They said people familiar with the movie had told them about it, but they didn't name them.
"By ABC's own standard, ABC has gotten it terribly wrong," Lindsey and Band said in their letter. "It is unconscionable to mislead the American public about one of the most horrendous tragedies our country has ever known."
ABC said that for dramatic and narrative purposes "the movie contains fictionalized scenes, composite and representative characters and dialogue and time compression."
"We hope viewers will watch the entire broadcast of the finished film before forming an opinion about it," ABC said.
In the senators' letter, they questioned the political leanings behind the miniseries.
"Frankly, that ABC and Disney would consider airing a program that could be construed as right-wing political propaganda on such a grave and important event involving the security of our nation is a discredit both to the Disney brand and to the legacy of honesty built at ABC by honorable individuals from David Brinkley to Peter Jennings," the letter said.
The letter writers pointed out examples of scenes they had been told were in the miniseries but that they said never happened. Albright objected to a scene that she was told showed her insisting on warning the Pakistani government before an airstrike on Afghanistan, and that showed her as the one who made the warning.
"The scene as explained to me is false and defamatory," she said.
Berger objected to a scene that he was told showed him refusing to authorize an attack on Osama bin Laden despite the request from CIA officials.
"The fabrication of this scene (of such apparent magnitude) cannot be justified under any reasonable definition of dramatic license," he wrote.
The five-hour miniseries is set to run without commercial interruption. Director David Cunningham said it was a massive undertaking, with close to 250 speaking parts, more than 300 sets and a budget of $40 million. Cunningham has said he shot 550 hours of film. The cast includes Harvey Keitel, Patricia Heaton and Donnie Wahlberg.
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Associated Press writer Devlin Barrett in Washington, AP Television Writer Frazier Moore in New York and AP writer Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Ark., contributed to this report.
"No one has seen the final version of the film, because the editing process is not yet complete, so criticisms of film specifics are premature and irresponsible."
Then what's all the belly-aching about?
This would indicate they are not caving to the Dems and cancelling the movie.
Translation: "Wait! We're not done watering this thing down yet. When it actually airs, 9/11 will be George W. Bush's fault and it will be clear that only Hillary Clinton can lead our country in the future. If you think you're mad now, just wait!"
Yeah, like the finding that Jamie Gorelick's iron wall of silence did not contribute to 9/11. The 9/11 commission was a sick joke.
I made my statement already. I had it setup for Tivo'ing. Tivo uses its information as an ratings tool. I deleted that last night. I will watch part 1 bypassing Tivo and if it is a snow job, there will be no part 2.
Premature= ABC is caving.
I would pay money for the UNCENSORED "path to 9/11" documentary.
This is the censored version so now we get to watch this wondering what they DID take out.
Are there work edits out in distribution?
FNC said they HAD a copy of this documentary. (unfinished?)
ABC speak....."Wait...we have blamed BUSH for everything in the final cut'!!
These Congressional "Leaders" who wrote this letter to ABC is attempting to intimidate ABC/Disney and is in violation of the Constitution by using their positions in an attempt to restrict free speech.
Premature because they are criticising a version of the movie that is unlikely to be shown. This will probably be a tremendous bait-and-switch.
Not in so many words, but Jamie Gorelick played a central role in the strengthening and expansion of "The Wall" in order to help Clinton in the ChinaGate affair. That fact, combined with her membership in the commission itself makes the commission's treatment of the subject feeble at best.
what's all the belly-aching about?
It's about the very real tarnish on Clinton's legacy and this docudrama isn't spinning the story he wants!
I'll bet good money they show up on youtube.com!
I rarely watch the dinosaur channels anyway anymore, if ABC caves to the dems on this, that will be the final straw for me. I'll stick to getting my news from talk radio and FR, thankyouverymuch!!
Hmm... Looking at page 79 and 80 of the report, they do mention Jamie Gorelick in passing, but they seem to describe "The Wall" as "misunderstanding" combined with a power grab by the Office of Intelligence Policy and Review. I always believed it to be a much more intentional blockade at the behest of the Clinton Whitehouse.
But, I suppose I'm foolish to believe the commission would come out and say that.
Me thinks they doth protest too much. They're afraid the American people will find out the truth about the Clinton administration, and will open some eyes to the fact that they did nothing, when they should have done something.
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