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ari & i
Ari & I: July 14, 2003
Russell Mokhiber questions White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer (July 14)
Jul 14, 2003
Note from Russell Mokhiber:
On July 14, 2003, Ari Fleischer held his last White House press briefing. He left the White House to start a consulting firm that will advise corporate executives on how to handle the news media. The new White House Press Secretary is Scott McClellan. I'll continue this feature under the headline: "Scottie & Me."
Russell Mokhiber: Ari, in the 2002 election campaign, the Republican Party took in $7.2 million from convicted criminals. Is the President okay with his party taking millions of dollars from convicted criminals? Ari
Ari Fleischer: I have no idea what you are referring to -
Mokhiber: I'm referring to, let me tell you -
Fleischer: Obviously, if money is received - both parties from people who are later found out to be people who shouldn't be giving money - then it gets returned.
Mokhiber: These are actually major corporations convicted of crimes. ADM gave $1.7 million, Pfizer $1.1 million, Chevron $875,000. Is the President okay with those companies giving direct contributions to the Republican Party after being convicted of crimes?
Fleischer: Russell, as you know, the Presidential campaign takes no money from corporations.
Mokhiber: I'm talking about the party.
Fleischer: Well, you'll have to address your questions to the party.
Mokhiber: Well, as the titular head of the party, is he okay with the party taking money from convicted criminals?
Fleischer: I don't know what information you have where you can that this corporation is a criminal.
Mokhiber: Convicted - they pled guilty to crimes.
Fleischer: Were the crimes of such a nature that they are no longer in existence?
Mokhiber: ADM pled guilty to one of the most massive antitrust crimes and paid a $100 million fine.
Fleischer: I think you need to address any questions about specific companies with the specifics in mind, and if that company is still doing business and is still in operation, that means it is still in operation with the law, and every case is individual, and the party decides about whether the money needs to be returned or not. But I don't have specifics.
Mokhiber: One follow-up.
Fleischer: Go ahead, Russell.
Mokhiber: One follow up. It's actually a broad philosophical question. Is the President okay with taking money from convicted criminals?
Fleischer: I informed you that the President does not take money from corporations.
Mokhiber: No, I'm talking about - as titular head of the party, is he okay with the party taking money from convicted criminals. For example, in Enron -
Fleischer: I just have to differ with your notion that because a company has been fined -
Mokhiber: No, they pled guilty to crimes. They pled guilty to crimes.
Fleischer: Even so - I don't know what specifics you are referring to - that that company is a convicted criminal.
Mokhiber: If you plead guilty to a crime, you are a criminal.
Fleischer: Does that mean that they need to go out of business?
Mokhiber: I'm asking - should the Republican Party take money from convicted criminals?
Fleischer: You need to address your question to the Republican Party.
Mokhiber: But he's the titular head of the party.
Fleischer: And the titular head of the party refers you to the party.
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Ari & I: May 27, 2003
Russell Mokhiber questions White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer (May 27)
May 27, 2003
Russell Mokhiber: Ari, there is a new documentary film by an Irish journalist, Jamie Doran. He alleges -
Ari Fleischer: I haven't seen it.
Mokhiber: Well, let me tell you about it. He alleges U.S. military involvement in a massacre of 3,000 Taliban prisoners in Afghanistan. He says that the 3,000 prisoners were forced into sealed containers and loaded onto trucks for transport to Sheberghan prison. When the prisoners began shouting for air, U.S. allied Afghan soldiers fired directly into the truck, killing many of them. Then, witnesses in the film said that when the trucks arrived and soldiers opened the containers, most of the people inside were dead. U.S. special forces redirected -
Fleischer: And your question is?
Mokhiber: Well, you said you hadn't seen it, so I'm giving you some background. One more thing - U.S. special forces redirected the containers carrying the dead into the desert and stood by as survivors were shot and buried.
Fleischer: I think I understand your movie review.
Mokhiber: And there is a mass grave of 3,000 Taliban prisoners. Question - does the President know about this massacre? Is he ordering an investigation?
Fleischer: Number one, I would not use a movie as a basis to make assumptions about what is right and what is wrong. If your question is about a factual matter in Afghanistan dealing with military actions, that is a question you should address to the Pentagon. I'm not aware of any such -
Mokhiber: Is the President aware of it?
Fleischer: I don't know if he is aware of this movie or not - I would doubt it.
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Ari & I: May 14, 2003
Russell Mokhiber questions White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer (May 14)
May 14, 2003
Russell Mokhiber: Ari, you said on April 10th, about weapons of mass destruction, "That is what this war was about." On Sunday, The Washington Post reported that the group directing U.S. search efforts for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq is winding down operations without finding proof that Saddam Hussein kept clandestine stocks of outlawed arms.
Ari Fleischer: Efforts aren't winding down, efforts are cranking up. As Dr. Rice said in an exclusive interview with Reuters, we are sending in additional teams of people and increasing the amount of inspectors, the amount of people who go through documentation, people who are more expert, to continue to go in. And nothing has changed from what I said on April.
Mokhiber: If I could follow up on that. Let's -- hypothetically, these weapons are --
Ari Fleischer: You're beginning a sentence with the wrong word. (Laughter.) You just hurt your cause.
Mokhiber: If The Washington Post report is correct, and weapons that Secretary Powell said are there, are not there, I'm wondering if -- what are the chances that you were misled?
Ari Fleischer: No, I think that you've heard it from enough officials to know that you should not begin a sentence with a hypothetical. We remain confident in all the statements we've made about it.
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