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StumbleUponThere They Go Again: The Washington Post's Iraq Tall Tale
3/6/00
Since January 1999, the Washington Post has spun a tall tale about the 1998collapse of U.N. weapons inspections in Iraq and the U.S.-British airstrikesthat followed. Not only has the Post rewritten Iraqi history, but thepaper's new version of events contradicts its own coverage from the time ofthe airstrikes. Despite running several letters to the editor pointing outthe mistake, the paper has repeated the error again and again. How manytimes can one newspaper get the same fact wrong?
The story centers on the Iraq crisis that broke out on December 16, 1998.Richard Butler, head of the United Nations weapons inspection team in Iraq,had just released a report accusing the Iraqi regime of obstructing U.N.weapons checks. On the basis of that report, President Clinton announced hewould launch airstrikes against Iraqi targets. Out of concern for theirsafety, Butler withdrew his inspectors from Iraq, and the U.S.-Britishbombing proceeded.
The Washington Post reported all these facts correctly at the time: ADecember 18 article by national security correspondent Barton Gellmanreported that "Butler ordered his inspectors to evacuate Baghdad, inanticipation of a military attack, on Tuesday night."
But in the 14 months since then, the Washington Post has again and againtried to rewrite history--claiming that Saddam Hussein expelled the U.N.inspectors from Iraq. Despite repeated attempts by its readers to set therecord straight in letters to the editor, the Post has persisted inreporting this fiction.
Not only did Saddam Hussein not order the inspectors' retreat, but Butler'sdecision to withdraw them was--to say the least--highly controversial. TheWashington Post (12/17/98) reported that as Butler was drafting his reporton Iraqi cooperation, U.S. officials were secretly consulting with him abouthow to frame his conclusions.
According to the Post, a New York diplomat "generally sympathetic toWashington" argued--along with French, Russian, Chinese, and U.N.officials--that Butler, working in collusion with the U.S., "deliberatelywrote a justification for war." "Based on the same facts," the diplomatsaid, "he [Butler] could have just said, 'There were something like 300inspections and we encountered difficulties in five.'"
What follows is a chronology of the Washington Post's 14-month reign oferror. On at least five separate occasions, the Post falsely reported thatSaddam Hussein expelled the U.N. weapons inspectors in December 1998. Inthree of these instances, the gaffe was made by foreign affairs columnistFred Hiatt or by the Post editorial page, which Hiatt now edits.
Of course, the Post is not alone. The New York Times made the same mistakeseven times (1/8/99, 4/16/99, 8/20/99, 10/28/99, 11/18/99, 12/17/99, 2/1/00)before finally printing a correction on February 2, 2000. The ChicagoTribune (12/18/99), Boston Globe (10/21/99), Washington Times (11/5/99), AP(12/2/99), NewsweekM (8/30/99), USA Today (12/9/99) and NBC News (12/19/99)have all made the same error.
JANUARY 10, 1999"The Many Policies on Iraq" (Op-Ed)By Fred Hiatt
"It was because Saddam Hussein kicked out United Nations weapons inspectorsthat Clinton finally authorized a three-day bombing campaign last month."
JANUARY 16, 1999"A Pretext for Bombing" (Letter to the Editor)Jenifer Dixon, Washington, D.C.
"Contrary to Fred Hiatt's assertion [op-ed, Jan. 10] that 'it was becauseSaddam Hussein kicked out United Nations weapons inspectors that Clintonfinally authorized a three-day bombing campaign last month,' Iraq did not'kick out' the inspectors -- nor was it even accused of doing so."
JULY 25, 1999"Out of Sight, Out of Control" (Op-Ed)By Fred Hiatt
"It's been nearly a year since United Nations disarmament inspectors coulddo their jobs in Iraq, and eight months since they were kicked outaltogether. The Clinton administration professes little concern, saying itsees no sign that Saddam Hussein is rebuilding his nuclear or poisonweapons."
AUGUST 30, 1999"U.S. Air Raids on Iraq Become an Almost Daily Ritual; As FightersRetaliate for Threats, Mission Faces Allies' Questions" (News article)By Roberto Suro
"More than a year has passed since Iraq shut down the U.N. weaponsinspection program that President Clinton so often proclaimed essential tokeeping the peace, and the administration faces an uphill diplomatic effortto impose a new inspection regime."
SEPTEMBER 16, 1999"The Impeachment Bombings" (Letter to the Editor)Sam Husseini, Washington, D.C.
"In 'U.S. Air Raids on Iraq Become an Almost Daily Ritual' [news story,Aug. 30], it is asserted that 'more than a year has passed since Iraq shutdown the U.N. weapons inspection program that President Clinton so oftenproclaimed as essential to keeping the peace.' This is inaccurate. Theweapons inspection program was shut down when its head, Richard Butler,withdrew the inspectors in December 1998 following the release of aself-contradictory report."
NOVEMBER 16, 1999"U.N. Nears Pact on Iraq Inspections; Security Council May EaseSanctions" (News article)By John Lancaster and Colum Lynch
"Nearly a year after Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ejected international armsinspectors from his country, members of the U.N. Security Council arenearing agreement on a resolution that could lead to the resumption ofinspections aimed at preventing Baghdad from acquiring illegal weapons, U.S.and allied officials said yesterday."
NOVEMBER 25, 1999"Leaving Iraq" (Letter to the Editor)Hussein Ibish, Washington, D.C.
"The Post is mistaken in its claim that 'Iraqi leader Saddam Husseinejected international arms inspectors from his country' ['U.N. Nears Pact onIraq Inspections,' front page, Nov. 16]. In December 1998 Richard Butler,head of the weapons inspection program, withdrew his team from Iraq afterissuing a report to the United Nations."
FEBRUARY 22, 2000"Sanctions Sanctimony" (Editorial)
"The sanctions would disappear if Saddam accounted for all his weapons ofmass destruction, as promised. Instead, he refuses to permit even a weakerU.N. weapons inspection team to replace the one he earlier kicked out."
ACTION: Please contact Washington Post ombudsman E.R. Shipp and ask her whythe Washington Post has misreported the U.N. weapons inspections story, evenafter being repeatedly corrected by readers.
CONTACT:E.R. Shipp, OmbudsmanWashington Postombudsman@washpost.com
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