Powell admits errors in war: He says lack of troops impeded U.S. success

[ECH1969]

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday night in the Twin Cities that he harbors no regrets about the U.S. invasion of Iraq but acknowledged wartime mistakes and warned that Iraq's eventual government might not be as broad-based as American leaders had hoped.

The mistake in Iraq was not that the U.S. invaded, he said. It was that "we didn't have enough troops to take control on the ground'' and didn't immediately impose martial law in order to protect the various ministries and infrastructure throughout Iraq. And, when given the chance by a questioner to outline the good things being accomplished in Iraq, Powell gave a mixed review.

An audience member asked about the lack of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Powell said when he delivered a speech before the United Nations in February 2003, he was convinced by the intelligence reports of the CIA, Israel, Britain, Germany, Spain and others that Saddam Hussein had them. "Either he got rid of them quickly or Saddam Hussein might have thought he had them,'' Powell said. "We don't know.''

Despite setbacks in Iraq, Powell said, he expects American troops to begin leaving Iraq this year because "we can't sustain it with the troops going there four, five, six times'' and because Iraqi soldiers are better trained. But to much applause, he said, "We can't be weak-kneed. We can't walk away.''

http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/13581700.htm

[Warren Stupidity]

1. Liar continues to lie.

Anybody care to defend this asshole? Anyone? What nobody?

[Mike Nelson]

2. Obviously Powell (where was your mouth earlier?)

The Keystone Kops. Fror goodness sake, if you're gonna start an unjust war... WIN IT. I don't think they even wanted to even win. They just want to stay there endlessly.

[ECH1969]

3. Powell Quotes

The mistake in Iraq was not that the U.S. invaded.

"Either he got rid of them quickly or Saddam Hussein might have thought he had them,'' Powell said. "We don't know.''

"We can't be weak-kneed. We can't walk away.''

[LynnTheDem]

13. You DO KNOW, Powell; bush's inspector told you. NO WMD since '91

NO WMD SINCE 1991.

But hey, WMD never mattered and now that bush's close personal pal, Rep. Hall (R) is admitting we invaded an innocent nation and slaughtered/ing tens of thousands of innocent people for the WAR ON ENERGY, you can just drop the wmd bullshit entirely!

[leesa]

4. He harbors no regrets about the invasion...fucking war criminal.

He KNOWS he lied to get the war on and he doesn't give a shit...fucking murdering monster!

[warpigs]

5. Weapons Inspectors

The weapons inspectors were there when you made a fool of yourself at the UN. Why didn't you listen to them??

Sick of the blame on "intelligence" when we had inspectors on the ground who couldn't find anything. Bush ran into war quickly before the inspectors couldn't find anything because they knew they wouldn't find anything. Talk about revisionist history.

Hell would be too kind.

[ZombieGak]

6. pathetic

Powell pisses away what little credibility he has left by continuing to support an illegal act of aggression on the part of the US.

[Oversea Visitor]

7. It other words

We can fucking invade any one in the world we like cause we a fucking superpower.
Might make right x(

Oh well,
Good Luck Americans

[wordpix]

8. repug family member who knows Cheney says BushCo didn't go for WMD

They went to establish a base or bases in the region b/c it's strategic. Geez, wonder why? Got oil?

[Captain Hilts]

9. He should have a LOT of regrets about the war. nt

[fshrink]

10. First circle:

You cannot get enough troops to "take control of the ground". It is not, and never has been, a matter of number. It is a matter of objective, a strategic matter. Maybe Powell is stupid enough to believe what he says. Maybe not.
Second circle: The strategic goal was never to take control of Iraq. It was ,and still is, to set the region ablaze. To destabilize it for as long as possible. Jeopardizing Europe's economic development. Maximizing the odds of maintaining a conservative grip on the nation for the foreseeable future.
Third circle: US people is under a tighter leash and its proletariat can croak in mine-shafts without rebelling.

[BlueEyedSon]

11. $1.4 trillion later.....

[LynnTheDem]

12. bush pal; WAR FOR OIL = WAR ON TERRA, it's a GOOD THING!

INVADING an innocent nation, slaughtering tens of thousands of men, women, children is GOOD...we just didn't INVADE HARD ENOUGH!

Gotta protect that OIL from terrorists, admits bush's close personal friend, Rep. Hall.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=94456&mesg_id=94456

[LynnTheDem]

14. "he was convinced by the intelligence reports of the CIA"...THESE reports?

CIA to Bush: 'No clear Evidence of WMD'
http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/120103A.shtml

Why the CIA thinks Bush is wrong
The president says the US has to act now against Iraq. The trouble is, his own security services don't agree.
http://www.sundayherald.com/28384

CIA in blow to Bush attack plans
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,808970,00.html

White House 'exaggerating Iraqi threat'
Bush's televised address attacked by US intelligence
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,807286,00.html

[daleo]

15. Just in case anyone still thought Powell had integrity

This should lay that delusion to rest.

[IndianaGreen]

16. The mistake is that we attacked Iraq

and placed ourselves on the same moral plane as Imperial Japan when it invaded Manchuria, Nazi Germany when it invaded Poland, and Fascist Italy when it invaded Ethiopia.

The issue is not that Bush mismanaged the war, the issue is that the war was wrong to begin with.

The solution is not to put someone that can manage the war better than Bush, but to put someone in the White House that will bring this war to an end and hold those responsible for it accountable in an international court of law.

[truthisfreedom]

17. don't you just love how bushco gives a tiny bit of ground quietly (and has

their least-noticed flunkies handle the problem) until they literally admit to something they vehemently denied for years?

look at what he's saying. "we didn't have enough troops to take control on the ground" is a tacit admission to what we screamed about for 2 years.

"didn't immediately impose martial law in order to protect the various ministries and infrastructure throughout Iraq" is what caused the theft of thousands of tons of high-explosives that have killed our kids and huge numbers of innocent Iraqis and allowed the nuclear sites sealed by the UN to be raided and plundered and caused the tragic loss of incalculable cultural treasures from their museums.

and look at this new twist... Powell is claiming that saddam hussein "might have thought he had" wmds... SO NOW THE JUSTIFICATION IS THAT SADDAM'S OWN PEOPLE LIED TO HIM, CONVINCING HIM HE HAD WMDS, AND IT'S ALL THEIR FAULT FOR MAKING US THINK THEY DID?

what an unbelieveable pile of dung.

[Disturbed]

18. C. Powell is a liar, a coward and dishonorable.

Saddam repeatedly stated that there were no WMDs. Powell is a freakin' liar.


"Gotta protect that OIL from terrorists, admits bush's close personal friend, Rep. Hall."

This arrogant twit gw bush said this himself.


"The terrorists want to control the oil. Our way of life will be at risk". George W. Bush (Nov. 2005)

[rman]

19. It's not like Powell is sec of defense;

why would he "acknowledge" mistakes on behalf of Rumsfeld?

[zann725]

20. Better late than never?!!! JUST "implying"....3 years later?!

n/t

[Az_lefty]

21. Got rid of them???

I'm sick of hearing this excuse. It makes no sense. Why would a dictator get rid of WMDs when they are the only way he has of protecting himself from a superior force. This meme that he sent them to Syria and allowed himself to be ousted is pure bullshit!

[hatrack]

22. If Powell were a Roman Catholic priest . ..

He'd just now be getting around to apologizing for imprisoning Galileo.

Real timely, Colin. :eyes: