CNN - Former aide: Powell WMD speech 'lowest point in my life'

[sabra]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/08/19/powell.un/

Former aide: Powell WMD speech 'lowest point in my life'

Programming Note: "Dead Wrong -- Inside an Intelligence Meltdown" airs Sunday at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET on CNN.

(CNN) -- A former top aide to Colin Powell says his involvement in the former secretary of state's presentation to the United Nations on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was "the lowest point" in his life.

"I wish I had not been involved in it," says Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, a longtime Powell adviser who served as his chief of staff from 2002 through 2005. "I look back on it, and I still say it was the lowest point in my life."

Wilkerson is one of several insiders interviewed for the CNN Presents documentary "Dead Wrong -- Inside an Intelligence Meltdown." The program, which airs Sunday at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET, pieces together the events leading up to the mistaken WMD intelligence that was presented to the public. A presidential commission that investigated the pre-war WMD intelligence found much of it to be "dead wrong."

....

"(Powell) came through the door ... and he had in his hands a sheaf of papers, and he said, 'This is what I've got to present at the United Nations according to the White House, and you need to look at it,'" Wilkerson says in the program. "It was anything but an intelligence document. It was, as some people characterized it later, sort of a Chinese menu from which you could pick and choose."

[yellerpup]

1. Let the truth come out. eom

[RagAss]

2. Everyone should spread the word about this special...

A show like this would have been unheard of on MSM even a short year ago...

[dogday]

3. Holy crap

did this just read like they where fixing the policy around the facts? Cause it sure did sound a lot like it...

[sabra]

5. "Chinese menu from which you could pick and choose."

seems to be...

[Pachamama]

58. Like Chinese food, it makes you feel full at first & hours later your

hungrier for more....or feeling sick as is the case for the world after this meal prepared by the Bush Cabal...

Ah yes, they chose the fact for our foreign policy like it was a la carte off a menu....

[barb162]

4. Maybe DUers should stop disparaging CNN so much

If this show is as good as I think it might be, CNN can't be all bad

[NewJeffCT]

11. they've been getting better

At least it's not ALL NATALEE ALL THE TIME.

still far from great, but better than a year ago. Of course, I don't really watch Larry King or Paula Zahn, but supposedly Zahn asked a few tough questions recently, if you believe it.

[KansDem]

60. You think so?

What about this sentence...?

events leading up to the mistaken WMD intelligence

What the hell does "mistaken WMD intelligence" mean? Was Bush really given "mistaken WMD intelligence?" Isn't this the right-wing talking point for this whole debacle--that Bush was given "bad information" thereby placing responsibility on others? Or did he and his gang lie about the intelligence, as indicated by the lack of WMDs, the DSM, and the reasons for the Plame outing? Afterall, millions screamed that an Iraq invasion was unnecessary. Included among those were some experts, like Scott Ritter. Why couldn't CNN have reported "events leading up to the fraudulent WMD intelligence?" That would be much closer to the truth of the matter.

Could CNN be trying to whitewash this again?

[montanacowboy]

6. The current thought about this program is

that it will bolster the bad intelligence theory as opposed to "fixing" intelligence

which do you think it is? telling the truth, or propping up the stupid puppet?

[sabra]

8. maybe in between?

However, with statements like "Chinese menu from which you could pick and choose." I think some will finally have their eyes open?

[blm]

12. Their usual MO is to offer some truth but sweep it away from the point

where it will hurt Bush the most.

They employed this same tactic throughout the campaign and the 9-11 commission report.

[Burried News]

30. Agree - damage control. The 'Treason' word is in the air

and CNN has a stake in escaping the net.

3.8 million hits at dailykos last week. Look at the quality of the posting - look at the overwhelming numbers willing to say 'fraud' 'fix' 'betray' 'Treason'.

It is getting less confusing everyday and meanwhile the deathtoll mounts and the strategic failures more evident.

They played a dangerous game and loss. The consequences for them are long long long overdue.

Judy Judy Judy WhatsaMataHari - how was lunch today? Franks and beans all dried out, fruit punch disgustingly sweet? Well it wasn't MRE's and the drink had ice, Nicht War?
Hard to nap with the Rap? What can I say darlin - start singing yourself

[barb162]

Let's hope it is about fixing the intelligence because that means

LIES. And lies mean impeachable offenses (especially if the Democrats get lucky enough to win a Congress House in 2006 (dreaming)). I hope it concentrates on how many times Cheney and his stooges were going to the CIA to put pressure on the Mideast desk agents to say what he wanted them to say. The more exposes on monkeyboy the better

[understandinglife]

7. Perhaps a DU Activist Group ...

.... effort should be to spread the word about this show as far and wide as possible.

On edit -- an LBN link to this story is:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1712485&mesg_id=1712485


Peace.

[Postman]

9. Will they mention the Office of Special Plans (OSP)? No.

Just another attempt at a cover-up of "failed intelligence"

No Shit.

How about "collaboration in deception" of the American people?

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2004/01/12_405.html

[electropop]

14. It was not an "Intelligence Meltdown," it was

an "Intelligence Bypass." Cheney, Bolton, etc bullied the CIA into making stuff up, and Rummie created the Office of Slanted Perceptions to make up some more. There were no mistakes; it was all intentional. I'm guessing CNN will bypass that part of the story.

:mad:

[rocktivity]

27. DING DING DING! Electropop, you're our grand prize winner!

...it was an intelligence bypass...There were no mistakes; it was all intentional. I'm guessing CNN will bypass that part of the story.

Another example of great minds thinking alike!

On edit: I've just read the story on the web page--"The program, which airs Sunday at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET, pieces together the events leading up to the mistaken WMD intelligence that was presented to the public." Mistaken? How about DELIBERATELY FALSIFIED????

:headbang:
rocknation

[electropop]

28. But of course!

And thank you very much!

:toast:

[rocktivity]

29. Enough with the clinking--let's do some drinking!

:beer: :beer:
rocknation

[WhoWantsToBeOccupied]

42. A "news bypass"

[FreedomAngel82]

10. I hope they show how Bush manipulated everyone

[WhiteTara]

13. so you're whining now, but why did you do it then?

another traitor that was too much into his career and the kool aid to say stop stop stop. What a pathetic creature.

[Gabi Hayes]

16. amen! this is one of those times when I fervently wish that there's

a real, authentic, roast-em-alive HELL!

that's where they all belong

assuming there isn't, how bout a place like Abu Ghraib, run by, say former torturees?

[WhiteTara]

35. the punishment for treason is death

I vote for a firing squad on the wh lawn. I'll sign up for the duty!

[niallmac]

53. Me too but with my luck

I'd get the blank bullet.

[WhiteTara]

62. LOL

I hadn't thought of that sad fate!

[KG]

17. if the man had a even a shred of honor, he would have resigned and spoken

out. but no, he kept carrying water for RW adminsitrations.

he's just another RW scumbag. fuck him.

[WhiteTara]

34. my sentiments exactly!

:grr:

[niallmac]

54. Yeah, why does the name Robert McNamara

come to mind? I hate these born again traitors.

[_ed_]

15. Scumbag

Colonel Wilkerson,
There are 1,900 dead servicemen and women dead because of your complicity in this lie. Maybe this info would have been more helpful before March 2003.

was "the lowest point" in his life.
At least you still have a life...

[ladjf]

25. Well, at least he has come forward with the information.

That's better than what all the rest of the perpetrators are now doing. It would be a terrible mistake if we pounced on any "whistle blower" who were involved. They should be granted a protected state for trying to make things right. I'm just talking strategy here, not how everyone feels about everything.

[_ed_]

38. Maybe

I still stand by my post. As a uniformed officer, this man was trusted to stand up for soldiers. He did not, and I will not grant him any sort of protected status.

You're right that he is better for telling the truth, even years later. But he still must answer for helping that snake Powell to mislead the entire world in front of the UN.

[ladjf]

50. Ethically speaking, I agree with your point. My idea, however,

is that the best hope we have of exposing the Bush criminals is for one of their own to step forward and blow the whistle. I think it would be smart to encourage that to happen.

I'm not saying that you are wrong. I'm saying that bringing down Bushco is more important than just about anything.

[seabeyond]

18. powell sat at u.n. and i said, he wouldnt betray his men

i cant trust bush cheney or rice, but powell would not betray his men. he is a military man. he would not do this to them. i have to trust him

yes, it is the lowest point. they could not of sunk any lower. and it has nothing to do with lying to me. it has all to do with screwing his fellow soldiers. soldiers that trust and depend on him

[fooj]

20. I felt the same way you did, seabeyond.

A sad day, indeed.:cry:

Peace.

[seabeyond]

24. peace n/t

[rocktivity]

33. But betray his man is EXACTLY what Powell did.

Up until now, you could take some comfort in the possibilty that he was deliberately kept out of the loop. But this one statement by his assistant blows that away. Now it looks like the MSM and the Bush Empire are setting him up to take the fall.

:cry:
rocknation

[seabeyond]

36. powell betrayed his men that trusted him n/t

[Double T]

19. I can almost hear the prison cell door closing on the bush administration

[Greyhound]

37. I hope you're not holding your breath. n/t

[rocktivity]

21. An Intelligence MELTDOWN? TORO TURD!!!!

Powell's presentation was the result of "sort of a Chinese menu from which you could pick and choose"? Well, that certainly dovetails in to the Downing Street Minutes' "fixing the facts to fit the policy." It was more of an intelligence workaround than a meltdown.

Ironically, it was Powell's UN presentation that crystallized Bush's real motives to me--if the inspectors found no WMDs, there would be no justification for invading, and with no invasion, there would be no oil or base of operations for taking over the rest of the Middle East.

However, the title of this program really bothers me. If its premise is that Bush was the innocent victim of incompetent intelligence, it's PROPAGANDA! There WERE no weapons, they KNEW there were no weapons, and thanks to the Downing Street Minutes, we now KNOW that they knew there were no weapons!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Miss Chybil]

22. Why? Why? Why? Why?

Why?

This time, better late than never is too late.

[Dinger]

23. Was This The "This Is Bullshit" Moment of Powell . .

that i read about? You know, a PowerPoint DRAWING of "evidence" of WMD? It seemed that even Powell thought it was crap (but he made the presentation anyway : (

[ladjf]

26. In terms of respect, Powell may have gone from the highest to

lowest, more than anyone else. Look what he has done to himself. Why did he piss away a great career to protect Bushit?

[Al-CIAda]

45. He and his son have profitted handsomely from this junta. nt

[ladjf]

48. Most definitely. But, I thought he had more character than that.

[emanymton]

31. No Sympathy. One Chooses And Lives By The Consequences...

Lives are in the balance. Ask General Longstreet about Gettysburg and passing orders for men to die.


Bush Lied. People Died. Media Cheered.

[long_green]

32. Amen. No one in a position of influence in this administration

had the integrity and courage to stand up when it might have made a difference. Soon Colin Powell will write a book in which he will perform his own Robert McNamara-style mea culpa.
Too late. Too late for all of you. You're all murderers.

[jokerman93]

39. Good! Maybe a reckoning is on its way

I'll never forget watching Rumsfeld and jr. Bush practically high-fiving each other on national television after their little shock and awe display. Visibly giddy with successfully pulling off their little ponsey scheme. I even remember Rumsfeld making some glib comment like "All you have to do is repeat something enough times and it becomes true!"

Bold, huh? Thinking Americans were so stupid you could call them morans to their face and get away with it. Well they were right - for awhile...

:-)

Oh, I do so hope these criminal bastards are starting to sweat depleted Uranium bullets about now. BTW, has anyone heard from Jr. or Little Donny lately? America is starting to have a few questions for them.

[theplutsnw]

40. That presentation was what really turned me against the war...

I happened to watch it and all I could think about the whole time was this is like a kid giving a book report for a book he DID NOT READ!!!! Anyone watching that day should have come to the same conclusion, what an embarassing day for Powell!

[progressoid]

41. Goddamn CNN!

The title of the "documentary is telling: Dead Wrong -- Inside an Intelligence Meltdown. Seems to imply that this is all just a big clerical error. This administration knew what they were doing. They knew they were lying.

Trying to blame this on some befuddled intelligence is a fucking smokescreen.

Wanna place bets that they don't quote Wolfowitz when he let it slip that WMDs were and excuse to invade...."for bureaucratic reasons, we settled on one issue – weapons of mass destruction

[Supersedeas]

43. the Title does speak volumes: we'll see.

[Postman]

46. They Lied. Plain and simple. There was no "intelligence failure".

They all should be in prison.

[hatrack]

44. Great, another moment of clarity at 5 minutes after midnight. Wonderful.

So, if was all that bad, why didn't you quit? Why didn't you protest? Why didn't you go to the press? Why didn't you go to the Democrats on the Hill? Why didn't you do SOMETHING?!?!?!?

Little late for heart-wrenching regrets now, Buddy.

[bos1]

47. There's a kind of morbid humor to this.

Morbid referring to which death I don't know -- the mass murder in Iraq or the death of democracy in US

[NRaleighLiberal]

49. Can the administration actually have an intelligence failure...

when it has no intelligence???

[ribrepin]

51. And when you pass to the next life, Colin

Your buddies in the press will mention the speech you gave about WMD.
Your other accomplishment will barely be mentioned.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

52. I STILL remember talking to a former friend of mine on the phone after

this speech. Him telling me how Powell was convincing, how he'd had his doubts but was now sold on the war. This a former enlisted guy I used to work with during my Navy days.

That's about that last time I ever spoke with him. I wonder how many, like him, Powell duped with that stupid presentation.

[niallmac]

55. I'm not military

I'm ex vietnam war fucking protester.
i don't live in the DC beltway
I don't have a private line to Karl Rove...
So how come I knew all this was BS from the get go? Am I some genius?
According to my check book I'm no genius. I'm a schmuck and proud of it but what is
with these shills called citizens that swallow EVERY damn word they are told
by the government? I think the freepers consider 'thinking or doubting'
right up there with comyounism.

[tallahasseedem]

56. Whatever....

This man knows exactly what the administration is doing and still repeats the right wing talking points. He should feel low because he is, just like all the people he is protecting.

[Rex]

57. It was one of the lowest points in American history

and when all was said and done...they decided to go to war.

Fuck them all.

[peace_on_earth]

59. I heard Daniel Ellsberg once say on NPR

that he regrets to this day that he didn't release the Pentagon Papers sooner. When asked why he waited so long, he said that in any administration, you are 100% loyal to the president (and the chain of command), no matter how wrong and deadly the policies are. Eventually he realized that what he was doing (his utter loyalty) was WRONG, and then he released the papers to the MSM.

I think that's happening now in a lot of corners of Washington. People are waking up! I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing a lot of people come forward with damning information, especially since it's high time the rats (the smart ones, anyway) start jumping from the sinking ship. The challenge for us is to figure out what is real, vs. what is yet another attempt at deflecting attention and blame from *. Time will tell.

[europegirl4jfk]

61. I watched some of it earlier on CNNi

I caught only about 10 minutes but it was interesting. Well, it's still called "intelligence meltdown" and not "administration lies" , but they had comments from David Kay and Carl Ford - the guy who called Bolton a kick-down kiss-up guy. And thy showed an email from someone in the intelligence community which said (I'm heavily paraphrasing here): It doesn't matter if the intelligence gets it right and if curve-ball is credible. They want this war and we will have it anyway". After the report they had Scott Ritter on and he stated bluntly that the Bush-Co people pushed the intelligence community to fix their findings and that it's happening again now concerning Iran.

They will show it again tonight and I will watch the whole thing then.