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Powell Criticizes Bush Administration

By TChris, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Fri Sep 09, 2005 at 02:58:46 PM EST
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by TChris

Colin Powell gave President Bush more loyalty than the president deserved. Now he's speaking his mind.

Making his most damning remarks about the conduct of the war since he was replaced by Condoleezza Rice, General Powell criticised the White House and Pentagon for their post-war planning and failure to send sufficient troops.

Unlike current members of the administration, Powell demonstrated an ability to confess his own failures.

Turning to his pre-war address to the UN Security Council, when he forcefully made the case for invasion and offered proof that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, General Powell said that he felt terrible about the claims he made. Asked whether the speech would tarnish his reputation, he replied: “Of course it will. It’s a blot. I’m the one who presented it on behalf of the United States to the world, and (it) will always be part of my record. It was painful. It’s painful now.”

Powell also challenged the truth-impaired vice president.

General Powell said that he had “never seen evidence to suggest” a connection between the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the regime of Saddam Hussein, unlike Dick Cheney, the Vice-President, who has made such a claim.

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    Powell Criticizes Bush Administration | 39 comments (39 topical)
    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#1)
    by Quaker in a Basement on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:33 PM EST
    Uh-oh. That wall of loyalty and secrecy is crumbling. How soon will it take for the loyalists to swiftboat Powell?

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#2)
    by Quaker in a Basement on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:33 PM EST
    "How soon will it take"? You know what I mean.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:33 PM EST
    The ability to confess 'failures'? Colin Powell didn't fail, unless you mean fail to have any loyalty to the TROOPS at all. If a traitor confesses his failure to not sell his country down the dirty river, he is still a traitor. Just one on a self-pity parade, while the carnage is spread around in a terrorist's wet dream. He better testify, if we get the chance. But he didn't leave us much of a chance.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#4)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:33 PM EST
    Quaker: "How soon will it take"? I would imagine it will take about as soon :) as Karl can reach down to his bottom right hand drawer and pull out the Powell Contigency Smear Plan "A" file... Course , if that doesn't work there's always "B", and "C", and....

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#5)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:33 PM EST
    Christ... Karl probably has contigency smear plans on himself, george, condi, donald, and just about everybody... just in case, you know?

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#6)
    by scarshapedstar on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:33 PM EST
    Earth to Paul, come in Paul.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#7)
    by nolo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:33 PM EST
    The rats are leaving the ship. And I mean that in the nicest way possible.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#8)
    by Quaker in a Basement on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:33 PM EST
    Earth to Paul, come in Paul.
    It's Friday, scar. Haven't you noticed yet that Paul changes orbit on Fridays?

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#9)
    by Pete Guither on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:33 PM EST
    I had had a lot of respect for Powell and always hoped that he'd stand up for what was right. So when he made that speech to the U.N. (it was so obviously forced), it seemed like even more of a betrayal of our country than the actions of the rest of the administration. It's nice to see him finally starting to set the record straight publicly.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#10)
    by Al on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:34 PM EST
    If Colin Powell had had the slightest moral fiber, he would never have accepted to be the Secretary of State all through the first Bush misadministration. Powell stayed on through the whole Iraq thing, professing outrage about the non-existent "weapons of mass destruction" and the mysterious vanishing biological weapons mobile labs (remember those?). He's not setting the record straight; he's merely trying to dissociate himself from the Bush regime just before it implodes. He's a rat leaving the sinking ship, but a rat who probably thinks he has a political future. Beware of all this posturing about Powell being the "moderate", the "smart one", or now the "ethical one" in Bush's gang. He's no such thing. If he had been, he wouldn't have lasted a day in that company.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#12)
    by rsd44 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:34 PM EST
    No changing these tiger's stripes. As most of you know, Colin Powell has been carrying the water for the MAN for several decades. Just ask the people at My Lai and the U.S. soldiers who took part in the massacre.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#13)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:34 PM EST
    Pete Guither:
    ...when he made that speech to the U.N.
    I could never quite make up my mind on Powell either. And, being a politician, he probably has a pretty well developed streak of "pragmatism" in him, I'm sure. But, and it's just an intuitive feeling on my part, with no basis in fact, and nothing to support it... I always had the impression that he's an honest guy forced sometimes by circumstances to hold his nose on some issues and do things he would rather not have to do, to be able to get more useful, honest things done. I have no idea why... I just kind of liked the guy... Not an angel, but more honest than most of 'em...? But watching him present Bush's Iraq case at the U.N, I thought "He's going to go puke in private when he's done here"... Not an angel, but maybe a little more honest than most of 'em...? Thoughts?

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#14)
    by glanton on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:34 PM EST
    Paul in LA is spot on with Powell. There's no redemption, no credibility now; he made a laughingstock of himself in front of the whole world and his willingness to shill lies for Dubya will define him forever.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#15)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:34 PM EST
    Hey, where's the wingnuts to defend him now? They love their tokens right up until the point they start acting a little too damn uppity. Colin doesn't know his place anymore...time to cut him loose. Or string him up?

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#16)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:34 PM EST
    his willingness to shill lies for Dubya will define him forever. True... it tarred him pretty thoroughly. Somehow, I though, I see him as a victim in some strange way, of Bush and the neocons deceit - like they cornered and blackmailed him into doing it someway. Funny... I'd let him in if he came to my door, but I'd lose it completely if Bush came around...

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#17)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:34 PM EST
    TChris also points out that "Unlike current members of the administration, Powell demonstrated an ability to confess his own failures.", and you know, Bush has managed to ruin himself, in large measure, because he is incapable of admitting mistakes. Well, Powell has. And in doing so has done what we've all been demanding of Bush, and what might have stopped or at least slowed Bush's slide into disfavor. He's admitted error. He's showed some degree of integrity by doing that, and he's expressed remorse. And he hasn't asked for redemption. In another reality than the current extreme polarization, that might make him worthy of it.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:35 PM EST
    edger: "I have no idea why... I just kind of liked the guy... He's admitted error. He's showed some degree of integrity by doing that," Wow, are you forgiving of a man who betrayed his country. There are around 30,000 US soldiers with serious injuries, and as many as 130,000 dead Iraqis. How much 'integrity' changes those PEOPLE from the numbers Bush AND Powell made them into? One of the things that mass media hasn't yet accomplished is helping people to GET OVER their identification with a politician's apparent traits. Far too many people identify with W's so-called success, his easy way of SCREWING INNOCENT PEOPLE TO THE WALL, his casual smirking sort of humor BECAUSE IT ISN'T HIS KIDS DYING. I've read your points, edger. You SEEM like a nice guy. But you identify with some real monsters, and Colin Powell is right on up there, as the COULD HAVE BEEN BRAVE person who helped murder tens of thousands instead. What should chill you is that if you interviewed Germans during the rise of the Third Reich, they had all sorts of GLOWING ideas about how WONDERFUL their precious Hitler was. It was always somebody else's fault. Sure, you could feel sorry for those blame-takers who did his dirty work. That's as long as you ignore the effects of their complicity. Complicit in mass murder and genocide, but you like his face?

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#19)
    by Al on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:35 PM EST
    Edger:
    He's admitted error. He's showed some degree of integrity by doing that, and he's expressed remorse.
    That's not integrity, that's political positioning. Where was his integrity and remorse two years ago when he was in a position of responsibility and it might actually have done some good? Ask yourself, who does his "remorse" benefit now?

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#20)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:35 PM EST
    Paul:
    Wow, are you forgiving of a man who betrayed his country.
    First, I have not forgiven him. The closest I came, and that was still lightyears away from forgiveness, was to say "In another reality than the current extreme polarization, that might make him worthy of it" And Al, I agree with you, it likely WAS political positioning. But it sounds, in print, like a show of integrity. So again, I'd let him in to rake him over the coals. Read my words above again, please, before attacking too strongly. I also said in an earlier post "I'd let him in if he came to my door, but I'd lose it completely if Bush came around", and I would, so I could question him and his integrity further. He looks and sounds like a reasonable man, but I've never met him in person, where I could decide on his character for myself better. Bush is a different story, my mind is made up on him, he's beneath contempt. I don't need to let him in to decide.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#21)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:35 PM EST
    I also said of Powell "Somehow, I though, I see him as a victim in some strange way, of Bush and the neocons deceit - like they cornered and blackmailed him into doing it someway." That does not by any means though, relieve him of responsibility. It has been long established that "I was just following orders" is not a defence. Thanks, gentlemen. I asked for thoughts on my comments, to help me clarify my opinions of this guy, and I got 'em... Now I need to digest them.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:35 PM EST
    I'm just happy that iron clad jack booted lockstep is finally breaking down. FINALLY

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#23)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:35 PM EST
    Posted by glanton: "Paul in LA is spot on with Powell. There's no redemption," I didn't say that. Colin Powell retains the ability to help in an impeachment. It's more of a stretch than they gave Gerald Ford publically, but it is clear that he was an unwilling participant, rather than a central conspirator. My Lai is not a totally fair comparison either. Colin Powell didn't personally participate in atrocities in the direct sense of that word. Colin Powell wasn't Henry F* Kissinger by a long shot. And his Powell Principle is a sane accomplishment, the product of his better angels. Powell didn't participate in the ETHNIC CLEANSING of New Orleans. That was Bush, without Powell on board. Just like Fallujah, the people were barricaded under armed guard, not allowed to move, not allowed to stay, not given water, not given medical attention for injuries suffered in when the eyewall (or the US Air Force) went right over their heads. Shot on sight, in some cases. All so that Bush's pals could ETHNIC CLEANSE the area, as Jim, and Johnny, and BigMedia and all the other racist trolls proved right in these pages last week. Casinos, not people. It's not the first time the US government has driven people off their land. And if it's 'nigrahs'? Jim said Bush's actions PURIFIED THE GENE POOL. Can't blame Powell for that. He could testify and partly redeem himself to history.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#24)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:35 PM EST
    Paul:
    Colin Powell retains the ability to help in an impeachment. It's more of a stretch than they gave Gerald Ford publically, but it is clear that he was an unwilling participant, rather than a central conspirator.
    I agree... I don't think that on the "evil-ometer" Powell is a belly-crawler leaving a trail of slime and death behind hime like the real Bush League. He was co-opted. In their usual loving way they corrupted and destroyed a good man...
    But watching him present Bush's Iraq case at the U.N, I thought "He's going to go puke in private when he's done here"... Not an angel, but maybe a little more honest than most of 'em...?
    ----- And if it were possible, I'd like to be able to ask each of them one question and get a straight answer: George: What would the child you once were, think of the adult you've become?

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#25)
    by john horse on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:35 PM EST
    Instead, he (Powell) blamed lower-level intelligence analysts for not speaking out during the five days he pored over reports at the CIA as he prepared the speech.
    While part of me wants to accept Powell's apology, I just can't buy his explanation. Powell wasn't misled. He knew what the facts were and he was the person helping to mislead. First we have the reaction of the person at the Department of State responsible for analyzing the Iraqi weapons threat, Greg Thielman, who said that Powell deliberately fudged the facts at his UN presentation. Next we have the case of the appearing/disappearing yellowcake allegation. Less than a week after President Bush alleged that Saddam was attempting to procur yellowcake uranium, Powell conspicuously left it out of his speech. Why? He did not feel that the facts supported the allegation. Did any new facts come to light in the week that Bush made the allegation and Powell gave his UN speech? No. The obvious conclusion is that Powell knew that Bush had lied and said nothing.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#26)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:35 PM EST
    . . . his casual smirking sort of humor BECAUSE IT ISN'T HIS KIDS DYING. OT, but honest to Pete, if something happened to one of his girls--even then could you imagine Bush concerned about something besides himself? Thinking of the funeral as something besides another PR event? Of his wife's grief as anything besides an annoying domestic problem? There's no reason to think he's any less lights-on-but-no-one's-home as a dad than he's been as a president. I'm not a big fan of the twins, but considering what they came from, I suppose we're lucky they're just irresponsible and not mean or vicious.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#27)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:35 PM EST
    Ernie writes:
    Hey, where's the wingnuts to defend him now? They love their tokens right up until the point they start acting a little too damn uppity. Colin doesn't know his place anymore...time to cut him loose. Or string him up?
    et al - Hmmm, looks like the moonbats will do the job.... No surprise there. After all, he left the reservation. I gotta stop reading you guys before I've had my coffee....
    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#28)
    by Dark Avenger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:35 PM EST
    et al - Hmmm, looks like the moonbats will do the job.... No surprise there. After all, he left the reservation.
    Actually, PPJ, if you look at the comments, it's clear that for those before your comment, Powell has left the Bushco reservation on Iraq and is criticizing Chimpy and his minions in the article. If anything, he's being criticized her for not having left it sooner, or having lied so well when he was shilling for aWol et al in his UN presentation before the invasion. What will be interesting is to see if he joins the pack of folks who first criticized, then backed down on some of it soon afterwards(O'Neill and DiIulio spring to mind as two examples of the above), or will his telling the truth embolden others to do the same?
    I gotta stop reading you guys before I've had my coffee....
    Yes, apparently you need caffeine before the reading comprehension part of your brain kicks in........

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#29)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:36 PM EST
    After all, he left the reservation.
    No PPJ...he said that taking part in the Iraq hype was a huge mistake and basically called Bush an incompetent moron when it came to dealing with the hurricane. So he's off the plantation, rather than the reservation. But I noticed that you won't defend him now. Interesting, isn't he still a Republican? Come on, defend the guy, already.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#30)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:36 PM EST
    Just a guess, but LiarakaPPJ probably considers him a RINO, and not worth defending.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#31)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:36 PM EST
    et al - For those of you who don't read well, and that includes Adept and DA, the comment was that the moonbats will attack him. The thread proves my case. BTW - "Moonbat" is generally understood to mean a "Leftie." I rarely use it because I like the Moon and admire bats for their many contributions to the world in general.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#32)
    by glanton on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:36 PM EST
    "Can't blame Powell for that. He could testify and partly redeem himself to history." It's a nice thought, Paul, but really. Come on. Impeachment? Powell publically testifying against Bush? These are fantasies which we both know will never be realized. And besides, even if Powell did testify in some official way, I don't see how that redeems him from his atrocious behavior, when the chips were down, in front of the entire nation and the whole world, lending the myths of moderation and credibility to the Bush Administration's warward plunge. No, what Powell did is so much bigger than himself. I don't think that much blood comes off your hands no matter how sorry you are or how much you recant, apologize, whatever.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#33)
    by Dark Avenger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:37 PM EST
    et al - For those of you who don't read well, and that includes Adept and DA, the comment was that the moonbats will attack him. The thread proves my case
    . The quote you cited was about the possible attacks on Powell from wingnuts for his 'disloyalty' to Chimpy, and none of the attacks here are because he left the "reservation" as he was never a 'leftist' to begin with. Thanks for putting the 'nut' in wingnut, PPJ.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#34)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:37 PM EST
    DA - Obtuseness is your name. The moonbats are doing the attacking for the wingnuts. There now. Simple, eh?

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#35)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:37 PM EST
    Posted by glanton: "These are fantasies which we both know will never be realized." That's what Nixon thought. If you think your 'common wisdom' approach to OUR RIGHTS is going to fly, you are really dim. The victims of Bush's policies are an ever-growing collective of persons who have dedicated what's left of their lives to putting Bush on trial for his documented crimes. The Constitution demands no less. But it doesn't surprise me to hear people pretend to being American while scoffing at the Constitution that makes us such. JUSTICE. It's not just a good idea -- it's the law.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#36)
    by glanton on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:37 PM EST
    Fact: Nixon didn't have the entire Congress in his pocket. Neither did Clinton, who got impeached over something ridiculous. Too, neither Nixon nor Clinton enjoyed DUbya's secret weapon: an MSM continually lobbing him softballs and/or kissing his arse. Fact: There is no way under the sun that Colin Powell is EVER, ever, EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER going to publically testify against George W. Bush for anything. Call these things "common wisdom" or whatever you want to call them. They are what they are.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#37)
    by glanton on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:37 PM EST
    Back to the topic of this thread: no redemption for Powell. He did what he did in front of everyone, he put on a standup routine at the UN and its title was US FOREIGN POLICY UNDER GEORGE BUSH, and nothing he can ever do or say will change that.

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#38)
    by Dark Avenger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:37 PM EST
    DA - Obtuseness is your name. Word Let's remember what you said:
    et al - Hmmm, looks like the moonbats will do the job.... No surprise there. After all, he left the reservation.
    After quoting what someone said about wingnuts going after Powell for leaving the Chimpy reservation. I'm really glad you're posting here, your comments show your devotion to bats by their battiness, I suppose, and the Crescent Moon is an Islamic symbol, you've stated today how you love the moon(and all its' phases too, right?) and we all know what to think of that..........

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#39)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:37 PM EST
    glanton:
    Call these things "common wisdom" or whatever you want to call them. They are what they are.
    "Common" wisdosm isn't so "common" these days, I've noticed. And, you know, thinking back a ways, remember a guy named John Dean? Who ever woulda "thunk" it... White Housed Counsel? Testify? Against the President? Hahahahahahaha!!! Sure bud... what planet did you say you're from?

    Re: Powell Criticizes Bush Administration (none / 0) (#40)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:40 PM EST
    "I'm not a big fan of the twins, but considering what they came from, I suppose we're lucky they're just irresponsible and not mean or vicious." Not mean or vicious? What a mean and vicious thing to say. Of COURSE they are mean and vicious. There's not a Ron Reagan in the entire clan. They are their grandmother's grandchildren, as racist as their dreams of being pure-white, full of lies and hatred for America. Glanton says that politically an impeachment cannot happen. He fails to mention that the Constitution was also a surprise. Indeed, even Einstein admitted that his discoveries were highly unlikely. Powell could redeem himself by offering testimony into the treason of the Bush maladministration. That remains a possibility, however dim. IF he did it, there would be an impeachment. So it only takes ONE man to make your doom and gloom pronouncement FALSE. IF ONLY POWELL HAD ANY SELF-RESPECT, eh?

    Powell Criticizes Bush Administration | 39 comments (39 topical)