Ray McGovern, a retired 27-year veteran of the CIA, leaves Donald Rumsfeld sputtering as he pulls apart the secretary of defense’s flawed rationale for the Iraq war–on live television.

  • Video
  • Bio of McGovern

    • Crooks and Liars:

    Ray McGovern, who was in the CIA for twenty seven years, asked him why he lied about the run-up to the Iraq war. Rumsfeld then proceeded to lie to McGovern to cover up his earlier statements about WMD’s being in Iraq. He also tries to use the troops in his defense, a terrible strategy, but not uncommon unfortunately. Notice, at the end of the clip, Ray gets vilified for asking Rumsfeld some pointed questions. We can’t have that, no-no-no.

    Rumsfeld: …it appears that there were not weapons of mass destruction there.

    McGovern: You said you knew where they were.

    Rumsfeld: I did not. I said I knew where suspect sites were and…

    McGovern: You said you knew where they were. Tikrit, Baghdad, northeast, south, west of there. Those are your words.

    Rumsfeld: My words-my words were that-no-no, wait a minute–wait a minute. Let him stay one second. Just a second….

  • Link
    •  WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...

    This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.

    At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.

    Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.

    Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.

    Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.

    Donate now.

    SUPPORT TRUTHDIG
    In this Article:
    #cia#donald rumsfeld#lies#veteran