PRAISING COLIN POWELL

In Rick's FIASCO, when Colin Powell was preparing for the United Nations speech endorsing

that Iraq had weapons of massive destruction, his fact checkers were bogus. In other words, he would have a question about something to be put in the speech and send his fact checkers

to see if the statement was valid. They were not honest and came back with phony support.

Indeed Powell was doing his distant cousin George W. Bush a favor in presenting the speech to the United Nations. Powell is believable and what he got from his fact checkers was not true. Please see the review of FIASCO  on this web site.

Additionally, Bob Woodward in his 2nd book BUSH AT WAR noted how often Powell would try to keep Rumsfeld and Cheney from going to war. He told President Bush, if you go in there

"you own it." The metaphor is that of a briar patch. The further you move into a country and the more that you stir the more trapped you become.

Further, the Powell doctrine that worked so well in the early 90's against Iraq was not followed

in this war. Basically, the Powell doctrine is that you have an overwhelming attack, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, a strong powerful containment, and the movement for forming a new

government.

Nome of Powell's doctrine was followed. The neo-cons had also promised that democracy would

explode in the region. It did not.

In the mean time, Powell has unjustly been maligned, the Neo-cons are blaming others, and President Bush is now seeking support from Secretary Baker's committee. What they present

will hopefully give dignity to the dead who lost their lives in Iraq and a face saving way to

try another option than the one now in play.

Powell should not be judged harshly for a war he tried to avoid and and a speech that

he gave without knowing that a number of the facts were not salient or valid.