Rachel Maddow Presses Colin Powell Over His Role In Approving Bush Admin Interrogation Policy (VIDEO)

Rachel Maddow sat down with former Secretary of State Colin Powell Wednesday night to discuss the approval of enhanced interrogation techniques by the Bush Administration and whether or not Powell himself had played a direct role in authorizing what may be viewed as torture. Maddow pressed Powell specifically over reports that he had attended a meeting with other prominent White House officials in which the nature of these techniques was discussed in detail.

As for Powell's responses during the interview, Think Progress writes that he avoided offering much in the way of specifics or responsibility for what took place:

Powell refused to acknowledge his role in these meetings, and claimed ignorance about long-released legal memos that specifically authorized torture. Choosing his words carefully, he would say only that, "at least from the State Department standpoint," it was important to stand by the Geneva Conventions. Powell also questioned whether tactics like sleep deprivation, stress positions, or waterboarding were "criminal" -- despite specific U.S. statutes and international law forbidding torture

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Comments

[ObamaOma]

Rachel, you did a good job if prodding and poking Powell. Keep up the good work.

[superstition]

He did a poor job of trying to whitewash his aggressive anti-gay stance that resulted in DADT, with things like "given the passage of time", "militaries in other countries began allowing gay personnel in after we passed DADT", "I didn't want it to become a law", "our military is different than European militaries", and "what we understood at the time". Plus, he topped it all off with the "let's review it" nonsense.

He threatened to resign and, most importantly, suggested that other personnel resign in protest. That's mutiny in my book.

He ignored the fact that Israel got rid of their gay ban in the 70s, long before DADT. He said our military is special - different from European militaries. Oh, and what about Israel's, hmm?

And, what did Powell and his ilk base their anti-gay attitude on during the Clinton push to repeal the ban? Nothing that the military produced in the form of actual studies. Their studies, which they buried, showed quite the opposite of their "unit cohesion" canard, a canard this still being promulgated today, amazingly. The Pentagon's own studies have undercut this argument, and one of them was done well before the 1990s.

[ostrom808]

What a mealy-mouthed f**k. Powell is the biggest disappointment from the Bush era. How he maintains ANY integrity in the eyes of the US population is beyond me.

Throw him in the brig with the rest of them.

[countfloyd]

At least Powell agreed to be interviewed by someone he knew would ask tough questions. The bottom line is he said everything would come out in a investigation to which Ms Maddow correctly said that's up to the (Democratic) Congress and President. So I hope that everyone is ready to let Obama and company have it if they don't do anything.

[TotoToo]

As a soldier, General Powell's first consideration should be to his troops.

How is an endless, illegal war in Iraq protecting our soldiers?

Powell was deliberately left out of the loop by Bush regarding Iraq, was used by Bush, and still he remains a loyal Republican.

Powell is weak.

[littlepeople]

Maddow is the best. As for Powell, he should know what torture is and denounce the use of it at every opportunity.

[RTIII]

No.

As a soldier, General Powell's first consideration is to his country.

How is an endless, illegal war in Iraq in service to our country?
.

[vippy]

I watched him and he seems very sincere and thoughtful. I always had the notion that the Bush Administration only passed on to him what he needed to know, sort of general. Bush/Chene­y/Rumsfeld were up to no good and they did not include anyone outside that circle.
I saw that when they sent Cheney off to visit Egypt rather than Powell, which would have been his
job. I bet same is true with Condoleeza. Powell is very smart but he knew his limitations. Too bad
the Bush Administration ruined his reputation.

[AngieMom57]

I have to agree, there is decency in this man; the company he kept with Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld will be his down fall.

[Pulemerci]

Maddow mentions that Spain may indict Alberto Gonzalez and other former Bush administration officials. Actually, it is a lawsuit bieng filed by a Madrid lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, a convicted Chilean terrorist. I would hope Spain would concentrate on keeping their growing Islamic terror threat in check. In the deadliest terrorist attack in recent European history, in March 2004, Islamist extremists bombed four commuter trains entering Madrid, causing 191 deaths and over 1,400 injuries.

[Annoula]

The fact that judge Baltasar Garzon (well known for prosecuting high-profile human right abusers and dictators, like Augusto Pinochet) did not throw the case out of court should be an indication that this is not a trivial matter.
I don't think it is up to you to decide Spain's priorities. The people of Spain have seen enough trespasses during the Franco years and are better trained than us to recognize abuse of power when they see it.
Powell was just a marionette of the Bush-Cheney regime. He lost all his credibility and moral authority when he accepted to go to the UN with that stupid vial of fake anthrax and a few photoshoped pictures of mobile chemical weapon labs to present them as "evidence' to go to war. He is a war monger and a profiteer like the rest of them.
Now he is despised by both sides.

[Pulemerci]

Where exactly does Spain get the jurisdiction to indict any foreign government official? Especially one perpetuated by a law suit brought by a convicted terrorist. Did Spain indict any Taliban leaders, Saddam and his evil sons, the savages who beheaded Daniel Pearl, et al?

As for Powell, I thought the Left liked him because he endorsed Obama?

[ajmediator]

This type of evasive language is classically reserved for the guilty. This man long ago sold his integrity to the Bush Administration. His time will come.

[jules23]

The argument tactic is totally counterproductive:

Colin Powell is not doing his credibility any favors - What have you done for America lately?
I didn't like "Forest Gump" - Could you make better?
I find the music of Britney Spears to be grating - Could you do better?

By this reasoning, any individual who is not a decorated soldier is not allowed to have an opinion on a public military figure. Just as someone who is not a film director, is not entitled to have an opinion on a movie. Why even bother posting on forums if you think this way?

I

[WorkingClass]

Powell should come clean and then shut up. Of course that goes for all the Bush criminals and liars.

[AngieMom57]

Go Girl! I admire how she didn't let up...she had him very nervous, look at his eyes, his breath, this man knows right from wrong legal issue or not!

[AngieMom57]

I know there is goodness in the hearts of evil men, just how much is my question?

[RTIII]

Ans: not enough.
.

[AngieMom57]

Bush, Cheney! Sleep well boys, your days are numbered.

[gamoonbat]

I would be that Dick Cheney did learn one thing from Watergate and his service in the Nixon administration - Not to make tapes or leave a written record when you are up to dirty tricks!

[schoolmaster]

Powell would not like to incriminate the government he worked for at high level while the investigation is in the offing. But he would like the investigation to go forward to reveal the colors of the truth to clear his own name. Probably many others in Bush administration would like the same.