New York, October 2 (RHC)-- Longtime progressive journalist and anti-war activist William Rivers Pitt has died of a heart attack at the age of 51.  For nearly two decades, Pitt served as managing editor and senior writer for the news site Truthout.org. 

New York, October 2 (RHC)-- Longtime progressive journalist and anti-war activist William Rivers Pitt has died of a heart attack at the age of 51.  For nearly two decades, Pitt served as managing editor and senior writer for the news site Truthout.org. 

In 2002, William Rivers Pitt co-authored the book “War on Iraq: What Team Bush Doesn’t Want You to Know” with former weapons inspector Scott Ritter. 

Pitt spoke out repeatedly against false claims by then-President George W. Bush that Saddam Hussein had acquired weapons of mass destruction.   During an interview, he said:  "In the State of the Union address in 2003, Mr. Bush said that there were — what was it? — 26,000 liters of anthrax; 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin; 500 tons, which is 1 million pounds, of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent; 30,000 munitions capable of delivering the stuff; mobile biological weapons labs; and uranium from Niger for use in nuclear bombs.  By the way, the page describing all of this is still up on the White House website today.  It’s called 'Disarm Saddam Hussein.'  You can go find it yourself.  I said that’s a pretty big lie.”