Slow Burn – The Road to the Iraq War | Ep. 7: Judy

Date: June 9, 2021
Host: Noreen Malone

Episode Overview

This episode of Slow Burn explores the role of journalist Judith Miller and the New York Times in the lead-up to the Iraq War. The narrative scrutinizes how the media’s approach to reporting on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) ultimately reinforced the Bush administration’s justification for invasion—and how Miller specifically became a focal point of the blame. Through interviews and archival tape, the episode probes the ethics and risks of aggressive reporting vs. responsible verification, and the personal toll of being caught in a major historical controversy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Judith Miller's Early Al Qaeda Reporting (01:07–02:49)

• Background: Stephen Engelberg, then investigations editor at the New York Times, recalls Miller bringing him an explosive lead in summer 2001—an intercepted conversation between two Al Qaeda members hinting at a major terrorist attack.
• Editorial Scrutiny:
  • Engelberg details his cautious questioning of the source: “Who are these two guys? …Are they high level, low level? Are they just two guys talking in a bar?” (02:17)
• Decision to Spike the Story:
  • Due to a lack of concrete information and vetting, Engelberg tells Miller, “I see paragraphs one and maybe two, but what's paragraphs three, four, and five? We can't do it” (02:36).
• Aftermath of 9/11:
  • Both reflect post-9/11 on whether pursuing the story might have changed history. Engelberg confesses uncertainty: “Would it have changed history? Were they really onto this thing? Was it just a coincidence? What was it?” (02:58)

2. Journalistic Responsibility and Its Dilemmas (03:24–04:31)

• Broad Dilemma Presented:
  • Noreen Malone describes the two poles of journalism—pursuing aggressive scoops vs. ensuring rigorous truth. The Times’ decision both upholds journalistic standards and poses the haunting possibility of a missed warning.
• Contrast to Iraq War Context:
  • The episode sets up how caution and aggression alternately shape media coverage—especially in the fevered climate leading to war, with Miller embodying the latter stance.

3. Judith Miller’s Credulity and Regret (04:31–05:08)

• Miller's Reflection:
  • In a candid admission, Miller discusses why she trusted sources who informed her pre-war reporting:
    • “Why did I believe the people I believed? Why did I believe the people who talked to me and not the people who wouldn’t? Because these people…had been the very same people who…were warning us about Al Qaeda and 9/11. I had every reason to believe them because they had been right before. I got it wrong. I got it wrong because I believed people who also believed themselves.” (04:31)
• Memorable Quote:
  • “I got it wrong because I believed people who also believed themselves.” — Judith Miller (05:08)

4. The Media’s Role in the Iraq War Build-Up (05:08–05:49)

• Overall Framing:
  • Host Noreen Malone reflects on the climate of 2002–2003: “If you read the New York Times in 2002 and 2003, you probably believe the Iraqis had weapons of mass destruction… The media mostly backed the administration’s narrative about WMD, even when the evidence was thin.”
• Central Questions:
  • How did respected press outlets, particularly the Times, misjudge WMD evidence?
  • Why did Judith Miller, in particular, become the scapegoat for these failures?

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Stephen Engelberg (on not running Miller’s 2001 Al Qaeda story)
  “I see paragraphs one and maybe two, but what's paragraphs three, four, and five? We can't do it.” (02:36)

• Noreen Malone (on journalism’s dilemma):
  “Journalists have to balance two competing [goals]: get the biggest story you can before the competition does, but also make sure that what you're publishing is true.” (03:24)

• Judith Miller (on source trust):
  “I got it wrong because I believed people who also believed themselves.” (05:08)

Important Segments and Timestamps

• [01:07–02:49] — Early reporting on Al Qaeda, editorial skepticism, and the story that never ran.
• [04:31–05:08] — Judith Miller’s personal explanation and regret about trusting certain sources.
• [05:08–05:49] — Framing the Times’ and mainstream media’s stance on WMDs pre-Iraq War.

Tone and Style

The episode combines journalistic rigor, reflective hindsight, and a somber, sometimes self-critical tone. It interweaves first-person narrative, direct interview, and meta-analysis while maintaining empathy for individuals facing monumental editorial choices under intense pressure.

Summary for New Listeners

If you haven’t listened to the episode, you'll come away understanding:

• The fine line between dogged reporting and reckless amplification of unverified claims in national security journalism.
• How Judith Miller’s experience at the New York Times both reflected and shaped broader media missteps in the lead-up to the Iraq War.
• The profound, often painful self-examination undertaken by journalists after the fact, wrestling with what could have been done differently.

This episode is essential for anyone interested in media ethics, the construction of public narratives, and the human fallibility at the heart of historic turning points.