It seems that ANOTHER lynchpin to the war against Iraq has fallen away.

Powell told reporters at a press briefing that his testimony about Iraq possibly using mobile biological weapons labs "was presented to me ... as the best information and intelligence that we had" but "now it appears not to be the case that it was that solid."

It now appears not to be the case that it was that solid? Geez, he is even double-talking like Bush (and Clinton in his deposition) now. I can just hear him now:

REPORTER: Mr. Powell, are you now saying that the mobile WMD factories were not actually involved in producing WMD?

Powell: Well, that depends on your definition of WMD. (/nods to Clinton)

Powell, for those who have forgotten is a man of unquestioned intelligence and decency. Unfortunately, it is easy to forget that ever since he started working for the Bush Administration.

If there is a man who will DEFINETELY write a tell all book that will not be flattering to the Bush Admin, it will be Powell.

Washington -- Secretary of State Colin Powell directly criticized the intelligence community for the first time Friday for giving him apparently flawed information that he used to justify the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Powell said the "most dramatic'' of his allegations -- that Saddam Hussein's regime had mobile germ labs -- was based on questionable U.S. intelligence.

The allegations were central to the evidence that Powell dramatically presented to the U.N. Security Council on Feb. 5, 2003, as he urged a skeptical world body to confront Hussein.

Powell said that as he prepared for his U.N. presentation, intelligence officials gave him data from four sources on mobile weapons laboratories. He insisted that he had pushed them to make sure their analysis was correct.

"It was presented to me in the preparation of that (portfolio of evidence) as the best information and intelligence that we had," he said. "They certainly indicated to me ... that it was solid.

"Now it appears not to be the case that it was solid,'' he said.

He called on a federal commission investigating prewar intelligence to examine how the data had been gathered.

The comments were an abrupt reversal for Powell, who had acknowledged disagreements among analysts but had not criticized the intelligence agencies.

Powell should resign from this Administration. His voice of reason is muted by the cacophony of the chicken hawks within the administration.

He can do nothing except resign and tell America how things really operate within the Bush Administration.

Righties can dismiss Richard Clarke and Paul O'Neill, but throw in Powell on top of them, thats something that cant be overcome. Id like to see Condi Rice and Scott McLellan try and discredit Powell.

On a personal note, powell's UN presentation, started me to question the reasons why the war was taking place. Up until then i was in favour, but that presentation, one had to believe 100% what powell was saying, especially when he'd pont to a builing on a surveillance photo and say that WMD was being manufactured there. Powell even said his presentation/testimony was backed by soid facts & reliable sources....

This time next year, regardless of who is elected, Powell will be gone. He has maintained all along that he will not serve during a second term.

One never wins every argument or power struggle within an administration, but it's clear that Powell had State's normal responsibilities gutted by Defense. The State Department has entire departments full of people to implement post-war plans, yet the Defense Dept. were allowed to go it alone. Powell is on the outside looking in, and he's been nothing more than window dressing and a tool to be used by Cheney and Rumsfeld.

oc

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/...ain/index.html

I still have respect for Mr. Powell, but not as much. I think he is still trying to be a good loyal public servent. But I also believe he most likely wishes he never got involved with this administration. Of course that is my speculation, and unless he comes out and says so, I could be wrong.

Maybe this administration should have relied on intelligence other than some people hand selected and coached by the Iraqi National Congress.

Here is and interesting article:
http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.pht...ional_Congress

Or This Article:
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/8194211.htm

Or this article with a free registration from the LATimes:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...home-headlines
So wouldn't that really mean that the INC is really a government funded group used to promote propaganda to the media and provide "intelligence" to the White house that was really just what they wanted to hear. There is LOTS of information that the CIA and other intelligence people thought that all of their "intellignece" was wrong, but the Bush Administration "bought" it all and used unverified and sketchy information at best from coached sources to justify war.

Either this is intentional cherry picking of intelligence from outside the CIA because they did not like what the CIA was saying or worse, intentionally misleading the US becuase they knew the intelligence was bad, but supported their pre-defined agenda. Either case is neglegence at best. And this is the "intelligence" used to support the war. No wonder the white house doesn't want to reveal it.

ANYONE that would use this type of information to put American troops in harms way does not deserve to be in the White House!

An Israeli paper published a report last week where an Israeli intelligence officer indicates that a piece of intelligence that the Mossad passed to the US then returned via different US channels in an altered form.

We pay a staggering amount of money for our intelligence agencies. I would like to think we get better results than we have seen lately, but as with all things a high price is not a reliable guarantee of quality. Since the previous administration has characterized the intel they received in as similar, it doesn't appear that we are getting a fabricated story.

oc

Sadly, you're right, he has little power. But I'll always think that in the in the months leading up to war, Powell felt he faced a sobering choice: Leave on principle, but eliminate any moderating influence on the neocons, or, knowing this bunch was going to war come h=ll or high water, stick with it and make the best of it diplomatically. He chose the latter.

I think I will always respect the man. If he came out and exposed some things about the Admin. (if there's anything malicious to expose), I would forever admire him.

Yeah, Chalabi was Rummy's boy. The DoD backed him aggressively and were just SHOCKED that he was a lousy SOB.

Hello!!!! The State Dept. could have told y'all that!