SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
The Iraqi Memoir Industry
May 17, 2007
The Iraq-official memoir publishing industry is beginning to resemble a circular firing squad. In last Sunday's Washington Post, Paul Bremer duked it out with those who've accused him of incompetence and stupid decisions which contributed to the insurgency we see raging in Iraq today.
Bremer accuses former CIA Director George Tenet of pillorying him in his just-published, best-selling memoirs, At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA. But it's not only Tenet, Bremer whines. "Similar charges are unquestionably repeated in books and articles." And while the charges, counter-charges, accusations, rebuttals may titillate, while providing misleadingly biased drafts of history, it's worth remembering that a few key officials (who helped mislead this nation into the most colossal foreign policy disaster in US history) are profiting nicely.
Take George Tenet. He was paid a whopping $ 4 million for his memoirs. When asked by ABC's Charles Gibson why he had waited so long, nearly three years after his resignation, to make criticisms he had not made during the 2004 election, Tenet replied that he needed the time to collect his thoughts. What he might have said is that he needed the time to collect the money.
Then there's Ari Fleischer's Taking Heat, Bremer's My Year in Iraq and, in March 2008 HarperCollins is bringing out Douglas Feith's War and Decision. There are bound to be more Iraq memoirs on the way. How could Rummy not cut a deal to tell his side of the story? Or Wolfie-- after he's booted from the World Bank. Condi is already planning hers. Check out what she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer when he asked her about Tenet's assertion that she did not perform her job well, she said, "Well, look, not everything went right....There were some things that went right and some things that went wrong. And you know what? We'll have a chance to look at that in history, and I'll have a chance to reflect on that when I have a chance to write my book."
As the human and economic cost of this war soar, shouldn't these officials be barred from making money off of books about their illegal, immoral, security-destroying failures of judgment and action? Perhaps there is a model to be found in how a few states forbid criminals and others from profiting off violent crime. After all, as a recent article reports, "Criminals had been barred from making money off their exploits until 1991, when the Supreme Court overturned a NY law after finding that it was so broad it would discourage people from telling stories of public interest --such as the Watergate scandal." While a unanimous 1991 Court decision said such laws could stand only if carefully worded to protect First Amendment rights, some states have already revised or created new laws to address that concern.
So, I propose that we citizens demand that any official involved in decision making which misled us into this debacle be required to contribute advances and royalties made off their Iraq-related memoirs to organizations helping veterans or Iraqi civilians. (I've made a short list below; I am sure there are others you can add.)
And the publishing houses involved--HarperCollins, Threshold Editions, William Morrow--should also consider contributing any company profits.
* Iraq Veterans Against The War
* Vets' For Justice
* Military Families Speak Out
* Gold Star Families for Peace
* International Committee of the Red Cross
* Families for Peace Humanitarian Aid Delegation
* International Rescue Committee
* No More Victims
Katrina Vanden Heuvel is editor of The Nation.
(c) 2007 The Nation
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
© 2023 The Nation
Katrina Vanden Heuvel
Katrina vanden Heuvel is an American editor and publisher. She is the editor, publisher, and part-owner of the magazine The Nation. She has been the magazine's editor since 1995.
The Iraq-official memoir publishing industry is beginning to resemble a circular firing squad. In last Sunday's Washington Post, Paul Bremer duked it out with those who've accused him of incompetence and stupid decisions which contributed to the insurgency we see raging in Iraq today.
Bremer accuses former CIA Director George Tenet of pillorying him in his just-published, best-selling memoirs, At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA. But it's not only Tenet, Bremer whines. "Similar charges are unquestionably repeated in books and articles." And while the charges, counter-charges, accusations, rebuttals may titillate, while providing misleadingly biased drafts of history, it's worth remembering that a few key officials (who helped mislead this nation into the most colossal foreign policy disaster in US history) are profiting nicely.
Take George Tenet. He was paid a whopping $ 4 million for his memoirs. When asked by ABC's Charles Gibson why he had waited so long, nearly three years after his resignation, to make criticisms he had not made during the 2004 election, Tenet replied that he needed the time to collect his thoughts. What he might have said is that he needed the time to collect the money.
Then there's Ari Fleischer's Taking Heat, Bremer's My Year in Iraq and, in March 2008 HarperCollins is bringing out Douglas Feith's War and Decision. There are bound to be more Iraq memoirs on the way. How could Rummy not cut a deal to tell his side of the story? Or Wolfie-- after he's booted from the World Bank. Condi is already planning hers. Check out what she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer when he asked her about Tenet's assertion that she did not perform her job well, she said, "Well, look, not everything went right....There were some things that went right and some things that went wrong. And you know what? We'll have a chance to look at that in history, and I'll have a chance to reflect on that when I have a chance to write my book."
As the human and economic cost of this war soar, shouldn't these officials be barred from making money off of books about their illegal, immoral, security-destroying failures of judgment and action? Perhaps there is a model to be found in how a few states forbid criminals and others from profiting off violent crime. After all, as a recent article reports, "Criminals had been barred from making money off their exploits until 1991, when the Supreme Court overturned a NY law after finding that it was so broad it would discourage people from telling stories of public interest --such as the Watergate scandal." While a unanimous 1991 Court decision said such laws could stand only if carefully worded to protect First Amendment rights, some states have already revised or created new laws to address that concern.
So, I propose that we citizens demand that any official involved in decision making which misled us into this debacle be required to contribute advances and royalties made off their Iraq-related memoirs to organizations helping veterans or Iraqi civilians. (I've made a short list below; I am sure there are others you can add.)
And the publishing houses involved--HarperCollins, Threshold Editions, William Morrow--should also consider contributing any company profits.
* Iraq Veterans Against The War
* Vets' For Justice
* Military Families Speak Out
* Gold Star Families for Peace
* International Committee of the Red Cross
* Families for Peace Humanitarian Aid Delegation
* International Rescue Committee
* No More Victims
Katrina Vanden Heuvel is editor of The Nation.
(c) 2007 The Nation
Katrina Vanden Heuvel
Katrina vanden Heuvel is an American editor and publisher. She is the editor, publisher, and part-owner of the magazine The Nation. She has been the magazine's editor since 1995.
The Iraq-official memoir publishing industry is beginning to resemble a circular firing squad. In last Sunday's Washington Post, Paul Bremer duked it out with those who've accused him of incompetence and stupid decisions which contributed to the insurgency we see raging in Iraq today.
Bremer accuses former CIA Director George Tenet of pillorying him in his just-published, best-selling memoirs, At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA. But it's not only Tenet, Bremer whines. "Similar charges are unquestionably repeated in books and articles." And while the charges, counter-charges, accusations, rebuttals may titillate, while providing misleadingly biased drafts of history, it's worth remembering that a few key officials (who helped mislead this nation into the most colossal foreign policy disaster in US history) are profiting nicely.
Take George Tenet. He was paid a whopping $ 4 million for his memoirs. When asked by ABC's Charles Gibson why he had waited so long, nearly three years after his resignation, to make criticisms he had not made during the 2004 election, Tenet replied that he needed the time to collect his thoughts. What he might have said is that he needed the time to collect the money.
Then there's Ari Fleischer's Taking Heat, Bremer's My Year in Iraq and, in March 2008 HarperCollins is bringing out Douglas Feith's War and Decision. There are bound to be more Iraq memoirs on the way. How could Rummy not cut a deal to tell his side of the story? Or Wolfie-- after he's booted from the World Bank. Condi is already planning hers. Check out what she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer when he asked her about Tenet's assertion that she did not perform her job well, she said, "Well, look, not everything went right....There were some things that went right and some things that went wrong. And you know what? We'll have a chance to look at that in history, and I'll have a chance to reflect on that when I have a chance to write my book."
As the human and economic cost of this war soar, shouldn't these officials be barred from making money off of books about their illegal, immoral, security-destroying failures of judgment and action? Perhaps there is a model to be found in how a few states forbid criminals and others from profiting off violent crime. After all, as a recent article reports, "Criminals had been barred from making money off their exploits until 1991, when the Supreme Court overturned a NY law after finding that it was so broad it would discourage people from telling stories of public interest --such as the Watergate scandal." While a unanimous 1991 Court decision said such laws could stand only if carefully worded to protect First Amendment rights, some states have already revised or created new laws to address that concern.
So, I propose that we citizens demand that any official involved in decision making which misled us into this debacle be required to contribute advances and royalties made off their Iraq-related memoirs to organizations helping veterans or Iraqi civilians. (I've made a short list below; I am sure there are others you can add.)
And the publishing houses involved--HarperCollins, Threshold Editions, William Morrow--should also consider contributing any company profits.
* Iraq Veterans Against The War
* Vets' For Justice
* Military Families Speak Out
* Gold Star Families for Peace
* International Committee of the Red Cross
* Families for Peace Humanitarian Aid Delegation
* International Rescue Committee
* No More Victims
Katrina Vanden Heuvel is editor of The Nation.
(c) 2007 The Nation
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.