KENNEDY ON SECRETARY POWELL'S COMMENTS ON IRAQ WAR

[paineinthearse]

http://kennedy.senate.gov/index_high.html

September 9, 2005

KENNEDY ON SECRETARY POWELL'S COMMENTS ON IRAQ WAR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Laura Capps/Melissa Wagoner [phone]
Statement by Senator Kennedy on Secretary Collin Powell's comments on the Iraq War:

"The first step toward changing our failed course in Iraq is to admit mistakes. To his credit, Secretary Powell has done so, and so should President Bush.

As we approach the fourth anniversary of 9/11, President Bush should admit that he wrongly invoked the tragedy of 9/11 to justify war with Iraq. The war has made terrorists even more determined to attack our country, and has made America less safe.

Instead of rushing into an unnecessary war, President Bush should have kept focused on the real threat to our nation -- the threat from Al Qaeda and other extremists who are determined to strike America again. The war in Iraq has made future terrorist attacks more likely, not less likely.

Four years after 9/11, as the Administration's bungled response to Hurricane Katrina makes clear, we're obviously not adequately prepared to deal with another devastating attack."

[MintOreoCookie]

1. Great quote!

I watched Colin Powell on 20/20 and was unimpressed with his total lack of emotion when he said he was hurt then and hurt now about the inaccurate intelligence. He said it like I would say, "I had a bad day today." What the hell is that? He went before the UN and provided FALSE intelligence. You would think he would show a lot more regret than he did. And I was terribly disappointed to see him say that we were right to go into Iraq. I lost respect for him.

Anyway, go Senator Kennedy!

[rodeodance]

2. we will never see bushco admit to this mistake

[paineinthearse]

4. In his psychopathic mind he is right

Sadly, you are right.

[paineinthearse]

3. LA Times coverage

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-powell-iraq,1,1466470.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

Powell Says U.N. Speech a 'Blot' on Record
By BARRY SCHWEID
AP Diplomatic Writer

7:21 PM PDT, September 8, 2005

WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday his prewar speech to the United Nations accusing Iraq of harboring weapons of mass destruction was a "blot" on his record. "I'm the one who presented it to the world, and (it) will always be a part of my record. It was painful. It is painful now," Powell said in an interview with Barbara Walters on ABC-News. The presentation by the soldier-diplomat to the world body in February 2003 lent considerable credibility to President Bush's case against Iraq and for going to war to remove President Saddam Hussein.

In the speech, Powell said he had relied on information he received at Central Intelligence Agency briefings. He said Thursday that then-director George Tenet "believed what he was giving to me was accurate." But, Powell said, "the intelligence system did not work well." "There were some people in the intelligence community who knew at the time that some of those sources were not good, and shouldn't be relied upon, and they didn't speak up," Powell said. "That devastated me," he said.

Powell in the TV interview also disputed the Bush administration's linking of Saddam's regime with terrorists. He said he had never seen a connection between Baghdad and the 9-11 attacks on New York and Washington in 2001. "I can't think otherwise, because I'd never seen evidence to suggest there was one," he said. Still, Powell said that while he has always been a "reluctant warrior" he supported Bush on going to war the month after his U.N. speech. "When the president decided that it was not tolerable for this regime to remain in violation of all those U.N. resolutions I am right there with him with the use of force," Powell said.

[sendero]

5. Blot?

More like mushroom cloud Mr. Powell.