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CBS asks whether 9/11 was Reagans Fault
EFL from MRC
9/11: Reagan’s fault? CBS was first out of the blocks Monday night with a story on “blemishes” in Ronald Reagan’s record as President, but instead of an even-handed review of Iran/Contra, Dan Rather and Bill Plante painted it in the most ominous light, implying that it somehow led to “the rise of Islamic fundamentalism.” Rather asked: “Is or is not America still paying a price for what’s called the Iran/Contra debacle?” Plante answered in the affirmative: “An arms control agreement with the Soviet Union refurbished President Reagan’s image, but U.S. efforts to deal with the tough issues in the Middle East went on hold, helping to set the stage for the first Iraq war and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism.” Plante justified his conclusion by claiming Iran/Contra meant that “relations with Iran deteriorated further” and “Iraq, which the Reagan administration had backed in its war against Iran, went on to use chemical weapons in 1988 with little protest from the U.S.” So the 9/11 terrorist attack on the U.S. AND Saddam Hussein using chemical weapons are both Reagan’s fault?

Before an ad break on the June 7 CBS Evening News, Rather plugged the upcoming “Reality Check” on Reagan’s legacy: “Straight ahead now on the CBS Evening News, President Reagan and the missiles-for-Iran deal. Is or is not America still paying a price for what’s called the Iran/Contra debacle?” Rather set up the subsequent story: “Ronald Reagan was and is one of the most popular Presidents in U.S. history, and with good reason: He accomplished a lot. That does not mean his record is without questions and, in fact, blemishes. Tonight, CBS’s Bill Plante, who covered the Reagan White House, begins a week-long series assessing the Reagan legacy.”
Plante began: “The most serious crisis of Ronald Reagan’s two terms, and the lowest point in his popularity, came after the revelation that his administration had secretly sold arms to Iran and turned over the profits to rebels fighting the Marxist government of Nicaragua.”
Plante, in Reagan era press conference: “Did you make a mistake in sending arms to Tehran, sir?”
Ronald Reagan: “No, and I’m not taking any more questions-”
Plante: “Reagan’s national security staff approached Iran in an effort to free American hostages being held in Lebanon, despite a vow that the administration would never negotiate with terrorists. At first, President Reagan denied that it had happened.”

Reagan, in November 13, 1986 speech from Oval Office: “We did not, repeat, did not trade weapons, or anything else, for hostages.”

Plante: “But two investigations showed that Mr. Reagan had, in fact, signed off on the weapons shipments, and in early 1987 he reversed his denial.”

Edmund Morris, Reagan biographer, clip #1: “It is, without question, a crisis brought through his own fault.”

Morris, clip #2: “And the public perceived him, therefore, as somebody who couldn’t see his own actions in a negative light.”

Plante: “The fallout was severe, softened only by the President’s willingness to accept personal responsibility.”

Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor: “President Reagan understood that this had happened in his administration. He was straightforward in having it investigated by the Tower Commission, they made changes. And that’s the way that we have to deal with any difficulties.”

Plante: “The President’s full disclosure at home, however, didn’t salvage U.S. policy in the Middle East. Relations with Iran deteriorated further. Iraq, which the Reagan administration had backed in its war against Iran, went on to use chemical weapons in 1988 with little protest from the U.S.”

Jon Alterman, Mideast analyst: “When it came time to really having partnerships and policies that move forward in the Middle East, there wasn’t a lot positive happening on the ground.”

Plante concluded: “An arms control agreement with the Soviet Union refurbished President Reagan’s image, but U.S. efforts to deal with the tough issues in the Middle East went on hold, helping to set the stage for the first Iraq war and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. Bill Plante, CBS News.”

Posted by: Super Hose 2004-06-09
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=35039