>>> The articles didn't actually address what Powell's speech was based on.<<<
I think everyone, including the authors, know what Powell was trying to prove: a) That Saddam was being deceptive and hiding weapons of mass destruction; b) that there was a Saddam link to Al Qaeda. Powell proved neither. And it remains my assertion that he knew he wouldn't impress the Security Council, that his marching orders were to go before the UN and impress the American public (Bush being down in the polls and all, and most not wanting the war at the time).
>>>The rense article didn't even mention Powell's speech. I couldn't even find Powell's name mentioned in the article.<<<
The Rense.com article was on how to sell a war, precisely what Powell was attempting to do.
>>>The Pakistani Daily Times said the CIA opposed the war. Yet the head of the CIA pointedly sat directly behind Powell during his presentation as a show of support.<<<
Come on now, Brumar. You read the article. Therefore you know that article highlighted that the lower level British agents and the lower level CIA agents had no faith in the information their leaders and the leaders on top of them were putting out to the public. That what was being publicly released was inconsistent and, in some instances, contrary to what was actually known.
>>>In regard to the alleged plagiarism (or lack of attribution) in a British report, that report was hardly what Powell's speech was based on. Powell simply mentioned the report favorably. And as for the correctness of the information in the British report, the academic expert on Iraqi intelligence who authored it originally stood by the accuracy of the information.<<<
Fact of the matter is what Powell presented as his information to the Security Council included plagerized documents that were out of date, and I believe Powell was heard to describe the material as up to date intelligence. And the materials he used from the British dossier were embellished by Blair's press secretary. Let me ask you this, could Bush's press secretary make him look good by authoring or rewriting written material?
Look, Brumar. Let's both agree. Powell did the best he could with what he had to work with. Unfortunately, what they gave him didn't, couldn't and shouldn't have withstood the scrutiny of an entity such as the United Nations. However, Powell's presentation played very well to helping Bush reach into some middle-roader voters. In my view, that's all it was intended to accomplish. |
