WP: Powell Says New Data May Have Affected War Decision

[kskiska]

Tuesday, February 3, 2004; Page A01

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said yesterday that he does not know whether he would have recommended an invasion of Iraq if he had been told it had no stockpiles of banned weapons, even as he offered a broad defense of the Bush administration's decision to go to war.

Even without possessing chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein intended to acquire them and tried to maintain the capability of producing them in case international sanctions were lifted, Powell said in an interview. But he conceded that the administration's conviction that Hussein already had such weapons had made the case for war more urgent.

Asked if he would have recommended an invasion knowing Iraq had no prohibited weapons, Powell replied: "I don't know, because it was the stockpile that presented the final little piece that made it more of a real and present danger and threat to the region and to the world." He said the "absence of a stockpile changes the political calculus; it changes the answer you get."

Powell spoke on the Iraq weapons issue for more than half of the hour-long interview. Throughout the discussion, Powell tried to balance the administration's rationale for going to war with the reality that no weapons of mass destruction have been uncovered in Iraq. Former chief U.S. weapons inspectors David Kay told Congress last week that Hussein did not have such weapons at the time of the U.S. invasion.

Nonetheless, Powell said, history will ultimately judge that the war "was the right thing to do."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6995-2004Feb2.html

[revcarol]

1. Liar, liar, pants on fire!!

You Secretary of Bush Apologists!!

[daleo]

2. I was prepared to be a war criminal all along, says Powell

So, what difference would it have made?

[Webster Green]

3. History will ultimately judge Powell to be a lying asshole.

He sold his soul for smirky.

[roguevalley]

4. Agreed. He had a chance to be a leader and a person for whom a point

could be made, that good men were good regardless of color.
Its a damned shame to find out someone who was supposed to
have conviction and honor was a sell out. For some, it reinforces
bad stereotypes and racism. For me, its just another lost
chance.

[Ilsa]

16. Well said, rogue!

I kept hoping Powell would have kept Chimpy in line, but Powell sold out to the neocon bastards.

[JohnyCanuck]

5. The house slave does whatever Massa tells him to do.

Ain't that right Colin? After all you don't want to loose your privileged position living with the plantation owner and have to go back to picking cotton with the field hands.

[The Zanti Regent]

13. Belafonte was right

Powell is the most incompetent asshole of all time!

[Old and In the Way]

6. Do tell us why....

"Nonetheless, Powell said, history will ultimately judge that the war "was the right thing to do."

Because the real reason was to control the oil? Perhaps Bush should have had this debate in Congress. Maybe we'd have voted to use the billions wasted in this war to develop a non-oil alternative energy policy.

No, history will judge the Republican Party as the people who sold out America to line their pockets and push their economic agenda and didn't tell America the truth about the downside to this policy until wars for oil woke us up.

[karnac]

10. The ultimate proof this war was about oil

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/WNT/Investigation/saddam_oil_vouchers_040129-1.html

Enough said.

[Cooley Hurd]

17. Hmmm... these documents are "found" 9 months after...

...Saddam Hussein was deposed? Why, they must've been hidden as well as Saddam himself!

No offense, dude, but this document is most likely bogus - more disinfo from the cabal...

Welcome to DU

[karnac]

30. You might be right

However Galloway seems to be the only one protesting so far. He is in big doodoo if true.

The others dodn't give a damn it seems. But then again, they dont have repercussions since they are the big cheeses in their country.

Pays to be a fatcat with connections.

Tree

[truthisfreedom]

7. how is it that this administration has such a vast grip on future history?

how is it that this administration has such a vast grip on future history? ultimate judgment? pshaw. election of a real president is the imminent occurrence.

[Haviland_42]

8. Oh this is good.

http://forums.therightsociety.com/?f=6&m=23131





Classic drivel.

[pinniped]

9. Oh classic indeed.

I got sick after the third or fourth post.

Are those whackos practicing to be newscasters or something?

[Snappy]

11. Powell=Dishonor

Harry Belafante was correct.
Ms. Rice is one also.

[Robb]

12. "absence of a stockpile changes the political calculus"

"... it changes the answer you get."

Well, there it is. The answer would have been "no".

[democract]

14. I'd say the same

wouldn't I want to look like a complete fool.

[teryang]

15. Powell is a bad liar

In February 2001 this liar stated publicly on video that Iraq had no weapons that could threaten its neighbors or the United States.

There was no "new evidence." This is a line that his advisors have come up with to try to salvage his reputation for dishonesty. Powell is history. He is a disgrace.

His state dept. intelligence advisors disagreed with the Cheney distortions of the intelligence all along. He knew it wasn't true and lied his ass off to the world anyway.

[roscoeroscoe]

26. key fact here, thank you~

the admin seems to count on short memories. an insult to intellingence here, and the statements from powell before the whole run-up to war stand in stark contrast to his claims here.

:yourock:

[Barkley]

32. Callin' Powell A Liar

Greg Thielmann was responsible for analyzing the Iraqi
weapons threat for Colin Powell said the Secretary
of State misinformed Americans during his speech at
the U.N. last winter.

Greg Thielmann told 60 Min. correspondent Scott Pelley that at the time of Powell’s speech, Iraq didn’t pose an imminent threat to anyone – not even its own neighbors. “…I think my conclusion now is that it’s probably one of the low points in his long distinguished service to the nation,” says Thielmann.

Broadcast on 60 Minutes II, Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

[0007]

18. This is worse than a class 'B' movie!

[Beetwasher]

19. We Really Thought They Had SOMETHING! We Did, Really

Honestly, we all thought they had something...No really, you gotta believe me!

What a sack of shit.

[lovedems]

20. Is it just me?

(It looks like it is) but I question how much Powell was privvy to during the "intelligence gathering" stage of pre-war Iraq. After reading O'Neills book, dissenters were not allowed meetings with the pResident. I would be willing to bet that Powell was given the information only AFTER it was gathered. I am also willing to bet that I could be wrong but this administration has a history of making a fool out of people with hard earned, good reputations. I remember reading a story in which Wolfowitz gathered some intelligence and presented it to Powell and he said "this is bullshit" and refused to use it.

I am just saying, knowing how this administration operates, there is the possiblity that Powell wasn't in on the intelligence gathering, he maybe didn't know that it was fabricated by the WH. He was against the war from the beginning and all for allowing the sanctions to work (per O'Neill). Given that position, he was probably not involved at all with the OSP and the pressure on the CIA. He was probably intentionally left "out of the loop". Just something to think about.

[atreides1]

27. If What You Say Is True....

....then Powell would have resigned, as soon as he found out that he
had assisted in leading this country to war based on lies.

But the last I heard he was still Secretary of State. Let's face it
Powell knew what was happening but did nothing, and now too many people have died.

It's still not too late if Powell resigned and denounced the administration he might be able to regain some of his reputation,
but I would not bet on that happening.

If Powell stated in 2001 that Iraq did not have a stock pile of
WMD's and if he told Wolfowitz that his "intel" was BS, then he
knew from the start.

[salin]

21. hmmmmmmmm anyone else remember the story about Powell and Straw

in the days before presenting to the UN (feb 2003) expressing concerns about having to put forth the existing 'intel' and the quality of that intel? The story, if I recall, was that someone taped the brief conversation and had leaked the content from the transcript of the conversation.

Another question.

If he was so certain of the intelligence (now saying if he had known how weak the intel was...) then why was his NSA spying on top UN diplomats from potential "swing" votes on the security counsel to get info to try to leverage those voters to vote with the US? That story always suggested that the Wh KNEW that their case (and intel - sold by Powell with such certainty) was specious - otherwise they would know that most countries would agree with the assessments and support some kind of intervention. After a brief nudge up (diplomats, due to his stature, initially believed his presentation)... the case made by Powell was again discounted (by Blix, by the AEIA, and others)... pointing out the flaws in the "certainty" speech given by Powell.

Sorry Colin, this doesn't sell well.

[leftchick]

23. salin I was thinking of your first point yesterday....

Wasn't that report out of Scotland? I don't think it was ever substantiated at the time. I sure wish it would be now!

[salin]

31. I couldn't recall where the report originated

and while they claimed that the transcripts were forthcoming - no more story followed (at least here). Of course that could be related to the other story leaked at the time about the NSA spying... and the quick heat of charges levelled at the leaker (court case ongoing in the UK).

I agree - it would be incredible to put that transcript up and let Colin and Jack squirm and try to keep straight faces as they backtrack now...

[leesa]

22. Many people told him, including Hans Blix, over and over again.

Even Powell said the lies he was supposed to tell before the UN was BS in the hotel room prior to the UN Fantasy Hour. He clearly knew.

[leftchick]

24. Did anyone read the last paragragh? "with a twinkle in his eye"!!

<"I have confidence in the intelligence community," Powell said. "I've seen them do many things that were absolutely brilliant in their concept and their execution, many things we'll never be able to discuss and will never get a headline." With a twinkle in his eye, he added: "Very recently, as a matter of fact. Go research that if you wish." >

.... Now WTF is that all about?

[yellowcanine]

34. I don't know but it was worth about as much as the claims of

Joe "I've got a list of commie traitors right here in my pocket" McCarthy. For a reporter to end the article this way is just so much puffery and boot licking that it is probably not worth commenting on.

[David__77]

25. Uh-oh. He strayed from the neo-con party line.

Perhaps even he is feeling a bit had, as he should. He's not nearly as insane as the hardcore warmaniacs. I think he may even have actually swallowed the poison he was fed. If possible, he should be presented with an appropriate means to split with those who used him as a pawn.

[Barkley]

33. Cullin' Powell

The Bush people "persuade other people to squander their hard-won
credibility on behalf of bad policies, then discard those people
once they are no longer useful. Think of John DiIulio, or your friend Paul O'Neill.

It's happening to Colin Powell right now. (...the business of the Osama tape has destroyed Mr. Powell's credibility in much of the world. The tape calls Saddam Hussein an "infidel"
whose "jurisdiction . . . has fallen," ... and Mr. Powell
claims that it ties Saddam to Al Qaeda. Huh? All it shows is that Al Qaeda views a U.S. invasion of Iraq as an excellent recruiting opportunity.)"

-Paul Krugman

[Rex]

28. Traitor!

I say we work on making the word 'traitor' synonymous with 'Republican'!

[retread]

29. So that's why the inspectors weren't allowed to complete their mission?

*

[Old and In the Way]

35. I think it was precisely because they knew the intel was bogus

that they couldn't wait. Remember the secret energy plans? They spent the 1st 2 years of their administration getting their ducks in order. The oil companies, Britain, divvying up the country for oilrights, their military planning. The "causus belli" was WMD....or so they assumed. The arrogant pricks probably realized in the fall of 2002 that their assumptions of WMD were weak/wrong, but still they persisted with the war rhetoric. As the UN inspections dragged on, it became more apparent that the likelyhood was dropping and so was their reason for invasion. It became a race. The WH rhetoric became more bellicose, more vidence disregarded. Hussein even offered to open up Iraq to complete US/UN inspection, but Bush would have none of it. He wanted in.

The final proof for me is simple. If there was a shred of possibility that Iraq had WMD or Chem/bio battlefield weapons, would the chief chickenhawk have invaded? I really doubt it.