Powell—on the record: Bush knew about Red Cross reports filed months ago

[G_j]

http://slate.msn.com/id/2100549/

The Buck Stops … Where?
Stop blaming your henchmen, Mr. President.

By Fred Kaplan
Posted Friday, May 14, 2004, at 2:41 PM PT



Not out of the loop after all?

And so it seems I, too, have misunderestimated the president. This past Wednesday, I wrote a column holding George W. Bush responsible for our recent disasters—the torture at Abu Ghraib and the whole plethora of strategic errors in Iraq. My main argument was that Bush has placed too much trust, for far too long, in the judgment of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, despite his ceaseless string of bad judgments.

However, two news stories that have since come to my attention—one that appeared on the same day, the other more than two months ago—suggest not merely that Bush is guilty of "failing to recognize failure" (as my headline put it) but that he is directly culpable for the sins in question, no less so than his properly beleaguered defense chief.

The first story, written by Mark Matthews in the May 12 Baltimore Sun, quotes Secretary of State Colin Powell—on the record—as saying Bush knew about the International Committee of the Red Cross reports that were filed many months ago about the savagery at the prison. Powell is quoted as saying:

"We kept the president informed of the concerns that were raised by the ICRC and other international organizations as part of my regular briefings of the president, and advised him that we had to follow these issues, and when we got notes sent to us or reports sent to us … we had to respond to them."


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[PretzelWarrior]

1. Of COURSE he knew. He probably said "whatever it takes"

because that's the kind of sick f*ck he is. What's interesting is when we first saw and heard about the photos I posted on a sports message board that has a section re: politics. When I said that Bush was blithely allowing the troops to get away with torture and possibly rape and murder, even some of the moderates thought I was way over the top.

I told them I understood but lets see where the investigation leads.

Anyway, it is coming out in dribbles....and it doesn't look good for Caesar's mini-me.

[WEagle]

2. once again "Bush Knew" n/t

[Lindacooks]

3. To the Hauge, Bush and Rummy

Try them for war crimes against humanity.

[G_j]

4. I think he has reserved the right to attack the Hauge

if he chooses. :shrug:

[G_j]

5. kick