Powell Slams Ritter's Speech to Iraq

NewsMax ^ | 9/8/02 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Secretary of State Colin Powell slammed former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter on Sunday for making a speech to the Iraqi parliament critical of the Bush administration's position on Iraq.

Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Powell responded to Ritter's claim that the administration's contention Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction was baseless.

"The rhetoric of fear that is disseminated by my government and others has not to date been backed up by hard facts to substantiate any allegations that Iraq is today in possession of weapons of mass destruction or has links to terror groups responsible for attacking the United States," Ritter said. "Void of such facts, all we have is speculation."

"We have facts, not speculation," Powell shot back. "Scott is certainly entitled to his opinion but I'm afraid that I would not place the security of my nation and the security of our friends in the region on that kind of an assertion by somebody who's not in the intelligence chain any longer."

"If Scott is right," Powell complained, "then why are they keeping the inspectors out? If Scott is right, why don't they say, 'Anytime, any place, anywhere, bring 'em in, everybody come in - we are clean?"

"The reason is," Powell concluded, "they are not clean. And we have to find out what they have and what we're going to do about it. And that's why it's been the policy of this government to insist that Iraq be disarmed in accordance with the terms of the relevant U.N. resolutions."

Powell said the best way to enforce those resolutions is with a "regime change" in Baghdad.

Neither he nor "Fox News Sunday" host Tony Snow noted thatRitter was paid $400,000 last by a wealthy Iraqi-American supporter of Saddam Hussein to make a documentary film that, in Ritter's words, would "de-demonize Iraq."

[freebilly]

Neville Chamberlain would be proud....

[Viva Le Dissention]

"If Scott is right," Powell complained, "then why are they keeping the inspectors out? If Scott is right, why don't they say, 'Anytime, any place, anywhere, bring 'em in, everybody come in - we are clean?"

Probably for the same reason I don't want police rummaging through my home and my property.

[HairOfTheDog]

That little twit Ritter has been all over the place this morning. Someone needs to go get him and point him home. We do not need any citizens with a cause over there running their own negotiations.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Neville Chamberlain would be proud....

No, you're wrong!!

Benedict Arnold, the Rosenbergs and Bill Clinton would be proud

[hellinahandcart]

Someone needs to go get him and point him home.

I think he's already there.

Maybe he and Ramsey Clark can be roomies in Baghdad.

[savedbygrace]

Ritter is walking verrrrrry close to the line of Aid and Comfort. If Congress approves some sort of Resolution that can be interpreted as declaring war, he'd better shut his face in a heartbeat.

[cynicom]

Once a marine, always a marine, well so much for that old saying.

An officer and a gentleman, sworn to uphold the constitution etc etc, so much for that oath.

[freebilly]

Probably for the same reason I don't want police rummaging through my home and my property.

You're afraid someone might find the WMD you have stored there?

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Probably for the same reason I don't want police rummaging through my home and my property.

If you are willing to face the death penalty for this, as Saddam is, that alone would be very suspicious, especially if you had murdered as many people as he has.

[TLBSHOW]

Someone should let Powell know about a certain anti-American school teacher that has teamed up with Ritter to spew more anti-american BS.

Named William Rivers Pitt moron and resident rat.

[Chewy]

"We have facts, not speculation," Powell shot back.
"The reason is," Powell concluded, "they are not clean. And we have to find out what they have and what we're going to do about it.

If we have the "facts" then why do "we have to find out what they have"?

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Someone should let Powell know about a certain anti-American school teacher that has teamed up with Ritter to spew more anti-american BS.

One reason for an actual declaration of war, so that the sedition laws will go into effect!

[freebilly]

I always keep my WMD stored in my underwear drawer....

[Viva Le Dissention]

He asked, I answered. Despite all his flaws, and he has a lot, I don't blame Saddam for not wanting the World Police to go sticking its nose in every corner of Iraq.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

If we have the "facts" then why do "we have to find out what they have"?

Because we have SOME facts, not ALL the facts. This is not rocket science.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Probably for the same reason I don't want police rummaging through my home and my property.

A French dissentor, why does the comment not surprise me?

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

I don't blame Saddam for not wanting the World Police to go sticking its nose in every corner of Iraq.

We aren't going to blame Saddam, we are going to kill Saddam!

[HairOfTheDog]

We don't really want in to the factories anyway, we are just looking for a good marketable reason to start sending the jets.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

I'll give you this one, Hair: This was Powell's best statement since taking his current position.