Ari & I: December 5, 2002

Russell Mokhiber: What was the President thinking when he appointed an alleged war criminal to investigate a war crime?

Ari Fleischer: [Ari gestures with his hands as if to indicate that he doesn't understand the question.]

Mokhiber: What was he thinking?

Fleischer: Who are you thinking of?

Mokhiber: Chile, Allende, Cambodia, Kissinger.

Fleischer: Who he appointed?

Mokhiber: Kissinger.

Fleischer: Oh, I see what you are saying. Everything that I said when Henry Kissinger was appointed two weeks ago, about the outstanding integrity of Henry Kissinger and the high regard in which he is held. You should have been here two weeks ago. You missed that one.

Mokhiber: You have said that Iraq has lied in the past and it is continuing to lie. Kissinger lied to Congress about Cambodia. Kissinger lied about Chile. How do we know he is not going to lie about his investigation?

Fleischer: If you want to compare what Tarek Aziz said last week to how Henry Kissinger has ably served the United States and continues to ably serve the United States -- he is held in very high regard by people in both parties, including the families of 911 -- that's your judgment and your business. The President rejects that line of thinking.