Link Here LONDON — Former Secretary of State Colin Powell advised President Bush before the Iraq war to send more troops to the country, but the administration did not follow his recommendation, Powell said in an interview broadcast Sunday. Critics accuse Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld of failing to send enough soldiers to secure the peace in Iraq after the invasion three years ago. Powell said he gave the advice to now retired Gen. Tommy Franks, who developed and executed the Iraq invasion plan, and Rumsfeld while the president was present. "I made the case to Gen. Franks and Secretary Rumsfeld before the president that I was not sure we had enough troops," Powell said in an interview on Britain's ITV television, according to a transcript released by the network. "The case was made, it was listened to, it was considered. ... A judgment was made by those responsible that the troop strength was adequate." Powell, who served as chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1991 Gulf War, is known for his belief in deploying decisive force with a clear exit strategy in any conflict. "The president's military advisers felt that the size of the force was adequate, they may still feel that years later. Some of us don't, I don't," Powell said. "In my perspective, I would have preferred more troops but you know, this conflict is not over." "At the time the president was listening to those who were supposed to be providing him with military advice," Powell said. "They were anticipating a different kind of immediate aftermath of the fall of Baghdad, it turned out to be not exactly as they had anticipated." Rumsfeld has rejected criticism that he had sent too few U.S. troops to Iraq, saying that Franks and two other generals who oversaw the campaign's planning — John Abizaid and George Casey — had determined the overall number of troops, and that he and Bush agreed with them
Whether that's what his intention was or not, I haven't seen anybody bringing up Colin Powell's name when complaining about the execution of the war. I only see him talked about as at fault regarding the pre-war stuff. Am I missing something?
Yea, great idea...Powell. More troops under the direction of a shoddy gameplan. That would have made all the difference in the world. Uh huh. He's trying to distance himself imo. That's okay.
Colin always tries to distance himself from messes he had a big part in such as Iran Contra and now Iraq. He tries to portray himself as a smart guy who just was a victim of excess loyalty rather than an opportunist who stays as long as things are going good. I predict that after a period of rehabilitation he will be useful once again for the Bushes, Carlysle or other corporate board work.
Powell's a stooge. His Yes Sir attitude and the disconnect with other cabinet members landed him in this position. The man had political capital for Presidency. The Bush Admin used it all.
By the post-war period it was way too late, because things were already set in stone and the inmates were running hte asylum. Pre-war, l he did go before the UN and lie, basically, in support of the war, among other things.
Right, but that has nothing to do with the number of troops or the plan, just whether in the abstract war was a good idea or not.
Interestingly on the Neil Young Living With War Album He has a song titled I believe "Looking for a Leader" and he throws out Obama's name and then "maybe even Colin Powell to right the wrong he's done".
I like Obama. The little I've heard him speak he was brilliant. Powell would now have to prove that he could be a good leader and not just a good soldier. I understand how following commands can be such a noble attribuite for the military, but as Sec'y of State I wish that he would have jumped ship much sooner. Then again, I could see how he could hope that his presence in that admin could ultimately be of some benefit.
I take Powell at face value that he didn't and doesn't want to be President. I honestly think if he did he would've run already or would've never agreed to serve as Sec'y of State. Powell's appeal is somewhat similar to McCain's, being an independent minded political figure, and he must've realized if he was looking for higher office that being GW Bush's Sec'y of State would have lessened that image. If Powell had wanted to be President 1996 or 2000 was his shots. The only thing that could've kept him back was getting through the Repub primaries. IMO Powell is what he says he is. A good soldier.
