CNN's Pilgrim uncritically repeated Rove's dubious claim that warrantless wiretapping "might have prevented September 11th"

Summary: CNN's Kitty Pilgrim uncritically repeated White House senior adviser Karl Rove's dubious claim that the Bush administration's warrantless domestic wiretapping program "might have prevented" the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In fact, the Bush administration had information on two of the 9-11 hijackers more than a year before the attacks occurred, and according to the 9-11 Commission and congressional investigators, it was primarily bureaucratic problems -- rather than a lack of information -- that resulted in their escaping detection.

On the August 24 edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight, guest host Kitty Pilgrim uncritically repeated White House senior adviser Karl Rove's dubious claim, as documented by Media Matters for America, that the Bush administration's warrantless domestic wiretapping program "might have prevented" the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In a segment devoted to current headlines, Pilgrim stated that while "criticizing a federal judge's decision to block the warrantless wiretapping program, Rove says a similar program might have prevented September 11." But as Media Matters documented when an August 24 Associated Press article also uncritically repeated Rove's assertion that there might have been a "different outcome" if the administration "could have done that [warrantless wiretapping] before 9/11," the Bush administration had information on two of the 9-11 hijackers more than a year before the attacks occurred, and according to the 9-11 Commission and congressional investigators, it was primarily bureaucratic problems -- rather than a lack of information -- that resulted in their escaping detection.

From the August 24 edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight:

PILGRIM: But first these headlines.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the so-called morning-after pill for sale without a prescription. Now, the Plan B emergency contraceptive will now be available over the counter to consumers 18 years of age and older.

Presidential adviser Karl Rove -- criticizing a federal judge's decision to block the warrantless wiretapping program -- Rove says a similar program might have prevented September 11th.

And the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis today arrived at the Kennedy Space Center to prepare for Sunday's launch. The six-person crew will build an addition onto the International Space Station.

—K.D.