The Path to 9/11

My letter to the BBC:

{Programme Name:} The Path to 9/11
{Transmission Date:}10 - 09 - 06
{Comments:}

I don't believe that it is still too early to make fiction about 9/11, but obviously the issue must be handled with the greatest sensitivity. That means not only respect for the lives lost, but a clear commitment to accuracy. I am therefore appalled that the BBC plan to show this shameless propaganda reel, which presents a number of outright falsehoods in its efforts to blame the Clinton administration for the attacks and leave the Bush administration blameless. The Path to 9/11 is a piece of tasteless fiction and a desecration of the memories of those who died.

Please assure me you will *not* be broadcasting any part of any reconstruction of events which runs flatly contrary to the known facts or the 9/11 commision report, except in a documentary examining those claims and providing balance. For example, please assure me you will not be broadcasting fictionalized footage of former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger hanging up on soldiers in Afghanistan.

Reports indicate that there are numerous other inaccuracies, documented here as well as other places:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Path_to_9/11
http://thinkprogress.org/?tag=Path+to+911

We can get this sort of thing on Sky News. We expect better from the BBC.

PS: Paragraphs. They make things readable. Why have you taken them away?

Their reply:

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It's particularly disturbing that they plan to describe it as "based on the 9/11 Commission Report" when that's not how the commissioners themselves see it.

Update: this was propogated from wechsler. You can complain too if you like. At this stage I don't think we're going to stop them showing it - what will they use the slot for, Two Ronnies reruns? - but we should be insisting that the warning message at the start say at the very least that it contradicts the 9/11 commision report and as far as possible warn viewers that they're about to view a pack of lies designed to smear the Clinton administration.