CBS, White House in Dispute Over Saddam Interview

reuters ^ | 2/26/03

[knak]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House criticized CBS television on Wednesday over what a spokesman said was a spurned offer to rebut comments by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during an interview to be broadcast on Wednesday evening.

"This seems odd they wouldn't let the White House have a voice," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told Reuters.

He said the White House had offered a representative to counter what he said would be propaganda, lies and irresponsible statements by Saddam in the rare interview, but he said CBS replied it was interested only if President Bush made the response himself.

CBS rejected the charge and said it remained open to providing a forum for a top Bush administration official to respond to Saddam on the air.

"The conversation was never President Bush or no one," CBS News spokeswoman Sandy Genelius said. The White House had initially offered to send Fleischer for brief comments, but this was not accepted, she said. Fleischer denied that the White House had suggested any names.

CBS made a new offer on Wednesday, Genelius said. "If the president, the vice president or Secretary of State (Colin) Powell would like to appear on the program tonight we would be happy to have them appear on the program," Genelius said.

CBS was to air the interview by news anchor Dan Rather at 9:00 p.m. EST on its "60 Minutes II" program.

Recorded on Monday, it is the first interview Saddam has granted an American journalist in 13 years and comes as the United Nations prepares to debate whether to authorize a war on Iraq to enforce disarmament demands.

With saturation coverage by U.S. and international media, Bush has repeatedly accused Saddam of defying U.N. demands that he dismantle weapons of mass destruction programs -- a charge the Iraqi leader denies -- and of threatening to spread chemical, biological or nuclear weapons to terrorists. He is due to give another speech on Iraq earlier on Wednesday evening.

Fleischer said he was not concerned that Saddam's interview could sway opinion. "The American people can handle an interview with Saddam Hussein, but fairness suggests that the administration have a voice."

He acknowledged the interview was a journalistic coup for CBS, for which he said the network deserved congratulations.

"But it's also important to recognize, in the name of balance and in the name of not making a moral equivalence between a dictator and a democracy, that Iraq engages in propaganda and they will continue to engage in propaganda," he said.

A Bush administration officials also raised questions over the manner in which the interview was conducted, saying such conditions would never be accepted if set by Bush. The interview was filmed by Iraqi television, which also provided a translation and pieced together videotape from three separate cameras into a single recording.

Genelius said it is customary for Iraq to do the filming for such interviews, that CBS made a separate translation and that there appeared to be no deletions of the 1 hour, 45-minute interview in the final tape given to CBS. The interview will be edited to fit the program's one-hour length.

[doug from upland]

What I really wanted to see is Saddam lower Danny boy into one of his acid pits. Now that is must see TV.

[GirlShortstop]

Dan Rather has this interview under his belt only because "his good friend Ramsey Clark set it up with Saddam for him".

HURL ALERT           

[dfwgator]

Dan Rather and CBS don't share all the responsibility, but they share the primary responsibility for the public's loss of support for our soldiers in VietNam, responsible for our returning soldiers being called "baby-killers".

They are also primarily responsible for allowing Pol Pot to murder 2 million Cambodians.

[prairiebreeze]

the RATS would insist on a "pre-buttal" like with the SOTU address.

Pre-buttal....nope, I won't even go there today. :^)

Prairie

[kjam22]

No way Bush will go on live with Dan Rather. He has got to remember what happened with his dad and Rather.

[concerned about politics]

No way Bush will go on live with Dan Rather. He has got to remember what happened with his dad and Rather.

Bush shouldn't lower himself for the lefties. He should continue to remain above them. He's the president, not just another stupid leftie.
He has a job to do. Let the children play. The president has "grown up stuff" to tend to. Really.
The audacity of the left to even consider they're worthy of his time.
As an ordinary citizen, the left isn't even worthy of my time!

[OldFriend]

BERNARD GOLDBERG WAS RIGHT

[OldFriend]

BERNARD GOLDBERG WAS RIGHT

[cake_crumb]

So Saddam FINALLY finished editing the tape and transmitted it? It was supposed to have aired yesterday, but Saddam wasn't finished making himself look sane and sweet.

Iraq delays CBS broadcast of Saddam interview

[Cultural Jihad]

CBS should not be allowed inside any White House press conference again until they clean up their act.

[Canadian Outrage]

I'm with you ex-Tex, I wish the FBI or Homeland Security or something would swoop in and shut this network of communist diarrhea down!! Rather is an IDIOT!!

[flamefront]

Hurling ...

After the Gulf War, in 1991, Clark initiated a war-crimes tribunal, which tried and found guilty President George Bush and Generals Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf, among others. Clark went on to write a book, The Fire This Time (Thunder's Mouth Press), describing the crimes he says were committed by U.S. and NATO forces during the Gulf War. When asked why he focuses on the crimes of his own country, instead of those committed by Iraq, Clark says that we, as citizens, need to announce our principles and "force our government to adhere to them. When you see your government violating those principles, you have the highest obligation to correct what your government does, not point the finger at someone else."

[cake_crumb]

I clicked on your screen name because I thought you might be a libertarian.

[honeygrl]

is it just me or does Saddam have devilish red eyes in that photo? his true colors show through..

[GretchenEE]

Last night Letterman suggested that Bush should take up Saddam on his debate offer, and volunteered format guidelines. They showed Saddam as if he were giving his three-minute opening statement, and then showed Bush's three-minute response: night-vision photography of the first bombing of Baghdad.

[JustPiper]

CBS should leave will enough alone and just show Arsenio and Star Search!

[fella]

This is amazing, our maisteam media is painting a dictator who is worse than Hitler (there is no record of Hitler ever personally murdering someone but Sodom has gleefully personally murdered many people)as a good guy and at the same time is portaying Pesident Bush (who is only tying to enforce UN rules that have been in place for over a decade) as the pinicle of evil. Who owns CBS? I mean who are the top 100 share holders even the ones behind front companies? Is there a way to find out on line?

[freepy smurf]

An opportunity lost. If the CIA had planted a remote controlled explosive device in GungaDan we could have liberated oppressed masses in 2 countries at the same time.

[LaraCroft]

Oh silly. When the news people say something, they are being unbiased and fair! There is no need for a rebuttal. It is only when an evil, stupid misguided conservative says something that calls for a fairness speech after.

Jeesh, i thought everyone knew that.