NBC confirms it's investigating whether Bush spied on CNN's Christiane Ama

[Rosco T.]

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006/01/nbc-confirms-its-investigating-whether.html

NBC confirms it's investigating whether Bush spied on CNN's Christiane Amanpour
by John in DC - 1/04/2006 10:27:00 PM

That is the only way to read NBC's just-issued statement on why they deleted key portions of Andrea Mitchell's interview after we reported on it here earlier today.

(snip)

Unfortunately this transcript was released prematurely. It was a topic on which we had not completed our reporting, and it was not broadcast on 'NBC Nightly News' nor on any other NBC News program. We removed that section of the transcript so that we may further continue our inquiry.

This is quite big. Note exactly what NBC said.

- NBC did not say it pulled the references to Bush spying on Amanpour because it was inappropriate conjecture about something which Andrea Mitchell had no evidence.

- No, NBC said it pulled the references because it was still investigating the accusation and didn't want to scoop itself before it was finished investigating. And make no mistake, NBC is "continuing their inquiry."

(snip)

NBC has acknowledged that they have information to suggest that Bush may have spied (be spying) on CNN's Christiane Amanpour and that NBC is currently investigating that very possibility. This isn't just conjecture anymore, NBC has confirmed it.

[tuvor]

1. "Confirms" according to AMERICAblog.

For the sake of clarity.

[EVDebs]

70. It's all part of Bush's "incompetence and ineffectivenss" war strategery

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=56639&mesg_id=57889

[Inland]

2. Well, she does talk kinda funny. And she's married to a hater of America

Bush is obligated to keep us safe, so I certainly approve of his spying on her. Or is that a non sequitur?

[Frank Cannon]

64. I lay awake every night FEARING a Christiane Amanpour attack.

I literally lay in my bed bathing in a cold sweat, shivering in terror that Christiane Amanpour IS GOING TO KILL US ALL!

Thank GOD our wonderful President is FINALLY doing something about this terrible threat to our National security!! :sarcasm:

[lovuian]

3. I want to know how Andrea KNEW that Christiane

had been wiretapped??? Who told her???

[Lex]

5. Could Andrea Mitchell and Christiane Amanpour be friends

or friendly collegues?

Maybe Amanpour was suspicious. She's extremely sharp.

[Cooley Hurd]

18. Perhaps, but I have a feeling AM got this info from the same conduit

...from the WH that fed her the Plame info.

[The Backlash Cometh]

20. Personally, I find them to be politically polarized.

Amanpour encapsulates the knowledge for knowledge's sake; Mitchell is married to the money.

If Mitchell comes out with Amanpour it's because the liberals now have something to snowball to uncover whether other journalists, including conservative ones, were also wiretapped. For instance, we already know that William Saffire was wiretapped, what if Rove wanted to make sure that his conservative pundits stayed in line? Mitchell knows she won't be able to get the Republicans behind any investigations, but what if she gives the Dems something they can sink their teeth into?

[msanthrope]

51. I think it's Andrea Mitchell alerting her conservative friends that

NBC NEws has something on them---in a "safe" way. After all, she and hubby are friends with the Cheneys.

[The Backlash Cometh]

56. But that's the part that I don't get.

If Andrea prematurely revealed NBC's hand, wouldn't NBC retaliate against her for her indiscretion?

[EVDebs]

71. '...longtime analyst of the intelligence community.'

""As a longtime analyst of the intelligence community, Mitchell has reported on Osama Bin Laden and his al-Qaida network for “Nightly News with Tom Brokaw” since 1996. Her past assignments for NBC have included traveling to North Korea, Afghanistan, the Middle East, Bosnia, Kosovo, Pakistan and Haiti."" from the NBC official bio

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3688874/

Scrutinize this with your scrutinizers.

[The Backlash Cometh]

76. Okay, loaded question time.

What church does Mitchell and Greenspan attend?

[EVDebs]

77. Alan Greenspan is Jewish, so synagogue may be more appropriate

for him. I don't know about Andrea, who may just prefer to sleep in Sundays.

http://www.nndb.com/people/551/000050401/ for Andrea

http://www.nndb.com/people/164/000023095/ for Alan

Maybe we can get a real rise outta her. Someone ask her what she knows about Task Force 121 and domestic spying...Your question will become more relevant re church attendance.

[Lex]

52. Yes, I agree.

They do seem very different in the way they handle their respective jobs.

[MADem]

62. What is Andrea's background? Is she Lebanese-American?

Mitchell is a very common name (Senator George, e.g.) from those parts (as is Thomas; e.g. Helen and Danny). She would have in common with Amanpour, in that case, ancestry in rather cultured and highly developed nations (CA is Iranian-Brit) that are involved in the greater Middle Eastern/Southwest Asian brouhahas, as well as both being reporters (didn't AM do foreign work primarily before she married?) and both having Jewish American husbands who have served in government.

A few points of convergence, anyway!

[EVDebs]

78. Didn't Andrea say that Valerie Plame's name was widely known or something

like that and then claim she was confused later ? Is she a natural blond ?

[The Backlash Cometh]

80. You're right. She's already proven to be a misinformer when it's

beneficial to Bush. So I guess it is possible she's giving them a warning.

[EVDebs]

69. Wayne Madsen's article on Operation First Fruits may have named names

somewhere. From what I've read they were mostly Washington based journalists. But they fit the profile: anyone who criticizes our fearless leader.

[Erika]

4. Bill & Hillary Clinton talk to overseas countries daily

Is W automatically picking up on their conversations?

[Catherine Vincent]

6. Bush should resign now!

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

53. I'd prefer ritual suicide on national TV

But I'd settle for a resignation.

[AuntiBush]

83. Someone Oughta Call the Cops!

Me: Hi, I want to report a crime.

911: Ok. What's the location?

Me: The Oval office... need I say more.

[Neil Lisst]

7. He's protecting everyone from terror!! Honest!! He wouldn't lie!

If Bush were a certain wooden puppet boy, his nose would be half way around the world by now.

I have no doubt they spied on her. In fact, I'd bet they did.

They spied on UN delegates just to find out how they might vote on Iraq. She's in contact with those who do not approve of Bush and his war. Sure they spied on her.

[Justice Is Comin]

9. You know, that would make an excellent cartoon drawing for

the Sunday Washington Post.

[ubdumbo]

89. If Bush were a certain wooden puppet boy

(Speaking of WOOD) I would LOVE for you to name just ONE politian who has not "lied" while in office.!! You most certainly could NOT post Clinton's name.... Or any other past President's name for that matter.!! It's just the American way !! Sad, but TRUE!!!. Every time I read these comments, It blows my mind !! Where or when did we become so divided as a country, And for what reasons? ARE WE NOT, THE UNITED states of America?? Anyone who totally believes/has faith in one party or the other, REALLY NEEDS TO HAVE THEIR HEAD EXAMINED>!!

[newspeak]

90. oh, so it's the American way?

maybe it's the American way to steal the treasury and send our sons, daughters, fathers, mothers to the misery of war with a LIE---a pray Bush would have just lied about a BJ instead of damaging this country and shredding the Constitution and Bill of Rights!!!! Of course sometimes, he doesn't lie, he just doesn't answer the question and gets away with it. Sir, have you ever used drugs? "Well, I don't want to answer that because it might influence the kids." Let's see, they laughed at Clinton when he admitted trying pot once, but didn't inhale, but our media just let teflon boy slide by. Blatant insider trading over 800,000.00. Mr. Bush what about your business dealings and the claim of insider trading? "Well, let me tell you my mother-in-law lost money on that." That's it, no going after the truth, just let him slide. And, that's before the first election. Since then, he attempted to stall a 9/11 investigation, excluded pages from the Iraq WMD report before it went to the UN, lied us grievously into a war, Cheney has held a secret energy committee and refuses disclose the content-(of course, I could probably tell you the content, it was the oil companies splitting up Iraq), they censor the truth of what's really happening in Iraq, and at every turn coerce and bully the press to repeat their spin. Let me know if Clinton did all of that. And, he has appointed incompetent cronies in key positions, has bullied and bribed people in his own party to pass pro-corporate fat cat bills, he choses his wealthy, some corrupt friends, over the majority of American people. I could go on and on--don't tell me every politician has sold the American people down the river like this administration has done.

[newspeak]

91. oh, and one more thing

Al Gore did not say he invented the internet, but the "liberal" media kept spinning and laughing that he had.

[notadmblnd]

92. well Clinton paid a price for lying about a blow job

still no one died as a result of it. I don't care if the politician is left right or center. When the politicians lies result in the death of 10's if not hundreds of thousands of innocent people, that politician deserves to be dealt with.

What is it about some people's God Bush, that causes them to be unable to see the ugly truth?

on edit: enjoy your stay

[Zen Democrat]

8. Could Andrea's question be a tip-off to the administration?

Her way of letting the Powers That Be know that NBC is investigating the wire-tapping of Christiane Amanpour? I just don't trust this woman.

[in_cog_ni_to]

21. YES. That's exactly what she did. She's a shill for the right.

She knew they were still investigating the story and leaked it ON PURPOSE to tip off the regime to get their spy papers on Christiane SHREDDED, ASAP.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

25. Not so fast.

If Bitchell was going to tip the admin she wouldn't do it through a semi-public forum. She'd do it personally. This shark swims in the same waters.

[in_cog_ni_to]

35. I disagree. I think she blind-sided NBC on purpose.

She KNEW they were investigating this and were not ready to go public. Why else would she do it? Do you think she did it as a favor to Christiane? I don't. OR are you saying NBC wanted it out to tip-off the regime and instead of going behind closed doors like the NYT did, they had her leak it? That doesn't make sense. This was NOT an accident. This was deliberate....on her part, for whatever reason.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

87. My best guess.

Bitchell is stupid. She let it slip. Not everything is nefarious.

She mixed up the bullshit that she's supposed to report with the bullshit that she's not supposed to report. C'mon! We're talking about Scamdrea Bitchell.

[thebigidea]

10. didn't want to scoop itself? So why the fuck did they broadcast it?

[Rosco T.]

11. apparently that segment wasn't broadcast... n/m

[EVDebs]

72. Check post #71 and watch what she DOES not what she SAYS

[PA Democrat]

12. If you recall CNN news chief reprimanded Amanpour for her remarks

about how she felt CNN had caved into pressure from the Bush White House to slant their coverage of the Iraq invasion. If Bush would exert pressure on CNN, I would not be surprised if they wiretapped Amanpour for revealing this.


CNN news chief Jim Walton had a “private conversation” with reporter Christiane Amanpour after she accused her own network of being “intimidated” in its coverage of the Iraqi war.
Amanpour, a guest on last week’s “Topic A with Tina Brown” on CNBC, set off shockwaves in the TV world over the weekend when she said she thought her employer, CNN, was “muzzled” in its war coverage by a combination of the White House and its competitive position with the higher-rated Fox News Channel.

“I think the press was muzzled, and I think the press self-muzzled,” she said. “I’m sorry to say that, but certainly television and, perhaps, to a certain extent, my station, was intimidated by the administration and its foot soldiers at Fox News.”

http://www.theworldaroundyou.com/2003/09/16/christiane_amanpour_reprimanded/

Edited because I can't type.

[Erika]

13. Foot soldiers at Faux News

I knew they had integrity wise lost their journalist status when the joined this branch (Faux News) of the WH.

[Orangepeel]

14. she's also of middle eastern descent, isn't she?

middle eastern, spoke about something the bush's would rather remain unspoken, and conveniently married to a Democratic adviser. What's not to bug?

[leftchick]

16. Iranian American

if I remember correctly.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

26. Actually she was born in England to an Iranian family.

She came to the US to go to school at the University of Rhode Island.

[CottonBear]

47. She was JFK Jr.'s roomate while in college! Lucky girl! n/t

[bobbieinok]

88. roommate???? link?????

[MADem]

63. Her dad was a bigwig at Iran Air n/t

[EVDebs]

73. Yes, remember CNN and PsyOps dustup...

An ongoing scandal that was pushed under the carpet in 'wartime'

www.counterpunch.org/cnnpsyops.html

[emulatorloo]

15. kick n/t

[Im with Rosey]

17. It would be great

I hope it is true, but I'm not sure we should believe that there will really be a serious investigation. I'm not trying to be negative, I just think we should be careful about our expectations about any type of investigation. Remember that NBC is the home of Tweety and Timmy.

[SharonRB]

45. Don't forget, though, it's also the home of KO

[NNN0LHI]

19. She is married to a Democratic congressman

Did they listen in on his communications too?

Don

[in_cog_ni_to]

22. Jamie Rubin is a Congressman?

Jamie use to work for Clinton, but I didn't know he was a Congressman. I don't think he is.

[NNN0LHI]

23. My mistake. I was thinking of some one else. My apologies n/t

[Glimmer of Hope]

29. Does anyone know what he is currenty doing?

I think he advised Clark during his campaign and then ended up with Kerry.

[in_cog_ni_to]

33. Not since the campaign. I haven't seen him anywhere lately.

I do believe they live in London now. I don't know what he's up to these days.

[rateyes]

37. Yes, he ended up being Kerry's foreign policy advisor

in the campaign. Sounds like an "electronic" way to break into DNC headquarters, don't you think? Can anyone say "e-watergate?"

[marylanddem]

30. Amanpour's husband Rubin advised John Kerry in last campaign

n/t

[Zynx]

50. Hmmmm...This sounds like if it is looked into we might find domestic

political spying as well.

[EVDebs]

74. TIA now offshore, privatized in Bahamas with Ben H. Bell III's company

Global Information Group, Ltd.
www.zmetro.com/archives/000901.php

Along with...

Total Surveillance
http://www.motherjones.com/interview/2005/12/albrecht.h...

Couple this insidious technology with purposely erroneous background checks...

Who is checking the background checkers?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1128/p13s02-wmgn.html

Voila ! If BushCo wants to go after Dems and Greens and DUers and other such non-PC types as they designate, simply make sure those troublemakers are fired (without cause of course) and make sure the databases ChoicePoint and others such providers to the system includes incorrect data on you.

Why then Cheney's "vision" of the future will be complete. And dittoheads around the world will cheer. Makes you wonder, since there's a 6' tall Arab on kidney dialysis whom they can't seem to track...yet they CAN track that pair of underware you just bought at Wal-Mart...makes you wonder, doesn't it ?

"You have no privacy. Get over it." --Scott McNeely, CEO, Sun Microsystems The corallary of this is you have no 1st and 4th Amendments of the Bill of Rights anymore, get over it. No, I think I'll fight back if you don't mind, Scott.

[Botany]

61. bingo

We have a winner.

bush was spying on Kerry?

[EVDebs]

75. On EVERYBODY ! The NSA's method is a 'vacuum' it up approach

that requires all the data to be offshored and out of US legal jurisdictions if there is to be any 'blowback' and resulting legal repercussions. Look into TIA and Ben H. Bell's company Global Information Group, Ltd., based in the Bahamas.

[rniel]

24. This is just going to keep popping up again and again

They said they only spied on Al Queda then when things like this turn up we have to challenge them on it each time. Are these people enemies too??

[marylanddem]

27. Amanpour is married to Kerry advisor Jamie Rubin. So

Is it possible that they were in reality tapping Jamie Rubin conversations???

[indie_voter]

55. Americablog take on this

consider the implications of tapping Christiane Amanpour's phones:

1. Such a wiretap would likely include her home, office, and cell phones, and email correspondence, at the very least.

2. That means anyone Christiane has conversed with in the past four years, at least by phone or email, could have had their conversation taped by the US government.

3. That also means that anyone who uses any of Christiane's telephones or computers (work or home) could also have had their conversation bugged.

4. This includes Christiane's husband, former Clinton administration senior official Jamie Rubin, who was spokesman for the State Department.

5. Jamie Rubin was also chief foreign policy adviser to General Wesley Clark's presidential campaign, and then worked as a senior national security adviser to John Kerry's presidential campaign.

6. Did Jamie Rubin ever use his home phone, his wife's work phone, his wife's cell phone, her home computer or her work computer to communicate with John Kerry or Wesley Clark? If so, those conversations would have been bugged if Bush was tapping Amanpour.

7. Did Jamie Rubin ever in the past four years communicate with any elected officials in Washington, DC - any Senators or members of the US House? Any senior members of the Democratic party?

8. Has Rubin spoken with Bill Clinton, his former boss, in the past 4 years?

Now you understand how potentially broad a violation of privacy the Bush doctrine on illegal domestic spying really is. Everyone who's anyone is a degree or two of separation away from a terrorist.

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006/01/what-it-means-to-john-kerry-wesley.html

[DS1]

28. Why should I "Make no mistake"?

Who is "Americablog" and what makes them any more credible than NBC?

[notadmblnd]

93. you've been here for 39,000 + posts

and have never heard of Americablog with John Aravosis? How can that be?

www.americablog.com
http://www.wiredstrategies.com/aravosis.htm
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Aravosis

as the poster said make no mistake....

John and Americablog are very credible.

[AzDar]

31. Interestingly, I remember reading that Amanpour was a dear

friend of JFK jr.; I believe I read that they had at some point attended school together, and had remained close after.

On edit: They apparently shared a house together off the Brown U. campus; although Amanpour attented U. of Rhode Island.

[stop the bleeding]

32. Why is DU not surprised - insert sarcasm here....

How many more people will up as being tapped.

[kentuck]

34. This is one more straw...

Spying on journalists? I don't think that will be easy to spin?

[thereismore]

36. I say good for you Mr. Cedar Combat Fighter. You are just crying

to get kicked out of the WH.

[pinto]

66. LOL. "Mr. Cedar Combat Fighter". That's good. And fwiw, I think Andrea's

statement was a freudian slip. I'd wager that she feels Christiane is a "terrorist sympathizer" and a threat to national security...

[DirtyDawg]

38. The Real Reason...Search for Whistle Blowers

...don't know if this was speculated in the above comments, but it does seem entirely in keeping with bushco's, and Republicans in general, behavior that the primary motivation for all this wiretapping crap is to find out just who all these people are that won't keep their mouths shut about the 'evildoing'. Hell, wasn't that the main thing Nixon and his WH henchmen were about that brought about his ultimate downfall? They just won't learn..they'll deny it right up until their Impeachment hearings...and probably not even then. They are relentless and they've got about a third of Americans willing to believe that whatever they do is 'good for 'merica'...although, in Red-Georgia, I've just read that the number is still above 50 percent. God, who are these people and how do you allow them to continue to draw breath?

[DirtyDawg]

39. PS...

...Sy Hersh better start using smoke signals and carrier pigeons.

[geckosfeet]

40. NBC better take this to the streets ASAP. Amanpour was one of

the best journalists on the beat before she was muzzled by CNN and the other lackeys for Bush Co.

It makes me sick, sick in the pit of my gut to see how the corporate US media have been bent over for Bush Co. My trust and faith in the free press have been irrevocably and completely lost. Nothing but $$$ grubbing boot lickers. Paul Joseph Goebbels would be proud. Hitlers vision of world conquest has been re-incarnated through the illegitimate Bush Co. with help of the press whores in the US.

[indie_voter]

54. Agreed. MHO, the media is the real problem

Had they done their jobs this last decade, we wouldn't be in this mess.

[wryter2000]

41. I hope you're right

That could just mean, "We didn't mean for you to see that." We won't know unless more comes out about their investigation. I wouldn't put it past them to let it die quickly.

[SharonRB]

42. Stephanie Miller has got to be reading DU

While I was in the midst of reading the links, she started talking about the exact stories. Coincidence? I don't think so.

[stop the bleeding]

43. They sited the source as our source Daily Kos, but I am with you

it is like Jim Ward is reading our threads, kinda cool if you ask me, they also made/make several references to the amount of research(Tweety story) that goes on with internet and blogs and that could be a DU reference as well.

[SharonRB]

46. Exactly -- she could have gotten to the DailyKos links

from here. I think it's pretty cool, too. We already know she reads the KOEB threads and has quoted from them from time to time.

[Botany]

60. I wonder where she got those stories & links?

:rofl:

who ever it is I am sure he is good looking, smart, a great lover,
a good cook, and very humble.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=315x8271

I think his picture is on post #3.

[spanone]

44. The Chilling and Killing of Free Press in America. Here we go.

Maybe it's cause she has a forun sounding name????

[kestrel91316]

48. Is anybody else wondering if the Bush spying game goes beyond

mere wiretaps and into the realm of bugging the HOMES of their enemies (ie listening to their household conversations)??? I put ABSOLUTELY NOTHING past these fascists. You know how easy it is for them to do this now with all the high tech devices. They can hear conversations just from window glass vibrations, using laser.

[Norquist Nemesis]

49. pssst...PATRIOT ACT! n/t

[peanutbrittle]

58. Yep...

you too can listen to your neighbor


http://www.spy-tools-directory.com/surveillance-equipment/listening-devices.html
http://www.spyworld.com/Surveil5_LawEnforcement.htm

Through concrete as well

[gkhouston]

67. given the inanity of the average conversation in my house

in the past 5 years, I almost hope they've wasted their time bugging us. Yeah, burn your time listening to hours and hours of "Do you need to go potty?" "Honey, can you find my ...?" and "Well, if we went to the grocery tonight instead of tomorrow, then..." :rofl:

[kestrel91316]

86. If they bugged me, a single woman with two cats,

all they would hear is "Hey Eddie", "Mummy is a beautiful kitty, yes she is", "How's kitties?", "How's my babyness?" and other such drivvel, repeated endlessly. And lots of keyboard tapping. And the TV.

[onefortheroad]

57. Cool...

[Norquist Nemesis]

59. are we having fun yet?

:hi:

[EVDebs]

79. Not until we put THEIR brand of govt in the bathtub and drown it !

With apologies to Grover.

[Fla Dem]

65. You better believe there is wide spread wire tapping. With Cheney,

Rummy, Scooter, Rove, Card, Wolfowitz and Bush hating the establishment, the press, and Democrats in general, I would be surprised if they didn't.

[EVDebs]

68. While they're at it, they might want to look into ....

Total Surveillance
http://www.motherjones.com/interview/2005/12/albrecht.h ...

Couple this insidious technology with purposely erroneous background checks

Who is checking the background checkers?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1128/p13s02-wmgn.html

They've offshored, outsourced, and privatized TIA. Now all they have to do is fire you for being 'of the wrong political party' and put false information in your background data...and voila ! You've just created the most insidious terror project in the US ever.

TIA was outsourced, offshored and privatized to Global Information Group Ltd. of the Bahamas. It's run by Ben H. Bell III, a 'former' intelligence agent for the US govt. Global probably utilizes the ChoicePoint (an other) databases, so as we've already seen, if you've been reading the papers and MSM, these databases are neither secure nor 100% reliable. But for the US government's harassment purposes with ordinary citizens with no terrorist intentions whatsoever, we are all lumped into the 'suspect' camp.

The profile is : if you're a US citizen you're guilty until proven innocent. And there's no need to get a warrant, due process can't save you from Bush's jackboots. Today I read in the postings that a 4 yr old from Houston was on the NoFlyList along with the author of Bush's Brain, someone on the list apparently because he criticized our fearless leader.

[rodeodance]

81. KICKYPOO

[McCamy Taylor]

82. By tomorrow the Freeps will be doing a Dan Rather on her.

What is CNN going to do? She is one of their stars? They kiss ass for W. and Rove but do they really want to lose Amanpour to NBC?

[Chalco]

84. Wolf Blitzer did something on this story today.

Did anyone else see it? His reporter refuted it.

[McCamy Taylor]

85. Is this a WH smokescreen to hide the CIA-Iran nuclear weapon plan story?

Bush-Rove typically try to mask a pr disaster by creating a small fire so that the smoke from that one will hide the smoke from the fire they dont want reporters to notice. The fed Armstrong Williams to the press between Selection 2004 and the innauguration to get people to stop talking about exit polls and other problems before the tsunami happened and gave them breathing space. News involving journalists always catches reporters' eyes.

So, is the WH encouraging Andrea Mitchell and NBC to run with this story? Think about it.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-intel4jan04,1,4817832.story?coll=la-headlines-world