Posted on 07/08/2007 3:55:43 PM PDT by Enchante
FORMER US secretary of state Colin Powell has revealed that he spent 2 1/2 hours vainly trying to persuade President George W. Bush not to invade Iraq and believes today's conflict cannot be resolved by US forces.
"I tried to avoid this war," Mr Powell said at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado. "I took him through the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers."
Mr Powell has become increasingly outspoken about the level of violence in Iraq, which he believes is in a state of civil war.
"The civil war will ultimately be resolved by a test of arms. It's not going to be pretty to watch, but I don't know any way to avoid it. It is happening now," he said.
He added: "It is not a civil war that can be put down or solved by the armed forces of the United States."
The signs are that the views of Mr Powell and other critics of the war are finally being heard in the Pentagon, if not yet in the White House.
(Excerpt) Read more at theaustralian.news.com.au ...
It just shows how easy it is to like or support someone before you know what they really stand for.
Kind of reminds me of this Obama phenomenon.
You got it - Mr. Powell is simply wrong with regard to the current State of Iraq.....and that it was essential to remove the Saddam regime after 9-11 (that he advised it was going to be difficult, of course it was.....dragging the ME out of the dark ages is going to be an extremely difficult and frustrating process.....But the world is simply too small and to easily dangerous any longer to allow the ME to stay there).
Another Token appointment gone bad. What was it that MLK said about content over skin color?
No he couldn't......but you have to realize they are not at this moment our allies.
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I wish someone had warned Bush about...Powell.
Colin Powell’s concern for his reputation is well-known.
I believe he really made that you-broke-you-bought-it comment. Whether it was really as useful a comment as he seems to think, I don’t know. I think George Bush always understood that Iraq was his responsibility after invading it. There were some management errors, but Powell doesn’t seem to have been giving any management advice. This was his much-vaunted insight: You broke it, you bought it.
Didnt he also try to talk Bush 41 out of Operation Desert Storm?
Im any case:
Stahl: “The Powell Doctrine in military terms is that you throw a massive force, if you're going to go to war, make it huge. There are now criticisms, we're beginning to hear, that this force isn't massive enough.”
Powell: “It's nonsense. It's the usual chatter, I mean we have commentators everywhere. Every General who ever worked for me is now on some network commenting on the daily battle and, frankly, battles come and wars come and they have ups and downs, they have a rhythm to it. The Powell Doctrine was you use decisive force, and the plan that General Franks and his commanders have put together is a decisive force that will get the job done. So don't let one day’s ups and downs suggest that the battle isn't going well. The United States armed forces with our coalition partners, the British principally and the Australians, have gone 300 miles deep into Iraq in a period of five days. That is a heck of an achievement.”
Stahl: “Yeah, but our, the rear is exposed.”
Powell: “It's not. Exposed to what? Exposed to small- ”
Stahl: “Exposed to fedayeen, exposed- ”
Powell: “Fine. So? We’ll get them in due course. They are not exposed to a massive Iraqi army that is operating in a coordinated way that can assault our flanks and stop our assault.”
Stahl: “Are you saying you're not worried or concerned about guerilla warfare?” Powell: “Of course we are, and that, and we’re trained to handle this, but this chatter for the last 24 hours that everything is coming apart because on Sunday we took a few casualties. The casualties for this operation have been low. You don’t want to slow your advance to go into a particular city and spend all your time rooting out people that you will get in due course. They're not threatening the advance.”
Stahl: “But you can't get your supplies, well you can't- ”
Powell: “Who says?”
Stahl: “ - can't get the humanitarian- ”
Powell: “Who says?” -- CBS “48 Hours,” March 27, 2003, 12 days before the collapse of the Iraqi regime.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/898388/posts
I wasn't that far along, but I did think him a much more honorable man than he turned out to be. I sometimes wonder if it isn't impossible for any decent person to remain so within the squalid culture of Washington DC.
While Bush has been a disappointment, Powell is acting true to form as the slimy eel he really is. A true parasite.
Hey, I created that photoshopped image YEARS ago. Where did you find it? :-)
So with the surge working, Powell does what he can to undermine the war.
Graham and Powell are RINOs who wait for the opportunity to do the Democrats’ bidding. When Americans need them most, they will be on the other side.
Good “typo”. He will be a front runner in 2012. It’s designed to keep him in the media.
Nice find!
It is amazing that anyone takes the MSM seriously. I guess most people don’t have the benefit of your research!
Ted Kennedy predicted loses of around 40,000 US troops in the first weeks of battle. If he had a speck of class, he would announce that the war has gone much better than he expected.
Amazing how the retired General (Schwarzkopf) who actually kicked Saddam’s arse is seldom heard form. Did his job, retired and says little … my kind of General, a true patriot.
I say, recall Schwarzkopf and put him in charge, give him free reign and this whole issue would be history in 30 days (I know, I know, I live in a fantasy world). First of all, he would not accept the commission. Second, with all the PC crap that surrounds us today, he would not be allowed to do that which he knew would have to be done.
However, I can dream my dreams, thank you very much.
Powell, what a putz.
I really come to the conclusion the waters are so muddy I really have to set this one out!
I really hate the feeling I keep getting that the powers to be are all in bed togather and have been playing good cop - bad cop with the American people!
Just one reporter who is anti war spreading more media hype with her spin look at the original source DUH
General Colin Powell. The General George McClellan of our time.
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