What Was Secretary Powell Thinking

Every time Powell speaks I lose more and more respect for him. The question is whether he is just being a soldier blindly following orders or does he believe what he says? He seems to be acting like a converted sinner.

What's a converted sinner?

Do you have some evidence that Powell doesn't really believe what he is, in fact, saying? He seems to be sticking his neck out, saying it like he sees it, saw it, knows it to be.

Tex-Star

Because it seems to be an about face.

A converted sinner is one that suddenly finds God they many times become religiously fanatical.

I suspect Powell had views on Iraq that differed from those of Rumsfeld and Rice. But now, it's time for him to join the rest of the team, i.e., keep his reservations to himself and say what they want him to. And, after all, if he's going to remain Sec'y of State, that's what he has to do. Which is a shame, but he must have had some idea of what he was letting himself in for when he took the job with this particular head of state...

Well then D'art I guess he was not thinking if he is influenced by Rummey and Rice.

ok lets see here, Powell follows orders from ? Hans Blix says "those pics you showed aren't really true" the U.N. security council yawns, europe citizens en masse protest US policy in Iraq, CIA admits N. Korea has missiles that can reach our west coast. N. Korea has nuclear weapons. Bush/Ashcroft announce 3rd war front in domestic USA with instructions for plastic sheets and duct tape later labeled as "stupid". Raise to status orange based on fake confession of prisoner at Camp xray. South Korea more adversarial than France and Germany combined. Has it been a good week for the Bush admin?

Excellant summary dys I would only add, "Greenspan rebukes Bush tas cut as deflaitonary in testimony before Congress. Are really bad week at black rock it would seem.

POWELL'S EARLIER "FALSE INFORMATION"
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/08/international/europe/08BRIT.html?ex=1045718560&ei=1&en=5173272e5636d611

"Britain Admits That Much of Its Report on Iraq Came From Magazines

February 8, 2003
By SARAH LYALL

"LONDON, Feb. 7 - The British government admitted today that
large sections of its most recent report on Iraq, praised
by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell as "a fine paper" in
his speech to the United Nations on Wednesday, had been
lifted from magazines and academic journals.

"But while acknowledging that the 19-page report was indeed
a "pull-together of a variety of sources," a spokesman for
Prime Minister Tony Blair defended it as "solid" and
"accurate."

"The document, "Iraq: Its Infrastructure of Concealment,
Deception and Intimidation," was posted on No. 10 Downing
Street's Web site on Monday. It wa"s depicted as an
up-to-date and unsettling assessment by the British
intelligence services of Iraq's security apparatus and its
efforts to hide its activities from weapons inspectors and
to resist international efforts to force it to disarm.

"But much of the material actually came, sometimes verbatim,
from several nonsecret published articles, according to
critics of the government's policy who have studied the
documents. These include an article published in the Middle
East Review of International Affairs in September 2002, as
well as three articles from Jane's Intelligence Review, two
of them published in the summer of 1997 and one in November
2002. . . ."

The above-quoted material was incorporated into Powell's earlier speech before the U.N. a few days ago.

But has the die been cast? Is war inevitable? There's this terrible feeling that it is, with nearly 200,000 troops poised and ready for battle . . . and ready to give up their lives? Based on the U.S. Dept. of Defense figures, the mortality rate should be about 1625 for 250,000 (or .0065). Is this a cause worth dying for? [/color]

au says:



Wow, perfect analogy!

I can't figure this out. I mean, Powell isn't stupid, and he had ambitions, too. But he must realize how foolish he's being made to look, and that UN speech was not only boring, it was unconvincing. That converted sinner is an intersting observation.

Maybe he's not pleased with himself about his decision about Iraq 12 years ago, and is trying to make amends. I don't believe that for a minute, but............Are they on a suicide mission, do you think?

What a bind. Powell is the only one that can really represent them at the UN (although Negroponte was hanging over his shoulder, looking like he wanted to grab the mike), and he's lost almost all his credibility. But maybe this is revenge for all the times they excludeed him from meetings and snubbed him in public. So many different things to consider!

Powells change is so sudden, makes me believe that Bush found some bit of dirty laundry - typical Bush move!!!!!!!!!!1

You know, BillW, I think that's what Rove has done with a vengeance. Also, I factor in the fact that Powell's son Michael is head of the FCC.

Somewhere there exist documents on all of them which can't be hidden forever. Now, if only the democrats can be persuaded to play the same game............. There is no morality, nor even pretense to it, or honesty, that comes across with this crowd. Rumsfeld is, however, wringing his hands, and is getting feverish. Wouldn't it be great if he explodes publicly at Powell? Then Powell could say what he seems to be thinking (his words seem at variance with his body language), and wwe could sit back and watch all those internecine fireworks exploding where they should, instead of upon our poor world.

The press was talking yesterday about thousands, many tens of thousands protesting around the world.

Folks - there were

MILLIONS

- now downplay that!

Gosh, everyone, I'm against the war as much as anyone, but do you really expect Powell to be on our side? He works for Bush! If he wants to object to the current policy, he should resign. Now that would make a statement! And he may yet do that; we can only hope. But in the meanwhile, as long as he holds the job, he has to toe the line. That's how it works...

If Powell does not believe what he mouthing and does not resign IMO he hasn't a shred of integrity left. I have always wondered how he stayed in the Bush administration after being shuttled aside as he was. I guess power corrupts. He is now the administrations Judas goat.

If he resigns then he'll just go get a nice cushy job with the Carlyle Group.

I'm not sure that's helping...

Powell is the ONLY marginally governing influence on this runaway train.

I hope he hangs in there a little while longer.

I'm noticing parallels in Bush and Michael Jackson: both men stunted emotionally, living in a world separate from reality, and both surrounded by sycophants who tell their respective boss only that he's wonderful while they feed off him like ticks.

I don't see that Colin Powell could be "pressured" into anything. What an insult to the man, who seems to think there are tons of hidden