Evening Buzz: BP CEO Resigning?, Secret War Documents Revealed
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/26/afghanistan.wikileaks.reaction/story.afgh.us.troops.afp.gi.jpg caption="U.S. troops patrol near a shepherd and his flock in Kandahar province, Afghanistan." width=300 height=169]
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
Tonight on 360°, we're tracking reports that BP CEO Tony Hayward is on his way out. The BP board met this evening to decide his fate, more than three months into the Gulf oil disaster. As you'll recall, back in June, Hayward said, "I'd like my life back." Well, he may about to get his wish.
Though, there's is a lot of questions about his possible exit package. Consider this: Hayward is due an annual pension of more than $900,000 and owned BP shares worth more than $300 million at the beginning of this year.
We're also digging deeper into the release of more than 76,000 classified U.S. military and diplomatic records on the war in Afghanistan by WikiLeaks.org - a whistleblower web site.
WikiLeaks won't say how it received the documents. The reports, filed between 2004 and January of this year, can't be authenticated by CNN. The Department of Defense won't comment on them until the Pentagon has had a chance to look them over, a department official told CNN.
"We would like to see this material, the revelations that this material gives be taken seriously," said Julian Assange, the founder of the web site.
Assange admits a team at WikiLeaks has read only 1,000 to 2,000 of the documents.
Anderson will talk with Assange tonight on the program.
From Washington to Afghanistan, there's been strong reaction to the posting.
"It poses a very real and potential threat to those that are working hard everyday to keep us safe," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
Meanwhile, the Afghan government said it is "shocked" by the leaked documents. It takes aim at the allegation in the reports that Pakistan was secretly supporting al Qaeda and called on Washington to deal with the Pakistani intelligence agency, known as ISI.
"These reports show that the U.S. was already aware of the ISI connection with the al Qaeda terrorist network. The United States is long overdue on the ISI issue, and now the U.S. should answer," said Siamak Herawi, an Afghan government spokesman.
Lt. Gen. Hamid Gul, the former head of ISI, whose mentioned several times in the leaked documents, called the accusations that Pakistan was supporting al Qaeda lies.
And, Pakistan's foreign office released this statement:
"The people of Pakistan and its security forces, including ISI, have rendered enormous sacrifices against militancy and terrorism. Our contributions have been acknowledged by the international community, in particular, by the United States."
We'll talk this over with CNN's National Security Analyst Peter Bergen, who's traveled to Afghanistan countless times and wrote the best-selling book, "The Osama bin Laden I Know," about his face-to-face meeting with the most wanted terrorist in the world.
Join us for these stories and much more starting at 10 p.m. See you then.
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Filed under: Maureen Miller • The Buzz |
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The truth , He needs to go.
Why are people bothered about Hayward? Admittedly, he was gaff prone and not sensitive to the American audience, but that only makes him clumsy not a villain. So he gets a big package to resign, what's the problem? He was with the company for a very long time and its not like he personally is responsible for the leak. Seems that the general public just wants a whipping boy.
You cannot wait for facts i.e the board meeting to determine and decide whether he ( Hayward) goes now or later.
His compensation package is a corporate policy decision and compared with some US companies levels for recent CEO dismissals a relatively small golden parachute, and it will be a contractual obligation.
There is no connection between that and payments to Louisiana residents for compensation, nor you repeating a story line of BP senior American company directors not attending a meeting, where the subjects on the agenda were all matters on which BP would not have the final say but the coast guard.
BP have paid nearly $200m to claimants already. They have also paid Bills of $200m plus submitted by the US government and that costs associated with the relief wells and Other vessels has over the past three month cost over $3bn.
The only serious issue you raise in todays segment is that Feingold has no cash with 4 days to go before he needs it. However I guess also that Feingold has asked BP not to pay any claims while he reviews them and pays out as he promised. To date BP has not backed off putting up and paying money as needed. It will not however put all 20bn into escrow all at once, no company can do that. It will be put up in tranches over time.Markey and the Historian continue thier completely emotionally based hate, liar ,liar campaign against BP or anyone associated with them.
The real perspective is that BP have done more in 3 months than Exxon mobil did over 20 Years and most without putting eveything through the courts as Exxon Mobil did.
The treatment of BP is much worse than the loud cries to bankrupt GM and Chrysler (as opposed to Chapter 11+ gov rescue), and in retrospect will make even less sense. relative to BP's behaviour and the results.
Regards,
Hodgson.
I am sure Hayward wants life back, but what I think he should do with some of that huge separation package he will get, is to make a healthy donation to the wildlife organizations in the gulf. The wildlife has no voice in this disaster and Hayward could help with 'getting wildlifes life back.'
The Alaska segment was scary....the structure of the Board was very interesting.
Hayward's compensation is obscene.
The whole Corporate structure is immoral.
NAACP's representative leaves a great deal to be desired....kinda reminds me of Howard Dean.
Hi Anderson, I am a black man who does not want to you guys discuss race any further. I don't care about Tony's "Big Payday. No matter what you say he is not goiing to share. I watch CNN everyday looking for the answers for job growth and when will the banks loan money again. Please get the Govt. back on message to slove these two problems by making them Headline News. Race will not matter if you can feed your family and not worry about where your next meal is coming from.
Rex D,
Wait a minute... I'm watching this... Anderson... didn't LA Time and the Washington Post both detail the years these documents cover? As in 2004 to 2009. I'm finding your interview a tad misleading because people are going to think this is only in the Obama Administration. When this detailed info is massive during the W. Bush era too.
Nice "balanced" reporting tonight on the Wikileaks story. You spoke to two "journalists" who made no mention of the journalistic coup in obtaining the papers, downplayed the value of the records, and treated the whole story as some sort of insipid late summer tale. Right now, you are interviewing the messenger, Mr. Assange, and trying desperately to make him and his method of access the story.
I am shocked and very angry regarding Tony Haywood, how dare B.P.give him all this money when we have all those people in Missisippi and Louisiana, who probably have to end up in bankruptcy, now knowing that only $200 million dollars has so far been paid out, shame on B.P. I think President Obama whom I respect very much,should get into this more seriously, and get some answers!
Anderson I know how good you are at getting the truth, and that this is what you strive for,is there any chance that you could interview the President, and try and get to the bottom of what his thoughts are.
You are the only journalist I trust to do this.
Thankyou
The leaks... I'll bet this turns into a " – – – gate" of some kind. There's a political thing behind this, to make more people dislike Obama. Ther divisiveness in this country is getting out of control.
Can't wait to see your segment in Alaska!
The Wikileaks- If the documents are genuine & not fakes made to mislead our enemies Then we have a Bunch of TOTAL IDIOTS in our Government- & the person who provided the information & Wikileaks
need to be SHOT for Treason. If they are not It tells me this is a ruse like on D-Day, Ment to decieve our enemies.
I started to feel just a little sorry for the BP CEO since it looks like he will be canned from his cushy job; but then the figures for his salary, etc. convinced me that my sympathy was misplaced.
The Afghanistan story on the records will be very interesting; I certainly hope that the posting of these documents does not get any of our military people killed. Surely there was another way to handle these documents without posting them on the Internet for all to see and endanger our troops. I respect freedom of the press, etc., but it needs to be balanced with the need to not further endanger our troops. Looking forward to the show.