Help !? Michael Scheuer's Interview on Meet the Press tonight

[__Inanna__]

Ok, I just finished watching what's been the most extensive interview with Michael Scheuer to date (in my knowledge) and Tim Russert. For anyone who saw it...opinions?

What I took from it was the usual, OBL is a threat we can't ignore, he's a great man, if he were on our side he'd be in the White House having dinner, the next attack will be on a much larger level, and we're going to have to do a lot more killing (he did say all of this). I am confused. He also blamed Richard Clarke and George Tenet for some of the 911 stuff, but said his book wasn't meant to be a criticism of *. He also said the CIA did it's job but that senior government did not.

Can someone please help me read between the lines here? I am really wondering what's going on. I almost feel like he was saying we're sitting ducks because we don't understand what OBL's demands are, while he clarified OBL wants us out of his backyard, but we won't be successful unless we attack more over there.

[eleny]

1. I saw part of the interview

I agree with what you got out of it. But I'm hoping it gets repeated in a few hours. I'd like to see it from the beginning.

One clarification of the "great man" thing - He did assert that he wasn't praising OBL by that characterization. I'm sure you heard that, too. Just wanted to point it out for anyone who didn't see the interview.

Btw, Scheuer was interviewed by Matthews on Hardball the other night.

[__Inanna__]

4. Yes, I know

I would think significant or important might be a better choice of words than great. I did see the interview on Matthews as well, but this to me was much more forthcoming and explicit than that. Seems like each interview gets that way, as in more substantive. I just don't know what to make of it...the whole thing in context. Thanks.

[tk2kewl]

2. I watched too

and came away with the same impression. It was all-double talk. He said we need more Fallujas. That sounds like a great way to persuade Muslims not to become extremists. My take on the guy is that he is a dick. He doesn't even know that the adjective for terrain with lots of mountains is "mountainous" not "mountainized"

[autorank]

3. Excellent Thread! These are good points.

Your question about this statement "while he clarified OBL wants us out of his backyard, but we won't be successful unless we attack more over there" is well taken. I had the same question when he talked on the air with a bag over his head or whatever. These are the guys who no only lied about WMD: they exaggerated Soviet strength allowing massive defense industry profits for the whole Cold War; they nailed Allende; they set up the 'Bay of Pigs'; they are the former employers of several of the Watergate break-in artists; etc., etc.

It is a sad commentary on the total control the conservatives have over this country when we look to these guys to be some sort of salvation.

[__Inanna__]

5. Thanks

to all, and autorank, any idea as to the reason for all this? I keep asking myself why is he coming out with this, when he said he needed permission to write this from the CIA while at the CIA (and I would think to most CIA people this might be a no no, especially since he's blaming Tenet for some of this, and Clarke, both of whom are no longer in their jobs), and yet he's all over the media. I don't get it. He quits after 25 years in support of * (I think he even said he voted for *), says the CIA is the greatest place on earth to work, yet now he's here, looking for a job, with a wife and kids to support. Inquiring minds are inquiring here.

[autorank]

8. Inanna, I figured it out!

Thanks for the post. Here is my take.

Assumptions:
1) The CIA is not going to let any agent write a book while on duty that is critical of the administration unless it serves the administration's purpose. Thinking they are a law unto themselves it naive. This has never happened before, why now?
2) The administration benefited directly from the publication of this book and benefits, somewhat less, by this guy speaking in public.

Here is how this works:
1) The administration wants to show that the CIA is disloyal and out of control.
2) It wants to do it in a way that will not result in criticism of administration policy and practice.
3) They find this guy (who is either a 'useful idiot' or a cooperative stooge) and tell him: (a) write a book saying the administration is all wet in it's policies; (b) suggest that the policy errors are in NOT being aggressive enough in attacking Muslim states; and (c) when we let you go and you do TV shows to hype your book, slam Clarke and Tenet real good and anyone else we don't like very much.

They have achieved their goals. This guy made it look like CIA was out of control. He pushed more militant US military action in the Middle East as the administrations "fault" and he's slamming Clarke, the harshest critic of administration 911 behavior.

Pretty cool huh. Who knows? "The Shadow Knows!"

I have to go now. I hear and see black helicopters outside my window.

and Welcome to DU!

[Ilsa]

6. He also reiterated several times that the US

needs to do what is in its own best interests when it comes to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and the ME in general.

He also said there is likely to be another attack, and it would be much larger in scope.

And yes, he said there needed to be (paraphrasing here) a clearing out of terrorists, similar to what the military did in Fallujah.

[alfredo]

7. Read "Imperial Hubris" for a better understanding

of what he is saying.

[exJW]

9. If I hear him correctly...

..he's saying that the smartest thing to do would be for America and her leaders to actually put aside their hubris and pride for a few minutes, and actually HEAR what OBL and others like him really are saying, what they want. And when we realize their demands are not really at all farfetched, acquiesce to them.

I think he is further saying that since "that ain't gonna happen", we are gonna have to KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL to even show we take this all seriously in our own disgusting arrogant way.