CIA official confesses order to forge Iraq-9/11 letter

Probably about as reliable as your conspiracy theory about the president planning to bomb Iran by August.

New evidence suggests Ron Suskind is right
What was an Iraqi politician doing at CIA headquarters just days before he distributed a fake memo incriminating Saddam Hussein in 9/11?
link

blueflame1 wrote:

New evidence suggests Ron Suskind is right
What was an Iraqi politician doing at CIA headquarters just days before he distributed a fake memo incriminating Saddam Hussein in 9/11?
link

I suppose the idea of posting an article about something good America has done isn't in your interest range.

You know, the prewar stuff, cause there's zillions of people in on that part. And there's people in on the second part, too. But here's my question to you: before I, as I said, before I jog your memory on this stuff, what do you--and I think I have a good idea, cause I've asked you this seven different ways, but I just want to make absolutely sure--what do you remember?

It was part of--as I remember it, it wasn't so much to influence America--that's illegal--but it was kinda like a covert, a way to influence Iraqis.

Ron: The intent--the basic raison d'etre of this product is to get, is to create, here's a letter with what's in it. Okay, here's what we want on the letter, we want it to be released as essentially a representation of something Habbush says. That's all it says, that's the one paragraph. And then you pass it to whomever to do it. To get it done.

so I saw the original. I got a copy of it.

Ron: Now this is from the Vice President's Office is how you remembered it--not from the president?

Rob: No, no, no. What I remember is George saying, 'we got this from'--basically, from what George said was 'downtown.'

Ron: Which is the White House?

Rob: Yes. But he did not--in my memory--never said president, vice president, or NSC. Okay? But now--he may have hinted--just by the way he said it, it would have--cause almost all that stuff came from one place only: Scooter Libby and the shop around the vice president.

Ron: Yeah, right.

Rob: But he didn't say that specifically. I would naturally--I would probably stand on my, basically, my reputation and say it came from the vice president.

August 8, 2008

Statement from Rob Richer

I stand by my earlier statement: "I never received direction from George Tenet or anyone else in my chain of command to fabricate a document from Habbush as outlined in Mr. Suskind's book." For the record, no one outside my chain of command directed me to do so either.

Mr. Suskind has now released an edited transcript of an apparent conversation between us that he alleges supports one of the central themes in his book. It does not.

As to the substance of the edited transcripts presented by Mr. Suskind: I had many discussions with senior Agency leadership regarding what I saw as the fixation, by some parts of the Administration, on a purported Al-Qa'ida and Saddam link. I also had internal discussions during the fall of 2003 regarding the possibility of using Habbush in some way to minimize the impact of the growing Iraqi insurgency. Many of the questions from "downtown" did raise eyebrows and on more than one occasion I was directed to do things which we considered a waste of time.

It is important to note, however, in the transcript just released, I make no mention of having received an order to fabricate the letter as claimed by Mr. Suskind in his book. I do speak to discussions regarding using Habbush, which were frequent during that period, but what I was talking about was the possibility of using him to tamp down the insurgency - not to influence western public opinion.

I note from the edited transcripts posted by Mr. Suskind that I stated: "this was a non-event." The fabrication of a letter as claimed by Mr. Suskind would have been much more than a "non-event." I also say that the project "died a natural death." An order such as the one outlined by Mr. Suskind would have been a huge event - and in my opinion illegal. An order to fabricate such a document would have been rejected out of hand and it is improbable to believe anyone would write such a request. In the edited transcript I am vague on the circumstances of whatever the issue was regarding Habbush. I would have had much clearer recollections of an issue or order of the sensational magnitude outlined by Mr. Suskind.

During my time as a senior officer, I saw many documents from various offices of the White House regarding many topics. They were, in fact, on white paper. I was asked to respond to documents regarding the potential use of Habbush upon his defection and during the difficult fall of 2003 when we were wrestling with a developing Iraqi insurgency and ways to combat it. I was also involved in many queries from elements of the Administration trying to document an Al-Qa'ida and Saddam government link; proof of which was never found. Many of such queries did originate from the staff of the Office of the Vice President. None of this, however, substantiates Mr. Suskind's explosive allegation.

For the record, I am not a government contractor and left my last professional position with Total Intelligence Solutions in February 2008. Thus, contrary to Mr. Suskind's comments, I've been under no pressure to change my position on what is in the book.

On his website today Mr. Suskind says Rob Richer received a copy of The Way of the World on Monday night, August 4, the day before publication. On Tuesday, he said he had read key portions of the book and was comfortable with what they contained. Once again he misleads. When I heard that his book was coming out and some of what he was asserting I called him and demanded a copy. He had his assistant deliver one to me at 9 PM on August 4. After reading the book, far from being comfortable, I told Mr. Suskind that many of the things he wrote about what I did and said were wrong.

I notice that Sir Richard Dearlove and Nigel Inkster, former senior British intelligence officials have released statements in the last 24 hours decrying Mr. Suskind's efforts to manipulate and misrepresent their comments. My experience has been the same.

It is clear that he did record some of our conversations - but at no time did he inform me that he was doing so or seek my permission. I plan to consult counsel about the legality of his action.

I stand by my earlier statement and my absolute belief that the charges outlined in Mr. Suskind's book regarding Agency involvement in forging documents are not true.

Mr Suskind appears to have conflated separate conversations; one about the problems of reading Saddam Hussein's intentions, an issue which is dealt with in the Butler report, and one about Habbush. I made it clear to Mr Suskind that I was in no position to comment on the substance or significance of any dealings with the latter since I had not been privy to the detail of what had taken place, something Mr Suskind has chosen not to mention. And, in any event, I had made it clear to Mr Suskind, when first he approached me, that I would not divulge classified information to which I had had access during my time in government.

Mr Suskind's characterisation of our meeting is more the stuff of creative fiction than serious reportage, and seeks to make more of it than the circumstances or the content warranted.

The bush administration and it's appointed people are not America; merely Americans. It is being American to point out what you believe the ones in power are doing wrong.

"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does NOT mean to stand by the President or any other public official save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country."

Theodore Roosevelt

Brandon, oh yeah an American invented peanut butter right? Still great as peanut butter is a little bad undoes a lot of good and building WW3 is more than a little bad.

Brandon9000 wrote:

blueflame1 wrote:

New evidence suggests Ron Suskind is right
What was an Iraqi politician doing at CIA headquarters just days before he distributed a fake memo incriminating Saddam Hussein in 9/11?
link

I suppose the idea of posting an article about something good America has done isn't in your interest range.

When a policeman breaks numerous laws, it's hardly the time to focus on his Rotary Club activities.

Oh Jesus, thought police - how many "what's good about America" threads have you started? Isn't your main activity on the political threads slamming liberals and defending conservatives?