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- mydigglogin, on 06/16/2008, -31/+183What about your personal judgement, general? You were probably one of the most respected public figures ever, until that very speech, and I don't think anything can rectify that blunder now. If you ran for president back in 2000 you probably would've had my vote.
- Krisgi, on 06/16/2008, -33/+165It's funny how all of the Bush-whackers are coming out into the light to benefit from what they have kept silent all of these years in detriment to the Nation's and the World's better interests.
Guess there were no "cojones" to do it earlier, and we should have no respect for these lapdogs at all. - m4532v, on 06/15/2008, -8/+139There goes that McCain VP spot! Ha!
- coachshade, on 06/16/2008, -12/+110I can tell you that General Powell is one of the most wonderful men you would ever want to be associated with and I believe him when he says that he was unknowingly given bogus information prior to his speech. If you notice he still takes responsibility for giving that speech and calls it one of the lowest points in his career. I agree that he should run for president and would help any ticket but like others have stated before me, he is too smart to get into a race for an elected office. Either candidate would be smart to consider him for another cabinet post! For those of you that do not know, General Powell was one of the very few of GB's inner circle to speak out against the war in Iraq and look what that got him. A boot to the rear out of the Secretary of State position.
- Thumper13, on 06/16/2008, -16/+112The man who should have been President.
Thanks GB for ruining a great man. - JKrogol, on 06/16/2008, -13/+99One of the most unintentionally erotic Digg headlines I've ever seen.
- ajwinder, on 06/16/2008, -3/+85I remember watching Powell's speech. He was given detailed satellite photography, he was given documentation from the US and Britain intelligence communities. Yeah, you know, its a shame no one in the administration wanted to listen to the UN. But to charge that Powell was to blame, well, I think the more realistic position is that he was deceived and his position and stature abused to sell the war. As a general, he learned that you have to rely on your whole organization. I dont think anyone in his position, given the intel he was given, would have come to a massively different conclusion. The problem was, at best, he was given bad intel, and at worse, the intel was purposefully deceptive.
Its clear that hes very angry with the Bush Administration for what they did to him. But its also very clear that hes taking a lot of personal responsibility, moreso than I would even say is fair to put on him. Think about it, hes probably the only one in that entire administration to ever take responsibility for the stuff thats gone wrong. That is saying something. - inactive, on 06/16/2008, -1/+57Yeah. That dumb old Harlem-born son of Jamaican immigrants, who got his bachelor's degree the City College of New York and his MBA from The George Washington University and served two tours of duty in Vietnam rising to the rank of four-star general. Then he became Ronald Reagan's security advisor, and then the first black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- the highest military position in the Department of Defense -- where he oversaw 28 crises, including the invasion of Panama in 1989 to remove General Manuel Noriega from power and Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, where he earned the nickname, "the reluctant warrior".
Who the heck would want to listen to this guy? - inactive, on 06/16/2008, -2/+56I would recommend watching Frontline's "Bush's War".
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/bushswar/
It is very long, but worth it. In a nutshell- here's the level of deception that led to Powell taking the stage at the UN:
1. CIA provides an intelligence report. There is speculation of Iraqi WMDs, but they emphasize that it is not solid evidence because it can not be corroborated by more than one source.
2. Powell feels the intel report is not sufficient grounds for war and pushes diplomatic resolutions (UN resolutions/ inspections).
3. Cheney creates his own intel committee based on policy makers (with no intel experience). They are given clearances. They go to the CIA and search intel files for any information on Iraqi WMD links. They collect a handful of uncorroborated accounts from an unreliable source. They make links where there were none.
4. Cheney visits the CIA and puts pressure on analysts to use this information. Somewhere along the line the previously uncorroborated reports from one unreliable source were magically transformed into conclusive proof from multiple sources.
5. Powell receives late word that he is to present the information in front of the UN. Why is he giving the presentation instead of our UN rep? Because Powell is the only one in the administration with credibility left.
6. He works late with his deputy and realizes there were many things wrong with the presentation. They try to rewrite it, but the deadline is so short that they fold.
7. He gives the presentation to the UN.
Powell was really deceived, sold out, and screwed by the administration, but I suppose we all were in the end. - UtahApocalyse, on 06/16/2008, -10/+63Funny how all the outcasts of the Bush Co. Regime speak out now, about 6 year to late.
- Lucas123, on 06/16/2008, -28/+73This man's opinion I deeply respect.
- TheJimid, on 06/16/2008, -1/+43probably because he is one of the most in depth strategic military minds in the country.
- toxicityj, on 06/16/2008, -3/+43He's been saying stuff like this for years now...
- thecatcantalk, on 06/16/2008, -5/+42NOW can we impeach him?
- BossKey, on 06/16/2008, -4/+38I would have voted for him too, back then. I had thought of Colin Powell as a very intelligent man who had a good sense of right and wrong, and also has a very ingrained sense of duty.
Unfortunately, during the W administration he chose "duty to the President" over "do the right thing" and America has suffered for it. Now we see his own regrets as well. It's really too bad. - Lucas123, on 06/16/2008, -3/+31I dunno. Maybe because as the first African-American chairmain of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he oversaw 28 conflicts, including the Persian Gulf War, during which he was tremendously successful, but he was also always cautious about sending American's into combat. Maybe because he was born to immigrant parents in Harlem, but wound up earning an MBA from George Washington University between serving combat tours in Vietnam. Maybe because he was President Reagan's chief security advisor during the Cold War, and the subsequent end of the Cold War. I dunno. Something like that.
- Jorin, on 06/16/2008, -2/+29The pattern keeps continuing. People in a position of power don't want to risk losing everything by blowing the whistle, but look at the result...
Christ, at least the Dixie Chicks can weather the storm and stand up for what they think is right. - yosserhughes, on 06/16/2008, -0/+25"We had a good discussion, the [Egyptian] foreign minister and I and the president and I, had a good discussion about the nature of the sanctions -- the fact that the sanctions exist -- not for the purpose of hurting the Iraqi people, but for the purpose of keeping in check Saddam Hussein's ambitions toward developing weapons of mass destruction. We should constantly be reviewing our policies, constantly be looking at those sanctions to make sure that they are directed toward that purpose. That purpose is every bit as important now as it was 10 years ago when we began it. And frankly they have worked. He has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbors."
-- Colin Powell, February 24, 2001 - inactive, on 06/16/2008, -1/+25The depth of ignorance in that comment is astounding.
- inactive, on 06/16/2008, -8/+30"I had no reason to disbelieve it."
What about the fact that it was absurd on it's face? Iraq as a threat to the USA? Please. - PresRob, on 06/16/2008, -15/+36I lost respect for Colin Powell when he stepped aside from accepting the opportunity to run for president and handed Bush the nomination. Then to have Mr. Powell working and giving legitimacy to Bush, well it looked like the king working for the court jester.
- GoKings, on 06/16/2008, -11/+32I really liked Colin Powell, and so did most of the country. It was why he was used by the administration so frequently to spread the lies, that he knew himself were untrue. Calling it a low point in his career doesn't even come close to making up for the thousands of men he has sent to their death. I'm glad he's coming out with the truth now, but to act like he's any different than the other scum that sent us into war and propaganda and lies is purely delusional.
- hokie47, on 06/16/2008, -9/+30Colin Powell could of told Bush to ***** off before the "infamous" presentation and stood up for what's right.
- ponyfreak, on 06/16/2008, -10/+28I don't believe him when he says he was duped. He was the Secretary of State with full access to the info. From an outsiders view it was obvious that Bush/Cheney were trying to make the intelligence fit their case. It would have been even more obvious for somebody with an inside view.
- sir_zman, on 06/16/2008, -0/+18Sorry, I don't see anywhere in the article where he "Slams Bush" except for the title. If anything he slams the "intelligence community". Marking as inaccurate.
- thepeacemaker, on 06/16/2008, -4/+22The IAEA had clearly stated that there was no evidence Iraq had a hidden nuclear arsenal even before Lyin' Powell gave his speech. However the American masses were drunk with arrogance and thirsting for blood ...no matter 85% STILL cannot point to Iraq on a world map and that none of the hijackers were from Iraq. What is most outrageous is that the media and the masses are once again letting Bush beat the war drums, this time against Iran, yet another country that IAEA shows no evidence of building nuclear weapons. Apathy does not absolve one of responsibility.
- inactive, on 06/16/2008, -0/+15This man, Powell, helped cover up the My Lai massacre in Vietnam.
- monkeyrun, on 06/16/2008, -6/+20Shut up already, you didn't speak up when you had the power to do some good.
- drmangrum, on 06/16/2008, -0/+14His wife is keeping him out of it. He's entered politics before, and been playing it for a long time. Any military officer with a star on his shoulder is keen on playing politics.
If it were up to him, I think he would run, and I he would probably have a very good chance of winning. He would certainly fair better than McCain. He'll stay out of it for the sake of his marriage though. - kingjam, on 06/16/2008, -3/+16The words Slam and Bush make me blush.
- georgemason01, on 06/16/2008, -3/+16Exactly. People here are talking about how smart Powell is, but you can't have it both ways and say he was gullible enough to have been duped by Bush and Cheney.
- HenvY, on 06/16/2008, -0/+12Ooh, that was good.
- marx2k, on 06/16/2008, -6/+18Not sure why you'd get dugg down, you're absolutely correct. Hans Blix had it right.
- inactive, on 06/16/2008, -48/+60I wish Colin Powell was running in this election. I'd vote for him in a heartbeat, but he's too smart to enter politics.
- Fallout911, on 06/16/2008, -7/+17Yeah yeah too little too late *****.
His little U.N. charade was full of crap and he knew it.
Just another lackey for Bush and his cronies. - praisethelard, on 06/16/2008, -0/+10Maybe, but then he'd probably slap you for disrespecting a former general.
- thirdeyeopen, on 06/16/2008, -3/+13"We will not be terrified into changing our way of life because of some guy hiding in a cave somewhere in Afghanistan." Dugg
- bleutuna, on 06/16/2008, -0/+10Actually, his wife won't let him run for President.
Years ago...God, back in the early 90s, there was talk about him being the first black President. Time did a cover story, with a discussion with he and his wife, and both made it very clear that she was wearing the pants on this decision, because of what it would mean to their family. - ajwinder, on 06/16/2008, -2/+11Seriously? The Bush campaign ran robocalls saying that McCain had an illegitimate black baby. McCain. Imagine what they would have done to Powell. I'm sorry, but in 2000, theres no way that that party was voting for a black man. I'm not even sure they would in 2008.
- st0ney, on 06/16/2008, -1/+10What really bugs me about these ex-Bush administration members coming out (ie. Scott Mcclellan) is that they did NOTHING when in office and they had a chance to exercise their voice. Now all they are doing is selling books about their regrets.
Shame on all of them - Kikokun, on 06/16/2008, -1/+9Colin Powell is just another RAT jumping ship while he can.
He helped covering the Mi Lai massacre, he's no hero guys...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_Massacre
"Powell's handling of the assignment was later characterized by some observers as "whitewashing" the atrocities of My Lai." - zadadka, on 06/16/2008, -2/+10I find it amusing that a good deal of people, blessed with 20/20 hindsight and a couple of vodka-Martini's, find it easy to suggest that decision-makers on the spot "should have seen through" the charade of WMD, when they themselves soberly voted an incumbent warmonger into office....and not for the first time.
Powell had no reason to disbelieve the intelligence provided by several agencies any more than the rest of us lynch-mob motivated advocates.
I have nothing but respect for those who would stand up and say "I frakked-up"...at least we know they have learned from their mistakes where certain others clearly have not. - blackinthmiddle, on 06/16/2008, -1/+9I disagree with you in the case of Powell. I don't believe he was an insider and was merely reading from a teleprompter, so to speak.
The question has to be, "did you *know* you were being supplied with faulty intelligence?" It has been said that one of the main reasons he stepped down as secretary of state is because he finally realized he was not privy to information that he should been and Rumsfeld was a key player in that. If he assumed that the info he was given was correct, and he subsequently denounced his *own* speech, I'm going to give him a pass on this one and lay the blame where it should be laid. - MeNorski, on 06/16/2008, -4/+12He didn't know the information was false.
"Powell said that every word of what he called his 'infamous' presentation about WMD (in Iraq) had been vetted by the intelligence community -- 'and I had no reason to disbelieve it."
The only reason you believe what you believe about certain things is because you hear it from other people. How much of your own research have you done? Isnt a lot of what you say and believe based on things you've been told by other people? Not all things but many of them. How much of your own research have you done? Thats the job of journsalists who have the funding to do so, as well as the CIA and in this case they blundered.
At least Powell has the integrity to admit he was wrong. Bush on the otherhand was ignorant and continues to persue his stupid fantasies of grandure in Iraq. - kyle415, on 06/16/2008, -0/+8as opposed to fox news?
- inactive, on 06/16/2008, -0/+7Who do you recommend?
- Infidelcastr0, on 06/16/2008, -0/+7Too little too late, Powell should have stood up for what was right when it was inconvenient to his career.
- thedogfatherx, on 06/16/2008, -3/+10I don't see anywhere in this article where he "slams bush."
- xtinamo, on 06/16/2008, -1/+8So.. you're a racist?
- SpartanErik, on 06/16/2008, -0/+7How could he stand up for what's right if we didn't know what was right or wrong at that time?
Your statement is based on hindsight bias. What if he did tell Bush that and it turned out Iraq did have WMDs? It would have certainly ruined his career.
In retrospect you may wish he HAD done that. -
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