Where do you think the WOT should be fought?

[OCA]

Former aide: Powell WMD speech 'lowest point in my life'
Tuesday, August 23, 2005; Posted: 10:44 a.m. EDT (14:44 GMT)

(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 pieced 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's speech, delivered on February 5, 2003, made the case for the war by presenting U.S. intelligence that purported to prove that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Wilkerson says the information in Powell's presentation initially came from a document he described as "sort of a Chinese menu" that was provided by the White House.

"(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."

Wilkerson and Powell spent four days and nights in a CIA conference room with then-Director George Tenet and other top officials trying to ensure the accuracy of the presentation, Wilkerson says.

"There was no way the Secretary of State was going to read off a script about serious matters of intelligence that could lead to war when the script was basically un-sourced," Wilkerson says.

In one dramatic accusation in his speech, Powell showed slides alleging that Saddam had bioweapons labs mounted on trucks that would be almost impossible to find.

"In fact, Secretary Powell was not told that one of the sources he was given as a source of this information had indeed been flagged by the Defense Intelligence Agency as a liar, a fabricator," says David Kay, who served as the CIA's chief weapons inspector in Iraq after the fall of Saddam. That source, an Iraqi defector who had never been debriefed by the CIA, was known within the intelligence community as "Curveball."

After searching Iraq for several months across the summer of 2003, Kay began e-mailing Tenet to tell him the WMD evidence was falling apart. At one point, Wilkerson says, Tenet called Powell to tell him the claims about mobile bioweapons labs were apparently not true.

"George actually did call the Secretary, and said, 'I'm really sorry to have to tell you. We don't believe there were any mobile labs for making biological weapons,'" Wilkerson says in the documentary. "This was the third or fourth telephone call. And I think it's fair to say the Secretary and Mr. Tenet, at that point, ceased being close. I mean, you can be sincere and you can be honest and you can believe what you're telling the Secretary. But three or four times on substantive issues like that? It's difficult to maintain any warm feelings."

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

So Colin Powell is fed incorrect intelligence, which makes us look like fools, and yet George Tenet received the highest civilian award--The Medal of Freedom. I truly believe that that award was for taking the fall and for providing him with the intelligence he wanted, no matter now wrong it was.

Wilkerson is not a political appointee and has NO politcal agenda. One of my friends was a special assistant to Colin Powell at the time of Powell's presentation. She is a republican, and was the one that told me that Wilkerson had no agenda in being part of the documentary. Just FYI.

Powell is a Dem at hand and is just bitter that he was a non player. This is just jealousy, nothing more.

 

[OCA]

Okay.

Lol you follow an admitted drunk and yellowbellied coward.

 

[ProudDem]

Doesn't matter Sparky, Bush clearly stated that any country that harbors, aides or helps terrorists in anyway is on the chopping block, Sadaam was factually and without argument all 3 of those.

That's fine. Too bad the support for this war is declining every day.....

And support for his management of the war in Iraq has dropped to 32 percent, with 67 percent telling pollsters they disapproved of how Bush is prosecuting the conflict.

The survey had a sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Fifty-nine percent said they considered the 2003 invasion of Iraq a mistake. That figure is the highest recorded in a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll.


http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/09/19/bush.poll/

 

[Said1]

Here's a link to the presentation. Decide for yourself. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/20030205-1.html

 

[OCA]

I've met and lived with the Iragi's. I met with them during the Persian Gulf War of 1991. Other than Saddam Hussein, I am not convinced that we had a single enemy there then or in 2001. Our presense there, however, has created millions and approaching a billion religious malcontents. Your statements indicate that you are also somewhat a religious malcontent. Listen to Jesus. He is the Saviour and your Way to Peace.

Psychoblues

No you didn't, you're a liar. I will remind people of your continued attempts to bullshit them.

 

[ProudDem]

Powell is a Dem at hand and is just bitter that he was a non player. This is just jealousy, nothing more.

The article is what Wilkerson reported. Dismiss it all you want. The majority of Americans no longer support this war.

 

[Said1]

No you didn't, you're a liar. I will remind people of your continued attempts to bullshit them.

Is that who that is?? I thought so, but didn't feel like doing a post search.

 

[OCA]

That's fine. Too bad the support for this war is declining every day.....

And support for his management of the war in Iraq has dropped to 32 percent, with 67 percent telling pollsters they disapproved of how Bush is prosecuting the conflict.

The survey had a sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Fifty-nine percent said they considered the 2003 invasion of Iraq a mistake. That figure is the highest recorded in a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll.


http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/09/19/bush.poll/

Oh well, guess 67% don't have intestinal fortitude or balls. Oh and a CNN/USAtODAY poll? Couldn't be that they are lib mouthpieces?

 

[OCA]

The article is what Wilkerson reported. Dismiss it all you want. The majority of Americans no longer support this war.

Thanks to mass media misrepresentation of facts and onesided reporting, but i'm sure you don't want to discuss that. Just bury your head in the sand some more.

 

[ProudDem]

Thanks to mass media misrepresentation of facts and onesided reporting, but i'm sure you don't want to discuss that. Just bury your head in the sand some more.

That's not true. There is a great editorial in the Washington Post with which I agree. Please read it--the author is suggesting what we can do to inform Americans of what is happening in Iraq, both good and bad.

Fresh Eyes on Iraq

By Frank Wolf

Saturday, September 24, 2005; Page A23

Having just returned from my third trip to Iraq, I came away with three thoughts.

One, real progress is being made, despite the ongoing security concerns. Two, the Bush administration should pull together an independent and balanced group of respected individuals to go to Iraq to conduct a critical review of our efforts. Three, a necessary element of this review would be communicating to the American public what it would mean to our country if the Iraq mission failed.

The rest of it is here:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/24/AR2005092400523.html

 

[OCA]

That's not true. There is a great editorial in the Washington Post with which I agree. Please read it--the author is suggesting what we can do to inform Americans of what is happening in Iraq, both good and bad.

Fresh Eyes on Iraq

By Frank Wolf

Saturday, September 24, 2005; Page A23

Having just returned from my third trip to Iraq, I came away with three thoughts.

One, real progress is being made, despite the ongoing security concerns. Two, the Bush administration should pull together an independent and balanced group of respected individuals to go to Iraq to conduct a critical review of our efforts. Three, a necessary element of this review would be communicating to the American public what it would mean to our country if the Iraq mission failed.

The rest of it is here:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/24/AR2005092400523.html

Well gee I guess I should thank the post for being 98% negative and 2% positive, I live here in Chevy Chase I know what i'm talking about. You can't be serious with the post being fair and balanced.

 

[ProudDem]

Well gee I guess I should thank the post for being 98% negative and 2% positive, I live here in Chevy Chase I know what i'm talking about. You can't be serious with the post being fair and balanced.

No one is happy with the Post. My husband and I are disappointed with how little coverage they gave to issues that would have made republicans look bad. All my democrat friends were writing letters to the post complaining. So it goes both ways.

 

[OCA]

No one is happy with the Post. My husband and I are disappointed with how little coverage they gave to issues that would have made republicans look bad. All my democrat friends were writing letters to the post complaining. So it goes both ways.

What issues would these be? Lol.

You should try reading the times, much more informative. Anyway i'm guessing you are typical big government, big brother Marylanders?

 

[Annie]

Psychoblues, I have read only this post from you. But I see you have a -35 in your "rep." Gee, I wonder why? I am guessing you are a democrat because the people on this board do not like it when anyone disagrees with them and so they will give you a "negative rep."

I have to remind myself that the republicans cannot stand dissent. It's why certain individuals have been asked to retire or have been fired. God forbid anyone challenge them.

Keep it up, Psychoblues.

So since you are in positive rep, that means you agree with most? Hardly.You disprove your own theory.

 

[ProudDem]

So since you are in positive rep, that means you agree with most? Hardly.You disprove your own theory.

Kathianne, I have received positive feedback from republicans/conservatives when I have expressed disappointment with my own party or when I have apolgoized for being mean to someone. Xen gave me a positive rep, which shouldn't surprise anyone since he and I agree.

 

[Annie]

Kathianne, I have received positive feedback from republicans/conservatives when I have expressed disappointment with my own party or when I have apolgoized for being mean to someone. Xen gave me a positive rep, which shouldn't surprise anyone since he and I agree.

So that alone should tell you something about Psychoblues. I could be dinging you and Xen, yet I haven't really. Keep bashing though and I will, as you noted somewhere else and it's noted in top of threads, the 'rating' in general does not matter, though it gives a general indication of where things go-respect wise; not political leanings wise.

 

[ProudDem]

So that alone should tell you something about Psychoblues. I could be dinging you and Xen, yet I haven't really. Keep bashing though and I will, as you noted somewhere else and it's noted in top of threads, the 'rating' in general does not matter, though it gives a general indication of where things go-respect wise; not political leanings wise.

*Sigh* Your constant allegations that I am bashing people, while at the same time bashing me, is getting totally boring to me, Kathianne.

 

[Annie]

*Sigh* Your constant allegations that I am bashing people, while at the same time bashing me, is getting totally boring to me, Kathianne.

Wrong, saw you going after OCA, but lord knows, he can take care of himself! Your whining is also tiresome.

 

[OCA]

Wrong, saw you going after OCA, but lord knows, he can take care of himself! Your whining is also tiresome.

Its been about two months since I felt like talking hugely about politics but today i've got my wind back.

 

[ProudDem]

Wrong, saw you going after OCA, but lord knows, he can take care of himself! Your whining is also tiresome.

I said this: I am part of a group that sends care packages to the troops. I have donated phone cards for them to use. I have sent them Valentines telling them I support them. I have gone to Walter Reed because I chose to go and see the injured soldiers and I cried with some of them.

OCA responds with: All the while behind their backs you fuck them, nice guy.

And this: Also that is the first time I mentioned that on this board, know why? Because if you have support for the troops you don't need to say a friggin word to anybody. You say I do this and I do that because inside you are gulty and know you do much more damage in your aiding and abetting of the enemy.

And this: Now how do you reconcile the twofaced support you have for the troops?

And you call that my going after OCA? Kathianne, you have a lack of ability to analyze facts.