[Peace-discuss] O'Neill's remarks and their weight

[Randall Cotton]

Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill's criticism of Bush (and Cheney and,
well, the entire administration) is making headlines around the world,
especially the bit about plotting the invasion of Iraq starting immediately
after he took office.

BBC's Washington correspondent called them "the most sustained and damaging
criticism of the Bush administration from a former insider since the
president came to power."

In today's AWARE meeting, it was suggested that O'Neill was writing a book
containing these criticisms. The book in question is indeed called "The
Price of Loyalty", but it is by Ron Suskind, not O'Neill himself. I think
it's important to point out, though, that while O'Neill is the primary
source for the book (which comes out Tuesday) and while he contributed
greatly to this book (including over 19,000 documents from his tenure,
complete with National Security Council meeting transcripts) and while he is
promoting it with interviews for Time and 60 minutes, he is getting no money
from Suskind or the book, which makes his criticism that much more potent.

His motivation seems to be genuine distaste and concern about, among other
things, the closely-held secrecy of the administration.

Did anyone tape the 60 minutes interview?

R