Miller Keeps Smiling, Defends 'Dr. Chalabi,' Vows to Stay in Journalism

By: E&P Staff Appearing for a full hour on CNN's Larry King Live Thursday night, Judith Miller defended herself from criticism for her role in the Plame/CIA leak case and her flawed reporting on WMD in Iraq, but would not discuss Scooter Libby. The former New York Times reporter claimed that she had "never" used Ahmad Chalabi as an anonymous source. She also declared, "I did not use The New York Times to lobby for the Iraq war -- it would have been inappropriate."

Along the way she took some shots at her former New York Times colleague, Maureen Dowd, who recently wrote a column calling Miller the "Woman of Mass Destruction."

Unlike some people, Miller said, she holds on to a ?quaint? standard that "you don't trash colleagues, and you don't trash the institution you're working for." Later she said in years past she could not recall ?a single columnist who ever attacked a colleague.? She also revealed, however, that Dowd had visited her in jail.

She added that Dowd's attack on her was "painful ... I'd always admired her reporting. I was disappointed." She said she was very discouraged that the Times wouldn't let her respond to Dowd's column directly, but said some kind of response will appear in the paper's Public Editor's column on Sunday.

She also admitted that while she had great respect for most of the people who worked at the newspaper, she did have problems with some ?in management.? She said she was ?saddened by the attacks on me, nobody told me they were coming,? adding, "I was never at war with The New York Times."

Asked what she would do next, Miller emphasized that she would remain in journalism, but hinted that it might be in a position where she can be more open about her opinions. ?I?m not retired,? she said at one point. Miller revealed that a book is in the works, and that she even tried to reach her agent, Binky Urban, on Thursday to talk about it after the Wall Street Journal revealed that several publishers might be interested. But Urban could not be reached.

Her next move? Take off the two months once promised to her by The New York Times ?and chill, as you say in L.A., Larry.? She said she hoped to go to a spa for the first time. She also revealed that she was happy to be free to express her opinions now that she is unhitched from the Times.

Miller asserted that contrary to much evidence she did not support the Bush administration the war, she just reported on the administration.

She said she thought federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald did an ?excellent job,? but said the concept of special prosecutors should be ended. She refused to talk about Libby, saying she might have to testify in his court case. But she declared: "I hope I'm not a witness at a trial. I want this ordeal to be over."

Miller deflected a question about whether she was surprised that Libby was indicted, saying that nothing surprises her anymore.

Among her many other comments: "George Bush would have gone to war with Iraq without Judy Miller, and without The New York Times." She said she didn't think her sources lied to her about WMDs, but the big question was why they were wrong about it, and how the White House used it.

Asked why Americans have turned against the war, she said they "want answers" about why the country went to war.

She repeatedly referred to Chalabi as "Dr. Chalabi," and said she did not think he had any ulterior motives along with the information he provided the Bush administration before the Iraq invasion.

Miller thanked King for writing to her in jail. He recalled her father?s nightclub in Ft. Lee, N.J., which was called Bill Miller?s Riviera, and said Frank Sinatra liked it. But he also called Miller ?Judith Martin? at one point and said there had been a bombing in ?Beijing? today, later correcting it to Baghdad.

She said she never felt threatened in jail. It was, she said, a terrible but "fascinating" experience. She thanked "the great Bill Safire" for his support, and said he was the "model for all columnists."