60 Minutes Interview with George Tenet
This guy who interviewed George Tenet for 60 Minutes, Scott Pelley, said a lot of really really dumb things in the interview.
He accused George Tenet, to his face, of "making up" the intelligence about Iraq's WMD. Since they didn't know it for sure and it was only an educated guess based on intelligence, they "made it up!"
He told a baldfaced lie, that the CIA had shot down the claim behind the "16 words" about uranium, and that Joe Wilson "debunked" that claim (as anyone following this stuff knows, the 16 words claim was, according to all evidence, based on separate evidence from the evidence that the CIA and Wilson knew about).
Then they talked about the "slam dunk" comment, and I don't get what the fuss is. Tenet says that his point was that the public case for war would be a "slam dunk," that it was (or would be, by the time Powell gave his presentation to the UN) very strong. Tenet fully admits that he believed the public case for WMD was strong; that he believed Iraq had WMD; that he stood behind the intelligence; that the intelligence was wrong.
And yet ... Tenet complains that his comment is used to make him look like he ... thought the case for Iraq having WMD was strong.
Which is true, and which he admits is true.
The reporter says, "Who was out to get you, George?" And I am left wondering how this makes it look like anyone is out to get him. All Tenet's quote does is show us what he freely tells us anyway: that he was wrong about WMD.
Maybe Tenet thinks he is being made a scapegoat, but I don't see that at all. I see the CIA being (rightfully, as Tenet himself admits) blamed for most of the intelligence failures. Every time I see Tenet and his "slam dunk" comment being brought up, it's only in the context of saying "we thought the case for WMD was strong; even the Director of the CIA thought it was strong," which, again, Tenet admits is true.
I agreed with most of what Tenet said, I just didn't understand his anger toward people he thought betrayed him, because I don't see the evidence of betrayal.
But back to Pelley. He said a great many nonsensical things. I was reminded of why I hate CBS News and 60 Minutes. I only watched to hear Tenet. I won't be setting a Season Pass any time soon ...
He accused George Tenet, to his face, of "making up" the intelligence about Iraq's WMD. Since they didn't know it for sure and it was only an educated guess based on intelligence, they "made it up!"
He told a baldfaced lie, that the CIA had shot down the claim behind the "16 words" about uranium, and that Joe Wilson "debunked" that claim (as anyone following this stuff knows, the 16 words claim was, according to all evidence, based on separate evidence from the evidence that the CIA and Wilson knew about).
Then they talked about the "slam dunk" comment, and I don't get what the fuss is. Tenet says that his point was that the public case for war would be a "slam dunk," that it was (or would be, by the time Powell gave his presentation to the UN) very strong. Tenet fully admits that he believed the public case for WMD was strong; that he believed Iraq had WMD; that he stood behind the intelligence; that the intelligence was wrong.
And yet ... Tenet complains that his comment is used to make him look like he ... thought the case for Iraq having WMD was strong.
Which is true, and which he admits is true.
The reporter says, "Who was out to get you, George?" And I am left wondering how this makes it look like anyone is out to get him. All Tenet's quote does is show us what he freely tells us anyway: that he was wrong about WMD.
Maybe Tenet thinks he is being made a scapegoat, but I don't see that at all. I see the CIA being (rightfully, as Tenet himself admits) blamed for most of the intelligence failures. Every time I see Tenet and his "slam dunk" comment being brought up, it's only in the context of saying "we thought the case for WMD was strong; even the Director of the CIA thought it was strong," which, again, Tenet admits is true.
I agreed with most of what Tenet said, I just didn't understand his anger toward people he thought betrayed him, because I don't see the evidence of betrayal.
But back to Pelley. He said a great many nonsensical things. I was reminded of why I hate CBS News and 60 Minutes. I only watched to hear Tenet. I won't be setting a Season Pass any time soon ...
"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt."
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