ROWLEY: WHISTLE-BLOWER ACTIONS GREATLY DISTORTED IN THE MEDIA
I thought Rowley's answer to this question was very interesting. I am curious how the press and DFL activists respond now that Rowley has admitted her role as a 9/11 whistle-blower has been greatly distorted.
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You were called a whistle-blower for your decision to expose FBI shortcomings before the 9/11 attacks. You subsequently wrote to the FBI director warning that the bureau was not prepared to deal with new terror attacks that could follow a war with Iraq. Any regrets?
My actions and contribution in being a so-called whistle-blower about some of the pre-9/11 issues has gotten greatly distorted in the media. You'll read lots of articles that say something like "Coleen Rowley tried to warn the FBI pre-9/11 about a terrorist who's now the 20th hijacker" or something like that. That's way off base ... I had a peripheral legal-counsel role. Nowhere in my memo [that bureau supervisors blocked Minneapolis agents trying to investigate 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui before the attacks] do you see me giving [a] warning. I've tried to set the record straight that I actually fault myself for not having done more pre-9/11. The impact it had was everyone was hiding behind this gigantic blanket defense that nothing could've prevented [the attacks.] It protected everyone from unraveling their mistakes ... I was actually one of the people protected by this. I'm really proud that I wrote that letter. It's awful to be credited for something you actually blame yourself for! Source: Newsweek, October 29, 2005
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You were called a whistle-blower for your decision to expose FBI shortcomings before the 9/11 attacks. You subsequently wrote to the FBI director warning that the bureau was not prepared to deal with new terror attacks that could follow a war with Iraq. Any regrets?
My actions and contribution in being a so-called whistle-blower about some of the pre-9/11 issues has gotten greatly distorted in the media. You'll read lots of articles that say something like "Coleen Rowley tried to warn the FBI pre-9/11 about a terrorist who's now the 20th hijacker" or something like that. That's way off base ... I had a peripheral legal-counsel role. Nowhere in my memo [that bureau supervisors blocked Minneapolis agents trying to investigate 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui before the attacks] do you see me giving [a] warning. I've tried to set the record straight that I actually fault myself for not having done more pre-9/11. The impact it had was everyone was hiding behind this gigantic blanket defense that nothing could've prevented [the attacks.] It protected everyone from unraveling their mistakes ... I was actually one of the people protected by this. I'm really proud that I wrote that letter. It's awful to be credited for something you actually blame yourself for! Source: Newsweek, October 29, 2005
3 Comments:
So I can't tell. Are you . . . cheering her?
So, she admits that the media made more of her than she sees herself to be, where's the problem?
If she was your typical politician, she would be riding the FBI terror thing all the way to 1429 Longworth. She seems to be talking about issues that she cares about thinks are important for district 2 and the country.
That's probably a little weird for the Republicans.
She truthful and wants the media to represent what she did accurately. I can see where both of those traits would be a problem for many politicans. Fortunately, she's not one of 'em. Thanks for pointing that out.
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