The Decline and Fall of Western Civ. for 7 Sep.

Tonight's DFWC focuses on 9/11 and the war on terror (i.e., the war on Islamofacism).

• Will ABC fold under pressure? Shaken Democrats urge ABC to withdraw 9/11 movie, reports Reuters. Amid an election-year debate over who can best defend America, U.S. congressional Democrats urged ABC on Thursday to cancel a TV miniseries about the September 11 attacks that is critical of former Democratic President Bill Clinton and his top aides.

• AP reports ABC terrorism drama, "The Path to 9-11," stirs controversy.

• The Washington Post reports top officials of the Clinton administration have launched a preemptive strike against an ABC-TV docudrama, "The Path to 9-11," slated to air Sunday and Monday, that they say includes made-up scenes depicting them as undermining attempts to kill Osama bin Laden.

• A furious Bill Clinton is warning ABC that its mini-series "The Path to 9/11" grossly misrepresents his pursuit of Osama bin Laden - and he is demanding the network "pull the drama" if changes aren't made states this article, BUBBA GOES BALLISTIC ON ABC ABOUT ITS DAMNING 9/11MOVIE, appearing in today's NY Post.

• The LA Times reports, ABC alters 9/11 show under pressure. The network has in recent days made changes to the film, set to air Sunday and Monday, after leading political figures, many of them Democrats, complained about bias and alleged inaccuracies. Meanwhile, a left-wing organization has launched a letter-writing campaign urging the network to "correct" or dump the miniseries, while conservative blogs have launched a vigorous defense.

• AP, and the Washington Post report Al-Jazeera airs video showing bin Laden in a rocky, mountainous area greeting two men that Al-Jazeera identified as Sept. 11 hijackers.

• The New York Times reviews the film, as reported by Drudge.

• The Hollywood Reporter notes, ABC issued a defense Thursday of its controversial miniseries "The Path to 9/11," which has come under fire from members of the Clinton administration.

• A majority of Canadians believe U.S. foreign policy was one of the root causes that led to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, and Quebecers are quicker to criticize the U.S. administration for its international actions than other Canadians, a recent poll suggests, according to cbc.ca.

• Reuters reports France rejects "war on terror." Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, speaking in parliament, expressed these views on global terrorism, while President Jacques Chirac backed France's claims to the international front rank with a fresh defense of his country's nuclear arsenal.

• And last but not least Richard Armitage, once the No. 2 diplomat at the State Department and the man who 'outed' CIA agent Valerie Plame, says of Plamegate on the CBS Evening News, "I Screwed Up."

Also see Update: The Path to 9-11

Tags: Decline and Fall of Western Civ, Open Thread, Wire, Headlines, War, Military, terrorism, Middle East, Operation Iraqi Freedom, United States, coalition, Iraq, UN, United Nations, Bush, bin Laden, Iran
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