Colin Powell's Day of Infamy, Unacknowledged Five Years Later

The fifth anniversary of Colin Powell's day of infamy came and went, virtually unnoticed. A month earlier, Editor & Publisher, ThinkProgress.org, and others commemorated the fifth anniversary of his speech to the U.N. Security Council on Iraq's purported WMD. Referencing this earlier date plays into Powell's disinformation campaign, which he has pursued since leaving office. By feigning a mea culpa about his speech on February 5, 2003, he hopes to distract everyone from the events of March 7, 2007, when he and the rest of the world were put on notice that the case for war against Iraq was a fraud.

When he wanted to whitewash his record last June, Powell went to an old standby, Tim Russert on Meet the Press. Here was the day-after spin:

Meredith VIEIRA: "As Powell said to you yesterday, had he known in February 2003 that there were no weapons of mass destruction stockpiled in Iraq, there would have been no case to invade the country. So do you think he now regrets the role that he played in that decision?"

RUSSERT: "Well, he has called it a blot on his career. But I thought his comments yesterday were important and candid. President Bush, Vice President Cheney said that they would have gone forward with the war because Saddam Hussein is a bad man and had human rights violations and had the capacity to perhaps manufacture weapons of mass destruction, even in the absence of not finding WMD. A much different answer from General Powell yesterday." Today, June 11, 2007

Actually, Powell's doubletalk about the war's justification went all over the place, but his phony mea culpa came down to this:

"But the case that we took to the world and the case that we took to the American people rested not just in his human rights abuses or his cheating on the Oil for Food program, it rested on the real and present danger of weapons of mass destruction that he could use against his neighbors, or terrorists could use against us. That was the precipitating issue in my judgment, and it turned out those weapons were not there."

"And it turns out those weapons were not there," rewrites history with a breathtaking shamelessness. Powell, the mainstream media, and just about every politician and talking head who advocated war persist in ignoring the truth that they never acknowledged in the first place. On March 7, 2003, ElBaradei and Blix told us in no uncertain terms that the was no evidence of WMD that posed a danger to Jordan, much less to the western world. They inspectors had reviewed the purported intelligence presented by Powell a month earlier, and explained that it was not credible.

On March 7, 2003 Mohamed ElBaradei gave a sweeping repudiation of Powell's case, saying, "we have to date found no evidence or plausible indication of the revival of a nuclear weapons program in Iraq." As for those notorious aluminum tubes touted by Powell, ElBaradei said, "There is no indication that Iraq has attempted to import aluminum tubes for use in centrifuge enrichment. Moreover, even had Iraq pursued such a plan, it would have encountered practical difficulties in manufacturing centrifuges out of the aluminum tubes in question."

Hans Blix reported that there was no evidence to back up Powell's claims of mobile weapons labs, underground chemical weapons facilities, or active stockpiles of VX. The inspectors were still reviewing unmanned aerial vehicles, which later turned out to be used for weather monitoring.

Of course, on March 7, 2003, we didn't know with certainty what Charles Duelfer's report would later confirm - that Elbaradei and Blix were 100% right and Powell's claims were 100% wrong.

But on that date Powell and the rest of the Administration rejected any notion that they vet any of the latest on-the-ground intelligence which might discredit their case for war. After Blix said the inspectors would need several months to complete their job, Powell ratcheted up his doubletalk. "Others believe that just continuing the inspections, but they never quite say how long," he said, playing to Fox News and insulting the intelligence of everyone else in the room. "For months? How many months? For what purpose? With what additional inspectors?" Powell pushed for war and put everyone on notice that he was acting in bad faith, with a reckless disregard for the truth.

Let's not forget.

Comments

[MichaelDeane]

What a tragic fall for Powell but not undeserved. Powell's own intelligence chief warned him and when Powell refused to listen, he then quit because he knew these allegation to be untrue. Powell could have done the same but he didn't. Like Hillary, he made the wrong choice and we should never forget that.

Like Hillary, Powell is trying to revise history. In the internet age, Clinton's NAFTA and Bosnia lies are just o easy to disprove.

If nothing else, the two decisions tell me that neither of these two people are qualified for higher office..

[ronday]

I remember thinking when I saw Powell make his case for the war, that he was giving up any chance of a political career in the future. His presentation seemed so implausible, and against his true feelings (he was the lone voice of reason in the white house till that point) that his eventual resignation seemed a certainty.

My gut feeling is that he was being the "good soldier" and following the orders of the commander and chief. Too bad, he is a great leader.

[LeoMarvin]

Powell said he believed what he told the UN, all of which obviously turned out to be wrong. You've shown nothing to contradict what he said other than your own unsupported accusations. Even the single relevant quote you provide is consistent with Powell's point of view, though you twist it into something that would seem to support your claims if we didn't have the actual quote to compare it to. ElBaradei said, and you quote, "we have to date found no evidence or plausible indication of the revival of a nuclear weapons program in Iraq." But you characterized him as denying an Iraq nuclear weapons program "in no uncertain terms." Do you really not see how "we have TO DATE found no evidence" (my emphasis) is not the same as denying it "in no uncertain terms?" In light of the kind of dissembling you accuse Powell of, your failure to recognize that the evidence for his intentional dishonesty is entirely of your own making would be ironic if it weren't so typical of the sad state of our public discourse.

For what it's worth, I was against the invasion, and I thought that even if Powell's presentation was correct we should have let the inspectors keep on inspecting. I hold the Bush Admnistration 100% responsible for all of the disastrous, tragic events that ensued. But what poisons the public debate, and makes it nearly impossible to discuss matters like this intelligently and constructively is when partisans and ideologs on both sides make unsupported logical leaps from arrogance, bad judgment and even disastrously fatal incompetance, to active dishonesty and bad faith. It's disgusting and unforgivable when the Right does it to accuse us of being unpatriotic or being blinded by Bush Derangement Syndrome, and it's disgusting and unforgivable when people on our side like you do it to accuse Powell, or anyone else for whom there's no evidence of actual dishonesty, of lying.

[wcfar]

In 2003 Gen. Powell took a bite of the apple on the tree of good and evil. He participated in the destruction of his own credibility for the sake of politics. At one time I had great respect for this man but his role in ginning up the war in Iraq was just what Bush and Cheney wanted and he gave it o them. Any man with character in similar circumstances would have quit once he saw the writing on the wall. Powell was smart enough to know when the administration gave him snake oil to sell to say no. But he didn't and almost 4,000 troops are dead, untold numbers wounded and maimed and thousands of Iraqi men, women and children have bee killed. As far as I'm concerned, unless proof to the contrary comes to light, he is as guilty of war crimes (attacking a sovereign nation without true justification and the murder of thousands of Iraqis, and torture and kidnapping) as Bush and all of those neocon warmongers who sold us a bill of goods.

[conned]

Its no secret that the administration lied to the people in order to invade Iraq. They were going in not as a defensive measure, but as an offensive, strategic measure. Under international law, the only justifiable reason for doing so was to preempt a immediate threat. There wasn't one, so they made one up. The bipartisan support for the invasion insured that no one would be held accountable. Whatever the reasons were (geopolitical strategy, oil, expanding the market, cheap labor, etc.), they were part of the American establishment's policy and the government's plan for the world's future. I doubt it will be many years before there is candor on the actual reasons - if ever. Our best bet is draw our conclusions from the effects.

[flibbertygibbet]

It's Gen. Colon Powell !!!!

[sufi66]

In a just world, he would be arrested, tried, convicted, and sent to jail. Instead, he continues to be "respected," and to earn obscene amounts of money.

How does he sleep at night?

[winoohno]

Thank you for bringing this to our attention, but the lies spread by this Administration to invade Iraq has been well documented. My comment would be -- why is there no investigations in Congress about specific instances where top officials blatantly lied??? The Pentagon and others have published exhaustive reports repudiating claims of Iraq/9-11 connections; Iraq/Al-Qaeda connections: no WMDs; and then we have the waste, fraud and abuse and stonewalling oversight & investigations. It all started with Colin Powell's complicity in this crime.

[moderationsmuse]

There's something perile about calling things you disagree with "lies." Powell has acknowledged that US intel (as well as that of every other major Western power) was wrong.
What's so difficult to understand about that? These distinctions are not complicated. It's not as though Saddam was going to just welcome us to Iraq and let us look around.
It's the real world, dear.
Meanwhile, I have the greatest admiration for Gen. Powell. He's a great American.

[Durango]

A "Great American" would have stood up to the fools who were using totalitarian tactics to rush our country into a war that was not only unnecessary but whose basic premise was built on lies.

I knew that Saddam didn't have any weapons of Mass destruction. How? Because the UN weapons inspectors couldn't find them and according to Scott Ritter most of the remnants were accounted for. Had Powell simply opened his eyes the truth would have been there for him to see, just like it was for the rest of the world.

And incidently . . . Saddam DID welcome the inspectors into Iraq and let them look around.

The idea that Saddam was in league with Osama was ridiculous on the face of it. Osama Bin Ladin was always a far greater threat to Saddam Hussien and the Baathist Party than he was ever a threat to the United States.

The Intel was not "wrong." It was lies made up out of whole cloth. In an organized propaganda campaign. In which Powell took a critical and central role. If he "didn't know" HE WAS A FOOL.

But he DID KNOW. Which makes his role CRIMINAL.

[A Meat Beetle]

moderation:

Haven't seen you around here in a while. Welcome back. I don't agree with much of what you say, but at least when you're wrong, you're wrong in exemplary English. Again, welcome back.

As for Powell, he was the only (ONLY) person even remotely connected to either Bush administration for whom I could have ever had a scintilla of respect. But when he went before the UN with a vile of baking soda (or was it some of George's "special" powder?) and some drawings of trucks, saying those were reasons to attack Iraq, I lost (forever, permanently, until the 12th of never) whatever respect I may have ever had for him.

[ashen]

I have been against the war from the very beginning. I am a lifelong Democrat and my political tendencies run to the far left.

Nevertheless I still find Colin Powell credible and respect him. His shame and guilt is the shame and guilt of so many Americans whose support and love of their country was cynically exploited and made twisted by the cabal of Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney and company. I do not count Colin Powell in their number.

Yes, he should have resigned sooner. But my contempt is for those who voted for war -- and who to this day do not acknowledge the wrongness of the vote. Hillary Clinton is one of them. She lacks the integrity -- or is it courage? -- to admit wrongdoing.

Colin Powell's criticisms of the government and military and state dept experience still make him a credible voice for many Americans who are concerned about security and are still confused by what the hell we are doing in Iraq, and what the hell we need to do to get out. It is my sincere hope to hear Powell weigh in on cleaning up the mess in Iraq.

It will not make things right -- nothing will bring back the million Iraqi dead, the 4000 American troops who have paid the ultimate price. But it will be the least he can do, and he can be of great service to his nation still. His guilt is the guilt of our nation. The time for blame is past, if the Dems in congress still refuse to impeach the architects of our national shame -- they yet sit in the White House.

[anarmyofnone]

First of all, it's "puerile," or did you miss the red underline from the spell-checker? I love the way the U.S. made up the intel, gave it to other countries and then shouted, "See, they thought so , too!" What's so difficult to understand about that? The inspectors were in Iraq at the very moment that Bush was accusing Saddam of not allowing them in; in fact, they had to be told to leave because the bombing was going to begin.

Powell spent days in preparation for his sales pitch, rejecting the more ridiculous crap they were feeding him and keeping what he felt comfortable with. If he didn't have misgivings, why did he demand that Tenet sit behind him so he would always be on-camera? Like the Beetle, I have also lost all respect for Powell, and I would have supported him for President if he had run. Unfortunately, he went from being a great American to just another great American liar.

Don't you ever wonder what's up when this administration starts pushing for something, ramping up the fear level? (Have you noticed that we haven't been attacked because Congress won't grant the telecoms immunity?) The sanctions were about to run their course, and Saddam had been making noises about switching from the dollar to a Euro-based system for oil exports. That would have been devastating to the U.S. economy (not that Bush hasn't been). I believe that played more of a part in the rationale for war than the non-existent WMD.

It's time to take the blinders off, put the Kool-aid down and face the truth. It's the real world, dear.

[ronday]

Not all of us use spell checkers, we many not look as smart as you, but we don't retype as much either.

[batguano]

On the money David.

We are now at a similar threshold with the Bush/Neocon Regime pushing for a potential upcoming pre-meditated attack on Iran, either by US forces or Bush's surrogate in the ME, Israel. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article1290331.ece

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EC20Ak07.html

The role Colin Powell played at the UN will be replaced by some other shill for war and death, they have been setting the stage for quite a while now. The decks have been cleared with the forced "retirement" of Admiral William "Fox" Fallon, who opposed strongly a strike against Iran; he said "it will not happen on my watch". It is a sad commentary that Powell did not possess the same level of integrity or commitment to our NATION instead of the Bush/Neocon pre-meditated plans for the Iraq invasion. http://www.esquire.com/features/fox-fallon

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/061127fa_fact?page=1

Powell was/is truly a zero of integrity......If he believed the bush propaganda,he was a fool, and if he was just a purveyor of Bush lies, and knew they were lies,then he was/is a co-opted failure, a tool, liar and totally lacking in integrity.....something the American people payed and relied on him for....THE TRUTH. The presentation to the UN in which he showed the photos with the circles and arrows, and a paragraph on the back, that was purportedly the straight skinny...the evidence that Saddam was holding WMD's, was about as sophomoric as it gets......embarrassing to watch.

Colin Powell played Bush&Co's Stepin Fetchit, and helped deceive America and the world into war in Iraq with his notorious, specious presentation at the UN! As false and misleading as it was superficial and sophomoric. He failed to show courage or leadership when it was demanded of him. His unfortunate legacy will be as that of a Bush/Neocon mouthpiece or obsequious dupe, who worked for war instead of TRUTH and HONOR! He is worthless except as an example of how NOT to serve your country or people!

http://www.timeenoughforlove.org/saved/CheneyRumsfeldCabal.htm

[willo]

There is a word for what Colin Powell did, it's called [treason]. The word we can use to describe Powell is [Traitor]. Anyone with a brain and an internet connection knew he was spewing nothing but lies. Rot in hell Powell, I hope the deaths of the 1.2 million people you have helped murder follow you for eternity.

[Donk]

Lighten up. He was a pawn to the real traitors: Cheney, Rumsfeld & sock puppet Bush.

[ashen]

Agreed Donnk.

[KnoxBlues1]

Disagree. In a just world, Powell would be standing trial for treason and war crimes along with Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rice, ad nauseum.

[pecadillosam]

I, for one, will never forget. And NEVER forgive.

Colin Powell was one of the few political figures in American politics we Americans of all political persuasions TRUSTED, whether or not we agreed with everything he believed in.

So he brought tremendous credibility to the United Nations that day when he stood at the podium and proceeded to tell the whole world a great big PACK OF LIES. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, it was so lame, so contrived. I felt sad. I was witnessing the self-destruction of a once-great American.

His gravestone should read: Colin Powell: a man who put politics above country.

[realpolitic]

Powell bought Bush's load of lies hook, line, and sinker. Thaty he would lend his dignity to such an endeavor is shameful. As soon as Bush used Powell, he tossed him aside. Bush uses this technique with all. Many have been diminished by Bush including Powell, Tony Blair, Paul O'Neil, Richard Clark, and Generals Shinseki and Taguba to name a few. Strangely, many of those Bush has used, such as Blair and Powell, remain loyal to this small, unthinking caricature of a President.

[Durango]

I watched Powell at the UN. And anyone could tell at the time that it was a joke.

He used CARTOONS for God's sake. CARTOONS.

And the Iraqis were going to attack the USA with model airplanes??

And this is how we should judge every media hack out there. Everyone of them who said, at the time, that Powell's speech was "compelling", had "overwhelming evidence", or "proved" anything should be fired in disgrace. And should never again subject the American people to their ridiculous, and very much wrong, opinions.

Most of the world saw through the BS. The only ones who bought it were the American Media.

Why are those fools still employed. Have we learned absolutely nothing?

[rroy]

Collin Powel and Robert McNamarra are two peas in a pod!They both knew damn well they were perpetuating a lie and did it without hesitation!

What always has puzzled me is how powerful men of the present and past can make tragic errors,and tell tragic deliberate lies and live with themselves!


McNamarra wrote his book decades later with,I presume,the idea that baring his sole would cleanse it!I wouldn't be surprised to see the same thing from Collin Powel.
I can't help but utter the famous words from somebody,I don't know who,"God may forgive you but I sure as hell never will!!

Which brings up an interesting thought about McNamarra's boss Lyndon B.Johnson.He developped severe coronary problems shortly after he retired to his ranch seeking the oblivian he richly deserved.
He also started smoking cigarettes shortly thereafter,something his physician described as "suicidal".Not long after that he suffered a fatal heart attack.
I would be delighted to express ship a couple of cases of Camels to Robert and Collin!