Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
CNN
May 6, 2008 CNN Newsroom, 3:00 PM
BRIANA KEILAR: Protecting America's war veterans, not on the front lines, from taking their own lives right here at home.
A House committee is dealing with a tough topic today, veterans' suicides. And our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, joining us now with more on this.
This is a very serious topic that a lot of people maybe don't know a whole lot about, Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE: Well, the issue before this particular committee, Brianna, is how many veteran suicides amount to an epidemic, and, more specifically, is there an attempt on the part of the Veterans Administration to cover up the seriousness of the problem?
The charges were first brought by an investigative news report suggesting that the Veterans Department was deliberately underplaying the number of suicides by returning veterans, and that sparked some real outrage today from the chairman of the committee, California Congressman Bob Filner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. BOB FILNER (D), CALIFORNIA: You're talking about numbers, numbers, numbers, as if that's all -- it's just sort of a bureaucratic situation. This is not a bureaucratic situation with just numbers. This is a matter of life and death, a matter of life and death for the veterans that we are responsible for. And I think there is criminal negligence in the way this was handled. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Now, Congressman Filner believes there was a cover-up and that the Veterans Administration has not been honest about reporting the figures for suicides across the country.
In the hot seat today was the Veterans Secretary James Peake, as well as Ira Katz, one of the top officials who was quoted in that investigative news report.
Dr. Katz defended his statements to CBS News, saying that he still believes that the data is inconclusive and that the CBS report is misleading. And the Veterans Administration secretary said that he wanted to emphasize that, while they're not sure exactly what the numbers are and what the data is, they are not waiting for perfect data to take the actions that they say are needed to help veterans who are suffering from suicides.
The numbers are quite startling. The Veterans Administration admits that there are more than 1,000 suicide attempts a month -- Brianna.
KEILAR: That is staggering. That is amazing, Jamie. Jamie McIntyre, our senior Pentagon correspondent, thank you.
May 6, 2008 CNN Newsroom, 3:00 PM
BRIANA KEILAR: Protecting America's war veterans, not on the front lines, from taking their own lives right here at home.
A House committee is dealing with a tough topic today, veterans' suicides. And our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, joining us now with more on this.
This is a very serious topic that a lot of people maybe don't know a whole lot about, Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE: Well, the issue before this particular committee, Brianna, is how many veteran suicides amount to an epidemic, and, more specifically, is there an attempt on the part of the Veterans Administration to cover up the seriousness of the problem?
The charges were first brought by an investigative news report suggesting that the Veterans Department was deliberately underplaying the number of suicides by returning veterans, and that sparked some real outrage today from the chairman of the committee, California Congressman Bob Filner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. BOB FILNER (D), CALIFORNIA: You're talking about numbers, numbers, numbers, as if that's all -- it's just sort of a bureaucratic situation. This is not a bureaucratic situation with just numbers. This is a matter of life and death, a matter of life and death for the veterans that we are responsible for. And I think there is criminal negligence in the way this was handled. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Now, Congressman Filner believes there was a cover-up and that the Veterans Administration has not been honest about reporting the figures for suicides across the country.
In the hot seat today was the Veterans Secretary James Peake, as well as Ira Katz, one of the top officials who was quoted in that investigative news report.
Dr. Katz defended his statements to CBS News, saying that he still believes that the data is inconclusive and that the CBS report is misleading. And the Veterans Administration secretary said that he wanted to emphasize that, while they're not sure exactly what the numbers are and what the data is, they are not waiting for perfect data to take the actions that they say are needed to help veterans who are suffering from suicides.
The numbers are quite startling. The Veterans Administration admits that there are more than 1,000 suicide attempts a month -- Brianna.
KEILAR: That is staggering. That is amazing, Jamie. Jamie McIntyre, our senior Pentagon correspondent, thank you.