"60 Minutes" Responds
Media Matters
October 7, 2005
This Sunday's "60 minutes' interview of former FBI
director Louis Freeh about his new book is causing quite a stir in some
political circles. In his discussion with Mike Wallace and in the book, Freeh
describes his difficult relationship with the man who appointed him –
President Clinton.
Reviewing various scandals, Freeh writes in his book: "The problem was
with Bill Clinton — the scandals and the rumored scandals, the incubating
ones and the dying ones never ended. Whatever moral compass the president was
consulting was leading him in the wrong direction. His closets were full of
skeletons just waiting to burst out.'
Freeh also alleges that Clinton refused to personally ask Saudi Crown Prince
Abdullah to allow the FBI to question suspects in the '96 Khobar Tower
attacks who were in Saudi custody. Freeh writes: "Bill Clinton raised the
subject only to tell the crown prince that he understood the Saudis'
reluctance to cooperate and then he hit Abdullah up for a contribution to the
Clinton Presidential Library.'
In today's Washington Post, former Clinton counterterrorism official
Daniel Benjamin said Freeh is "factually wrong' and that Clinton
"pushed the crown prince quite hard' to "eventually'
win "cooperation that led to indictments in the case.' Benjamin
added: "Freeh has been clearly discredited by the 9/11 commission and the
congressional join inquiry.'
The Post story also contained this line: "The Clinton camp says
'60 Minutes' would not accept any surrogate to rebut Freeh on
camera once the former president declined to be interviewed.'
While it is unusual for any media organization to comment on a story before
it runs, "60 Minutes' Executive Producer Jeff Fager responded to PE
about the "Clinton camp' complaint, saying: "The president
would not sit down for an interview, but our job is to make sure the story is
fair to him and we have been in touch with his people to make sure of his
positions on some of the points made in the story.'
Perhaps we'll have an opportunity to revisit this one next week.
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