WMD lies: Powell's remarks of 2-24-01, the SMOKING GUN!!!

[tableturner]

Was there intelligence at the president's disposal that showed that Iraq did not pose a viable WMD threat? Here is a big hint (actually MUCH more than a hint). Word for word quotes of Colin Powell's remarks, February 24, 2001, directly from the State Department's web site, BEFORE 9/11, at a point in time before the Bush administration thought they could use the attacks of 9/11 as a pretext to attack Iraq, thus also at a point in time without motivation to exaggerate or mislead relative to evidence about WMD:

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2001/933.htm

"We had a good discussion, the Foreign Minister and I and the President and I, had a good discussion about the nature of the sanctions -- the fact that the sanctions exist -- not for the purpose of hurting the Iraqi people, but for the purpose of keeping in check Saddam Hussein's ambitions toward developing weapons of mass destruction. We should constantly be reviewing our policies, constantly be looking at those sanctions to make sure that they are directed toward that purpose. That purpose is every bit as important now as it was ten years ago when we began it. And frankly they have worked. He has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbors. So in effect, our policies have strengthened the security of the neighbors of Iraq, and these are policies that we are going to keep in place, but we are always willing to review them to make sure that they are being carried out in a way that does not affect the Iraqi people but does affect the Iraqi regime's ambitions and the ability to acquire weapons of mass destruction, and we had a good conversation on this issue."

Why did Powell say this? Do you think he just cavalierly decided to make these points? Don't you think this was derived from intelligence?

I am sorry (not really), but the Powell quotes are a smoking gun.

[puerco-bellies]

1. If Powell was asked about this under oath..

Impeachment for the un-elected piece of crap would be a slam-dunk

[Kimber Scott]

2. Problem is...

everytime someone calls for an investigation of these con artists, the con artists say the investigation will have to wait. Wait for what? For the election to be over? I hope somebody gets in there that will have the guts to put these bastards in jail. I'm afraid they'll all be pardoned and sent home to play with their money, though. It's a shame. It's the New American Century.

[newyawker99]

11. Hi puerco-bellies!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Stagger lee]

3. This quote really does seem to be

damning. I mean, his response really makes one wonder how so much could have changed so quickly in terms of intelligence regarding WMD’s. In his comments, Powell states that the sanctions “have worked” and that “He has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction”. Was Powell simply unaware of all the other intelligence which suggested Iraq posed a real and immediate threat? Or, do Powell’s comments reflect the actual assessment by the CIA before the intelligence became politicized? If the latter, then Kay is wrong. The CIA knew that the weapons were not there and Cheney ed. al. were using bad, "politicized" intelligence to lead us into war.

[treepig]

5. another thing, these quotes had to be based on intelligence

coming from the clinton administration (based on the fact that the bush gang had only been in power for a month or so).

therefore, they also reveal the right-wing talking point that "clinton knew there were WsMD too" to be bogus

[Stagger lee]

8. Good point on Clinton

I am trying to forward this to Democratic Senators and the press. Maybe, just maybe, someone will see why this is potentially important...I just hope it is not scrubed.

[maggrwaggr]

4. ah, but that was before 9/11 "changed everything"

including changing what we know the truth is.

They decided to change the truth after 9/11 and nobody seems to complain. Think about it. George Bush went from an affable loser to a brave commander in chief. Saddam Hussein went from a has-been dictator loser to an imminent world threat. The Taliban went from a bunch of opium-growing religious fanatics to a grave threat against the United States.

And the United States went from a strong but oblivious nation to a cowering bunch of weenies who decided to beat the shit out of anyone who looked suspicious.

[Gin]

6. 9-11 did change everything...truth is a lie...down is up..wrong is right..

black is white...and so on...wonder what they would have concocted if 9-11 had not happened?

It's good that you saved the copy of Powell's words. If ever those words are used against him..the story will be it was another man named Powell.

[treepig]

7. mr. powell was confronted with this quote

by tim russert perhaps, (can't remember for sure) and that was his exact response - after 9-11 we had to re-evaluate everything based on the new reality.

of course mr. russert didn't ask the logical follow-up question "upon re-evaluation, how just how does zero become greater than zero?" (personally, i'd love to know, then i'd ask my bank to re-evaluate my saving account using the same methodology).

now that mr. o'neil has revealed (or should i say confirmed what everybody at DU knew all along) that the iraq war was planned from day 1, i haven't heard mr. powell repeat this sorry ass excuse again

[ElementaryPenguin]

9. They most certainly are!

I showed this to people awhile ago. Of course it won't be addressed at all by the mainstream media whores - who will instead show Howard Dean's scream endlessly!!

:puke:
:argh:

[dennis4868]

10. There are so many smoking guns....

here is another one from the Center of American Progress:

DIA WARNINGS IGNORED: In September, 2002, the Defense Intelligence Agency (http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/US/Pentagon/us-dod-iraqchemreport-060703.htm) told the White House that there is " no reliable information (http://www.ceip.org/files/nonprolif/templates/article.asp?NewsID=4928) on whether Iraq is producing and stockpiling chemical weapons." The report also said, "A substantial amount of Iraq's chemical warfare agents, precursors, munitions, and production equipment were destroyed between 1991 and 1998 as a result of Operation Desert Storm and UN actions."

AND THIS:

STATE DEPT. INTELLIGENCE WARNINGS IGNORED: In October, 2002, the State Department's Intelligence and Research Department (INR) told the White House that its WMD conclusions were inaccurate (http://www.ceip.org/files/projects/npp/pdf/Iraq/declassifiedintellreport.pdf) . Its report said, "the activities we have detected do not ... add up to a compelling case that Iraq is currently pursuing what INR would consider to be an integrated and comprehensive approach to acquiring nuclear weapons." The Financial Times on 7/30/03 noted that this warning was specifically reiterated to Secretary Powell during the preparations of his U.N. speech, but again was ignored.

THERE ARE MANY MORE...

[bluedog]

12. kick

for the evening crowd