IN HONOR OF JOSE COUSO....
and In Memory of David C. Kelley ( 1945-July 17,2003)
[please note all relevant documents and links will be posted at the end or placed over on Plamegate Timeline Blog. This is a long column involving some serious questions, no Google Game tonight).
( Data was accumulated for a long time to create the Plamegate Timeline Blog as well as this piece, reputable sources follow: Daily Kos, Guardian, Truthout, Alternet, BBC, PBS- NOW, Scotsman, Digby, Ragged Thoughts, RWresearch,WesPac and Clark Community Network. This post has been on hold until Judy finally told some of what she knows to the Prosecuter.)
[[PLAMEGATE TIMLINE BLOG: http://plamegatetimeline.blogspot.com/, ]]
{{ Please note reread NYT articles by Judy Miller from 3pm Sat. Oct. 15th, Timelines and Blog posts have been corrected]]
After reading the Grumpy Ol'Man this week, I have thought alot about what he witnessed on TV. I thought alot about Jose Couso, a photographer, trying his best to bring the world film footage, even Live of the events of Iraq. He was brave and cared deeply about his work. He also cared about getting the Truth Out. ) I think here in the States we saw only part of this foootage- sadly, but I remember it well. Most journalists I have known are driven, many relentlessly crossing Danger Zones pursuing the Truth. For the most part there are two types of Journalists, the Truthseekers vs, the Glory Seekers. It is important to recognize that fact when reading print or watching broadcast. And I have to sadly admit the past five years there were some journalists that left me boggled which path they were treading. Jose was a Truthseeker. He died trying to bring us and the rest of the world the Truth. And hopefully, it will be up to all of us to honor him and hope that his killers are brought to Justice.
Many Journalists have died in this war, more than any other. And some have died under precarious circumstances attempting to keep us informed. I remember the Palestine Hotel being shot at. I also remember a cameraman being shot outside Abu-Garib. ( I can not find the data or artlcles on his death, I believe he worked for Reuters, but if anyone knows that would be helpful) I remember both of these bloody deaths, because our military was involved, and their deathes were on the air. And because they died Watching as their own death befell them with the film rolling.
Not all journalists have conducted themselves with Honor. For when journalists pursue their own Glory more than the story, trouble brews. And it is a soup that grows thick with clouded observations and self-serving conclusions. If a journalist is bound to a story by their own conclusions before they have amassed all the facts, and their famed reputation is at risk, the story suffers. And the readers bear the consequences. Always.
Judy and the NYT, our crippled tattered tainted Ol' Grey Lady have indeed taught us all this lesson in ways none of should forget or forgive. Real Whistleblowers and Real Sources and Real Data are to be handled with respect and care, and never treated like tabloid gossip,They are Never Fair Game. Lives are at stake.
I heard a guest on one of the Pundit shows this week say something that greatly disturbed me, " Well, I think this Plamegate thing is blown out of proportion , and Ms.Miller's Role in it, as well. It's not like any lives were ruined or lost due to this issue. She didn't even write a story about it." That is an amazing statement. We were dragged into a War, with false statements and propagana about Missing WMD, and 1000s are indeed dead and or wounded from this "mission". We have lost honor and credibility in the world thanks to BushCo. Judy wrote many articles about the WMDs and Weapon Threats before the war. She had a responsibility. Iraqi's, And Iraqi Civilians, and that means women and children too, and soldiers and reservists have indeed died. And even a WMD expert.
WATERGATE AND THE JOURNALISTS THAT RISKED IT ALL :
(Another time I will tell why this blog is called Watergate Summer. And why I never forgot my Watergate Summer. )
Today my focus is on journalistic Integrity. This week many were mentioning Watergate, my son started asking really good questions. I wanted to make sure I had all my facts straight, and my old copy of "All the President's Men" is tattered, waterstained and missing pages. It is "decrepidly embarrassing" said the Son. So I thought I will spring for a new copy. I went to the Bookstore, and I had a hard time finding a copy. I finally went to the counter and asked the cute young 22yr.old hobbit like creaure at the counter, he was reading DUNE, I said "Are you out of 'All the President's Men". And he said" What the heck is That Book about, it has been selling off the shelves the past two weeks- is it cause of that new Geena Davis Show ?"
I stood for a second dumbstruck, and then I asked " Don't you know about Watergate ?"
" Ahn No, I am more of a science fiction person"
{{ Needless to say this poor fella got an unexpected earful. He Knows about Watergate now....}}
Anyways we dug around and came up with a paperback copy for me, the Last One in the building.
So I came home and then called other stores, sure enough the book is selling like wildfire.
It is kind of like the Google game- statistically somehow meaningful in a Hmm way.
So I spent the week rereading It,the 1974 wonder, and realized that these two writers realized Something Was Very Wrong, and even though they were young and had it ALL to lose , they risked It. But so did their paper, the editors and the publishers. They all had to have guts, adn they all worked together to confront hurdles and blunders and Lies and Hubris. And the reader rode the Story with them just like the tallest, oldest creakiest Rollercoaster at the Beach, hanging onto the rollbar for dear life, with eyes wide open. And once those steel wheels and casters started to glide on the track you could feel it was going to be a Hell of a ride.
And Watergate did indeed unravel and we all rode the rollercoaster that led to the demise of the corrupt Nixon regime.
And if any of us thought of it later we would have realized that Nixon and his Cronies did indeed have to Fall, for the Viet Nam War to end.
And this we also know now, Judy is no Carl or Bob and if she had some illusions about Scooter being Deep Throat she indeed was deluded, not just glory seeking. And the NYT is not the Washington Post and that was evident with the Jayson Blair debacle in an unapologetic fashion that still makes the hair on my neck stand. I never saw the remorse that was so due to so many loyal readers. And we never will.
WHEN THE GLORYSEEKER SITS IN PRISON FOR 85 DAYS, WHAT DOES SHE PONDER
Anf Judy what did she think about in prison ?
Did she think about the boys over in the sand? and the boys over in the battered targeted Humvees? did she think about the troops over there searching for something that she has known for along time weren't there- the WMD. Does she have any remorse about the wild goose chase she sent them on ? Does she think about their funerals ? Especially the ones that did recon ? Does she think about the wounded ones that have returned to lost homes, lost marriages, and lost jobs ? And the
ones that have PTSD and can't hear abus backfire without twitching,sweating and hitting the ground. Did she ever think of the wounded reservists that only get two years of medical care- no matter What the injury ? Hell did she even think about the mom Cindy sitting in the Crawford Ditch ,the mom who lost a son in those early days of the mythical WMD searches ?
Did she sit and fret, worrying that Joe Wilson was getting more attention than her? I mean his situation was making her look bad, and her book sales were way down, not like after 911. And her one book on Bioterrorism was hardly selling at all. The prosecutor had wanted to speak with her, and for her to appear before the grand jury. Did she sit and wonder who might have seen her and Scooter at the St.Regis hotel ? Did she sit and wonder where THE Notebook was and WHO knew where it was ? Did she sit and wonder how she would look if her memory was faulty, it worked for other compromised people in the past. Mr Reagon used that line for the Iran Contra Hearings and no one doubted it. ( of course he was older and feeble, like a loving-granpa -forgot- where- he- put- his- keys kind of credible, but she was cute and perky,with her girlish charms it could surely work.)
As someone who watched her Pre-Jail Interviews I kept thinking, suspose she is not protecting the Truth but is protecting a Lie(s) .( And I have a reason for thinking that wretched little thought, and if you are patient it will come out. And it involves Judy and Someone 1000's of miles away who is dead now, and it isn't pretty, at all).
My main question is : Judy, when you were in the cold damp little cell did you think about Dr.David Kelley ? Did you ? You once viewed him as a friend ? Did you think about the summer of 2003 and his death ? even once ....
Let me help Judy remember....I do remember.
Maybe this line will jog her memory: " Many Dark Actors Playing Games ."
The poor soul when he wrote this to her on the day he died, how could he have known she was indeed perhaps one of the Actors ?
You might not remember, June and July 2003 were full of Toil and Trouble on both sides of the ocean.
Questions and Discussions had grown heated about the WMD questions. There were hearings and leaks occuring on both sides of the Ocean, even media was recieving scrutiny about How WMD Facts were displayed and peddled before the leadup to the war. BBC was recieving flack and so was the NYT. The Mushroom Cloud remained painted with broad strokes above most speeches and photops by the WH and Pentagon officals. The fear mongering and "War On terror" were still roaring in the Mussolini night, yet less people were in the Dark then in March 2003. (go to the WH and Penatgon websites- June alone there are atleast 15 such"events").
June 2003 was a month the WH and Pentagon worked hard to Pump their agenda and propaganda , day and night, Rummy and the King, and the rook ( Uncle Dick) all working hard Still pimping the WMD story....( see links for data, timeline and players at Plamegate Timeline blog)
I am sure Judy remembers the "Actors in A Dark Place " statement. A Real Journalist would and should remember the last words of a dead man. I wonder if she thought of that haunting line, that could so easily describe a "journalist ", a Glory Seeker , sitting in a cell with questionable ethics.
I think the family of Dr.David C.Kelley must now be wondering about you Judy Miller, and those final emails of July 17th, 2003. And the dark actors playing dark games, regardless of What the Hutton report found and what it didn't find.
For some that don't remember him that well, he was David Christopher Kelley. Minister of Defense Official and a member of the UN's Inspection WMD Team, and after a series of controversial stories on the BBC late May 2003. By July 9th 2003 he was identified as one possible source ( mole) for the BBC stories regarding "Sexed Up" WMD Intelligence/dossier ( ie. now known as the DSM). July 15th and July 16th 2003 he testified on Hearings before Englist Parlimentary Oversight boards and the Hearings were aired LIVE on BBC and C-span, on both sides of the Ocean.
*** And yes, Novack's Infamous Article came out on July 14th, 2003.***
About Kelley's Last Day:
By July 17th he went for his usual afternoon walk near his home,and never returned and was "Missing" for over 18 hours. He was found less than 24 hours later , propped against a tree, standing up- Dead. Search parties had already searched the area previously. He was found with an odd slash on his left wrist ( foresically improbable for depth and blood loss to be effective suicide) and with four electrode monitor patches on his chest, No signifigant blood volumes at the site. Only toxic element on exam : 1mg/1ml of co-praxamol. There was no note found at scene. No cellphone at scene. There were bruises and abrasions on his body that reports tried to explain that he had injured himself in the "Underbrush" of a well groomed pathes of the parks near his home. His friends, coworkers, and family remained devastated and asked for an Inquiry. Six months later the Hutton Report was released. His death remained called a Suicide. On his final day he went for his walk, before he dissappeared, he emailed Judy. Forensically his family should ask that the Investigation be reopened.
Here are the emails: ( go to the Plamegate Timeline Blog to see full detailed Timeline) It also would appear that the Special Prosecutor is looking at Ms.Millers notes , emails etc. I do wonder if he knows about these emails below.
JULY 16,2003 : Judy Miller emails David Kelly : "David, I heard from another member of your fan club that things went well for you today. I hope it's True. J"
( Remember July 15 and 16 he was testifiying on Aired hearings about the Iraqi WMD issue on BBC and C-Span. And also remember that the July 14th Novack column came out the same week)
July 17,2003 : Kelley responds to Miller's email : " Judy, I will wait until the end of the week before judging-many dark actors playing games. Thanks for your support and I appreciate your friendship at this time. Best, David."
How many people have died because of the WMD lies ?
Photojournalists, reporters, Iraqi families, women and children, American troops and contract workers, foriegn contract workers and aid workers. The List goes on and on. But David Kelley was the first WMD expert to die out side Iraq after questions were raised about the validity of the WMD motive for war.
Did Judy think of him at all as she sat in the damp mildewed cell for 85 days. Did she ever worry What Kelley KNEW when he wrote" Many Dark Actors Playing Games".
Or was she waiting for a Messege from Her Fan Club ?
Or was she merely waiting for her cue from Stage Left ?
