"It has been known for several years that the source called Curveball was totally unreliable. The question should be put to the CIA and the DIA as to why this wasn't known before the false information was put into the NIE sent to Congress, the president's state of the union address and my 5 February presentation to the UN."
- Colin Powell, now blaming the CIA and DIA for his presentation to the UN (which turned out to be equal parts fantasy and conjecture....). See 'Colin Powell demands answers over Curveball's WMD lies'
So now cometh Colin Powell, he of forked tongue, "demanding" that the CIA and DIA "... explain why they failed to alert him to the unreliability of a key source behind claims of Saddam Hussein's bio-weapons capability..." At the U.N. he said in 2003 "My colleagues, every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we're giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence..."
How did we know this was the case? Because at the time Powell claimed that he and his team had spent days reviewing and vetting the information to be used in the speech; that all items that were doubtful were removed (e.g. the uranium from Niger claim, the software from Australia claim, the pictures of pictures of Iraqi ''nuclear mujahedeen,", among others); and that he only used what had been checked and verified... For example: "... Months later, news articles reported that Powell had spent several days at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., looking over the intelligence, and that he put only the strongest evidence in his briefing, tossing out many claims—for instance, the business about uranium-shopping in Niger—that he considered flimsy, if not fraudulent..." And another example: "Mr Powell said he had all but "moved in" with US intelligence to prepare his briefings for the UN security council, according to the transcripts..."
Yet now he has the unmitigated gall to "demand" explanations of the CIA and DIA... Equally duplicitous, his aide at the time, Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, has pronounced himself "extremely angry" (see here) that he and Powell were victims of "serious manipulation" and "outright lying" Yes, this is the self-same Wilkerson that made the rounds in 2008 providing Powell 'cover' re the mistreatment of detainees, which subsequently turned out to be wholly false (see below).
As recounted in 'The Powell rehabilitation project?', "... following Powell’s exit from the government, his former aide Colonel Larry Wilkerson came out strongly against the poor treatment of U.S. detainees; laid full responsibility at the door of Vice President Cheney and his staff; and said that Powell had no first-hand knowledge of how abuse/torture had come about. While this occurred, Powell remained silent on the issue and made no public proclamations. Due to the close relationship between the two Wilkerson’s views were taken as reflecting the views of Powell. Wilkerson's denunciations were part of an effort to preserve Powell's legacy and indicate that he hadn't been part of the administration's efforts to institutionalize torture... and Wilkerson saved Powell's reputation in the eyes of many people… Powell got “credit” for being a “good soldier”, “team player”, etc. while Wilkerson laid down cover for him…
Recently, however, it has come out that the "enhanced interrogation techniques" were discussed in excruciating detail on multiple occasions at the Principals meeting with Colin Powell present. Powell has not really been called out on this. Once when Diane Sawyer asked re him this apparent contradiction Colin Powell said that he didn't have "sufficient memory recall" about the meetings; that he had participated in "… many meetings on how to deal with detainees…”; and, “… I'm not aware of anything that we discussed in any of those meetings that was not considered legal…” However, so far he has not had to explain why he let Wilkerson so publicly exonerate him as not being involved while he was actually very much in the loop."
Powell's doubts over CIA intelligence on Iraq prompted him to set up secret review
Powell presents US case to Security Council of Iraq's failure to disarm
Focus on Iraq: Powell's UN speech dissected
The Powell Presentation - Harry Browne
Lie After Lie: What Exactly Colin Powell Knew Five Years Ago Today, And What He Told The World
Warnings on WMD 'Fabricator' Were Ignored, Ex-CIA Aide Says
THE STRUGGLE FOR IRAQ: INTELLIGENCE; Powell's Case, a Year Later: Gaps in Picture of Iraq Arms
The U.N. Deception: What Exactly Colin Powell Knew Five Years Ago, and What He Told the World
Colin Powell's Disgraceful Lies
Colin Powell’s Former Aide Angry Over Curveball Lies
Previous blog entries concerning Colin Powell:
Random picture - December 22nd, 2010
Powell... Tekel... - April 15th, 2009
And yet... - December 14th, 2008
As expected... - October 20th, 2008
The Powell rehabilitation project? - July 13th, 2008
Did they say that (III) - April 20th, 2008
- Colin Powell, now blaming the CIA and DIA for his presentation to the UN (which turned out to be equal parts fantasy and conjecture....). See 'Colin Powell demands answers over Curveball's WMD lies'
So now cometh Colin Powell, he of forked tongue, "demanding" that the CIA and DIA "... explain why they failed to alert him to the unreliability of a key source behind claims of Saddam Hussein's bio-weapons capability..." At the U.N. he said in 2003 "My colleagues, every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we're giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence..."
How did we know this was the case? Because at the time Powell claimed that he and his team had spent days reviewing and vetting the information to be used in the speech; that all items that were doubtful were removed (e.g. the uranium from Niger claim, the software from Australia claim, the pictures of pictures of Iraqi ''nuclear mujahedeen,", among others); and that he only used what had been checked and verified... For example: "... Months later, news articles reported that Powell had spent several days at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., looking over the intelligence, and that he put only the strongest evidence in his briefing, tossing out many claims—for instance, the business about uranium-shopping in Niger—that he considered flimsy, if not fraudulent..." And another example: "Mr Powell said he had all but "moved in" with US intelligence to prepare his briefings for the UN security council, according to the transcripts..."
Yet now he has the unmitigated gall to "demand" explanations of the CIA and DIA... Equally duplicitous, his aide at the time, Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, has pronounced himself "extremely angry" (see here) that he and Powell were victims of "serious manipulation" and "outright lying" Yes, this is the self-same Wilkerson that made the rounds in 2008 providing Powell 'cover' re the mistreatment of detainees, which subsequently turned out to be wholly false (see below).
As recounted in 'The Powell rehabilitation project?', "... following Powell’s exit from the government, his former aide Colonel Larry Wilkerson came out strongly against the poor treatment of U.S. detainees; laid full responsibility at the door of Vice President Cheney and his staff; and said that Powell had no first-hand knowledge of how abuse/torture had come about. While this occurred, Powell remained silent on the issue and made no public proclamations. Due to the close relationship between the two Wilkerson’s views were taken as reflecting the views of Powell. Wilkerson's denunciations were part of an effort to preserve Powell's legacy and indicate that he hadn't been part of the administration's efforts to institutionalize torture... and Wilkerson saved Powell's reputation in the eyes of many people… Powell got “credit” for being a “good soldier”, “team player”, etc. while Wilkerson laid down cover for him…
Recently, however, it has come out that the "enhanced interrogation techniques" were discussed in excruciating detail on multiple occasions at the Principals meeting with Colin Powell present. Powell has not really been called out on this. Once when Diane Sawyer asked re him this apparent contradiction Colin Powell said that he didn't have "sufficient memory recall" about the meetings; that he had participated in "… many meetings on how to deal with detainees…”; and, “… I'm not aware of anything that we discussed in any of those meetings that was not considered legal…” However, so far he has not had to explain why he let Wilkerson so publicly exonerate him as not being involved while he was actually very much in the loop."
Powell's doubts over CIA intelligence on Iraq prompted him to set up secret review
Powell presents US case to Security Council of Iraq's failure to disarm
Focus on Iraq: Powell's UN speech dissected
The Powell Presentation - Harry Browne
Lie After Lie: What Exactly Colin Powell Knew Five Years Ago Today, And What He Told The World
Warnings on WMD 'Fabricator' Were Ignored, Ex-CIA Aide Says
THE STRUGGLE FOR IRAQ: INTELLIGENCE; Powell's Case, a Year Later: Gaps in Picture of Iraq Arms
The U.N. Deception: What Exactly Colin Powell Knew Five Years Ago, and What He Told the World
Colin Powell's Disgraceful Lies
Colin Powell’s Former Aide Angry Over Curveball Lies
Previous blog entries concerning Colin Powell:
Random picture - December 22nd, 2010
Powell... Tekel... - April 15th, 2009
And yet... - December 14th, 2008
As expected... - October 20th, 2008
The Powell rehabilitation project? - July 13th, 2008
Did they say that (III) - April 20th, 2008
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