Posted on 09/09/2005 10:12:44 AM PDT by Mel Gibson
EXCLUSIVE: Barbara Walters talks with former Secretary of State Colin Powell about being the president's point man, making the case for invading Iraq. Now, out of office, he talks freely about being wrong, being loyal --and his next move.
Beware of Political Generals who promote themselves. Colin Powell is living proof that Affirmative Action is not the solution but the problem.
No discussion concerning the survival of Saddam Hussein without mentioning the role of former General Colin Powell's poor advice to President Bush (41) and Bush's ill-advised decision to end the original Gulf War on February 28, 1991--before the surviving core of the defeated Iraqi army mainly two divisions of the Republican Guard with most of their equipment could be cut off and destroyed, or captured and disarmed.
Bush made his decision at the forceful behest of General Colin Powell, then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell reportedly told Bush and the rest of the White House "High Command" that the remaining Iraqi army was totally defeated and in full retreat and that further attack would be a slaughter, both "UN-AMERICAN and UN-CHIVALROUS".
General Norman Schwarzkopf and his generals were collectively against the premature cease-fire, estimating one to three days more would be needed to cut off and finally trap the Republican Guard survivors keep in mind we're not talking about going to Baghdad, but only blocking the road from Basra to Baghdad, which the U.S. 24th Mechanized Division and 101st Airborne were poised to do. But unfortunately, Schwarzkopt did not push this view to Bush, to whom he reported directly, a serious error of omission. No more Iraqis needed to have been killed. They had only to hoist a white flag or simply abandon their vehicles and equipment, and walk away. Powell knew all of this.
The Brits were furious about the cease-fire. So were the Saudis, Qataris and other Arab Gulf countries. In fact, Newsweek reported British Gulf commander Gen. Sir Peter de la Billiere went "ballistic" and British Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd--who happened to be in Washington--jumped Bush about it immediately, unfortunately to no avail. Had the Guard and it's equipment been finally captured or destroyed, the Shiite rebellion in the South would probably have succeeded. Combined with the simultaneous Kurdish insurrection in the north, it is highly likely that Saddam would have chosen to take a hike and would not be a problem today. Had that happened, thousands of civilian lives would have been spared.
He should have stayed in his fatigues and never taken a job requiring a suit.
Colo Rectal Powell has always been "moderate" at best - not really a conservative.
My wife and I went to see him speak years ago after Desert Storm, and his support for afirmative action rang out loud and clear.
He's a back stabbing turn coat just like John McCain
From the article:
Powell doesn't think race was a factor in the slow delivery of relief to the hurricane victims as some have suggested. "I don't think it's racism, I think it's economic," he told Walters.
"...when the president decided that it was not tolerable for this regime to remain in violation of all these U.N. resolutions, I'm right there with him with the use of force," he said.
We may not agree with him on everything, but I don't think he's a "turncoat" or a "backstabber". He's coming across as self-critical, imho.
Wonder if he's angling for Michael Brown's job?
I would rather watch a blank, dark screen than this ep of 20/20. And I might, now that I think about it.
Powell is a two-faced hyocritical backstabbing viper.
Colin Powell joins Tom Kean, Chrissie Whitman, George Tennet, Norman Mineta, Tom Ridge, and Louie Freeh as Bush's worst appoiintments - probably among the worst appointments of ANY President in American history - from the perspective of supporting their President.
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