Colin Powell and the Weapons Of Mass Distraction.
Colin Powell and his nefarious torture supporting cohorts have escaped scrutiny because of the nonsensical MSM diversion of Bittergate. I once respected the former 4 star general, but he has shown a major lack of testicular fortitude when major issues arise.
Powell felt that war with Iraq was unwise and that Saddam Hussein could be contained. Still, he went before the UN General Assembly with data on WMD that was later found to be bogus. When WMD were not found, Powell did not resign, he stayed on. When his Dept of State was shunted to the side in Iraq, he stayed.
We now learn that Powell was present in multiple meetings in which torture of enemy combatants was discussed and approved. The sessions were called Principals Meetings and included much of the Administration's hierarchy. Powell sat and listened. he did not leave. He stayed. The meetings of the group were held within the Walls of the White House. The only person who felt some unease at the place were the meetings were held was John Ashcroft, not Colin Powell.
Powell, Rice, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Tenet, etc may have committed war crimes in the White House. Powell may have been a military hero, but he is a political coward. On the two occasions when he was needed to take action Iraq and torture, Powell was AWOL.
He is a disgrace.
Powell felt that war with Iraq was unwise and that Saddam Hussein could be contained. Still, he went before the UN General Assembly with data on WMD that was later found to be bogus. When WMD were not found, Powell did not resign, he stayed on. When his Dept of State was shunted to the side in Iraq, he stayed.
We now learn that Powell was present in multiple meetings in which torture of enemy combatants was discussed and approved. The sessions were called Principals Meetings and included much of the Administration's hierarchy. Powell sat and listened. he did not leave. He stayed. The meetings of the group were held within the Walls of the White House. The only person who felt some unease at the place were the meetings were held was John Ashcroft, not Colin Powell.
Powell, Rice, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Tenet, etc may have committed war crimes in the White House. Powell may have been a military hero, but he is a political coward. On the two occasions when he was needed to take action Iraq and torture, Powell was AWOL.
He is a disgrace.
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I'm not ready to discount Powell's honor. He fought like hell to eliminate lies from the intelligence estimates and his UN presentation. He fought like hell with Tenet, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz, and the whole rotten lot.
It appears that he was complicit with torture decisions but I don't trust we're getting the whole story. If he knowingly approved and advanced torture, that is a big let down. Until I know more, I can't really draw that conclusion.
In the end, he chose to resign.
April 15, 2008 9:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was disappointed to hear that he was in those meetings because Powell has been a lone voice of reason on so many other crimes in the administration. Somehow I don't think we're hearing the whole story on his involvement and willingness.
But if what we know now is a fairly accurate representation of what happened in the "principals meeting" on torture, then he really is culpable.
I hope not though. I respected him before this.
April 15, 2008 9:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm reluctant to come down that hard on Powell. But I will say this, Colin Powell presents a classic example of why military men make lousy politicians.
April 15, 2008 10:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Powell made his career by sweeping dirt under the rug, beginning with the My Lia massacre.
As far as his lies to the UN, the State Dept. has the most reliable, and consistently correct intelligence agency in the federal government and he ignored the counsel of his intelligence staff in order to gin up the illegal and immoral war.
The guy is a total slut.
April 15, 2008 10:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
So often, our favorite politician has to make a hard decision. And often, he fucks it up. This is one of those times.
Apparently he didn't fight hard enough. He could have quit before the U.N. presentation and lived a very fulfilling, post-political life. He could have fought harder, or leaked some choice information to the press. But no, he got up in front of the rest of the world's leaders and gave them bullshit.
This should teach us the importance of an old maxim; "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Had a good man done something in 2002, we might have been spared the last 5 years of war.
April 15, 2008 11:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
As my cousin Col. Walker once said to me, "You're not being paid to think, you're being paid to do what I tell you to do."
A good soldier doesn't rise up through the ranks because of his independent thinking and opposition to what his superior tells him to do. Powell rose up through the ranks because he was a model of following orders and adherence to the military philosophy.
You can't expect a career military man to abandon that allegiance to following orders that come down through the chain-of-command. Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending any of the wrongs that were committed, but you can't apply a "question authority" mindset to a man who spent his entire career obeying authority.
John McCain was a good soldier, too, and we should be pondering the same issues in regard to his qualifications as the civilain commander of the armed forces.
April 15, 2008 11:49 PM | Reply | Permalink