Plan Of Attack - Former U.S. Ambassador says Disturbing about * Admin

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04140/318232.stm

<snip>

First of all, if one has any belief in the importance of the Congress of the United States, our 535-member elected legislature in policy-making, the approach of the Bush administration to the Congress is appalling, even alarming. Basically, the Bush group cut the Congress out of the preparations for the Iraq war. They labelled documents "pre-decisional drafts" on the advice of Pentagon lawyers to keep them out of the hands of the Congress and the public.

<snip>

Secondly, the way that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and other senior officials treated Secretary of State Colin Powell was not only not in keeping with his role as the most senior Cabinet official, but also just plain stupid. Secretary Powell was the only one of the bunch of them who had any senior military or combat experience. They knew he had reservations about the war, so instead of trying to see what those were and trying to meet the legitimate issues he raised, they simply cut him out of inner-circle deliberations.

Some of the issues Mr. Powell was concerned about included the impact of the war on the price of oil. (A good point: The national average price of regular gas just broke $2 a gallon.) He was worried about the potential destabilization by the war of neighboring Jordan and Saudi Arabia, where terrorism is now moving to the fore. He could see that a war in Iraq would tie down most of America's armed forces. It is that problem which is now making the use of contract civilians, National Guard and Reserves increasingly necessary, with problems such as those at Abu Ghraib prison.

But Powell's serious questions about the war just made Cheney, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz and the other faithful "chuckle," says Woodward. He quotes Bush on Powell and the war: "I didn't need his permission." Bush apparently didn't even ask for Powell's opinion.

Dan Simpson, a retired U.S. ambassador, is a Post-Gazette associate editor ([e-mail]).

[Disturbed]

1. Arrogance and hubris of power

The NeoFascists didn't heed anyone's advice because they were convinced that they knew better. Bushco is a pack of warmongering, greedy, war profiteering, sociopathic, wolves. Buscho is guilty of War Crimes!

[indepat]

4. Something like absolute power corrupts absolutely: everyone in the world

must know this, yet the Republican Congress, with many spineless Democrats joining, and the so-called felonious five have given one man what is tantamount to absolute power which is astoundingly stupid, arrogant, and treasonous to the principles upon which our Constitution was based, IMNSHO, and the mainstream media have been perfect duplicitious shills.

[Miss Authoritiva]

2. Congress can stop playing the abused victim anytime.

There is still only one way to say it: They sign the checks.

[KoKo]

3. Powell Defenders are out in droves. Says Powell is figuring they

are going down and he wants to make sure he and his little son over at FCC have some jobs to go to when the ship sinks.

So many articles saying how Powell was "powerless" but was "a good soldier" and "what else could he do, he was over-ruled by the neo-cons."

Instead of hearing Powell excuses, I wish some of our former Ambassadors, Generals and State Department Officials would attack the group who did this, and INCLUDE Powell. Powell could have resigned and it would have stopped this war. But, he didn't. His "good soldier" routine has long since passed as any excuse for his actions in some of our minds, although he will end up making mucho money in the private sector along with little Powell because of his high placed defenders.

:puke:

[struggle4progress]

5. Agreed.