Powell Defends War, Says He Expected WMD (bristles at AWOL allegations)

[Barrett808]

Powell Defends War, Says He Expected WMD
By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON - Under questioning by House Democrats, Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) said Wednesday he was surprised U.N. and American inspectors did not find storehouses of hidden weapons in Iraq (news - web sites).

But Powell told the International Relations Committee that "we presented what we believed the truth to be at the time."

...

"I don't think anyone in America should think that President Bush cooked the books," Powell said.

...

"Truth is the first casualty of war," Ackerman said. "I would contend truth was murdered before a shot was fired."

"We went into this war under false premises," Melendez said.

...

But when Brown contrasted Powell's military experience to Bush's record with the National Guard, saying the president "may have been AWOL" from duty, Powell exploded.

"First of all, Mr. Brown, I won't dignify your comments about the president because you don't know what you are talking about," Powell snapped.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040211/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq&cid=542&ncid=1480

[boxster]

1. Damn it. Why is there not complete outrage?

We thought there would be WMD.

We thought we'd find WMD.

We have the most expensive intelligence agencies in the world, but we didn't have a fricking clue if there really were weapons or not.

We thought we'd find WMD.

There should be riots in the streets. These bastards killed 10,000 Iraqi civilians, 530+ US troops, and changed the lives of countless more because they were suffering from head-up-ass syndrome.

Where are the impeachment hearings??

[KissMyAsscroft]

2. Gosh...

Killing civilians using a blanket of lies really makes one testy!

[Malva Zebrina]

3. I dunno why there is not outrage

people do not seem to care about human life unless it involves their own little soccer players and their own little home schooled geniuses.

We seem to have become a nation of the self centered and the selfish.

It seems to be a nation with the philosophy of-- knock off those on the ladder who you may percieve a threat to your own ascendance and do anything to surpass them and their families and their humaness, and a nation of the competitive, where knocking down those who are a "threat" or in some way a dredge or a drudge, upon one's lifestyle or ability to buy a million dollar home, is an annoyance-- an impediment to one's ability to really get ahead of these "drudges"

,--it is the primary focus for young persons it seems-they MUST get ahead and MUST become rich and famous enough and be recognized enoughed to do this--they strive and they strive and they waste their youth in this striving--they lose their souls .

[a_random_joel]

4. First of all, Mr. Powell, I won't dignify your comments about WMD...

because you don't know what you are talking about.

[RapidCreek]

5. Brown should of stood up and yelled

...the only one here who it seems doesn't know what they are talking about is you Mr. Powell. In fact Mr. Powell, you managed to make yourself and your country look foolish because you don't know what you are talking about. The reason, Mr. Powell we are having this hearing is because you don't know what you are talking about....So perhaps instead of talking you should shut you mouth and listen...and answer the questions posed to you.

RC

[Lindsay]

6. I caught a snippet of Brown v Powell

on CNN and I was appalled. You're at a hearing and telling a US Representative what he can or cannot say?

The arrogance of this adminstration is absolutely frightening.

BTW, Sherrod Brown kicks butt regularly. Catch him on C-Span almost any night in after hours speeches. It's generally the only time House Dems get to have their say...not that the media pays any attention...but they are fighting the good fight anyway.

[thinkingwoman]

14. I agree! The Rep should have told Powell

whose turf he was on. The entire maladministration suffers from delusions of grandeur.

It's nauseating and it's getting old.

[Don_G]

7. So Being A Stupid, Greedy Dumb ***

Justifies the casualities and the Billions the US has wasted in the Middle East?

[cosmicdot]

8. Colin Powell: another victim of having one's life PR'd above what it is

I want to know if there's any truth to his involvement in drug trafficking in southeast Asia; and, hear from him exactly what he did re My Lai massacre ...

I wouldn't be surprised if 'the born in the USA' label is a fraud.

Integrity can be a tough road to hoe. People do make mistakes.

The truth will set us free.

[0007]

11. Colin Powell and his past has been highly questionable

Here is a website to check out. We all know how brave Colin Powell was last February 5, 2003 at the Security Counsel of the UN where he proved himself a major league liar in front of the World.

http://www.disinfo.com/archive/pages/dossier/id803/pg1/

[Sapphocrat]

9. This, coming from the man...

...who, during a rehearsal of his February '03 presentation to the U.N., threw his crib notes in the air in a snit and shouted, "I'm not reading this! This is bullshit!"

Sure you believed it, Colin. And I believe monkeys are going to fly out of my butt.

[NNN0LHI]

10. What Colin Powell says in his own book about the National Guard

http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:TZV7blfPQd0J:www.augustachronicle.com/stories/042903/let_124-5535.shtml+My+American+Journey%2Bcolin+powell%2Bnational+guard&hl=en&ie=UTF-8


In Secretary of State Colin Powell's autobiography, My American Journey, he says, "I am angry that so many of the sons of the powerful and well-placed managed to wangle slots in the Army Reserve and National Guard units... Of the many tragedies of Vietnam, this raw class discrimination strikes me as the most damaging to the ideal that all Americans are created equal and owe equal allegiance to their country."


more

[Danieljay]

12. great find!

you Rock!

[saigon68]

21. COLON BOWEL= LAPDOG

he's the Lapdog of the AWOL CHIMPANZEE-- the one led around on a leash by Dick Cheney and his corporate friends.

[JasonDeter]

13. Henry Hyde the adulterous republican thinks things are going 'swimmingly'

when the republicans can lie to cover up the murderous acts of the bush* administration. How special. Accepting Powell's assertions regarding the bush* administration is laughable, he's as corrupt as the rest of the bush* cabal. I never did buy into the fact he was anything but stupid right wing republican. Proof? Look at his son.

[beanball]

15. If this was a just country

Powell and the rest of the republican crooks would be in jail where they belong.

[VolcanoJen]

16. UPDATE: Powell Scolds Hill Staffer At Meeting (WP)

I hadn't heard about this angle of the story yet, but the Washington Post has it on page A12. Check out Sherrod Brown's (the congressman who casually referred to Bush as "AWOL") response to Powell's scolding...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34636-2004Feb11.html

Excerpt:

Powell was recalling for the panel his review of the prewar intelligence. "I went and lived at the CIA for about four days to make sure that nothing was," he began, when he paused and glared at a staffer seated behind the members of Congress.

"Are you shaking your head for something, young man, back there?" Powell asked. "Are you part of these proceedings?"

Powell's unusual remarks threatened to derail the hearing. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), a 12-year veteran of the House, objected, "Mr. Chairman, I've never heard a witness reprimand a staff person in the middle of a question."

Powell shot back, "I seldom come to a meeting where I am talking to a congressman and I have people aligned behind you giving editorial comment by head shakes."

"Well, I think people have opinions," Brown responded.

[AZCat]

17. I wonder who took the jelly out of his donut...

He certainly seems pissed off about something- maybe it's finally sunk in that he will be joining the ~3 million unemployed next January!

[Zhade]

18. Powell is afraid. They all are.

Which means we must be very, very cautious.

Expect something big soon. Another 'terrorist' attack, maybe Osama's capture. If they get scared enough, expect a state of emergency and suspension of the Constitution.

It CAN happen here. And if it does, we all know what must be done.

[scarface2004]

22. if it was me..

i would have given him the finger...the pulled down my pants, grabbed by nuts, and motioned for him to 'bring it on'!!!!

[proud patriot]

19. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

well well well , just a tad defensive there ..

GOOD!

[JohnOneillsMemory]

20. Powell is CRACKING. He can't stand the shit he's slinging for shrub.

I think you're looking at a man who has lost his willingness to carry water for this particular big house.

Free yourself, Colin. Find the man who might still be deep down inside that uniform. Come towards the light.

[opihimoimoi]

23. Too Little too late for the Bowel. He is full of shit and now he knows we

know. The unraveling has taken effect.

First comes Denial

Followed by Anger...............o

[NNN0LHI]

24. He knows he is going down with the Chimp n/t

[sendero]

25. And then?....

... and then? LOL

[opihimoimoi]

26. And then comes COMPROMISE, followed by ACCEPTANCE

These guys are stuck on Denial and Anger.

A sign of undiluted Anger/ myopia/ and extreme hardheadedness.