VIDEO: Author of Iraq NIE Says He ‘Regrets Having a Role’ In Manipulation of Intelligence
VIDEO: Author of Iraq NIE Says He ‘Regrets Having a Role’ In Manipulation of Intelligence
Last night, PBS’s Frontline aired a new documentary entitled “The Dark Side†which tells the story of how Vice President Cheney seized on 9/11 to expand executive power and exert control over the nation’s intelligence functions.
One of the many examples the show cites of the administration’s successful manipulation of Iraq intelligence was the use of National Intelligence Estimate to propagate some of the most misleading claims.
After the congressional vote in October 2002, the Bush administration published a “white paper†unclassified version of the NIE. That “white paper†changed many of the official judgments of intelligence professionals by turning qualified conclusions into blunt assertions of fact. One of the primary authors of the “white paper,†former CIA staffer Paul Pillar, told Frontline the paper was “clearly requested and published for policy advocacy purposes,†rather than its intended function as a fact-intensive, comprehensive judgment of the intelligence community. He added, “I regret having a role in that.†Watch it.
Full transcript of Pillar’s interview HERE. Beginning on Thursday evening, you can watch the entire documentary here.
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36 Responses to “VIDEO: Author of Iraq NIE Says He ‘Regrets Having a Role’ In Manipulation of Intelligence”
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And the whole issue of false flagging on 9/11 cannot be ignored.
June 21st, 2006 at 3:57 pmThis only matters if it will lead to the ousting, trial, and jail or exile of everyone in the Bush Cabal.
Short of that, this is just more revelations that review what we already know.
That Reichwingnuts won’t clean up their own mess only points to the fact they must be removed from power.
Period.
June 21st, 2006 at 4:00 pmMaybe he should go look into the eyes of every parent, wife, husband, son, daughter, and loved one of the 2500+ servicemen killed in Iraq and explain how sorry he is. I have very little sympathy, and I hope his guilt weighs upon him for the rest of his life.
June 21st, 2006 at 4:01 pmGreat Show, should be mandatory viewing prior to any discussion on the Iraq war
The mistakes of the recent past (Nixon) seems to be the people involved, since here we are with the same people causing the same problems with another Right wing puppet…almost makes you feel bad for bush (similar to o. stone’s nixon) ALMOST…the arms and legs cannot move freely on their own!!!!
Forget censure or impeachment, the only way America can survive these evil bastards is to denounce them and turn them over to the world court…this is not my america, and these guys are not representing my interests…they are breaking the law without consequences…stealing/rigging elections and US Citizens are dying…so if the surviving citizens give damn about the flag bush is scribbling over, turn them in
June 21st, 2006 at 4:02 pmI watched this last night, and while I think what Pillar did was reprehensible, I think he was truly remorseful for what he had done. I believe it will haunt him until the day he dies. Speaking out is the right thing to do, although I wish he and the others involved had done it sooner.
June 21st, 2006 at 4:06 pmHindsight is always 20/20.
50 Ways To Dump The Dubya
June 21st, 2006 at 4:10 pmThe entire show is already up on YouTube. Definitely worth watching.
Cheney and Rumsfeld have done their country a great disservice. I don’t think history will be kind to them, and I take no consolation for that.
We need to start focusing on the Fall elections folks. That’s the only hope we have of tempering the influence of these bastards.
June 21st, 2006 at 4:12 pm#6…I think this was Frontline :)
People make mistakes, and are used, we can spend all our energy on this guy’s guilt, since he put himself in the cross hairs, I also think he has to live with what he has done, but those who orchestrated and did the using, should be judged and punished, anything less is disgraceful
June 21st, 2006 at 4:13 pmThere must not have been any acceptable alternatives to seppuku.
June 21st, 2006 at 4:15 pmWe need to start focusing on the Fall elections folks…
Comment by DrSinker — June 21, 2006 @ 4:12 pm
OVERWHELMING DEMOCRATIC TURNOUT.
THEY CAN’T STEAL IT IF IT’S NOT CLOSE.
PASS IT ON.
June 21st, 2006 at 4:18 pm“I regret having a role in that.â€
I am sure the thousands of young men and women getting fitted for a prosthesis at Walter Reed this year will be glad to hear that and will be comforted by it.
June 21st, 2006 at 4:18 pmHopefully this show will wake up the press, they can connect dots to draw a picture, as long as they are thorough…the press should welcome getting away from sound clips, more news, deeper issues = more money for them, they just have to sell it!!
The american people want to learn, the subject matter (the story) wants to simplify and muddle the issue. If the public wants entertainment, they can turn on numerous channels, if they want news (not 2 people yelling at one another - or small local fires) then they should be able to turn a program that has these well developed segments…instead of cramming as much news as possible, dive in and report everything, leave no stone unturned…report 10-15 great stories a week/show (2-3 a day/per show) in stead of the same major stories on every show, with no details…QUALITY over Qauntity
June 21st, 2006 at 4:20 pmExpect the same on Iran from the people behind Office of special plans and PNAC:
June 21st, 2006 at 4:24 pmhttp://www.rawstory.com/ news/ 2006/ Pentagon_confirms_Iranian_directorate_as_intelligence_0615.html
Frontline pointed out the obviuos–this is one hell of an unpopular and incompetent Administration. The American public has very good reasons for disliking these clownsand their ill-advised policies so intensely. Cheney’s actions and words are a dare–he’s challenging us to stand up and refuse to go along with this incompetent, extremist, and unlawful behavior. It’s sad that the GOP was celebrating the little and short-lived victories in Iraq–most telling was the fact that Bush even had to sneak in and out of the chaos he has created.
June 21st, 2006 at 4:25 pmIs this some kind of big ooooops! This is pure BS. Meanwhile, the Bush Palace in Iraq of 104 acres and 21 buildings that are supposed to cost a mear $800 Million is being built. Bush made this war up so that the US will NEVER LEAVE.
The $19B in rebuilding and $21B in Iraq assets has disappeared into the coffers of corporate hands too. People should expect the same in the US. Since Katrina and New Orleans didn’t wake many people up, or the loss of the Constitution and Bill of Rights is just another bunch of stupid papers anyway, I expect most all government and municipal services to be privatized, just as the federal reserve is a collection of banks that have taken all US precious metals in 1913 and now skims off a % of every dollar printed and charges interest for every dollar spent that is over budget! We pay interest on money printed by the Federal Reserve banks!
Grover Norquist is getting his wish by drowning government services using incompetence as a setup job. I can’t wait until the water we drink and the air we breath become privatized too!
June 21st, 2006 at 4:25 pmWhy the Hell am I paying taxes for PBS if it just airs political biased programs?
June 21st, 2006 at 4:29 pmWhy the Hell am I paying taxes for PBS if it just airs political biased programs?
Comment by Roger_Roger
It just depends on your political bias, now doesn’t it, Roger?
June 21st, 2006 at 4:32 pmRoger:
How was this program politicaly biasaed? Or did you even watch it?
June 21st, 2006 at 4:36 pm#16 Roger Roger
June 21st, 2006 at 4:36 pmWhy the hell am I and my daughter and my granddaughter and … paying for this Iraq adventure that I don’t support? At least the PBS stories are truth-seeking.
Really? This was on PBS last night?
Well that explains why Bush appointed Warren Bell to the PBS board of directors, doesn’t it?
June 21st, 2006 at 4:37 pmHi-ho, Kermit the frog here. Today we’re going to talk about the wonderful new freedom in Iraq and how it is threatened by the liberal media monster. I want all you kids to be like Cookie Monster, just consume and consume without regard for consequences. Together we can kick the liberal media monster off the air for good. Then Miss Piggy and I will retire to a free market privately owned paradise, isn’t that right Ms Coulter?
June 21st, 2006 at 4:43 pm“I regret having a role in that.â€
I’m afraid it’s a bit late for regrets… perhaps he’d like to borrow my .45 revolver…
June 21st, 2006 at 4:46 pmBy the way kids, I’ll be changing my name to Kermit the Freedom Frog, just so nobody mistakes me for being French.
June 21st, 2006 at 4:46 pmOVERWHELMING DEMOCRATIC TURNOUT.
THEY CAN’T STEAL IT IF IT’S NOT CLOSE.
PASS IT ON.
Comment by katy
June 21st, 2006 at 4:54 pm===============
I’ll do my part,Katy.
[…] Last night, PBS’s Frontline aired a new documentary entitled “The Dark Sideâ€Â Iraq NIE Says He ‘Regrets Having a Role’ In Manipulation of Intelligence - from (http://thinkprogress.org/) […]
June 21st, 2006 at 4:58 pmKermit you might want to drop the hi ho thing, it might sound a little gay, and we don’t want PBS pushing the homosexual agenda. Speaking of which, will Burt and Ernie be retireing?
June 21st, 2006 at 4:59 pmI’ll be changing my name to Kermit the Freedom Frog….
Please don’t. I was just getting used to the way you are. Warts and all.
June 21st, 2006 at 5:05 pmFreedom Frogs?
Isn’t that what Mcdonalds was selling for a while there?
June 21st, 2006 at 5:09 pmJUST PLAIN MAD
Dont forget about the 9 billion that disappeared! I know for a fact that the CIA has ways of making money disappear and I will bet my last buck that all the good old boys got a duffle bag full of money stashed away for their eventual use, eventually.
This includes Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Powell (yes, he was bought), Rice, Senor, Feith, and all the rest. Nine billion, split about 9 ways, well you do the math.
June 21st, 2006 at 5:30 pmWhy the Hell am I paying taxes for PBS if it just airs political biased programs?
Comment by Roger_Roger — June 21, 2006 @ 4:29 pm
This has been a complaint of conservatives for a long time. They seem to think that for a journalistic effort to be “fair†it should be “balanced†(it should get both sides of the story.) This is, of course, not only stupid, it’s not journalism. Journalism is about “objectivity,†and if the objective facts make someone look bad, then they are probably doing bad things. Besides, what good does it do to make us listen to one side’s guy say “No it isn’t true†when it’s obvious from the rest of the story that the guy is lying? If PBS airs a report that makes your president look bad, then perhaps you should consider the very real possibility that he is a bad person. You should care about getting the truth, not both sides of a story (one of which is almost certainly a lie).
June 21st, 2006 at 5:35 pmWhy the Hell am I paying taxes for PBS if it just airs political biased programs?
Comment by Roger_Roger — June 21, 2006 @ 4:29 pm
Facts tend to lean left.
June 21st, 2006 at 5:55 pmBert and Ernie are living seperately and are in religious counseling to “cure” them of their sinful unnatural ways.
And Buster won’t be getting any more fresh maple syrup, if you know what I mean.
Be sure to go see my next movie, “The Muppets Take Baghdad” coming to re-education internment camps near you!
June 21st, 2006 at 6:06 pmInstead of calling it manipulation of intelligence, why don’t we just call it what it really is: LIES.
“Lies” are the one and only product that the Bush administration has been able to create successfully. Everything else they do has been utter failure.
June 21st, 2006 at 7:19 pmThat was a sweet program last night, but this guy, Pillar will be swift-boated due to his facial ticks. The NIE was produced in 2 weeks, which usually takes 1-2 years? What a quality document that must have been.
June 21st, 2006 at 7:47 pmThis has the makings of another Al Gore movie.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:01 am[…] Except Gore’s claims are based on scientific research that has been rigorously peer-reviewed by thousands of scientists. Cheney’s claims were based intelligence he manipulated and cherry-picked to reach a predetermined result. […]
July 5th, 2006 at 4:21 pm