Powell: I told you so. Well, I told him so.

[lwcon]

All we can do is again wish that Powell had lov'd Caesar less and lov'd Rome more:

The former American secretary of state Colin Powell has revealed that he spent 2½ hours vainly trying to persuade President George W Bush not to invade Iraq and believes today’s conflict cannot be resolved by US forces.

“I tried to avoid this war,” Powell said at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado. “I took him through the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers.”

Powell has become increasingly outspoken about the level of violence in Iraq, which he believes is in a state of civil war. “The civil war will ultimately be resolved by a test of arms,” he said. “It’s not going to be pretty to watch, but I don’t know any way to avoid it. It is happening now.”

He added: “It is not a civil war that can be put down or solved by the armed forces of the United States.” All the military could do, Powell suggested, was put “a heavier lid on this pot of boiling sectarian stew”.

Certainly, it's a good thing that Powell lends his voice to the growing chorus of Republicans who are losing that surgin' feeling. But, gee Wilkerson, this horse has long since fled the Pottery Barn door, hasn't it?

___

Hey, the liberal light is always on at the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy. Please stop by and say "hi!"

[Big Pappa]

1. Well,

why did he not bring this up while speaking to the UN.

[Virginia Dare]

2. Nice try Colin, too little too late, blood all over your hands...n/t

[Xipe Totec]

3. Oh, Colin, tell us the one about the mobile weapons labs again

or the aluminum tubes,

or the yellow cake.

The stories sound so convincing when they're coming from you...

:sarcasm:

[Arugula Latte]

4. And yet you made the UN speech, didn't you, you spineless ass ...

STFU, Colin.

[mzmolly]

20. Exactly and that speech, by a man many THOUGHT at the time had integrity

is what likely sealed the rotten deal.

[bahrbearian]

5. "I tried to warn him, I tried to tell them,,,yeah ,,,thats the ticket"

[Colobo]

6. I sympathize with Powell; he obeyed his boss, but tried to avoid the disaster

To think someone is gonna turn against the president in such moments is stupid and naive.

[tkmorris]

8. No it isn't

Cabinet members have quit before over ideological differences, and I'd say a trumped up war is about as important as it gets, wouldn't you? Would you have done what Powell did, or even consider it?

[lwcon]

9. Damn straight

I give you the Saturday Night Massacre: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_night_massacre

___

Hey, the liberal light is always on at the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy. Please stop by and say "hi!"

[tkmorris]

11. That was one of the incidents I had in mind

Sometimes principles trump loyalty. At least, they used to.

[lwcon]

12. I was quite sure you did

I present that as a classic example for the apologists. "Good soldier" doesn't cut it when two sovereign nations -- including ours -- are at stake.

___

Hey, the liberal light is always on at the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy. Please stop by and say "hi!"

[calimary]

13. Not necessarily. If he REALLY cared about his former brothers and sisters

in the military, and he could not in his own mind/heart justify the war and thought it was wrong - and then also saw that he was being pushed into something he didn't believe in, HE SHOULD HAVE RESIGNED. PERIOD.

It's one thing to stand up for something when it might make a difference, or might REALLY throw a crowbar into the gears and slow things down, and quite another to stand up for something after you notice the majority has turned against the war and it's now chic to be against it.

[lwcon]

14. If Shakespeare were alive today...

He could find no greater tragic figure. Powell had this heroic power of credibility and misused it in a truly epic way.

Sad for him. Sadder for many, many others.

___

Hey, the liberal light is always on at the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy. Please stop by and say "hi!"

[calimary]

21. You're not kidding. There goes that career.

There goes that reputation. It's got the mark of bush on it - you know, the guy with the "Reverse Midas Touch"? Everything he touches turns to shit. And one of the things he sure wrapped his arms around was colin powell.

I'm sorry. When it's self-inflicted, I don't have much sympathy.

[flyarm]

24. yes he had that obligation..to all the military men serving today and all who

came before them!!

he had an obligation..he worked for the people of the United States!

if his boss was about to burn down the building and left the people inside to burn to death..he would be charged with a crime!!

no different here..he knew a crime was about to be committed and he was an accessory to the crime!

he used a palgerized college guys dissertation paper as intelligence...to bullshit the american people....he knew it was lies!!and if for some reason he didn't, it was in the british papers 2 days after he gave his speech..he could have come out and said..they lied to me and gave me fake intelligence!!

he owed that to every American..he owed that to every soldier and their families, he owed that to the iraqi people , he owed that to the world..integrity makes one tell the truth..integrity is what powell does not have ..he is a lying sack of horse shit!

and people are dead..there is no do over on dead..

there is no opps on dead..

and there is no 2 1/2 hour i tried to stop it ..on dead.

almost or more than 1 million Iraqi's are dead...

3,500+ american soldiers are dead..and tens of thousands wounded for life..there is no do over on that!!

before this war started over 50% of the iraqi population was under the age of 15..thats alot of dead kids and their mommies and daddy;s..and grandma's and grandpas..

if he so well knew what a disaster it was going to be..and he did ..he is responsible for not stopping this war ..with any means possible!
the majority of americans wewre against this war..

the majority of the world was against this war..

he had an obligation to tell the truth..period the end!!

fly

[eridani]

7. What's interesting is where this has been reported

http://www.google.com/search?as_q=colin+powell&hl=en&num=10&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=i+tried+to+avoid+this+war&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&as_rights=&safe=images


A British paper, your usual lefty blogs (and free republic) citing the Brits, the Denver Post, the Aspen Daily News, Malaysia, Australia, and from AP and our national papers of record............crickets.

[no name no slogan]

10. HALLELUJAH! (4+ years too late)

If he was so against the war, he should have resigned on March 21, 2003.

He didn't.

Enough said.

[rasputin1952]

15. One of the most brilliant minds of th 20th Century took both of the...

presidents he served closely with on when principles were at stake, and both had the sense to listen to him.

George Marshall, while Army Chief of Staff, made it a point never to laugh at FDR's jokes to make sure FDR knew he wasn't a "Yes Man". This impressed FDR greatly, and he knew if he needed an honest answer, he'd get it from Marshall. Marshall was apolitical when Chief of Staff and later, even as Sec of State under Truman. Marshall left the politics to the politicians, and took on reconstructing a devastated Europe and Asia in the aftermath of WWII. He began the buildup against the Soviet aggression, and was overruled when he told Truman he needed to be tough w/the Soviets right out of the gate. Years later, in Berlin, when the Soviets defied US troops at the US crossing, being stubborn and not flinching showed that Marshall was right...the Cuban Missile Crisis proved Marshall's theory again. He knew bluster over substance.

Powell could have resigned if he actually believed then, what he is saying now. At the UN, when the one individual that was seen as impeccable, produced powder in a vial stating that such a small amount of agent could wreak havoc, he was believed. He also sold his soul at that point. Most people didn't believe the administrations trash about nukes, Chemical weapons or al-Quaeda all over Iraq...but when Powell spoke, people listened.

Powell is an intelligent man who has, most likely, been kicking himself stupid over what he did. he sold out principle, for political expedience, and he'll never be seen as an honest man again. It is sad & somewhat tragic that Colin Powell hooked his future to a wagon of explosives that was already on fire...:(

[lwcon]

17. Despite his avuncular charm...

... and occasional moments of seeming well-meaning, to call Powell's record checkered would be generous: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1344


___

Hey, the liberal light is always on at the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy. Please stop by and say "hi!"

[Vickers]

16. A simple resignation would've sent shock(and awe!)waves through all of this...

Too late, you cowardly gubmint teat-sucking traitor, your name will forever have the stink of Dumbya attached to it.

[robinlynne]

23. or even iniciating a public discussion/debate....

[Trajan]

18. An accurate diagnosis ....

But it doesn't erase the pitiful LYING he committed in his UN speech .....

Save the mea culpa for your momma, Colin ....

[mzmolly]

19. And then you went before the UN and assisted in the pending slaughter.

"Serve it on toast," Colin.

[robinlynne]

22. well, let's see, Powell is one of the few who who actually COULD HAVE STOPPED IT but DIDN't.

[Az_lefty]

25. He should have resigned to make his point...

people would have taken notice.