Posted on 10/20/2005 6:46:14 PM PDT by blam
Cowboy president is courting disaster, says Powell's man
By Francis Harris
(Filed: 21/10/2005)
Colin Powell's right-hand man has launched a blistering attack on the White House, describing President George W Bush as "cowboyish", his secretary of state Condoleezza Rice as "extremely weak" and American foreign policy as "courting disaster".
The attack came from Col Larry Wilkerson, who for four years was Mr Powell's chief of staff at the state department during the first Bush administration.
In a sometimes savagely phrased speech at a Washington think-tank, the former US marine said that the Bush team had so damaged the country's foreign policy machine that he was "not sure that the state department even exists any more".
The result was that America's relations with the world had taken a pounding. Asked about the efforts by Mr Bush's key aide Karen Hughes to sell America to the Muslim world he said: "It's hard to sell shit." In remarks quoted by the Washington Post, Col Wilkerson said: "If you're unilaterally declaring Kyoto dead, if you're declaring the Geneva Conventions not operative, if you're doing a host of things that the world doesn't agree with you on and you're doing it blatantly and in their face, without grace, then you've got to pay the consequences."
The speech lifted the lid on the disagreements that were hinted at but rarely admitted for most of the first Bush term.
Mr Powell was known to feel that he was cut out of foreign policy-making by the vice-president, Dick Cheney, and the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld.
Col Wilkerson said that had damaged America's foreign policy. "What I saw was a cabal," he said. Bypassing the state department, America had "courted disaster in Iraq, in North Korea, in Iran".
He added: "You've got a president who is not versed in international relations and not too much interested in them either."
Nice to see the State Dep't girlie boys get their panties in a bunch. American diplomats have forgotten that they serve U.S. interests in general and the President in particular.
I have always thought that Powell was one of Bush's worst appointments. Not only because he wasn't very efficient, but because he was a backstabber - and has obviously continued to be so, even out of office. (And even through minions.)
Hey, Wilkerson. Your boss was a weenie. And you're a gutless symp for encouraging him to be the weenie he was.
"Powell's Man"? Powell has a man? (not that there is anything wrong with that)
I think I heard on Special Report w/Brit Hume today that Powell and this guy had a falling out some time ago.
If that is true, he appears to be using Powell's name in vain.
I should have listened more closely.
A--hole speaks.
Good...it's about time.
And as a result, we have voting and freedom in parts of the Middle East (Iraq and Afghanistan-and despite whatever othe failings) unparralled in history...with the very real prospect that the freedoms wil take firm root there, thrive, prosper, and become strong enough to stand on their own.
If that's this particular individual's idea of "sh!t" (with all due respect to the Colonel)...well, then, pile on the manure.
Why do we hear crap like this from foreign sources?
Oh...I forget...sing to the choir!
I wish President Bush all the luck in the world in cleaning out our government "dead wood". They'll be the weeping and knashing of teeth in the meantime but it has to be done. The State Department, CIA, FBI, Pentagon, etc, needs a new broom. Or as has been said, 'your ass is grass and I'm a lawnmower'.
Everything that Wilkerson is complaining about----is the reason I LOVE the Bush Administration....
I love this "Cowboy" POTUS...and I like that he isn't bowing to Kyoto, and International Court..and all of that UN STUFF...that Powell and Wilkerson feel is so important.
We have John Bolton now...it will be handled just fine, thank you very much.
"Asked about the efforts by Mr Bush's key aide Karen Hughes to sell America to the Muslim world he said: "It's hard to sell shit." In remarks quoted by the Washington Post,
I see this "Marine" refers to his country as shit.
"Col Wilkerson said: "If you're unilaterally declaring Kyoto dead, if you're declaring the Geneva Conventions not operative, if you're doing a host of things that the world doesn't agree with you on and you're doing it blatantly and in their face, without grace, then you've got to pay the consequences."
Ah, there's the real agenda. Another embittered leftist from foggy bottom.
Just more proof that W should have purged the stinking, pansy, anti-American, career bunch in the State Dept.
Another schmuck leftist trying to make news...
In the immortal words of John McClane..."Yippie-ki-yay...."
I think Powell may well be one of the biggest leakers in D.C.
BIOGRAPHY
Lawrence B. Wilkerson
Chief of Staff,
Term of Appointment: 08/01/2002 to 01/26/2005
Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired) Larry Wilkerson joined General Colin L. Powell in March 1989 at the U.S. Army’s Forces Command in Atlanta, Georgia as his Deputy Executive Officer. He followed the General to his next position as Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, serving as his special assistant. Upon Powell's retirement from active service in 1993, Colonel Wilkerson served as the Deputy Director and Director of the U.S. Marine Corps War College at Quantico, Virginia. Upon Wilkerson’s retirement from active service in 1997, he began working for General Powell in a private capacity as a consultant and advisor.
In December 2000, Secretary of State-designate Powell asked Wilkerson to join him in the Transition Office at the U.S. State Department and, later, upon his confirmation as Secretary of State, Secretary Powell moved Wilkerson to his Policy Planning Staff with responsibilities for East Asia and the Pacific, and legislative and political-military affairs. In June of 2002, the Director for Policy Planning, Ambassador Richard Haass, made Wilkerson the associate director. In August of 2002, Secretary Powell moved Wilkerson to the position of Chief of Staff of the Department.
Wilkerson is a veteran of the Vietnam war as well as a U.S. Army “Pacific hand,” having served in Korea, Japan, and Hawaii and participated in military exercises throughout the Pacific. Moreover, Wilkerson was Executive Assistant to US Navy Admiral Stewart A. Ring, Director for Strategy and Policy (J5) USCINCPAC, from 1984-87. Wilkerson also served on the faculty of the U.S. Naval War College at Newport, RI and holds two advanced degrees, one in International Relations and the other in National Security Studies. He has written extensively on military and national security affairs–especially for college-level curricula--and been published in a number of professional journals, including the Naval Institute’s Proceedings, The Naval War College Review, Military Review, and Joint Force Quarterly (JFQ).
Released on November 28, 2003
http://www.state.gov/outofdate/bios/w/26731.htm
How EXACTLY do you "purge" career employees?
Well Col Wilkerson, now we know why you are only a Col.
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