Posted on 09/10/2006 9:50:53 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
US network ABC aired "documdrama" The Path to 9/11, despite angry claims by aides to former president Bill Clinton that it unfairly tarred his record on hunting terrorists.
Mr Clinton's camp complained the movie, the first part of which was shown on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, contained fabricated scenes and misrepresented the Democrat president as slow to chase down Osama bin Laden.
Ex-Clinton aides based criticisms on early previews of the movie, which they said inaccurately portrayed actions of senior figures such as former secretary of state Madeleine Albright and former national security advisor Sandy Berger.
Despite going ahead with the movie, ABC included a disclaimer before the opening scenes, which reappeared after the first 90 minutes, which said noted the presence of "fictionalised" scenes.
"The movie is not a documentary," the disclaimer read, adding that its action was drawn from a number of sources, including the independent report into the September 11 attacks, personal interviews and other published materials.
However, the movie did contain scenes critical of the Clinton administration. In one, Mr Berger was seen as unwilling to give the go-ahead on an operation to arrest bin Laden.
Mr Berger said in response to reports based on previews of the movie that such an incident never took place.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
I wonder if anyone with anything resembling a brain will ever again say, "But the economy was so good!"
My husband and I cheered loudly after that scene! That cut said it all. Editing is not always a bad thing. Sometimes a small poignant direct hit is all it takes. There are other scenes that reinforce what a complete mess Clinton and his staff were. It is amazing. I am so glad ABC didn't cave. This story needed to be told. It is the truth about Clinton.
I forgot to add,
What an appropriate end for their legacy, considering how many shredders they burned out.
When the terrorists' shot at clinton's video image and one said, "Clinton is Satan!", I thought, "That's just what they want to do to Bush." And, of course, all of us "infidels."
So far most blame is placed squarely, and justly upon the Clinton administration. The Bush administration won't escape unscathed, nor should it although it must be noted they didn't have the same opportunities over such a long period of time. What I find interesting is one reference that pops up again and again, and I fault both administrations on this. That reference is Pakistan. General Musharraf may be an ally of the USA, but there is absolutely no may the whole of Pakistan is an ally.
Pakistan today is home to Osama bin Laden, has more al Qaeda schools and training camps then before 9-11, has produced between 10,000 and 50,000 militant jihadists in recent years, and last week the Pakistani government made peace with the tribal warlords protecting Osama bin Laden.
Pakistan was not an ally prior to 9-11, and it should have stayed that way. Pakistan is a weak link in the War on Terrorism.
Yes, I'm sure.
Part of the confusion is probably that there's a duplication of story line in this area. There's a day scene in Afghanistan regarding going after Ben Laden, followed by a night scene. The night scene was cut out.
Having compared the so-called 'complete version', and the show as aired, what's missing is a three minute long scene that began with a shot of the moon, followed by soldiers maneuvering using night vision goggles, finding the compound, reporting they'd found it, and requesting an immediate authorization to attack. As aired in the U.S., that scene went from the shot of the moon directly to the interior of a Washington building where Burger refused to make a decision and Tenent commented that he wasn't going to take the same flack that Reno did on Waco.
Also missing was the portion of the night scene which followed Tenent's Waco remark, during which we were back in night footage at the Ben Laden camp as the announcement was made to the troops that the attack had been called off. The only thing remaining of that scene was its final line, the one about not having any men in Washington.
Total cut... about 3 minutes, in two pieces. And, FWIW, I spent 30 years editing network television shows, so I do have some experience comparing two pieces of footage and determining what was left out.
And... as the other poster indicated, the Burger phumpha-ing was cut down too.
Boo Hoo BUBBA!....
"ABC removed things that made Clinton look bad."
..."Unfortunately the major items they removed were TRUE. In the case of Berger being unable to get in touch with Clinton for hours, this was very true, Clinton was on the golf course. This is corroborated by at least 3 sources. ABC removed it. ABC also removed the entire scene which shows Masood and the American agent planning to get Bin Laden, saying "We've got him, we've got bin Laden, can we proceed, do we have authorization?", after which Berger refuses to authorize and hangs up. This was a HUGE scene to remove, as it leaves the viewer (at least 3 I spoke to) totally confused about just what it was that Berger was resisting to authorize. The family members I spoke to had no idea what the significance of that scene was, although the Amy Madigan tantrum later gave them some inkling, but it just wasn't the same. ABC purposely decided to skewer the creative power of the film to please their true Democrat masters"...
I find it ironic that this film is about a lack of knowledge concerning true facts which might have saved thousands of lives prior to 9/11 and ABC, itself, does not have the courage to expose ALL the current facts to the American people..Can we feel much hope under these circumstances where courage is still lacking? Is there any way to get an uncensored copy of this?
Yes, ABC is to be commended for not caving..Some people in the MSM care whether America survives..
I saw quite a few things that made Clinton look REAL bad.
Try to catch a rerun of Heathers. (I think one of th Primaray Colors characters refers to this movie.)
ML/NJ
The disconnect in this jump left the impression that the shot of the moon was a reference to the Moon God, Allah. (It is just the kind of thing CAIR will be looking for to tell all of their followers that ABC intended it as an insult...:)
"All the screaming they did made ALL OF AMERICA watch it."
Would that that statement were true. My Clinton-loving neighbor told me, yesterday, that he hadn't even heard of the broadcast, but that he would not watch it because ABC would slant it to make his hero look bad. He is a certifiable maroon.
I spent the past three days alerting acquaintances of both parties of the program, and was met with responses ranging from "I'll be watching the Manning brothers" to "Who cares?".
Rank stupidity and ignorance by choice are the best friends the IslamoNazis have, and this country is full of idiots that refuse to see the threat as real. The RATS will be out in full force, today, in mock outrage that Bubba and his crew were misrepresented. Barf bags at the ready.
Yeah. I correctedmyself.
See post # 22
I guess I'll be answering for post # 2 all day.
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