Olbermann Timeline: How The Bush Administration Exploited Terror Threats For Political Gain, 2002-2008

In case you missed it, on Thursday night's "Countdown" Keith Olbermann presented an impressively detailed timeline he called "The Nexus of Politics and Terror," in which he chronicled the Bush administration's exploitation of terror threats for political gain. Olbermann's exhaustive account weaves from each revelation of an intelligence failure or a Democratic political victory to an almost immediate orange alert or "new threat" from al Qaeda.

The clip is 17 minutes long and entirely worth it, and its conclusion — "what we were told about terror, and not told, for security reasons, has overlapped considerably with what we were told about terror, and not told, for political reasons" — is a dutiful summary of the past six years.

Watch:

Comments

[EDHvoice]

11:30 AM on 02/27/2008

The Olbermann piece on how the Cheney Administration has managed news is consistent with what I had been led to believe.

All of us really depend on good people keeping us honestly informed of what is going on. When The President and his staff lie to us or bury the truth behind made up crises to divert the press we, as a free society are in serious trouble.

[MonicaL]

10:18 AM on 02/27/2008

I have read here on HuffPo that Olbermann treated his ex-girlfriend like a real pig, a total ass.

She also reportedly said his package was no better than a thumbtack.

Ladies, beware.

[Marrob]

03:47 PM on 02/26/2008

Screw Olberman, he's a right-wing tool!!

[elr50]

10:11 AM on 02/27/2008

YOU, Marrob, are an f'in Repuke idiot troll. Go watch O'Lielly, you a-hole.

[alexcharner]

11:20 PM on 02/28/2008

huh?

[quux]

05:40 AM on 02/26/2008

It's sad that in the responses to this item, seemingly everyone has been using these events to make political hay, just as Olbermann accuses the Bush Team of doing. The responses have degenerated into basically a bunch of fearmongering and namecalling. I'm am not a regular of the Huffington Post - I only signed up to leave this one comment. I wonder if this is the typical atmosphere here?
Anyway. The first thing to keep in mind is that even Olbermann admits that the entire piece is a logical fallacy (his own words!). He makes sure to say so - twice. Here are two quotes from the video:
1:15 - "As preface, we remind you that coincidences can happen, but the logical fallacy is this: that just because event A occurs and then event B occurs, it does not automatically mean that event A caused event B. But neither does it say the opposite."

16:01 - "In all candor, someone could probably construct a similar timeline, connecting terror events to the phases of the moon. But also in all candor, after 5 years of this, it seems inarguable now, that what we are told about terror, and not told, for security reasons, has overlapped considerably with what we are told about terror, and not told, for political reasons."

Timelines like this don't give full context. They don't show the other events happening concurrent to, or in between the events highlighted. So there may be many things which disagree with the conclusion that Olbermann leads his viewers to. Olbermann, speaking about as fast as possible, has cited a set of facts which advance his own agenda (ratings), yet carefully left himself a way out by (quickly!) stating that it would be just as easy to construct a similar set of 'facts' leading people in the opposite direction.

There will be those who suggest I must be a Bush supporter because I call Olbermann's report into question. I'm not. Nor am I trying to tow the Democratic line here. This isn't about one party or candidate versus another; it's about thinking sensibly. Back to Bush: I voted against the guy both times and I think he's done grievous harm to our country - harm that will take decades to clean up. But (and this is important!) Bush didn't do it alone. Most of us Americans helped in one way or another. Keep in mind that this President enjoyed approval rates in the 70s and even the high 80s in the year following 9/11; he enjoyed tremendous support for his misadventure in Iraq until what should have been obvious all along finally penetrated our fear-ridden senses: there was basically no link between Iraq and 9/11, and the Iraq war has cost far more than 9/11 did.

3969 DOD-confirmed US deaths in Iraq, 1.2 trillion dollars spent. Add to this the huge costs of Homeland Security changes, the time we all wait in lines at airports (which may seem trivial but adds up to huge economic figures). The incalculable costs of the many fear-based decisions each of us has made or been affected by since that terrible day. Compare all of this to the cost of 9/11: 2974 deaths (including WTC, Pentagon, the planes) and perhaps $200 billion in reconstruction, lost economic opportunities, etc. (This $200B number is intentionally higher than any of the estimates I have seen - just to be on the safe side!) All of this, by the way, set in motion for about a half-million dollars and 19 lives spent originally by Al Qaeda in the planning and execution of the 9/11 attacks themselves.

People, we need to dial down the rhetoric in and around these topics. We need to "just say no" to all attempts to whip up froth and righteousness. We need to get back to making calm, rational judgements about our present and future, with our heads held high and unbowed by fear, political hucksterism, and popularity seekers who will continue capitalising on pseudo-logical reasoning *just as long as we let them*.
Bush and 9/11 are the past. Remember them and the lessons of them, but stop letting them take your eyes off the ball. We need to stop reliving the conspiracies of the past and set about reconstructing a better, consipiracy-free present and future.

[doinaheckofajob]

06:24 AM on 02/26/2008

When the neocons goons come and drag you away good luck with that calm forward looking lack of righteousness.

[Average]

10:32 AM on 02/26/2008

Did you use Reynolds aluminum foil for your hat?

[jood42]

05:52 PM on 02/28/2008

I think you're missing a piece of the picture when you call Olbermann's conclusions into question, and that is that he's not the only one who's created a timeline of this.

Look at this: http://maisonbisson.com/blog/post/10143/juliusblog-on-coincidence-bush-ratings-vs-terror-alerts

It's a given after seven years of Bush's reign that his approval ratings go down immediately following a revelation of malfeasance, and that his approval ratings go up after a bit of muscle-flexing by the DHS. We also know that he has always been a slave to approval ratings, as Rove the number man's intimate work in the administration has born out.

It's a lovely, optimistic little thought to just skip off into our better future, but if we're to learn anything from the past - and teach important lessons to our children about responsibility - we need to make sure that wrongdoings are exposed, understood and (in a perfect world) punished appropriately.

It hurts my soul that Bush, Cheney, Gonzales and their cronies will pay absolutely no price for the crimes they've committed. So let's at least throw back the curtain and let the light of day shine on their misdeeds...IN CONTEXT.

[DMcD]

01:12 AM on 02/26/2008

Bush gets KO'd again -- keep on , keepin' on Keith -- you da' man.

[cameltrax]

08:41 PM on 02/25/2008

it's that Fahrenheit 911 feeling all over again

[johnnyjust]

07:18 PM on 02/25/2008

Thank God and George Bush for keeping the U.S. free from terrorist attack for six and a half years.

If you had taken anything people like K.O. or PuffPosters seriously, the "timeline" would have been much different.

[Cid]

09:07 PM on 02/25/2008

"Making things up and hanging your political beliefs on your imaginings doesn't make them factual, it only makes you delusional."

[MajorKong]

10:16 PM on 02/25/2008

It's because of the magical anti-terrorism charm I started wearing in October 2001, and there's no way you can prove it isn't.

[WIpatriot]

12:15 PM on 02/26/2008

Huh, I thought it was because I started parting my hair on the left instead of combing it straight back. Well, forget that....

[cruisepuppy7452a]

07:12 PM on 02/25/2008

Keith, it goes way beyond that. He hasn't even scratched the surface on this one. The attack on the USS Cole timed perfectly just as Clinton is having an "affair" with an intern. Not too convienient was it? Lewinsky was a plant, a paid member of the Bush administration. Setting clinton up as an adulterer while a major US carrier was attacked, made the perfect entrance for Bush Jr. to begin his pro terrorism tactics even before he stole the election. By taking Clinton out, keeping Gore out, this gave clear passage to allow for a sudden out of the blue attack on US soil, and thus, war in Iraq, complete with a boogeyman, also on the Bush payroll to keep the terror card alive and well. Do the math, peel the onion. It was all too easy from day one. This kind of shit doesn't normally happen with real terrorists. Its more like, out of the blue, they get us, no set up needed. This not only came with a set up, but a complete cast of charactors, and a stolen election to boot.

[kroses98]

01:06 AM on 02/26/2008

But, at least, we can than God that there is a Keith Olbermann on the M.S.M., one out of many SHILLS for the Bush administration!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jood42]

05:55 PM on 02/28/2008

Wow, I think Bush is a criminal of the highest order, but even I don't buy delusional tinhattery like this.

[laocoon]

06:55 PM on 02/25/2008

and unlike prior presidents facing much larger conflicts Bush has felt the need to suspend Habeus and the fourth amendment as a tool he requires to fight this enemy. We have successfully fought many larger wars without needing such drastic tools. We keep hearing how degraded and diminished al queda is. I heard it suggested numerous times that they are down to a few fighters. Are we that over matched man for man, leader for leader. We need to send the entire army, another army of private contractors and suspend the bill of rights and spend 5, 10, 20, 100 years to defeat them. People on the right will only talk around these issues and will never squarely address them.It seems to me the Bush supporters want the US to be defeated or they would not support Bush.

[jood42]

06:06 PM on 02/28/2008

I don't think the remaining (or original) support for Bush has anything to do with logic. It has to do with kneejerk, emotional reactions. People who are afraid of the unknown, those who don't like to challenge themselves or try to imagine a situation from any perspective than their own, will fall back onto the most comfortable candidate they can find. Bush pretended he cared about what they cared about, they all heaved a sigh of relief that they didn't have to do any thinking or learning because they had their man, and they've never looked back.

Bush is the true representative of only those who willingly refuse to educate themselves about reality. He represents the most selfish among us, who believe their personal point of view should educate social, military and legislative policy, regardless of the wishes, rights or safety of others. They are, as a group, despicable human beings for enabling this kind of supremely selfish crime against our country, and they are terrible examples for their children, mouthing jingoistic phrases without understanding or caring about the underlying meanings.

[NATIONALSECURITY4US]

06:47 PM on 02/28/2008

ARTICLE I. SECTION 9. OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION STATES: IN THE 2ND PARAGRAPH

"THE PRIVILEDGE OF THE WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS SHALL NOT BE SUSPENDED, UNLESS

WHEN IN CASES OF REBELLION OR INVASION THE PUBLIC SAFETY MAY REQUIRE IT"


CIRCUMVENTION OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION = WE'LL MAKE THE RULES UP AS WE GO ALONG...


WHEN bush ORDERED THIS = IT WAS LONG AFTER AMERICA WAS INVADED ON 9/11/2001 & AT

THE TIME AMERICA WASN'T IN REBELLION OR UNDER ATTACK AT ALL = BROKE THE LAW BY

CHANGING THE U.S. CONSTITUTION...


IF ANYTHING AMERICANS MAY HAVE BEEN REBELLING AT THE BULLSHIT INVESTIGATION THAT

AROSE AFTER THE TWIN TOWERS FELL & THE LACK OF THE 911 COMMISSION TO GET ANY REAL

SOLID ANSWERS THAT WERE WORTHY OF ANYONES' RESPECT OR PROVIDED CLOSURE...

[PioneerKing]

06:17 PM on 02/25/2008

The fear tactics will gear up again this summer and become more frequent the closer the Nov. election day gets.

[lungfish]

06:45 PM on 02/25/2008

maybe another false flag attack to turn the public back to the GOP and the PNAC gameplan?

[BlondeLebanese]

03:52 PM on 02/25/2008

Because Olbermann is one of the few (perhaps the only one) of the media to actually research the facts rather than repeat the daily talking points issued from the RNC, he is often attacked for being 'unPatriotic', unAmerican, and any number of other tags that people feel the need to call him. He won my respect for telling people the truth, a welcome change in news reporting. I'm sick of the FNC brand of fair and balance (read as unfair and unbalanced) crap night after night. I've managed to block that channel from my television and would suggest for those of you who cannot handle the truth to do the same with MSNBC...if Olbermann's truth is too unsettling for you to comprehend, don't watch him. Hell, for that matter, watch nothing BUT FoxNoiseChannel...why bother to watch any news at all? It seems that the more fervent the bush lovers are, the less intelligent they appear to be. Personally, I pity them. But whenever Hannity, O'Reilly, Coulter, et. al. start complaining (as they surely will) after a Democratic President is sworn in, they should be reminded that it is UNpatriotic and UNAmerican it is to question the President of the United States. That, my fellow HuffPosters, will be hilarious.

[conned]

03:05 PM on 02/25/2008

Keith Olbermann is a national hero. He is one of the few in the media that communicates unequivocally the appropriate level of rage. He is justified in his expression, and if we as a people were also, witnessing the conversion of our America - one that so many brave men died to obtain - into a fascist state would produce the same outrage.

[conned]

03:32 PM on 02/25/2008

Keith Olbermann is a national hero. He is one of the few in the media that communicates unequivocally the appropriate level of rage. He is justified in his expression, and if we a serious people, our witnessing the conversion of our America - one that so many brave men died to obtain - into a fascist state would produce the same outrage.

[KPinSEA]

02:19 PM on 02/25/2008

Keith is the man .... I enjoy him skewering politicos even more than I once enjoyed him skewering the inflated egos of pro sports ....

[manualfordemocracy]

01:51 PM on 02/25/2008

You said “Olbermann is a fucking traitor” , did you know that during the Nuremburg trials of the Nazi’s they were asked, how do you brainwash an entire Nation to war? The response was… simple, just tell the nation they’re about to be attacked and condemn the pacifists as unpatriotic. The Neo Cons have used the ‘questioning of patriotism’ against anyone and everyone who dares speak out against Bush. You label Keith Olbermann as a “traitor” because, as he speaks the truth to power, it tarnishes your Bush and you love your Bush too much to realize how foul it smells.

[dm92]

02:31 PM on 02/25/2008

Maybe we'll start seeing the threat levels manipulated again - we haven't seen one since, well, let's see.....october 2004!

[lungfish]

06:41 PM on 02/25/2008

actually they were out promoting fear last week in the wake of the telecom immunity vote, then had to retract it... Bush did it with Iran for months after he knew better... its all they know how to do. Inspiration and leadership is beyond them...

[NATIONALSECURITY4US]

06:28 PM on 02/28/2008

Well that 's because the 2 - I spoke of down lower both had laptops when they were captured
& once their laptops' encryption was compromised = it led to many more captures globally since these players had other players' information like addresses in their computers...

If you recall Dana Priest of the Washington Post did a story a little before 10/2004 of close to
it explaining how F.I.S.A. applications spiked through the roof = WHAT / WHERE & WHY was not made totally clear to us in the reporting because you know = IT'S A NATIONAL SECURITY
ISSUE OR IT'S A ON-GOING TERRORISM INVESTIGATION OR STATES' SECRETS OR IT IS
EXECUTIVE PRIVILEDGE...

At the 5/26/2004 press conference held by Ashcroft & Mueller = there were 25 - 28 people who has BOUNTIES ON THEIR HEADS EACH AT $ 25 MILLION DOLLARS A PIECE...

Suddenly, the LIST SHRANK TO 3 & the reward amounts were changed & people were still on the list who were captured long = WHAT A BUNCH OF LYING CRIMINAL THIEVES...

TRUST ME -- I FOLLOWED IT LIKE FLIES ON SHIT BECAUSE I HAD A MATTER PENDING &
SEEKING COMPENSATION FOR MY ACTIONS = THEY JUST COVERED IT ALL UP & THEY
SILENCED / SUPPRESSED / THREATENED THE PRESS NOT TO REPORT ON CERTAIN STORIES AS IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT THE "NSA" ASKED / TOLD THE MEDIA TO AVOID REPORTING ON SPECIFIC STORIES...

Then they just released or better yet dumped this serial killer who now U.S.A.G. Mukasey INDICTED IN 1998...

He was responsible for at least 50 U.S. FOREIGN NATIONALS DEATHS WHO WERE AMERICANS WORKING AT THE EMBASSY HE TARGETED IN AFRICA IN 1998...

[rjean]

02:41 PM on 02/25/2008

there are a few people in the media that i despise with a passion..keith lying out his teeth blubberman is one of them...his show is so bad is SMELLS.......

the liberal ass is as partisan as they come....he lies on the air.....his conservative bashing knows no limits...i refuse to listen to his bullchit.....

he is an imbecile..............

[Phaedrusnyc]

05:15 PM on 02/25/2008

OK. Now I'm waiting to see you actually refute anything in Olbermann's timeline. With facts.

No?

You're sure?
You're right- the truth DOES tend to bash conservatives these days, huh?

[laocoon]

06:57 PM on 02/25/2008

Demonstrate your assertion with specifics.

[GoodbyeKitty]

01:45 PM on 02/25/2008

Kinda makes one wonder what will happen between now and November...

Naw..that's me just being too cynical,right?

[lungfish]

06:44 PM on 02/25/2008

Just as Kristol expounded on the politics of fear, the next logical step is a false flag op to create an environment of fear... for example, read up on the USS Liberty attack... all manufactured between Israel and elements of the US Gov and military... its been done before and many times since...