Ari & I: June 26, 2001

White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer gestures as he speaks to reporters at the White House briefing room April 2, 2003 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Ari & I: June 26, 2001

Russell Mokhiber questions White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer

Mokhiber: Ari, could I follow up on that? According to the Washington Post yesterday in an article titled "Sharon's Action in 1982 Massacre Stirs New Debate," this whole issue was triggered by a BBC Documentary called "The Accused."

This is the key point of evidence that they raised. During the BBC program, Morris Draper, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East at the time, said U.S. officials were horrified when Sharon had allowed Phalange militias in the camps, "because it would be a massacre," according to Draper.

And this is Draper. He told the BBC that after the killings began, he cabled Sharon, telling him "You must stop the slaughter. This situation is absolutely appalling. They are killing children. You have the field completely under your control and are therefore responsible for that area."

And that's why Human Rights Watch wants a criminal investigation.

Does the President support a criminal investigation, given that evidence?

Ari Fleischer: I think the very fact that the President is meeting this afternoon at the Oval Office with the duly elected leader of a democratic nation speaks for itself about what the President will do and what the President supports.

Join the Movement: Become Part of the Solution Today

We're optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place.

We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter counts.

Your contribution supports this new media model—free, independent, and dedicated to uncovering the truth. Stand with us in the fight for social justice, human rights, and equality. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today!

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.