Posted on 09/11/2006 6:22:09 AM PDT by Grig
NEW YORK -- ABC made several editing changes to the first part of its miniseries "The Path to 9/11" following furious protests by Clinton administration officials that it fabricated scenes about their actions prior to the terrorist attacks.
But the network resisted calls to cancel the $40 million miniseries, airing commercial-free over two nights. Part two is scheduled for Monday, with an interruption for President Bush's address to the nation.
Several scenes were cut or changed from the movie that aired Sunday and finished 20 minutes shy of its three-hour time slot. ABC has called it a dramatization, not a documentary.
One scene, in a copy of the movie given to television critics a few weeks ago, indicated President Clinton's preoccupation with his potential impeachment may have hurt the effort to go after Osama bin Laden.
In the original scene, an actor portraying White House terrorism czar Richard Clarke shares a limousine ride with FBI agent John O'Neill and tells him: "The Republicans are going all-out for impeachment. I just don't see in that climate the president's going to take chances" and give the order to kill bin Laden.
But in the film aired Sunday, Clarke says to O'Neill: "The president has assured me this ... won't affect his decision-making."
O'Neill replies: "So it's OK if somebody kills bin Laden, as long as he didn't give the order. It's pathetic."
Another scene in the critics' cut showed O'Neill asking Clarke on the telephone: "What's Clinton going to do (about bin Laden)?"
Clarke replies, "I don't know. The Lewinsky thing is a noose around his neck."
This was cut entirely from the film that aired Sunday.
Another scene in the movie that depicted a team of CIA operatives poised outside of bin Laden's fortress in Afghanistan, ready to attack, was substantially shortened from the original. Pictures of the waiting Afghanistan operatives are interspersed with those of officials in Washington, who had to approve the mission.
The original version depicted national security adviser Samuel R. Berger hanging up on CIA chief George Tenet as Tenet sought permission to attack bin Laden. The movie aired Sunday did not include Berger hanging up.
The effect of the editing in that scene is to deflect specific blame. It ends with actor Donnie Wahlberg, portraying the head of the CIA team in Afghanistan, saying: "Are there no men in Washington, or are they all cowards?"
In the critics' version, Wahlberg's statement is followed directly by archival footage of Clinton's video testimony about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. Sunday, that footage was not included.
Twice, the network de-emphasized the role of the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks in its film.
The critics' version contained a note in the opening credits that the film is "based on the 9/11 commission report." That was omitted Sunday.
In a separate disclaimer that ran three times Sunday, ABC said the material is "drawn from a variety of sources including the 9/11 commission report and other published materials and from personal interviews." That differs from a note in the critics' version that said the dramatization "is based on the 9/11 commission report and other published sources and personal interviews."
The disclaimer emphasized that the movie was not a documentary.
"For dramatic and narrative purposes the movie contains fictionalized scenes, composite and representative characters and dialogue, as well as time compression," the note said.
Clinton spokesman Jay Carson said in a statement Sunday night that ABC and its parent, The Walt Disney Co., "chose fiction over fact and entertainment over education in airing their TV show."
Critics, such as historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr., said it was "disingenuous and dangerous" not to include accurate historical accounts in the movie.
Thomas Kean, head of the commission that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks and a backer of the film, said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday that he hadn't seen the final cut of the movie but urged Americans to watch it.
"If people blame Bill Clinton after seeing this, then the miniseries has failed," said Kean, the former Republican New Jersey governor. "That's wrong and it shouldn't happen."
John Lehman, another Republican commission member, said on the ABC News show that he's told the film is equally harsh on the administrations of President Bush and his father.
"And if you don't like the hits to the Clinton administration, well, welcome to the club," Lehman said. "The Republicans have lived with Michael Moore and Oliver Stone and most of Hollywood as a fact of life."
From even before he was elected, when he had to deal with all those people who didn't alledge he ever did cocaine, didn't find witnesses who said he did, didn't find people who sold him cocaine, but still made a news story out of it.
Yet he was not distracted. There's a difference when you know you are guilty and you know you are innocent.
Shalom.
I was watching with a group of Indian Nationals who "also thought Farenheit 911 was a good film." They received quite an education. They were incredulous at the things the terrorists were able to do while I explained how America viewed the world prior to 9/11/01.
Shalom.
Better? Haven't you been listening to the news? The Democrats would have had a plan. The Democrats would have engaged our allies. The Democrats would have found bin Laden by now. The Democrats would have an exit strategy. The Democrats would have a timetable for success. The Democrats would have ...
... at least 10 aircraft at the bottom of the Atlantic due to explosions in August, 2006.
Hot air or life-saving action? You decide 2006.
Shalom.
Brilliant post as usual Morgan.
In a war on terror human intel is not important it's everything! If nothing else last night we saw how difficult it is to get those few brave men in terror sponsored countries to go against the terrorists. They know they and all of their immediate families are subject to instant death if they are caught. Yet some still come out and do the right thing.
But,once they give us what we need and then we don't act on it, it's like cutting our own throats. Few will bother to help us again. The word gets out quick. The next time we need help/intel we will have to buy it and then who knows what you will get.
Kean gives RINO's a bad name.
"If people blame Bill Clinton after seeing this"
I blame the terrorists.
Kean made a couple of other comments during the interview that made more sense.
He said the miniseries makes you understand a little better the kinds of minds, the kinds of people, that would do these kinds of things, and makes you wonder why we haven't done more. He summed up saying it show that there is much to be done.
While President Bush may take some hits, I have a feeling many people watching the show will come to understand why he has taken the actions he has and be more willing to support those actions.
Well typed.
/sarc
There! Needed fixin'
"I blame the terrorists."
Yes, of course... but there is blame for those that allowed terrorists to attack us with impunity, and this is klintoon's legacy. This movie shows that fact with crystal clarity.
LLS
Thank you! I thought it'd be evident. I was wrong.
One thing can be said for Democrats. They make up news they want to believe and then think it's all true even though its a fantasy.
I'm sure Al Gore believes terrorism is caused by global warming, and John Kerry would still be in France talking to them about how horrible the US has been in prior wars if he had been elected.
You just cannot hate America or what we stand for and still be a good or effective president.
Yes, but the dem bootlickers will never face up to that fact. They will continue to deny facts.
We all were. Well most of us were, and I plead guilty. ~Valin
You weren't elected to the job of leading our country and paying attention to such things, either. Were you?
"Bush took the risk to protect the citizens, Clinton did not."
Bush took the risk to protect the citizens.
Clinton did not take the risk, because it was risking FOREIGN DONATIONS TO THE DNC, and he didn't give one *** D*MN about American Citizens.
"He refused to confront it, not because he was distracted by Lewinskygate, but because he is a feckless human being, without a shred of character or integrity. "
THE TRUE CLINTON LEGACY - a feckless human being, without a shred of character or integrity. "
Right. There were no Conservatives on that 20 minute post show segment. I thought to myself - "this is the clean-up/spin job".
The MSM are such Clinton Suck-ups. It's disgusting.
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