Colin Powell, military leader and first Black US secretary of state, dies

[brooklynite]

Source: CNN

(CNN)(CNN)Colin Powell, the first Black US secretary of state whose leadership in several Republican administrations helped shape American foreign policy in the last years of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st, has died from complications from Covid-19, his family said on Facebook. He was 84.

"General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from Covid 19," the Powell family wrote on Facebook.

"We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American," they said, noting he was fully vaccinated.

Powell was a distinguished and trailblazing professional soldier whose career took him from combat duty in Vietnam to becoming the first Black national security adviser during the end of Ronald Reagan's presidency and the youngest and first African American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush. His national popularity soared in the aftermath of the US-led coalition victory during the Gulf War, and for a time in the mid-90s, he was considered a leading contender to become the first Black President of the United States. But his reputation would be forever stained when, as George W. Bush's first secretary of state, he pushed faulty intelligence before the United Nations to advocate for the Iraq War, which he would later call a "blot" on his record.


Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/18/politics/colin-powell-dies/index.html

[NurseJackie]

1. Rest in Peace.

[JohnSJ]

2. He died from Covid complications and was fully vaccinated according to Bloomberg. Very sad

[NurseJackie]

4. I wonder which vaccine he received.

[JohnSJ]

7. Yes, but more than that. Did he have autoimmune conditions or other issues that would

make him more susceptible? It is very sad

[NurseJackie]

18. And did he receive a booster shot?

It is very sad

Indeed.

I know that he's very much hated by many in these parts who won't feel the same sense of loss.

[JohnSJ]

25. I think he was duped as many Democrats in Congress were, but regardless, he did own up

to his part in the misrepresentation, something much of the media has never done, going to war based on a lie

I think He resigned as Secretary of State because of his involvement in that, and actively supported President Obama, and Biden.

He definitely saw where the Republican Party was heading

[niyad]

57. "Misrepresentation"???? Outright lies. DU knew that the whole yellowcake thing was

a lie, so there was no excuse for those in charge.

[PatrickforB]

61. That's the thing - he owned up to it.

As I said lower in this thread, aside from the 'blot' he did his best, and he cared about this republic.

[Voltaire2]

66. he was one of the leaders of the 'duplicity'.

You've confused the perpetrator for the victim. Also the democrats in congress who voted for the war were either idiots, cowards, or also complicit in a war crime.

[JohnSJ]

73. No I am not confusing anything, and we agree. All I am saying is there were a lot of actors

involved in that, especially the media, and a public who was looking for any excuse for someone to “pay” for 9/11, whether it was true or not

While Knight Ridder got it right, it hardly got a mention anywhere else

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-reporting-team-that-g_n_91981

A lot of people may not remember, but it was the gulf of Tonkin lie, that engaged us full time in Viet Nam

[samsingh]

122. yes he was

[samplegirl]

83. He should of spoke up!

I always held it against him. He had his chance to clear the air but sat back and let Cheney and Bush
Lie to the American people.

[NH Ethylene]

101. I've always liked and respected him, minus the support of the Iraq war.

He was a good man who regretted his one big mistake.

The real villains were Bush/Cheney, who did a snow job on him, got his endorsement, then went full blast toward death and disaster. I think Bush came to regret it later on, too little, too late, but the evil one never did.

[HUAJIAO]

104. Well, Bush and Cheney didn't fool me, or millions of others.

Maybe I should have been Sec of State.... or one of the million others....

Sorry. his 'one big mistake' was a death dealing whopper !!

[LT Barclay]

114. It wasn't a mistake, it was intentional.

He gave a speech months earlier saying Iraq was contained and did not pose a threat to neighboring countries because it lacked the capability to mount an attack with conventional weapons or WMDs.
But Bush/Cheney also announced him as SOState during the campaign when Bush's poll numbers were down. I've never seen a cabinet secretary named during a campaign before or since.

[NH Ethylene]

135. Why would Powell go along with such a scam?

What would be his motive? We know why the puppet and puppetmaster would do it, but why the general?

He had a very rapid shift in tone. I assumed at the time that they convinced him with some 'evidence' of WMD . Given his honorable record and his eventual regret, I still believe that.

[LT Barclay]

153. Ambition.

Why else would he also betray his core values, and precedent in elections to accept a role with the neo-cons?
Any other explanation would require either willful or inexplicable ignorance of the Project for the New American Century who's stated goal was to take over Iraq to ensure that the U.S. was the sole super-power in the 21st century.
Personally I've never seen anything honorable in his record. If I had any regard for him I might have saved the article, but from what was written, apparently he was quite the opportunist throughout his career.

on edit, found the link:
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2004/112604.html

[CaptainTruth]

133. True. He was not a member of the PNAC, he was their unwitting tool.

The PNAC needed a respected face to sell their lies to the world & they used him. He believed them just like millions of others did.

I will never forgive our media for not reporting the truth of the PNAC agenda & background before the Iraq invasion. 20 years of war might have been avoided if they had done their job.

[AdamGG]

105. He was undergoing cancer treatment

So, maybe the chemotherapy messed with the effectiveness of the COVID vaccine.

[JohnSJ]

112. Thanks for the information

[LeftInTX]

119. You can have several conditions and the death will still be considered Covid if you have Covid.

[Lulu KC]

141. multiple myeloma n/t

[OneCrazyDiamond]

143. Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

"Mr. Powell received his second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in February, said Peggy Cifrino, his longtime aide."

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/10/18/us/colin-powell

[NurseJackie]

145. Thank you for the info. That's the one that I received too...

... but (for now) I do not have any underlying conditions or comorbidities that would make me more vulnerable to Covid.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Just started seeing reports

apparently posted on his facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GenPowell

General Colin L. Powell
18 mins ·

General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from Covid 19. He was fully vaccinated. We want to thank the medical staff at Walter Reed National Medical Center for their caring treatment. We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American.
The Powell Family
4.2K

[FailureToCommunicate]

5. This disease keeps on wreaking havoc. Rest in peace Colin Powell.

[bullwinkle428]

29. Every time we seem to experience a decline in cases/deaths, there are many

that seem incredibly eager to declare victory over the virus. This is just further evidence that there's a long way to go.

[amcgrath]

6. He helped shape US foreign policy by lying

[underpants]

8. Yeah

Sorry he’s passed but three strikes and you’re out.

[aggiesal]

67. I agree. I'm sorry he died. I don't want to see people die,

but he lied to the U.N. about the Iraq resolution.

How many soldiers died because he propagated GW McIdiot's Iraq lie, at an international level?

[wnylib]

106. I respected him before the lies,

but he lost my respect afterward. He admitted later that he regretted doing it. But the damage was done. It cost lives and American respect in the world and he had to live with the consequences and the regrets.

[AdamGG]

107. I think it's unclear whether he purposefully lied or was duped by phony intelligence

May have been a victim of Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz et al.

[Lulu KC]

142. +1

[whathehell]

139. Many believe he himself was lied to..

Last edited Tue Oct 19, 2021, 07:08 AM - Edit history (1)

which, if true, puts a rather different slant on things, doesn't it?

[dalton99a]

9. "What we're giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence."

Cheney used him real good

[Escurumbele]

22. He allowed himself to be used. People can only use you if you allow them, and he did.

He could have changed history, he missed one of the greatest opportunities any man/woman has ever had to change the course of history, but he betrayed his principles and his country by playing the good soldier.

RIP. I believe his days after his United Nations presentation of lies were not happy ones, I have to think that he knew he had done wrong. It is s shame because prior to that his life had been a great example.

[niyad]

58. MyLai.

[DENVERPOPS]

90. Bingo!!!!!!!!! nc

[Martin Eden]

111. +1

Going with his own judgment or deferring to the directive from his CinC was a crucial decision, which he later regretted.

They capitalized on his sterling reputation, tarnished as a result. Unfortunately, the consequences were much worse than that for so many who died or continue to suffer for what he helped to enable.

GW Bush and Dick Cheney will always be war criminals in my book, and it galls me to see them living lives of privilege with no consequences for their crimes.

[TexasBushwhacker]

41. Yes, he fell for it hook, line and sinker

I think many, including Powell, never expected an administration would LIE us into a war. But he fell for the lie and he sold it. I hold GWB and the PNAC evildoers responsible for the IRAQ war, but he was certainly culpable. I think calling it a "blot" on his legacy was putting it mildly. He may not have had as much blood on his hands as others, but he still had it, and I think he knew it.

[yardwork]

10. That's very sad.

[PJMcK]

11. He actively helped lie the U.S. into a disastrous war

That war resulted in the deaths of thousands of our soldiers and tens of thousand Iraqis.

That's all I can think of.

[hibbing]

84. Sadly, my only thoughts too n/t

[Backseat Driver]

128. That lie contributed to so much distrust of government

in the "creepiness of intelligence" run-up to war in Iraq, and sparked many conspiracy theories including the murder/suicide death of UK weapon inspector, Dr. David Kelly, during Tony Blair's days as PM--resulting in the Hutton Inquiry.

So now, yet another "black hat playing games" is gone. General Colin Powell's perfected and owned 20/20 hindsight apology in that last case if not in other "blot(s)" on his GOP watch/record notwithstanding.

You know what they say, "C'est la guerre." To me: Irreparably forever tarnished credibility.

That said, condolences to his family who likely see him as one of the uncompromising American military.

[LT Barclay]

154. Well think of it this way, that distrust is one of the foundations of the distrust of vaccines, lack

of vaccination fueled pandemic, pandemic killed Powell.
I'm not a believer in "Karma", but it has a strange circularity to it.

[Botany]

12. His legacy

[dalton99a]

15. Powell called it a "blot" on his record

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/colin-powell-u-n-speech-was-a-great-intelligence-failure/

Colin Powell: U.N. Speech “Was a Great Intelligence Failure”
May 17, 2016
by Jason M. Breslow

Colin Powell has called his 2003 speech to the United Nations, laying out the Bush administration’s rationale for war in Iraq, a “blot” on his record. The speech set out to detail Iraq’s weapons program, but as the intelligence would later confirm, that program was nonexistent.

...

[JohnSJ]

31. Yes. He acknowledged that error, something much of the MSM did not do, especially the

NY Times

[niyad]

44. And that did not bring back the dead, or heal the wounded, or restore what was

destroyed, nor did it replenish the treasury.

[JohnSJ]

54. and most of the media and Congress shared that blame. Knight Ridder was one of the only voices

out there to push back on the regarding WMDs before the invasion, but the television and most major newspapers ignored it

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-reporting-team-that-g_n_91981

I would go as far as saying they actually encouraged that war. If you caught the Judy Miller interview by Jon Stewart she as much admitted that by using the excuse they couldn’t present the full story because something to the effect that there wasn’t enough room in the paper to present that

[niyad]

59. I do not exclude any of the complicit.

[whathehell]

140. Yes, and, unlike someone like Robert McNamara, didn't wait 30 years to do so.

[Botany]

49. By the time held up his vile of faux anthrax we had already I.D.ed the source of the real anthrax ..

... by using DNA used after 9/11 and it came from Maryland's Ft. Detrick biological warfare center.

And he also sold the bullshit story about Saddam's mobile labs to make biological weapons.

[justgamma]

109. I'll never forget

how he held up a pencil drawing of a rolling lab as proof. Not a picture. A effing pencil drawing!!

[riversedge]

13. Colin Powell, former secretary of state, dies from COVID complications at 84

More complete headline


Colin Powell, former secretary of state, dies from COVID complications at 84

https://www.axios.com/colin-powell-dead-covid-secretary-state-a8c604a6-ffbf-43d1-9e00-240d4c55be9f.html?utm_campaign=organic&utm_medium=socialshare&utm_source=twitter

[LeftInTX]

118. Holy cow, he was 84?? I thought he was more like 64

[WHITT]

14. Yet Another Perfect Example

of some of the fools at the FDA advisory board that were arguing against booster vaccines, saying that current vaccine levels were working just fine, and pooh-poohing what they called "so-called breakthrough" cases. I forget where, but someplace was reporting that 25% of their ICU hospital admissions were VACCINATED.

Makes me just wanna SMACK these jackasses.

[obamanut2012]

17. It is nowhere near 25%

[WHITT]

96. If By "It" You Mean Nationally

that's not what I was referencing. Some hospital system announced that 25% of their ICU admissions were vaccinated.

[JohnSJ]

35. We don't have enough information if he had any autoimmune conditions, or if he was

taking medicines that affect his immune system

We also are not told what vaccine he was given

That being said, I agree with you, and was glad to see Rochelle Walensky essentially over-rule the FDA restrictions on boosters, to make to more flexible so essentially any adult who believes they are at risk, can get the booster

[Elessar Zappa]

37. CDC just released data

that you’re 11x more likely to die if you’re unvaccinated. So I seriously doubt 25% of icu admissions are vaccinated.

[KS Toronado]

42. I keep reading less than 5%

[obamanut2012]

71. It is elss than 5%

And, most are elderly, very elderly, like Powell.

[oldsoftie]

70. If everyone was vaccinated, then ALL hospitalizations would be "breakthroughs"

But in any major hospital generally over 90% are unvaccinated. Only when you have low numbers can the % get skewed

[WHITT]

120. Exactly

Fauci gave the example that your odds of being hospitalized is the same, if you were unvaccinated in New York state, which has a very high level of vaccination, and vaccinated in South Carolina, which has a very low level of vaccination.

[berni_mccoy]

74. He had cancer and was being treated for that

So yes, even with a vaccine he was at risk

[MyMission]

81. And he was 84

And older people are at more risk, even when vaccinated.

The same population who were most vulnerable before the vaccine is also more vulnerable even with the vaccine. Elderly, cancer patients, obese people, those with autoimmune or heart conditions, and with other conditions should wear masks and avoid crowds.

Breakthrough infections can be mild or severe, but we know some vaccinated people still die.
So you're right, even with a vaccine there are many who are still at risk.

[whathehell]

138. He had Parkinson's Disease. n/t

[mcar]

78. Whoever was reporting that was lying

[WHITT]

121. Doubtful

that a physician representing a hospital system would be lying about admissions, unless a celebrity/politician was involved.

[mcar]

123. Even Faux News disagrees

https://www.foxnews.com/health/covid-19-hospitalizations-nonvaccinated

COVID-19: 99% of hospital admissions were among those not fully vaccinated

[WHITT]

127. I Already Posted Upthread

that I wasn't referring to nationwide.

Do try and keep up.

[mcar]

129. I'm keeping up just fine, thanks

One anecdote does not a fact make.

[WHITT]

131. Not An "Anecdote"

Nearly 25% of those hospitalized with COVID-19 In Iowa are fully vaccinated

IDPH data also shows that 75.3% of patients in Iowa hospitals are unvaccinated.

IDPH says 24.7% of patients in Iowa hospitals are fully vaccinated.

https://www.kcci.com/article/25-percent-of-those-hospitalized-with-covid-19-in-iowa-are-fully-vaccinated/37929056


You're welcome.

[former9thward]

115. Not an example at all.

Powell had several underlying conditions including Parkinson's and melanoma.

[BooScout]

16. I have no nice words...

He lied and a completely unnecessary war ensued where a lot of innocent civilians died.

[niyad]

19. From MyLai to yellowcake, he lied, covered up, caused harm. He was no hero.

[dalton99a]

20. +1. He was a careerist

[Auggie]

32. Well, he obeyed bad orders

Guess that could be called careerist. Or idiot.

[Scrivener7]

24. So disappointing. He had the ability to do great things, but you are right.

[2naSalit]

34. +1

[sarge43]

36. Include publicly defying Clinton about DADT.

As flawed as it was, DADT was better than the regulations that were in place at the time.

[niyad]

46. Yes, thank you.

[DENVERPOPS]

82. Yes

The Iraq lies were not his first rodeo

He soooo much wanted to be a member of the white republican male boys club, he would do anything, even sell out the nation.

If he had called bullshit about the landscape sprayers being called weapon of mass destruction, more would have voted against the war.
Cheney/Rumsfeld needed him to vouch for their justification and he swayed a great many votes.

Not that much different than Comey, in a way........

[NCjack]

86. He was raised on the (DEM) social safety net. When he got in position

of having a sustaining income, he became a Republican.

[CountAllVotes]

85. Powell lied himself to death

n/t

[whathehell]

152. Sorry, but the facts, (and Joe Biden) disagree with you..

Perhap you could at least get it straight on My Lai:

This was written by David Corn of The Nation, likely the most respected publication of the American Left.

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/colin-powells-vietnam-fog/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/10/18/statement-of-president-joe-biden-on-the-passing-of-general-colin-powell/

[sinkingfeeling]

21. R.I.P. I didn't think he was that old.

[niyad]

23. I hope that he is haunted by all the dead from MyLai and Iraq on all sides.

[sinkingfeeling]

27. Sorry, but I don't hold your view of death.

[niyad]

40. I don't share "nil nisi bonum".

[sinkingfeeling]

48. I didn't say anything 'nice. Just believe the dead are dead.

[oldsoftie]

64. I'm sure he wont be, as none of them were his fault.

[niyad]

76. Fascinating.

[usaf-vet]

26. Two points IMHO. 1.HE could have stop the invasion of Iraq. 2. He could have been elected POTUS.

Two would never have happened after he failed the American people.

Failed us by lying at the UN and not speaking the truth about WMD..... NOT in Iraq.

[JohnSJ]

45. I do not believe he could have stopped the second invasion of Iraq, even if he came out and refuted

what the the bush administration said. The wheels of war were well on their way, and much of the media was behind the lie, including The NY Times. Knight Ridder was one of the few media outlets who were reporting that WMDs were not there, and they backed it up

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-reporting-team-that-g_n_91981

[usaf-vet]

62. Of course you could very well be right. But we will never know for sure.

At the time of his UN speech, I have always felt if anyone could have stopped it would have been him.

The NYT reporter Judith Miller was wrong at every step of the way. She was being fed misinformation by the Bush Cheney stovepipe of warmongering.

https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s5/road-to-the-iraq-war/e7/judith-miller-iraq-wmd

[JohnSJ]

65. Of course, but as I said, in spite of all that, Knight Ridder got it right, and their reporing

was completely ignored.

They also ignored the UN inspectors who made it clear they could not find any evidence of WMDs

Yes, Powell’s UN presentation was a catalyst that helped propel us into a war that was already feeding into the public narrative looking for someone to pay for 9/11, regardless of its veracity

[AdamGG]

110. He could have been elected POTUS in '96

Before 9/11 and the Iraq War. He would have been a much more challenging opponent for Clinton's re-election than Bob Dole was. Also, there was some talk of Obama appointing him as Secretary of Education in '08. I think he would have been a good choice and done good work in that role.

[NewHendoLib]

28. once again I invoke the Thumper edict

[RobertDevereaux]

30. David Swanson on Powell's lies...

Last edited Mon Oct 18, 2021, 11:56 AM - Edit history (2)

https://davidswanson.org/colin-powells-own-staff-had-warned-him-against-his-war-lies/?fbclid=IwAR0HsdBScbb7jX61sTYpFUrSbyRJCnvQIdNEHrFooDXXBFicW4qQECVh-5Q

"For most of his presentation, Powell wasn’t inventing dialogue, but he was presenting as facts numerous claims that his own staff had warned him were weak and indefensible. Powell told the UN and the world: “We know that Saddam’s son, Qusay, ordered the removal of all prohibited weapons from Saddam’s numerous palace complexes.” The January 31, 2003, evaluation of Powell’s draft remarks prepared for him by the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (“INR”) flagged this claim as “WEAK”.

"Regarding alleged Iraqi concealment of key files, Powell said: “key files from military and scientific establishments have been placed in cars that are being driven around the countryside by Iraqi intelligence agents to avoid detection.” The January 31, 2003 INR evaluation flagged this claim as “WEAK” and added “Plausibility open to question.” A Feb. 3, 2003, INR evaluation of a subsequent draft of Powell’s remarks noted:

"“Page 4, last bullet, re key files being driven around in cars to avoid inspectors. This claim is highly questionable and promises to be targeted by critics and possibly UN inspection officials as well.”

"That didn’t stop Colin from stating it as fact and apparently hoping that, even if UN inspectors thought he was a brazen liar, US media outlets wouldn’t tell anyone.

"On the issue of biological weapons and dispersal equipment, Powell said: “we know from sources that a missile brigade outside Baghdad was disbursing rocket launchers and warheads containing biological warfare agents to various locations, distributing them to various locations in western Iraq.”
The January 31, 2003, INR evaluation flagged this claim as “WEAK”:"

. . .

[turbinetree]

33. He was and is part of this Legacy.....

US taxpayers have reportedly paid an average of $8,000 each and over $2 trillion total for the Iraq war alone

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-taxpayers-spent-8000-each-2-trillion-iraq-war-study-2020-2

[DENVERPOPS]

94. I am confused

I distinctly remember Rumsfeld saying Iraq war/invasion would only cost three billion, and that Iraq would pay us back out of their oil revenue.......

[turbinetree]

97. Ah yes lets bring this memory back .....

[FoxNewsSucks]

100. Must be the example that made MF45

think Mexico would pay for the wall.

Probably thought there'd be chocolates and flowers for that, too.

[marble falls]

38. With a connection to My Lai. Lt Calley and Capt Medina were directly under Col Powell ...

... no guilt, but in close proximity.

https://edwardrynearson.wordpress.com/behind-colin-powells-legend-the-my-lai-massacre/

RIP, General.

[whathehell]

146. General Powell was not even in Vietnam when My Lai occurred..

The measure of hate and blame being heaped upon him here appears to be in great disproportion to his actual responsibility.

[marble falls]

147. I don't hate Collin Powell. But I recognize his feet of clay ...

[Search domain edwardrynearson.wordpress.com] https://edwardrynearson.wordpress.com › behind-colin-powells-legend-the-my-lai-massacre
After mentioning the My Lai massacre in My American Journey, Powell penned a partial justification of the Americal's brutality. In a chilling passage, Powell explained the routine practice of murdering unarmed male Vietnamese. "I recall a phrase we used in the field, MAM, for military-age male," Powell wrote.

[whathehell]

149. I read the same passage, and it was not a "partial justification"

He basically said that many war situations are so dire, with soldiers scared shirtless, a "kill or be killed" mentality arises.

[marble falls]

150. So massacres are alright as long as it was driven by being scared shitless. Got it.

[whathehell]

151. Not what he said, not what I said..

Try again.

[milestogo]

39. His tombstone should read:

I joined the wrong political party.

[3Hotdogs]

43. I can't forgive him for the lies.

[James48]

47. I served under him, and had the highest respect

He was a good officer, and a very knowledgeable man.

You might not like him. I had a great deal of respect for him, even though he was a republican.

[Farmer-Rick]

52. Me too. I actually met him at a UN function (before W)

But I still feel betrayed by what he did to get us into a useless war in Iraq. I actually believed his UN speech.

[Calista241]

56. I think he actually believed his UN speech. RIP

[oldsoftie]

79. Me too. He seems like the type who wouldnt have given it otherwise.

Cheney played him. And Bush & much of Congress.

[JohnSJ]

63. +++. Some believe the Iraq war could have been avoided if only General Powell had pushed back.

That presumes he had knowledge that the information he was being given was false. I don’t know how much he knew or didn’t know, but he later came out and admitted the invasion of Iraq was a mistake


What I do believe is only Congress could have stopped us going to war, and they didn’t

I also know most of the media was pushing for us to invade Iraq, and it was only Knight Ridder that got the facts correct, and most of the press and new outlets willingly ignored that


and most of the media and Congress shared that blame. Knight Ridder was one of the only voices

out there to push back on the regarding WMDs before the invasion, but the television and most major newspapers ignored it

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-reporting-team-that-g_n_91981

I would go as far as saying they actually encouraged that war. If you caught the Judy Miller interview by Jon Stewart she as much admitted that by using the excuse they couldn’t present the full story because something to the effect that there wasn’t enough room in the paper to present that

[Hav]

72. I very much doubt that he could have changed anything

I think he knew that what he presented was bogus but the hawks of the Bush Admin would have gotten their war anyways. It's not as if he came even close to persuading the representatives of other countries like France or Germany to buy what he sold them.

[JohnSJ]

75. I agree

[ZZenith]

132. They might not have gotten that war if Powell had declared it "bullshit!" publicly

like he did privately. I can only hope he spent the rest of his time on Earth regretting that cowardice, haunted by the ghosts of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi dead.

There’s a price to be paid for being a “company man” and I hope he paid it in full.

[hamsterjill]

50. I had great respect for him

I am so sad to learn that he died from COVID.

We need to do better with the vaccines. More research and better understanding. Fully vaccinated people should not be dying.

My sympathies to his family.

[Javaman]

53. His water carrying for george w moron* and chaney

Last edited Mon Oct 18, 2021, 02:10 PM - Edit history (1)

At the UN with cartoon pictures of “the mobile labs” (that never existed) was the final nail in the coffin in the right wings march to war, fuck him

He will always be a willing participant in the killing 100s of thousands of people.

War criminal is too mild a description for him and his ilk

Fuck him

[DoBotherMe]

113. Yes

And rest in peace Casey Sheehan.

[Snackshack]

55. Sad

🕯

I think at heart he was a good person. He got used by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld.

R. I. P. General.

[PatrickforB]

60. Rest in peace, Colin, and in the eternal light of Divine love.

Aside from the blot on his record, Powell did his best.

[oldsoftie]

68. GOD, I hope trump doesnt release a statement!

Because whatever it would be would likely be insulting.

[Naio]

69. He was a great man, not matter what period

Rest In Peace General powell

[jaxexpat]

77. He grew old and died.

[Elessar Zappa]

80. RIP, General Powell.

[sarchasm]

87. Condolences to the Powell family.

Remember, Cheney had many intelligence connections, and Powell relied on intel from that cabal.

Regardless, I always felt Sec. Powell was a good man, giving us the truth as he knew it.

RIP Sec. Powell

[jmowreader]

88. Well, you know what's going to happen

The fucking antivaxers are going to use General Powell’s death as a rallying cry: “See? He was vaccinated and died anyway. The vaccines don’t work and it was the hospital that killed him.”

[MustLoveBeagles]

137. It's already started

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142814591

[Wingus Dingus]

89. That's a shame. He made mistakes, but was a patriot.

RIP.

[FakeNoose]

98. Yes for sure

I choose to believe that he was used by the Repuke Party. Maybe he was naive about it, he actually believed the crap they told him about the WMD in Iraq. It's just further proof that great military men do not make great politicians. One is all truth and the other is mostly lies.

Rest in Peace, General Powell! Thank you for your service, sir.

[Wingus Dingus]

99. I agree. I think honorable people don't always have good radar

for evil liars in their midst.

[onecaliberal]

91. Rest In Peace.

He was a patriot.

[bdamomma]

92. So sad

Rest in Peace General Powell

[cab67]

93. He's the only one who could have stopped the Iraq War.

Had he simply told Cheney that the whole box of bullshit he was being asked to bring to the UN was exactly that - bullshit - and resigned as Secretary of State, I think a lot of people might have thought twice about invading Iraq, or at the very least about the rationale behind it.

But I prefer not to judge someone because of one mistake. I'm not minimizing the size of this particular mistake - it was a whopper - but he worked honorably throughout the breadth of his life and career.

[DENVERPOPS]

95. Not necessarily, cab

research his past, in particular Mai Lai

[cab67]

102. It's actually somewhat murky.

He was asked to investigate a letter claiming abuse on the part of US forces against Vietnamese civilians.

The letter didn't mention My Lai, though - the writer of the letter wouldn't have known much about it. The massacre happened before Powell arrived in Vietnam, and I don't know how much contact he'd have had with those were there. The reports available to him claimed that most of those killed were "enemy combatants" and that only a small number of civilians were inadvertently caught in the crossfire. These reports were flat-out lies, but Powell might not have known that. So whether Powell actually looked into that particular incident, or how much he'd have learned, are open questions.

(Whether he should have known about is another matter - and solving it would require a thorough investigation of everything Powell had been told up to the point he submitted his report.)

That being said, I would agree that the report he submitted didn't take the claims in the letter seriously enough. That is, indeed, a stain on his record. And whether he knew about it or not, given his role in the Amerocal Division, he certainly should have known. I hold the report against him, but am undecided on how much responsibility for knowing (or not knowing) about the massacre should be laid at his feet.


As an aside - I remain forever shocked that so few Americans know who Hugh Thompson was.

[DENVERPOPS]

126. Hugh Thompson was an honorable man.

And thanks for the other info. I remember reading at the time that Powell had nothing to do with the massacre, but a lot to do with the attempted cover up.......Oh well..............He sold out big time to Cheney/Rumsfeld.

[ananda]

103. He was one of the few Republicans I never really hated.

That's the best I can say.

RIP

[chowder66]

108. I'm sorry to hear this. Rest in Peace. nt

[fizzix137]

116. Great man? No way.

Fawning over this war criminal is disgusting. Name one "great" thing he did. He was a liar plain and simple. When he was caught, he acknowledged that he made a mistake. A mistake! He could have saved his soul by testifying against his fellow war criminals, but he just smiled and remained silent. Was he charming, eloquent, and striking in his medal-bedazzled uniform? Oh, yes. Will he burn for all eternity with W, Cheney, and Gonzales? I'll let the thousands of soldiers and hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis decide.

[CountAllVotes]

117. +1

and Welcome to the Democratic Underground fizzix137!!

Thank you for your truth filled post!

[whathehell]

148. President Joe.Biden strongly disagrees with you..

but I'm SURE you know more.than he does -- "War criminal" my ass.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/10/18/statement-of-president-joe-biden-on-the-passing-of-general-colin-powell/

[roamer65]

124. The willfully unvaccinated killed him.

Just like they have been murdering thousands of others.

[YoshidaYui]

125. This is sad, I really liked him, and was hoping some day

He would run for some kind of office. May you have a swift journey to where ever you are going...

[ecstatic]

130. RIP. He gave one of the best endorsements I've

ever heard when he endorsed Senator Obama. He spoke for like 5 to 7 minutes straight, no "ummms" or "uhhhs," just pure substance and eloquence. At that moment, I "saw" him and my opinion of him changed.

[oasis]

134. 100% agree.

RIP Colin Powell.

[Rhiannon12866]

136. Twitter response:

Link to tweet

[Deminpenn]

144. His life will always have an asterisk beside it

For as many "firsts" as he was, he was a bold-faced liar about Iraq having nuclear/chemical weapons. Nothing can ever erase the legacy of the thousands of US soldiers killed and wounded by his deception.