CALLER: Yes, Mr. Ritter. I remember you being interviewed on all the late night cable talk shows and what I remember is you were the only one prior to the war who said that there’s no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. In other words, you’re the only one who was accurate. Why have you all of a sudden disappeared from all these shows? Gosh, for the last year, I’ve wondered what ever happened to Scott Ritter, the only guy who seemed to know what was going on? I’m just wondering whether you were silenced in this regard? Have the networks blacklisted you? Or is there a reason why your opinions aren’t getting proper airplay?
RITTER: Well, it’s probably a question best posed to the producers and the bookers at the various television shows and radio talk shows. I’ve always been confident that I’m saying things that are factually sound, based upon the truth, that I’m not spinning them for anyone’s benefit. Unfortunately, I don’t believe the mainstream media acted responsibly in regard to Iraq. Back in the fall of 2002, I was belittled, I was called a traitor, I was called crazy—Paula Zahn of CNN accused me of drinking Saddam Hussein’s Kool-Aid for making accurate statements in response to aluminum tubes and uranium allegedly coming from Niger. I think we have a problem here in that the media is culpable for the misleading of the American public. They bought into the Bush administration’s rhetoric and war fervor, they sold the war to the American public, and now they have to deal with the fact that they’re the ones that were out there beating the war drums and you have this guy, Scott Ritter, who was saying something different and—maybe they just don’t know how to deal with me. I think, though, the facts are on the table and the people who stuck to the facts are the ones who have credibility and hopefully people will realize that, on the issue of Iraq, I have enormous credibility.
Scott Ritter appearing with Brian Lamb January 30 on Washington Journal.
