Powell Calls Iraq Speech “A Blot” on his Record
Global Security Newswire
Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called a 2003 presentation to the U.N. Security Council on prewar Iraq’s suspected weapons of mass destruction “a blot” on his record, Agence France-Presse reported today (see GSN, May 23).
Powell offered the United Nations evidence of Iraq’s WMD programs, including satellite photos of what U.S. leaders believed to be mobile biological weapons laboratories. No evidence of such programs has been found since the March 2003 invasion.
“It's a blot” on my record, Powell said in an interview with ABC News to be aired today. “I'm the one who presented it on behalf of the United States to the world, and (it) will always be a part of my record. It was painful. It's painful now.”
Powell said he felt “terrible” for being misinformed by the CIA, but did not blame then-CIA director George Tenet. Powell said Tenet “did not sit there for five days with me misleading me. He believed what he was giving to me was accurate.”
However, some intelligence officials “knew at that time that some of these sources were not good, and shouldn't be relied upon, and they didn't speak up,” Powell said.
“These are not senior people, but these are people who were aware that some of these resources should not be considered reliable.”
“I was enormously disappointed” Powell added.
Powell, however, did not express regret over the war, according to AFP. “I’m glad that Saddam Hussein is gone,” he said.
He said that he has “never seen evidence to suggest” ties between Iraq and the September 2001 terrorist attacks against the Pentagon and World Trade Center.
Powell also said that he does not see “a clear military option with respect to Iran” (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Sept. 9).
Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called a 2003 presentation to the U.N. Security Council on prewar Iraq’s suspected weapons of mass destruction “a blot” on his record, Agence France-Presse reported today (see GSN, May 23).
Powell offered the United Nations evidence of Iraq’s WMD programs, including satellite photos of what U.S. leaders believed to be mobile biological weapons laboratories. No evidence of such programs has been found since the March 2003 invasion.
“It's a blot” on my record, Powell said in an interview with ABC News to be aired today. “I'm the one who presented it on behalf of the United States to the world, and (it) will always be a part of my record. It was painful. It's painful now.”
Powell said he felt “terrible” for being misinformed by the CIA, but did not blame then-CIA director George Tenet. Powell said Tenet “did not sit there for five days with me misleading me. He believed what he was giving to me was accurate.”
However, some intelligence officials “knew at that time that some of these sources were not good, and shouldn't be relied upon, and they didn't speak up,” Powell said.
“These are not senior people, but these are people who were aware that some of these resources should not be considered reliable.”
“I was enormously disappointed” Powell added.
Powell, however, did not express regret over the war, according to AFP. “I’m glad that Saddam Hussein is gone,” he said.
He said that he has “never seen evidence to suggest” ties between Iraq and the September 2001 terrorist attacks against the Pentagon and World Trade Center.
Powell also said that he does not see “a clear military option with respect to Iran” (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Sept. 9).
