The Unknown Known Page #7

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and I immediately

rescinded that memo.

Some weeks later, we reissued

the enhanced

interrogation techniques.

There was criticism

from some of the military people

in the chain

that by suspending them

for a period of weeks,

we were putting at risk

the American people.

How do you know

when you're going too far?

You can't know with certainty.

All the easy decisions

are made down below.

When you say,

"how can you know?"

The answer is,

"you can't."

Wouldn't it be wonderful

if we could see around corners,

have our imaginations anticipate

every conceivable thing

that could happen and then,

from that full array

and spectrum,

pick out the ones

that will happen?

Is there any

evidence to indicate

that Iraq has attempted to

or is willing to supply

terrorists with weapons

of mass destruction?

As we know,

there are known knowns.

There are things

we know we know.

We also know

there are known unknowns.

That is to say,

we know there's some things

we do not know.

But there are also

unknown unknowns,

the ones we don't know

we don't know.

We just want to know,

are you aware of any evidence,

because that would increase

our level of belief

from faith to something

that would be...

- Yeah...

- Based on evidence.

"Subject:
To discuss with P.,"

meaning the president

of the United States.

"The absence of evidence

is not evidence of absence."

When you say,

"the absence of evidence

is not evidence of absence,"

what you're saying

is that there is an absence

of evidence about something,

but you ought not to say

that therefore that is proof

that something doesn't exist.

It's an easy thing to go

from the first part of that

in the wrong direction and say,

"well, the absence of evidence

means it isn't there."

If an inspection team

goes in now

and finds nothing because

perhaps Iraq is very good

at hiding it

or perhaps they have nothing...

but you all are of the belief

that they have it...

if they find nothing, does it

make your job more difficult

in trying to assemble

an international coalition

to disarm him by other means?

Goodness gracious,

that is kind of like

looking down the road

for every conceivable pothole

you can find

and then driving into it.

I just don't...

I don't get up in the morning

and ask myself that.

The...

we know they have

weapons of mass destruction.

We know

they have active programs.

There isn't any debate about it.

It was thought to be

the best intelligence available.

How do you describe it

when it turns out

to be not accurate?

Do you describe that

as a failure of intelligence?

I suppose some can,

not unfairly, suggest that.

Saddam Hussein

may have been fearful

that he would be discovered

as having those weapons,

removed them or destroyed them,

but not wanted to tell anybody

that he'd done so.

He may have destroyed them,

unwilling to admit it,

fearful of being seen as weak.

Wouldn't it be strange

if he had destroyed his W.M.D.

And got invaded anyway?

Of course, I'm not suggesting

that that's the case.

I honestly do not know

what the case is.

All I know is that

the intelligence community

persuaded the president

and secretary Powell.

He spent days preparing himself

to make his presentation

to the united nations.

And he spent years

trying to explain

why he had done it.

It's a short sentence.

The reason he presented it

was 'cause he believed it.

"October 15, 2001.

Subject:
Definition.

Please give me

a good definition for terrorism

and some elaboration as to

what it is and what it isn't."

"December 28, 2001.

Subject:

Adopting common terminology.

I suggest we use

the following terms.

'Afghan Taliban':

Afghan officials and fighters

of the former regime."

"October 31, 2002.

Subject:

Definition of victory.

Where is that definition

of victory?"

"January 6, 2003.

Subject:
Terminology.

I want to make a list of things

I've done at the Pentagon,

like getting rid of words.

National missile defense,

requirements,

readiness...

ready for what?"

"October 1, 2003.

Subject:
Please get me the

Oxford dictionary definition

of 'several'

and type it up for me.

Thanks."

"May 14, 2004.

Definition.

Please give me

the dictionary definition

of 'scapegoat.'

thanks."

And where did this term

"shock and awe" come from?

I don't know.

Apparently, general Franks

read it.

He used it.

It became

part of a press discussion.

But the idea of shock and awe?

I've told you all I know

about that phrase.

I picked up a newspaper today,

and I couldn't believe it.

I read eight headlines

that talked about chaos,

violence, unrest.

And it just was, "Henny Penny,

the sky is falling."

I've never seen

anything like it.

And here is a country

that's being liberated.

Here are people

who are going from being

repressed

and held under the thumb

of a vicious dictator,

and they're free,

and all this newspaper could do,

with 8 or 10 headlines...

they showed a man bleeding,

a civilian who they claimed

we had shot.

One thing after another,

it's just unbelievable

how people can take that away

from what is happening

in that country.

Stuff happens.

But in terms of what's going on

in that country,

it is a fundamental

misunderstanding

to see those images

over and over and over again

of some boy walking out

with a vase,

and saying, "oh, my goodness.

You didn't have a plan."

That's nonsense.

They know what they're doing,

and they're doing

a terrific job.

And it's untidy,

and freedom's untidy,

and free people

are free to make mistakes

and commit crimes

and do bad things.

They're also free

to live their lives

and do wonderful things.

And that's

what's gonna happen here.

Mr. secretary...

this was another violent

day in the streets of Baghdad.

One of Washington's

nightmares came true today.

The bush administration

is admitting it wasn't fully

prepared for the huge task

of governing post-war Iraq.

Now troops patrol these

streets knowing that to many,

they are not liberators,

but occupiers.

It's a situation

the Pentagon admits

it failed to anticipate.

The Pentagon is

scoffing at suggestions

that an organized guerrilla

resistance is forming.

"July 23, 2003."

To general John Abizaid.

"Subject:
Definitions.

Attached are the definitions

of 'guerilla warfare, '

'insurgency, '

and 'unconventional warfare.'

they came from

the Pentagon dictionary.

Thanks."

It seemed to me

that there are ways

you can talk about

what the enemy's doing

that help the enemy

unintentionally

and ways you can talk about

what the enemy's doing

that harm the enemy,

that make his task

less legitimate,

more difficult.

What you're seeing is

Rumsfeld floundering around,

trying to figure out,

what do all those words mean?

What do other people think

they mean?

What are the best ones to use

that will benefit

the United States of America?

One of you suggested

I go to the dictionary.

I didn't ask this question.

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