Comments on: FDL Book Salon Welcomes Bob Drogin, Author of Curveball http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/ Firedoglake weblog Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:36:47 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: bigbrother http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149731 bigbrother Sun, 16 Dec 2007 06:46:48 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149731 <p>Like the ‘Material Girl” Madonna created the American Dream drives a society to consume, keep up with the Jones and jones on power from the poorest to the richest we are about wealth, power and achievement from sports to profession. There is no chance that morality and ethics will be allowed in the halls of power. Humanism is DOA. We are a wealth assembly line that is addicted to resources. Even government is caught up and law serves the powerful. Sorry to be so callous. I agree that “The Ugly American has become a study in “Dorian Gray”. Morality is a paid for commodity in donations to “charity” not a guide to conduct. The corporate culture rules. What to do?</p> Like the ‘Material Girl” Madonna created the American Dream drives a society to consume, keep up with the Jones and jones on power from the poorest to the richest we are about wealth, power and achievement from sports to profession. There is no chance that morality and ethics will be allowed in the halls of power. Humanism is DOA. We are a wealth assembly line that is addicted to resources. Even government is caught up and law serves the powerful. Sorry to be so callous. I agree that “The Ugly American has become a study in “Dorian Gray”. Morality is a paid for commodity in donations to “charity” not a guide to conduct. The corporate culture rules. What to do?

]]> By: Siun http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149606 Siun Sun, 16 Dec 2007 05:19:09 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149606 <p>We really appreciate your taking this time to answer so many questions and talk with us - thank you!</p> We really appreciate your taking this time to answer so many questions and talk with us – thank you!

]]> By: bdrogin http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149600 bdrogin Sun, 16 Dec 2007 05:14:26 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149600 <p>I’ve got to go to sleep. Thank you all so much again. I found the discussion fascinating, and I truly appreciate your kind words and interest in my book. I hope you enjoy reading CURVEBALL.</p> I’ve got to go to sleep. Thank you all so much again. I found the discussion fascinating, and I truly appreciate your kind words and interest in my book. I hope you enjoy reading CURVEBALL.

]]> By: bdrogin http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149596 bdrogin Sun, 16 Dec 2007 05:11:35 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149596 <p>Thank you so much. I’m so pleased you like it!<br /> I became fascinated by the human dimension of his story, and the folly it signifies. I saw a classic tale of a modest man who gets caught up in events outside his control and who winds up have an extraordinary impact on history. The book relies on my reporting from three trips to Iraq, as well as trips to Iraq, England, Israel, Jordan, etc. I reviewed thousands of pages of official reports, investigative files, archival material, private e-mails and other documents. I interviewed more than 80 current and former intelligence officers, government officials, UN weapons inspectors and others directly involved in the case. I didn’t get every detail, since much remains classified, but I’m convinced I wrote the most complete account possible at this time.</p> Thank you so much. I’m so pleased you like it!
I became fascinated by the human dimension of his story, and the folly it signifies. I saw a classic tale of a modest man who gets caught up in events outside his control and who winds up have an extraordinary impact on history. The book relies on my reporting from three trips to Iraq, as well as trips to Iraq, England, Israel, Jordan, etc. I reviewed thousands of pages of official reports, investigative files, archival material, private e-mails and other documents. I interviewed more than 80 current and former intelligence officers, government officials, UN weapons inspectors and others directly involved in the case. I didn’t get every detail, since much remains classified, but I’m convinced I wrote the most complete account possible at this time.

]]> By: Siun http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149580 Siun Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:58:32 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149580 <p>Mr Drogin - I am so sorry I missed your Book Salon but wanted to say that your book is wonderful. The information is so important, the “mystery” tracked down with so much good evidence - and all is a text that is a joy to read. I hope everyone grabs a copy - it’s one you can give to friends who are not “political” but just like a good tale as well as friends who really want to know more about how we got into the mess we’re in.</p> <p>Thank you for writing it!</p> Mr Drogin – I am so sorry I missed your Book Salon but wanted to say that your book is wonderful. The information is so important, the “mystery” tracked down with so much good evidence – and all is a text that is a joy to read. I hope everyone grabs a copy – it’s one you can give to friends who are not “political” but just like a good tale as well as friends who really want to know more about how we got into the mess we’re in.

Thank you for writing it!

]]> By: bdrogin http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149578 bdrogin Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:57:18 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149578 <p>I definitely describe the story of the mobile labs. Like a bad penny, they kept turning up in classified documents. But no evidence ever was found to show they existed. It became like medieval clerics searching for witchcraft. The failure to find any proof was held up to show how important they must be since Saddam had hidden them so well…</p> I definitely describe the story of the mobile labs. Like a bad penny, they kept turning up in classified documents. But no evidence ever was found to show they existed. It became like medieval clerics searching for witchcraft. The failure to find any proof was held up to show how important they must be since Saddam had hidden them so well…

]]> By: bdrogin http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149573 bdrogin Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:53:53 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149573 <p>Thanks. I hope you enjoy it! I’ve gotten all positive reviews so far, including the New York Times, The Economist, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Baltimore Sun, Globe and Mail, the Scotsman, etc.<br /> Happy holidays!</p> Thanks. I hope you enjoy it! I’ve gotten all positive reviews so far, including the New York Times, The Economist, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Baltimore Sun, Globe and Mail, the Scotsman, etc.
Happy holidays!

]]> By: bdrogin http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149572 bdrogin Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:52:07 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149572 <p>German intelligence interrogated Curveball from January 2000 to September 2001. He told them his story about the mobile labs in 2000, but in 2001, after he received political asylum, he had a nervous breakdown, sought to run away, refused to cooperate, etc. They finally cut off the interviews in late August 2001.</p> German intelligence interrogated Curveball from January 2000 to September 2001. He told them his story about the mobile labs in 2000, but in 2001, after he received political asylum, he had a nervous breakdown, sought to run away, refused to cooperate, etc. They finally cut off the interviews in late August 2001.

]]> By: Suzanne http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149570 Suzanne Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:49:53 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149570 <p>Thank you for coming back to answer question, Mr. Drogin. This book salon has caused an addition to my Christmas wish list - your book. I am looking forward to reading it.</p> Thank you for coming back to answer question, Mr. Drogin. This book salon has caused an addition to my Christmas wish list – your book. I am looking forward to reading it.

]]> By: bdrogin http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149569 bdrogin Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:48:57 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2007/12/15/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-bob-drogin/#comment-1149569 <p>VP Cheney took office in 2001. The OSP was created in late 2002.<br /> Scott Ritter first speculated in a memo about the mobile bioweapons facilities in the early 1990s, and he led a series of UN raids in Iraq in the mid-1990s to find them. Curveball defected in 1999, and his story seemed to support that theory.<br /> There’s absolutely no evidence that the OSP, which wasn’t created until 2002, played any role here. The truth was much worse, and much more disturbing. Curveball wasn’t the feverish whispers of a group of neo-cons; his fraud became part of the official, finished product of the US intelligence community. The CIA officially brought Curveball’s information to the White House, the Congress and the public. His information wasn’t cherry picked. It appeared in hundreds of classified documents.</p> VP Cheney took office in 2001. The OSP was created in late 2002.
Scott Ritter first speculated in a memo about the mobile bioweapons facilities in the early 1990s, and he led a series of UN raids in Iraq in the mid-1990s to find them. Curveball defected in 1999, and his story seemed to support that theory.
There’s absolutely no evidence that the OSP, which wasn’t created until 2002, played any role here. The truth was much worse, and much more disturbing. Curveball wasn’t the feverish whispers of a group of neo-cons; his fraud became part of the official, finished product of the US intelligence community. The CIA officially brought Curveball’s information to the White House, the Congress and the public. His information wasn’t cherry picked. It appeared in hundreds of classified documents.

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