Home > Dead Wrong: CNN Offers An Excuse
Wars and conflicts International Television USA
Bush administration’s deception presented as ’honest error’
by Greg Lloyd Smith
WASHINGTON, D.C. — (OfficialWire) — 08/21/05 — Watching CNN’s program "Dead Wrong-Inside an Intelligence Meltdown", one is left with the impression that the Bush administration and the U.S. intelligence community were merely wrong; CNN called it a "meltdown" and referred to "mistakes", but throughout their hour-long PR-piece viewers are steered away from what really happened and encouraged to believe it [the illegal war in Iraq justified upon false facts that were fixed around a policy] was all just an honest mistake.
As I watched the trailer for a couple days before I finally caught the program, I had such high hopes that CNN would "uncover" something new, or even offer an independent opinion about the events that lead America into an illegal war, but in the end, I guess that merely proved my naïveté.
Constantly repeated as a highlight to the program, a top aide to Colin Powell-Col. Lawrence Wilkerson-says his involvement in the former secretary of state’s presentation to the United Nations on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction was "the lowest point" in his life, but he stopped short of saying that he and Powell had been lied to or duped by either the Bush administration officials or then-CIA Director George Tenet. He said "I wish I had not been involved in it," but did not offer any apology for his role in the deception.
While some may shed a tear when they hear that Powell and Tenet ceased being close after it was determined that Powell had lied (intentionally or not) to the world, the warmth of their relationship doesn’t interest me in the least-I always say: ’Don’t ask, Don’t tell.’
CNN’s "Dead Wrong", even with Wilkerson’s comments, offered little in the way of new information and served only as another example of how the Bush administration seeks to revise history through an ever-submissive mainstream media. Perhaps if we could hear from Powell on the subject, it would be worth listening to...but in the absence of a public statement, Powell’s credibility is on par with that of the Bush administration. Non-existent.
Forum posts
21 August 2005, 17:19
Why confess for free when you can profit from a book deal? If Powell felt any real remorse he would have had spilled the beans the day after his resignation.
22 August 2005, 00:12
This legalized white-collar mafia running the country also has it’s ’omerta’ code, methinks. Spill the beans, suffer the consequences.
22 August 2005, 02:06
CNN stands for Collateral Nazi News. What American news station produce as evidence is never accurate and they always omitt facts.
CNN, ABC or FOX name it - unless as in other countries where the journalists boards are monitor abuse of truth and free press - the press is out of control and produce propaganda only.
22 August 2005, 19:36
Yeah, the program was light on the real Iraq issues. No mention to my recolection of Feith, Wolfie, Ledeen, the word "neocon" or why Israel was given $10 billion at the same time the war was funded. But I do think the program was generally negative in its portrayal of the Bush administration. So it’s at least a start. And, needless to say, there is a wealth of blockbuster reporting that could follow if only our media wasn’t obsessed with Natalee Holloway and similar soap operas.
23 August 2005, 06:59
I am so sick and tired ot the "news" media making excuses for Bushco that I can hardly tolerate listening to this crap any more. I can’t be the only one who is sick and tired of hearing one excuse after another for the "intelligence" failures associated with 9/11....any idiot can read between the lies what really happened is that Bush allowed 9/11 to take place so that he could be the military dictator and use the military to grab the oil resources in the weak countries around the world. How many of us are so stupid that we can’t see that????
23 August 2005, 07:43
I’m so sick and tired of the "News" media making excuses for Bush for his war in Iraq, one lie after another, after another, after another, they take us for complete idiots. He has made a huge mess and "staying the course" is like continuing to drive your car into the ocean when you can see that that is where you are headed. He should be made to admit his mistakes and to order the end of the Iraq occupation. Let the Iraqis control their own country, no bases, no oil (unless we buy it at the right proce) no more destruction, no more occupation, the U.S. needs to own up to the mess and pay for the damages and declare that we were wrong in what we have done there. We need some honesty. The citizens here deserve it for the half trillion dollars they have been billed for for this mess, the world needs some honesty from the United States government to help restore our country’s reputation and honor.
23 August 2005, 08:45
It isn’t that the media is being blamed for the actions of George W. Bush and the Bush administration; it is simply the fact that the media is not telling the story, which is both their right and obligation. In fact, if you have a look at "our" new Pope, and consider that CNN and very new media outlets have bothered to report the fact that The Pope was responsible for a sex-scandal cover-up in the ’90’s and now that he is a so-called head of state, he seeks to shield himself from litigation and possible criminal charge. However, the media per se, does not report that (1) he was not head of state when he committed the acts, and (2) this is the same guy who just completed his participation in "Youth Day". Now, that’s rich. While I am at it, I heard a funny line the other day; "As a sign that the new Pontiff is becoming more switched on technically, he has ordered the latest computers for the Vatican—because until recently Pope Benedict thought a laptop was an Alter-Boy." The fact remains that while Bush is extremely dangerous and a threat to America, unless and until the mainstream media report the truth, Americans will continue to be ignorant and nothing will happen. — Greg Lloyd Smith