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.

[Valin]

LOL!

[1Old Pro]

People do strange things after they are fired.

[RetiredArmy]

He never saw any evidence of WofMD?????? Why the hell would HE be shown the evidence anyway??? What would O'Neil have to do with WMD? He was $$$, not bombs! This is the rants of an old man who basically got fired from his job. It should be taken with that grain of salt. No one fired says nice things about his boss afterwards - same here with whinebag ONeil.

[Honestfreedom]

We will probably be seeing similar things from Colin Powell (though not so blatant) after he leaves office and wants to differentiate himself from Bush. Colin Powell is an honorable man. The suggestion that he would pull a Paul O'Neill is ridiculous.<<

I agree that Powell would be more dignified and less in the face. However, he would get anonymous leakers and other more subtle means of doing it. He would probably not be as demeaning to Bush as O'Neil was.

[Republic]

The best way to deal with this horrendous attempt to destroy the public's faith in our President and his administration is to write (email) CBS news and the president/CEO of CBS. A brief explanation of this misleading tabloid like take on O'Neill's pathetic allegations is to state the facts and to bluntly state your loss of trust and faith in the CBS news organization.

CBS needs to be held accountable. Lying to the public by leaving out pertinent facts is wrong, such offensive tactics do a terrible dis-service to the American public. CBS deserves to hear from each of us. Boldly.

When the press crushes the full truth-we all lose.

[mewzilla]

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?)

Ha! I always knew the people at CBS were illiterate.

[justshutupandtakeit]

So you are saying you know nothing about American political history?

[FBD]

bttt.
How ya been Sultan?

[blackie]

Big Error by O'Neill Author on 60 Minutes ~ Bump!

[daybreakcoming]

Newsweek?? I canceled my subscription nearly two years ago....an idiot could see the slant that makes null and void anything they write. The photographs were nice tho.

[ZAKJAN]

PING

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

That was not what I said. It may be what you think. But since you did not ask me a question, you will not know that you are wrong. Bye.

[Matchett-PI]

Yes, you can request her newsletter by emailing her here: sam11@erols.com

It's free. Mention you're a FReeper -- she likes this web site. (I sent her an email last night linking her to this thread).

[lepton]

I personally think we forgot to dot a few "I's" in that plan

We were completely surprised by taking less than 6 weeks to complete the conquest of Baghdad. The plans counted on those several weeks to get stuff set up and in-theater. It also planned on coming through Turkey, thereby grinding up the idiots in the north (Sunni triangle).

[Matchett-PI]

BTTT!

[evad]

It also planned on coming through Turkey, thereby grinding up the idiots in the north (Sunni triangle).

Good point.

If they were decimated right now there would be far less trouble.

[cake_crumb]

A lot of O'Neill's stuff came from the Clinton administration and was held over by the Bush administration, so his information is incorrect there ars well.

O'Neill should go back to skipping around Africa on useless AIDS tours with Bono, campaigning for tax hikes and screaming about global warming. His guy isn't a moderate Republican. He's more of a rabid socialist.

[Mo1]

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[Republican Wildcat]

Right, but I doubt he was in a position to be analyzing intelligence.

[cake_crumb]

And another thing. The Bush administration has discussed other enemy tyrants as well, like Kim and Castro. We should be very afraid if they hadn't been.

If they HADN'T been discussing enemy regimes prior to 9/11/01, then they wouldn't have been doing their JOBS, and they COULD have been responsible for 9/11/01. I mean DUH. The leader of the free word not discussing foreign policy?? These regimes weren't dangerous BEFORE 9/11?? Then why do we need the UN at all?? What were they supposed - I said 'supposed' - to be DOING with those regimes before 9/11/01??