We need a Chilcot Inquiry in this country. But it is unthinkable here.
1
Too little, too late.
12
Mr. Wilkerson seems to have forgotten he was part and parcel of Powell's egregious lie. Details. Details.
8
Those who profit from wars are powerfully placed and know how to work Washington. These profiteers range from politicians, to active military, to corporations and they do not care how much suffering they cause at home and overseas, nor how many trillions it adds to the national debt. With Trump as our ignorant and reckless President, the war profiteers have someone they can manipulate -- just put their information on Fox News at the right time of day and the President is ready to act a few hours later.
7
Then why did Obama get pilloried by the Republicans for not wanting to send more and more of our troops back into that black hole? Syria classic example. Regardless of the “red line” Obama did the right thing and not dragging us back in there.
8
It was clear to me at the time that Powell was lying and that going to war with Iraq would be an enormous and costly mistake. How so many members of Congress were suckered into going along with supporting it is still a mystery to me.
But one thing I never forget - when people look back with nostalgia now at George W. Bush, and call him a decent man - is that he brought about the deaths of 50,000 Americans and Iraqis, and cost us trillions of dollars fighting an unnecessary war. Trump, as despicable as he is, has not even come close to causing the same amount of damage. Yet.
14
If you did not play the Bush-Cheney game, you would have made it harder for them which would make it harder for Trump. This article is too little, too late. You think Trump is going to listen to you?
8
There were many of us at time who knew that this was a false narrative being peddled on flimsy evidence. I just wonder how Mr. Wilkerson sleeps at night.
10
Trump must not be suffering from his bone spurs any longer, draft him, the war will be over in a tweet.
7
Does the truth or do the facts make any difference in today's world? To this administration, lying and deceiving are standard operating procedure, in every department, at every level. Anybody who wants truth or has a concern for the facts is shown the door. Not sure where you are going with this. Who is listening?
4
By July 2002 I knew we were going to war in Iraq. I also knew we would never find WMD there. And, just to remind everyone, this newspaper (from Judith Miller to Bill Keller) supported Powell's narrative the whole way.
I don't know why I feel differently this time. Maybe it's just that the American people don't seem to be buying it this time, and the media is not as complicit. Also, the Trump administration, if you can call it that, just doesn't seem to have the discipline to "trump up" a specific case.
8
Why didn't Colin Powell write this? Presumably, he's in a secure, undisclosed location with Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld.
8
As interesting as all the Russiagate scoops are I would like to see more investigative reporting on subjects such as this. Also keep the faces of the deportation victims front and center consistently.
2
The difference between 15 years ago and today is that there is now no Colin Powell, respected by most of America. All of the generals who have been conned into working for Trumpty Dumpty are forever tainted by the lies, bullying, deceit and sheer awfulness of their boss, and so lack the credibility and honor of Powell in that era of the Bush administration (of course, Powell was ultimately befouled by the Bush lies, which he helped foist upon a trusting American public). So perhaps we are fortunate that there are no men or women of sufficient stature to sell a false war again. Trump has actually done something right, but painting his minions with the same excremental brush that adjusts the color of his hair and skin....
2
No Tony Blair this time, thank god. And the link with 9/11, legally necessary short of new legislative action, will not fly. The GOP may be willing to throw its base under bus for fat cat donor tax cuts, but for war wit Iran? I worry more about NK.
2
I have two questions:
1. How do you live with yourself knowing what youve done?
2. Why aren't you screaming this from the rooftops every day?
8
Thank you Colonel for this insight. It seems to me that the media—particularly the Cable news networks have not been covering this issue to the extent it warrants.
4
The father of the tragically wronged Otto Warmbier attends the opening ceremony of the Olympics in South Korea, as a guest of VP Pence. I wish this man was more aware and not do that. I feel sorry for the Warmbier family and am disgusted with North Korea; but this is a blatant propaganda move to create stories for the American public that will fuel war lust, similar to Powell in 2002. The mistreatment of one student by a foreign criminal justice system, as unjust as it seems to us, is not reason for war. We execute nationals of nations that do not have the death penalty. Are they justified to go to war against us for that reason? I don't think so.
4
An attack on Iran would make the Iraq war look like a walk in the park. And would further destabilize the mid-East.
What a terrible idea.
4
"I helped Secretary Powell paint a clear picture that war was the only choice"
Definitely nothing to crow about. Iraq is now a country decimated, hundreds of thousands dead, the future of millions more destroyed, an entire region of the world aflame, the largest number of refugees since WWII and that's just for starters. There was plenty of evidence to the contrary not least the IAEA conclusions and that anyone with a passing knowledge of Saddam Hussein would know there was no way he would harbor or support a group in or near his empire that had all the makings of becoming stronger than he was. Did you not read foreign newspaper, listen to experts domestic & foreign alike with far more experience than you? Not to forget Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, the Saudi allies everything.
The totally irresponsible and indefensible choices of the "sellers" of the invasion have ushered in a far more frightening, deadly future than anyone could have imagined. The USA got off lightly in comparison, merely another TV atrocity or geography lesson for many. A war with Iran will make the invasion of Iraq look like a relatively harmless skirmish but it won't just be on TV this time. I'm betting those pushing for it are your reflections with the same careless disrespect for life, drunk on the same power as you. What is to be done about that - you may know from personal experience. As flies to wanton boys are people to you self-made gods, you kill them for your sport.
8
We're still in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria?....and soon, if we're not careful, N.Korea and Iran. We may be a superpower, but we ain't the Almighty Power. Leave Iran alone! And also leave N. Korea alone! We have our own problems that we can't apparently handle due to partisan politics....how do we purport to fight on all these other fronts? Nuke them?
China and Russia aren't going to stand by and watch the US bully these other countries? Would they? So, besides, Iraq, Iraq, Afghanistan, N. Korea, we may have to face-off with China and Russia.
We ain't that powerful...
3
No surprise here. Bush/Cheney cynically used the war to crank up the nation's patriotic fever but was really designed to keep the Republican party in power.
Trump has already taken a big bribe from Saudi Arabia (the $100 million 'Charitable foundation' to his daughter) for which he made a major policy shift by choosing sides in the regional Sunni/Shiite conflict.
He also did the same with Israel to benefit Jared Kushner's business interests and China to secure Ivanka's business interests in China. Lord knows what his deal is with Russia
Why is anybody surprised by a sociopath will do?
7
The situation with Iran is far different than Iraq.
Once burned, twice shy.
With Iraq we believed intelligence reports and a president that fully believed them. Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction program any longer.
Iran sponsors terrorism, has intercontinental ballistic and an atomic bomb program. The fanatics running Iran threaten to atom bomb Israel, a country that has no common border with them.
A war with Iran is a lousy idea. Iran is to big and has 80 million people.
At worst, the US could bomb only Iran's atomic bomb and missile sites. Not destroy the entire country like Germany and Japan. Any attempt for regime change in Iran is a waste of time.
1
All Trump needs now is a terrorist attack on US soil, by one of the many groups that he hates.
Trump loves terrorism, because it justifies his love for authoritarianism. That's why he tweeted - before any evidence! - that the EgyptAir crash in May 2016 was a terrorist attack. Evidence available today suggests that it was not related to terrorism.
4
This entire article amounts to “Beware of war criminals in the Trump Administration! I should know - I was a war criminal in the Bush Administration!”
Amazing how high crimes go unpunished in this country. Kill millions, defraud millions (Wells Fargo), no trial, no incarceration, no criminal record. Retire or consult and gain privileged access to MSM. For the Little People: debtors prison, full force of the justice system.
8
Ultimatey it is a question of wherhrt the Administration in power succeeds in deceiving the Amerivcan people then regrets what it did and fail to locate any quasi respectable defenders of their ill advised, as they come to believe some of Their own lies and fabrications as with the Bush counter productive , except for Israel war on Iraq
,with Trump Being what he is what he is I would not be surprised if he leads public demonstration in support of WAR !,
War is a waste unless it is a battle to keep the world safe from terrorists and nuclear armed dictators with WMDs that really exist.
1
I have no respect for either Colin Powell or the author. After the Iraq war debacle, I thought my fellow Americans couldn't be fooled again into backing war. How wrong I am, and how terrified and discouraged. The ignorant are again supporting a lie that may force us to war.
2
As the American public should have demanded in the face of the Iraq invasion, the war hawks should have to co-sign the debts any future conflicts might generate. So much much for Dick Cheney's "the war will pay for itself" foolishness.
1
Who are pulling the strings of our leaders who take us to war? I bet it may come from a friend country.
1
You mean that our "liberating" soldiers won't be greeted with showers of flowers just as they were in Iraq? Maybe that's a photo op Trump is pushing for.
We fight Wars mostly because our Presidents feel compelled to protect America from real or imagined dangers. Oblivious to human casualties at home and abroad. Presidents never have any shortages of aids anxious to prepare the public for War. Lets hope our current POTUS is cut from different cloth.
1
Powell is pathetically attempting to distance himself from ever telling the truth of why we went to war in Iraq. It was neither a threat of nuclear weapons, which Sadaam Hussein did want, nor the oil. We wanted their mineral resources... which we did take. As nothing ever appears to be what it is, neither is the former new weird order puppet, CP
2
"So far, news organizations have largely failed to refute false narratives coming out of the Trump White House on Iran."
Well....NYTImes....I believe this means you. Wilkerson is in your op-ed section calling you out. Where are your stories? I wondered in 2003 where they were then also. Stop reporting on the insane tweets and report on substance coming from the advisors who are supposed to be the adults in the room, who are making policy without fact, and who will get the child to sign off on anything which will make him look the strongman.
Thank you for confessing the evil you did, in hopes of avoiding a repetition of it.
1
Presidential wars seem to be America's fatal genetic mutation, not that other nations haven't also repeatedly destroyed themselves.
We are rife with generals and politicians who lost wars on K Street and lucrative speaking circuits.
Where are the statues and lifetime jobs for journalists or congressmen who correctly opposed Korea, Viet Nam or Iraq?
As Wilkerson points out, "selling" war is surprisingly easy.
Why?
The full faith and credit of America backs the Commander in Chief, the military and Congressional branches of government, who never saw a war they didn't want to avoid "at all cost", then had at all cost.
The Judiciary remains complicit and silent.
Opposed are a few pointy headed panty waist cowards who "hate America", pointing to "fake" history.
Best of all, Americans require no accountability for losing wars.
Our only hope rests with the press.
The patriotic journalists out there who demand the use of logic and knowledge will predictably be shouted down, threatened or fired.
Trump et al need a war for their agenda and the odds are heavily in their favor unless the press hangs much tougher than in the past.
Granted, demanding proven facts while Americans feed on red meat is thankless.
Can America pull out of this Executive war death spiral?
2
Mr. Wilkerson would do well to admit that he, like General Collin Powell and more than likely the President himself, was manipulated into becoming a Manchurian candidate by giant intellectual midget of the Republican Party as it is happening today. Also after 9/11 the country at large was hungry for blood not today though.
1
The Hall of Shame with Colin Powell and another war hero to join him, the Maverick, John McCain.
2
There is a one word solution on how stop another foreign policy disaster like the Iraq invasion, coming at the hands of a (much more) incompetent president: resignation.
The Chickenhawk Party, a bipartisan group of armchair warriors looking for the next war, is all over this war just like the Bush II Invasion of Iraq. They are all too happy to send you or your kids off to war- just do not ask them or their kids to serve.
As a veteran I have nothing but contempt for this cabal who profit from the blood, suffering and death of others. Many get invited on TV to talk as experts despite being so spectacularly wrong about everything. This means that they are not only criminally evil- they are shameless.
As to our own people, far too many of my fellow Americans are more than willing to be told what to believe for whichever team they align with. Incurious, un-informed and more knowledgeable about stats for their favorite team than who represents them from City Hall to Congress.
4
Many of the respondents seem to be grateful for Mr. Wilkerson´s words but in all candor I find myself repulsed. He is telling us today, in early 2018, what many of us already knew in early 2003. It´s good of him to have gotten around to it, but he´s no less than fifteen years late with the message. As for the Gasbag in Chief´s desire to go to war, it is not hot news; he has made it manifest countless times. It´s up to us to see that it doesn´t happen.
4
Tony Blair, Colin Powell, Lawrence Wilkerson, you wade in the sea of human blood that your masters, Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld created and that you so efficiently helped them produce. You may think it is time to write freely about this, but it isn't just a matter of 'taking responsibility' and thinking you can appear in a public arena and be respected. There are people without their health, without their limbs, without their faces, without their sanity because of you. There are countless human bones under rubble because of you. There are millions of hearts aching with pain and loss. You 'sold a war', and while you enjoyed your privileged existence, more than a huge number of human beings had to pay for it. Your actions in pulling us into a needless war has put you and your cronies into bottomless pit of shame.
3
I'll believe Trump when Jared, Don Jr and Eric all join the military and request deployment to the Middle East. Because, as that Gold Star dad asked during the DNC in 2016, what has Trump ever sacrificed?
3
Soon we'll be eating Freedom Fries again as the hawks in Congress call anyone who objects a "traitor". They are happy to send your kids to get killed for their glory.
2
So Mr. Wilkerson cheerfully committed a criminal act and the NY Times gives him a platform to lecture us? Cute.
2
All during the Clinton years there was an ongoing air campaign against Iraq's defense installations. The NYTimes regularly reported on these strikes - albeit in those little three inch stories found at the bottom of the inside pages and hence easily overlooked. When the Bush-Cheney-Powell team made claims against Iraq of having weapons of mass destruction, many of us knew either, that our own Air Force was doing a terrible job, or the claims had to be false.
Just as the Bush administration refused to recognize the successes of his predecessor we see the same thing happening now with Iran. These wars are acts of individual hubris. They create mass destruction, millions of refugees, and they suck up resources that would be better spent on domestic infrastructure. They weaken us as a nation and as individuals. Consider how many American could be retrained if adequate funding existed or how many drug treatment centers we could open if we were not spending trillions destabilizing the world.
I agree with other commentators who say that we must reintroduce the universal draft. Until all Americans have their children's skin in the game (so to speak) and they are forced to know about these foreign policy "situations" and feel the pain that results, we won't see an end to conflicts that are not founded in reason.
2
Wilkerson acts like he was part of a decision-making group that chose the wrong exterior color to paint a home. What world are we living in?
If Powell and his subordinates knew they might be humiliated, vilified, stripped of their service accomplishments, or thrown in jail for propagating propaganda that would undermine the US and world stability, we might not have entered into the Iraq war so carelessly. And here we have a henchman propagandist, teaching college students and writing this frothy "warning" in the New York Times. At least, the NY Times might have taken him to task--dug into the hows and whys of the misinformation--given us some insight into how propaganda at the highest levels of government happens and is communicated to people.
Oh I forget, The Times shoddy reporting helped us go to war.
3
bravo
Colonel,
At Army War College in Carlisle you were taught your Thucydides. In his "The Peloponnesian War" in 431 B.C. : "[w]hat made war inevitable was the growth of Athenian power and the fear which this caused in Sparta." Wars are always thought "unavoidable" even to the aggressors. It's always something...the train timetables of Europe in 1914, the "Domino Theory" in the Cold War.
But you, Colonel, you knew better and chose to do it anyway. In your laudable piece, I see no mention of the American dead, crippled, and mentally destroyed. The OIF sections of Arlington are visible from the E-ring of the Pentagon's west side, where you used to work.
Yellowcake, centrifuges, the Office of Special Plans, the neocons, ricin, mushroom clouds: it all comes back, along with Secretary Powell, as he wielded his props in the U.N. speech, heavy on gravitas, light on proof.
You owe it to the country to get out and do whatever you can to stop this war. You need to enlist Powell and Susan Rice to help. You know we have less time than we think. War has inertia. I know because I was there: I was at the load-out of the RO-RO ships destined for the Gulf in December, 2002. We knew that you didn't send that much gear and people 5000 miles just to send them home again. Everything else was theater. War was "inevitable."
3
Why aren't you hiding under a desk somewhere ?
Any sentient person knew that Powell was lying and you supported that nonsense. Years later, nothing has changed.
3
Being a native New Yorker, now living in a more "conservative" red state, let us remember two things.
1 It is IMPOSSIBLE to UNDERestimate the intelligence of the public.
2. In a red state such as the one I currently live in, charming as the folks may be.. one can assume the average intelligence level is slightly above mentally retarded.
SO you can tell them, and sell them anything.
PS. and if you have any trouble selling them a big lie which will kill millions of people, cost us a fortune, benefit the military industrial pockets and gleefully support Mr. Netanyahoo (sorry about the spelling), to ASSURE success in selling such lies, SIMPLY say: JESUS SUPPORTS THIS WAR.
Now let's go kill the bad guys, for freedom and Jesus
2
To this day, average German citizens are blamed for "not doing more" to keep their country out of wars and bringing down Adolph Hitler.
I recalled this and my frustration of not being able to do anything to keep us from going to war over false "weapons of mass destruction".
What is the common citizen to do when our elected officials lie and deceive us? Write comments in the NYT?
4
So have you gone down on your knees and begged forgiveness for helping kill millions of innocent people? Divested yourself of all the money it helped you earn? Or do you just kick back and have a cocktail in your stately mansion while writing opeds to vindicate yourself?
2
Shame on you, Mr. Wilkerson - you have the blood of Americans and innocent Iraqis (women and children) on your hands. Go hang your head in shame - you do not deserve to be read! Begone!
1
Bright Scorpio, armed with poisonous tail,
Prepares men's martial minds for violence and for wars.
His venom heats and boils their blood to rage,
And rapine spreads o'er the unlucky age.
--Manilius
2
Let's hope this time around the Times doesn't drink the coolaid and promote the lies. Powell and Bush and Cheney had a lot of help!
2
All I can say is: Mister Wilkerson, how do you sleep at night?
2
How do you sleep at night?
2
It seems to me that you are a bit of a war criminal and that your veracity and credibility are shot.
If it was up to me, I'd prosecute everybody in the W administration and those connected to it who got us into Iraq.
2
My life goal--to live long enough to see these in front of the International Criminal Court--as war criminals:
Their names should not be forgotten: Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, Dick Cheney, Richard Perle, Colin Powell, Paul Wolfowitz, Scooter Libby, Paul Bremer, George W. Bush, and others to be named.
On to Nuremberg! (with a longer list...?)
2
Oh, come on, Mr. Wilkerson. Why not admit that you cherry-picked items that would fit into your and the Bush administration's tale of lies? You try to excuse yourself by writing "Today, we know how terribly wrong Mr. Tenet was." But that implies that you did not know at the time that Mr. Tenet was wrong. Actually, you did know.
You knew very well that Hans Blix and his team of UN inspectors were on the ground in Iraq looking for WMDs as early as November 2002. Powell's lies were presented to the UN in February 2003. Yet during those three months, Blix continually said that his team had found no evidence whatsoever that WMDs existed, even when looking at sites where Cheney and Rumsfeld swore they were stashed. So you knew that inspectors in Iraq were finding nothing.
Then why did you not have Powell wait to present "evidence" of WMDs until Blix came up with some? What was your hurry? Instead, you helped fool Americans into quickly starting a war that killed thousands of American soldiers and about half a million Iraqis, mostly civilians. Thanks so much for your service - you are complicit in those deaths, and your mea culpa at this time absolves neither you nor Powell.
5
Colin Powell was lied to, pure and simple. Dick Cheney wanted access to oil in Iraq; that’s how the war would “pay for itself.” Even before 9/11, he indicated that the oil was the target. 9/11 was his exceedingly poor excuse. George Tenet was a useful idiot, much like Devin Nunes is today. Cheney manipulated CIA intelligence and bumbling George W believed him. Every time I think about that period of time, I become infuriated all over again!
2
It's offensive to me that the NYT provides a platform for a person the outcomes of whose lying has resulted in years of lost lives, lost opportunities, enormous suffering.
1
Thank you.
Mr. Wilkerson, can you sleep at night?
1
"...one has to wonder where team Trump gets its ideas." perhaps, Israel.
1
Why does Trump want to go to war? Why would anybody? Save for a situation like Nazi Germany. There is no crisis here. There is plenty of time for negotiations if there really is a problem to resolve. Except: War is ugly. Trump is ugly. Whenever he opens his mouth, he reveals himself as a truly ugly human being. That must be the why. Ugliness seeks ugliness. But his ugliness cannot become America's ugliness. No.
1
It is like watching Murder inc.
“We need something big to bring us together” — DJ Trump
1
Thanks for the heads up. How about an apology for your part in 2003
1
I agree with Mr. Wilkerson's article but we must be careful. Many people did not think Hitler was a threat until he really, really was. Iran is different: It is a revolutionary regime, and primarily expansionist and hegemonic. It is led by mullahs hell-bent to get a nuclear weapon for their missiles, with unforseen consequences. There may be similarities with Iraq, but there are also major differences...
Why is Wilkerson not behind bars for lying this nation into a war that has killed and maimed millions and destroyed the stability of the Middle East? May history condemn you and may whatever gods may be do the same.
I think of that little Iraqi boy, Ali, whose family was killed and how he was left with no arms, no legs, just a head and torso. Cursed be the war makers and the deceivers who lead nations into war.
Anyone with half a brain KNEW that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction. First, the Israelis bombed and destroyed Iraq attempted nuclear power plant in 1981. Second, hundreds of UN weapons inspectors on the ground were finding no nuclear warheads. Third, Iraq had no facility to enrich raw uranium and separate the U-235 from the U-238. Of course, most Americans are science-illiterate, follow leaders and have a nationalistic war fever, and so were willing to believe the lies.
2
You do realize that your little “work task” decimated countless number of lives, right? Somehow I did not find sufficient contrition in your words which leads me to think—pretty salvo aside—that you still don’t get the magnitude of what you d! Anger doesn’t begin to cover my feelings for your “accomplishments”. That you are now trying to do the right thing does not mitigate that you are no better than a dirty war criminal.
1
When I first saw the headline and Colin Powell's picture I initially thought that Powell had finally had a come to Jesus moment on his complicity selling the Iraq war and the resultant war crimes, hypocrisy, graft, death and destruction therefrom....Silly me.
1
Another NYT article today has the headline: "Trump Accuses Democrats of ‘Treason’ Amid Market Rout."
Well ain't that the pot calling the kettle black!
Treason with Russia. Now treason with an Iranian war to distract...
1
I think we should start the rumour that Mexico will pay for the war against Iran.
3
I've witnessed Dog and Pony shows by military officers.The UN appearance was a dog and pony show and changed my entire opinion of General Powell. He knew better.
1
When thinking about these matters, it's important to remember how easily we accept that one pays double fines in work areas on our highways. Something similar needs to be in place for political decisions -- if you lie, cheat, cherrypick your intel, and aim to hoodwink the nation, your legal liability ought to be expanded exponentially. Take office, then, knowing that your legal exposure for malfeasance (of various kinds) has increased significantly.
Too many people have died, and continue to die, from the reckless, self-serving choices of our craven politicians.
2
Having been in Iran pre-Trump 2016, I was heartened by the pro-American feeling. The young people, especially, were so excited about what they were now accomplishing with the sanctions lifted: cafes, art galleries, restaurants, tourist businesses. People were free to speak to me and their enthusiasm was palpable. Now, however, if I went back it would be much different. The hope that Barak Obama presented to Iran and the United States is gone. Tough guy Trump is gunning for a war. And the young people in the United States and in Iran will be the losers.
1
The people of the US have virtually no voice when it comes to national security. This phenomenon is particularly true under the authoritarian government ushered in by Chump and his rubber stamp GOP Congress and is slowly being applied to domestic affairs as well.
2
Thank you for the warning, but, those of us paying attention already know that Trump will get a big Swiss Bank account deposit if he goes to war with Iran.
Probably at least 10 of those deposits will go upon troops hitting the ground in Iran.
We know that Republican Presidents, staff and elective representatives are bought and paid for to start and keep wars going constantly.
Question: did you get some of the payments that went out to Powell, Bush and Cheney? I am guessing not since you are writing this now.
Thanks for your honesty, Col. Wilkerson. If only we were capable of learning from our mistakes, it might have done some good.
2
Trump adds an extra and super-dangerous element to the mix: his insatiable hunger to start conflicts wherever he goes and in whatever he says and does or fails to do. It is the pathological dangerousness of a hunger to constantly see people fight around him and about him, all for the sake of his greater glory.
1
After all these years, I still wonder what happened at CIA headquarters when General Powell was preparing for his UN testimony. More specifically, I wonder why George Tenet assured Powell that the sources of information on claimed Iraqi possession of bio weapons material were "solid," when the CIA leadership had been informed by their Bonn Station Chief that the principal source, an Iraqi engineer, code named "Curveball," held by the Germans and which CIA personnel had not been allowed to interview, was an alcoholic and a fabricator of information.
The phony information provided by Curveball made up much, if not most, of Powell's testimony. It is inconceivable that Tenet had not been aware of his Station Chief's warning, considering that he had flown from Bonn to warn the agency heads personally.
Today, Powell and Tenet appear to have remained friends. So, what happened? Was it a matter of, "The Administration wants a war, so we'll give them a war?"
2
Is it conspiracy theory to suspect the military industrial complex wants more war to gin up munitions and heavy industry manufacturing so they make more money? Worked for them in WWII (where we had reason to defend the world), Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq, Afghanistan ... and now Iran and North Korea?
1
For a president like Trump whom many insist has no precedent, between Nixon and Watergate and W. Bush and Iraq, Trump is feeling like nothing more than an old shoe. I guess some just like being hysterical all the time.
1
Thank you for writing. I'm not sure it will help but at least you are trying. That said, regarding the tens of thousands of lives lost, the chaos and fury you helped unleash, the trillions of dollars that could have gone to education or healthcare or infrastructure - how do you possibly rationalize living with yourself?!
1
Since Mr. Trump is so eager and willing to attack his own nation, hitting back "ten times harder" against Americans who see him for what he is, he must feel ready and able to be at war at all times, everywhere with everyone. Yet his notion that a trumped-up war will rally all Americans to him, securing a second-term-for-what-we-cannot-say and make manifest the dream of a Permanent Republican Majority -- as if Republicans act in need of, or in the interest of, the majority -- must be one of the more cynical, misinformed and idiotic wishes anyone in any authority has ever expressed. Let us not allow him any further, even more catastrophic and pyrrhic victories.
1
Mr. Wilkerson, thank you for admitting your role in these war crimes. I am truly sorry that neither you nor any of your accomplices in these crimes have been punished.
3
Unlike Colin Powell, Haley has no gravitas nor historical national security credentials. All just sound and fury.
Anyone can be taken even those who supposedly are on the inside. Powell gave up his honor for what he believed was the real deal or if he refused to tow the Republican line they would make sure as an African American he would pay for it dearly. There are very few African American Generals or officers in today's military. He must have found out that he too was suckered into the war. Wilkerson never apologizes so he must think he was duped as well. Was the Iraq War worth the high price of American soldier lives and civilian lives in the region? The lesson is to never allow us to be conned by any WH let alone one from the Pretend King Trump who obviously is edging for a fight to distract us from impeaching him or removing him from office. The worst thought one cannot grasp is that the Pretend King Trump would start a War just so he can win. Win what? Don't know since he is already a loser and if removed from office his edicts will be wiped from our history books as false signatures.
Back in 2003 I was branded a traitor by everyone from Fox News to my right wing colleagues for even doubting the rationale for invading Iraq. The administration's conflation of Saddam and 9/11 was clearly contrived, and uncritical low-information voters lapped it up. But the left were traitors for not believing the lies.
But history has long since been proven that the left was right and the right was wrong about so many things, including the Iraq war. The blitzkrieg of "shock and awe" became a long, unwinnable, meat-grinding slog, still going after 15 years. The "welcoming us as liberators" became minefields of IEDs. The "oil will pay for the war" became a multi-trillion dollar outlay and deficit increase while we watch education, infrastructure, and the safety net collapse in our own country. The "few Baathist dead-enders" became al Qaeda, ISIS, al Nusra, and all manner of jihadists.
The conservative Republican right-wingers lied about leading us to war, lied about having a strategy for the war, lied about the consequences, and lied about the costs. Yet here we are, failing to learn our lesson from the deceptions of the past we were so eager to buy into. Here we are electing these same Republican liars to congress, to our statehouses, and to the highest office in the land. We get the government we deserve, and we deserves the actual traitors we have I office now. Good going, America!
1
Both Bush and Trump were/are incompetent leaders. The only way to dodge that embarrassment is to distract with war. I'm preaching to the choir, writing here -- I should be writing Fox news.
Step back to Desert Storm and George Bush senior with undiagnosed over active thyroid- he had Graves Disease and went into atrial fibrillation as the was was winding down. Colin Powell noted in his memoirs that Bush had a "glandular anger" at Saddam Hussein. Bush's hyperthyroidism was not diagnose until the heart arrhythmia-- its symptoms include impatience, anger, irritability. Has the last two decades of instability been a result of an undiagnosed medical condition in our president? Colin Powell was not eager to jump into Desert Storm and had major reservations at the time.
1
What Wilkerson did may not fit the formal definition, but don't his lying and deceit in support of the Iraq War constitute a kind of war crime? In that sense, aren't Bush and Cheney war criminals as well? Doesn't it seem that Trump aspires to be that kind of war criminal?
Secretary of State, Colin Powell was trusted by most Americans when he took the stage at the UN that fateful day and claimed Iraq had accumulated weapons of mass destruction. He had earned that trust by his service in the military and thereafter to our Government.
After we invaded Iraq, after we had captured and/or killed Saddam's family, after hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were killed and millions displaced, after serval thousand of our young men and women died and/or suffered unimaginable injuries - we found out that no such weapons exits.
Most of the Cheney/Bush/GOP made excuses and started pointing fingers at the Intel community. Powell didn't. The man we trusted knew he had been used. The man we trusted, who could have become the first Black President, faded into the night.
1
Trump is taking his marching orders on Iran from Bibi Netanyahu who also hates Iran. Together they can make a bigger mess of the Middle East than Bush. Kushner probably likes the idea as well.
2
This entire article is a continuation of lies and passing the buck pertaining to the Bush Iraq war where thousands got killed. The title should have been "I Helped Starting a War Based on Blatant Lies Of Which I was Well Aware." In stead this article continues the half truths to both avoid accepting-admitting guild and changing the focus from Bush (and Powell and Wilkerson) to Trump. "False Truth and False Choice" are not the same thing - Nice try but no cigar.
1
I worked as a crypto soldier for Generals in a NATO headquarter during the Cold War. There were almost only Generals, Colonels and a few of us low ranks in that unit. After what I experienced there I already thought Dr. Strangelove a documentary. Mr. Powel's shameless debasement of facts reduced my trust in those men to even less.
2
The era of resolving conflict through war has come and gone sometime before the 9/11 attacks and the long long time US military in the middle-east. There is just little to nothing that blood or money can do other than retaliate here and there if necessary and then go home.
How many countries is Iran bombing and/or engaging in assassinations from the air or otherwise at the moment?
Who's the international terrorist and pariah right now?
Just sayin.
2
Colin Powell was held in great esteem by most Americans. He has been tarnished by that UN speech. The GOP and Trump do not have anyone of Colin's stature to lie to the American people. That is probably the only thing keeping us out of 'preventative war' with Iran.
After our lying our way into the Iraqi war, we have lost a lot of respect and backing from other democracies. That also speaks against another war.
However, we have the merchants of death with their lobbyists as well as an authoritarian GOP and a dunce for President, so I am not betting against a made up war with Iran in order for the GOP to maintain power.
Register to vote, vote in 2018. Don't believe the lying GOP. Watch what they do, don't listen to what they say. The are untrustworthy.
49
Our politicians are corrupt, we do need to understand that first. Our army should never be used unless and until we are attacked on our borders. Plus our army should question our politicians decision to go to war and be real patriotic and save us from corrupt politicians and their corrupt donors.
Patriotism does not mean follow your president's orders blindly. Question, question all his orders,
1
Powell's bald faced lies led to a miserable war we never should have been in. Powell can claim he was tricked but his stupidity does not dampen the fact that his actions led to the slaughter of untold thousands on humans. Powell was a miserable politician in deep over his head. His appointment was a huge mistake, one that led to a sordid bloody legacy.
1
Starting war with Iran is a way to insure Trump's re-election. I.e., the real master of America is not Trump, but Netanyahu. Bnayamin knows how to push things, Trump is just an apprentice, a bull horn with low self-esteem.
Colin Powell ain't all that great. Early in his military career he helped to cover up the My Lai massacre. I expect that is why he was sent to the UN to build a case for war. He was useful.
2
Sadly, this is virtually assured of happening.
If Fat Nixon has proved anything it is that he has one motivating thought - self-preservation. There is no norm, ethical restraint, or law who will not break in order to preserve his power and position. Shame, prudence, restraint, and humility are not things he even comprehends.
We know from what has already been reported in the media that Muller's investigation is substantive and is getting ever-closer to Fat Nixon. The Nunes farcical memo reveals a ham-handed, incompetent effort at obstruction and simply underscores the Trumpet's desperation. More importantly, it reveals that Trump is more than willing to attack one of the great pillars of American national security, the FBI, in an effort to save his own skin. If he is willing to do that, it can be assumed that he would be more than willing to attack north korea in order to distract the public from his myriad high crimes and misdemeanors.
Thus a Constitutional crisis is born.
Assurances that the Generals will prevent this sort of gross and senseless abuse of power are not satisfying. Assuming the best and they do stop him, our institutions will be permanently damaged. Trust in government will be lost.
And still! we have taken no action to prevent the Russians from installing a similar buffoon in the Oval Office thanks to Republican short-sighted and self-serving obstruction.
I’ve always wondered what dirt Bush/Cheney had on Powell to persuade him to give that dishonest speech.
1
Unfortunately the bipartisan military-industrial-Congressional complex always wins because people like Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, and their enablers, Colin Powell, Mr. Wilkerson, etc. are not prosecuted and put in prison for war crimes and treason. Lyndon Johnson was allowed to go free & to keep his many millions in ill-gotten gains, regardless of the Gulf of Tonkin lies and war of aggression vs Vietnam, yet another country that never attacked US soil or territory.
President Obama was elected to bring accountability and instead it was just turn the page and more expansion of the national security and surveillance states. Expansion of drone warfare in Afghanistan and continuation of the Bush-Cheney neo-con wars for the entire 8 years of his presidency, handing it off to Trump.
Papers like the NY Times do not endorse Rand Paul or Bernie Sanders but instead generally marginalize the few sane voices calling for restraint in foreign policy. Given her war hawk tendencies; support for Bush-Cheney's Iraq; and doubling down on neo-con interventionism in Libya, Syria, etc., it is just as likely Lawrence Wilkerson would be writing this same column with a Hillary Clinton presidency.
1
I was NEVER sold on the war with Iraq and if we try it with Iran - which is twice the size of Iraq - the results will be even worse. The only benefit accrues to military suppliers and contractors. You'd have thought we'd have learned from Vietnam. You'd have thought we'd have learned from the British and Russian empires failing in Afghanistan. DO NOT go to war with a tribal society. The loses are huge and the gains are far from commensurate. Shut it down.
2
A very comprehensive piece by Mr. Wilkerson. But, nowhere did I see those 3 very important words: "Please forgive me."
2
The Hague, not editorial pages of major dailies, is the ideal place for Col. Wilkerson to bare his soul. Our children (or whatever the Vegans and anti-natalists care about instead of children) are reaping the fruits of the lies sown in the debris of 9/11. Democracy was dragged out on the tarmac, before Bill lay down with Loretta, and stripped of her robes quite unceremoniously. We lost standing, high-ground, claims of virtue, and all the legacy good will from a long, tough period of stumbling forward for Justice, in a flash. A ginned up, utterly false case, cynically told in mocha face (see what I did there?), to a populace pre-conditioned to believe that "certain people wouldn't lie about such a thing." There must be due process and a place for war criminals to make their defenses. That is not the New York Times or Jeff Bezos' mirror sheet. It is the Hague. I hope the boat is a big one, as it will have to accommodate quite a cast of accused.
1
"...It seems not to matter that 15 of the 19 hijackers on Sept. 11 were Saudis and none were Iranians...
Uuuh, Lawrence...
It seemed not to matter back when you and Colin were doing your thing, either...
3
While serving as a medical officer in the Strategic Air Command fifty years ago it occurred to me that a time would come when nuclear weapons would be used because eventually the national memory of their horror would recede and someday a fool would lead us. I had hoped that it would come when I am gone and did not have to see what it did to my children and grandchildren.
3
The author shows no contrition for his role in this disastrous war.
People from all around the world protested the impending catastrophe in Iraq, to no avail. War, endless war, is what the U.S. has been about for ever so long and the dynamic will not change until/unless the draft is reinstituted. We have a professional military now and the cost in suffering, to our soldiers and the countries that are ruined in the process doesn't register in the public consciousness.
What a shameful thing.
3
If I remember correctly the USA's utterly criminal march to war against Iraq was eagerly backed by unsubstantiated articles in the NYT that simply repeated White House claims of weapons of mass destruction. That doesn't seem to be the case now with Iran. So perhaps we are safe.
2
Whenever a political party this time the GOP is in deep trouble with the American people they will get us into a war in an instant. First is with North Korea and now warmonger talk about Iran. We had eight great years of peace with President Obama and no nuclear threats. Why did that happen? Because we talked to these countries at all costs. GOP thats all it takes how about giving Peace a chance. Bullying will get you in the mess you are in now. Pope Francis says talk at all costs.
Telling the American public that your error in judgement resulted in thousands of deaths which included young Americans and innocent civilians doesn’t resolve your responsibility and guilt. You and your colleagues should have been required to face public tribunals. Instead, you simply withdrawal to a life of comfort. You are shameless.
2
I have not forgotten what Mr. Powell (and, apparently, you) did to the American people and to the people of Iraq. I hope you remember your culpability every day for the rest of your life.
Here's my question, though: If YOU, who worked for a man who up to that point had integrity, couldn't stop yourself from selling a load of hooey to the American people and directly causing the deaths of untold tens of thousands of people, how do you expect others to? Especially those who work for a man with NO integrity?
You are responsible for your own actions and it will make more than anything you can do in this life to make up for the evil you caused.
2
Thanks for the chest beating. If you--and McNamara--had gotten it right in the first place, the world might not be in such dire straits.
2
Half of this country knew the Iraq War was bogus. The media including the NY Times and maybe especially the NY Times did not do its job in presenting the factual information. The NY Times was almost pushing for the war. The reporters were less than competent.
3
We're a few days from a government shutdown, Reps and Dems can't even talk civilly to one another, lawmakers can't settle on an annual budget, and the GOP just added more than $1-trillion to the deficit with its tax-cuts. Now, we learn the frightening tug of Trump warmongers toward insane conflict with yet another Middle Eastern power.
This sure belies the presidential fabrication that he opposed the Iraq War, given that this is a carbon copy, only bigger. Someone save us, please!
Where would we even find the troops and arms to mount an offense? At present, we're still fighting in Afghanistan, still have troops in Iraq and plan to keep forces in Syria, to rebuild the country and unseat the Assad government. ISIS retains footholds in a number of nations, North Korea threatens strikes monthly, and Russia sits inside our cyber borders.
The cash register keeps spewing our more cash than it holds. Doesn't Trump have enough distracting toys to keep him from consumption by the Mueller probe?
Trumps' Congressional fans have shown a blind willfulness to join him in any venture he pursues, which likely means they're too weak to stand against idiocy and on principle, should they still have any. The country grows more divided by the day. And we are still learning the brutal and exorbitant lessons of invading Iraq, whose wages still cause havoc for us, allies and foes.
Where are the politicians with the sense and sanity to keep us from yet another monumental blunder?
3
Thank You , Mr. Wilkerson for this sobering mea culpa and is a reminding us of what can happen if we let hubris and politics dictate starting a war rather than actual facts.
However, there's another person who I've been waiting for years to come to the same conclusions as you:
Judith Miller.
Her cheerleading and twisting of facts leading up to March 2003 would make spinmeisters of the alt-right blush.
Of course she's not the ONLY reason we went to war, but her reporting certainly gave a certain polished veneer to the Bush/Cheney lie factory that ultimately led to ISIS and the current mess we're in.
2
All empires have collapsed from military adventures: their own.
4
Cheney started the Iraq war to boost Bush's poll numbers, period Trump will start an Iran war to make himself feel macho, period.
2
"I Helped Sell the False Choice of War Once" does not appear in the article.
I read this because I was hoping for an admission from Powell.
If the NYT has a source of Powell saying these words, please it.
The guy's administration is under investigation for being puppets of a foreign power and we're talking about adding a war on top of it. Why don't we sort the one thing out first (true or false), then look at the Iran thing?
The only reason for War with Iran is to save his 'Presidency'. They will fabricate any reason because people will mindlessly rally around a wartime president. It will be his Reichstag. If we go to war in Iran, we will lose our Democracy. Preventing this war must be done at any cost. I hope and pray there are enough people in the military that understand that their loyalty to the Constitution should be higher than their loyalty to the president. They are not required to follow unlawful orders.
Well, Mr. Wilkerson ...
I don't know about your analogy between George W. Bush and Trump, but I can confirm that Colin Powell's speech at the UN (2/8/2003) was the final nail in the coffin for those of us who opposed the Iraq War. Even my dear wife went over to the "dark side" after that.
And what a dreadful performance it was. I'll never forget the photo of the suspected "weapons lab" that Powell pointed to near the end of his speech. I remember well shouting at the screen: "If you think the Iraqis are making weapons there, why not just send in one of the 10,000 or so UN inspectors that are crawling all over Iraq right now? Surely there must be one within 50 feet or so of that suspected weapons lab. Have that inspector test the soil."
Powell sold his soul that day, and if, as you claim, you helped, shame on you.
2
The American public have no power in preventing these wars.
And what about international law??
How is it that both Bushes, and now 45, can arbitrarily start wars based on false information?
Why has Bush - W, that is- not been held accountable for torture, renditions and the WMD lies????
It's sickening to feel so powerless, while the GOP launches war after war, all the while lauding themselves as "Christians".
2
I fear that the real danger here is that Mr. Trump, like a child with a new toy, is itching to try out "his" military and set "his generals" free in a war. He also might well view a war as a beneficial political diversion as it becomes clearer and clearer that the Mueller investigation is going to nail his hide to a wall. At the same time, it's also too apparent that Trump could care less about the vast death and mayhem war in Iran or North Korea would bring. This is a dangerous time for America and the world. We better all buckle up.
1
Colin Powell belongs in Leavenworth. And Bill Maher should recuse himself from discussions of foreign-policy, after his cowardly interview of Powell last year. Maher didn't ask him one question about lying to the assembled nations of the earth.
2
And yet, you do not have the decency to commit ritual suicide and atone for the thousands of deaths and the chaotic violence that still spirals from your shameful conduct.
1
Mr. Wilkerson, I detected no remorse on your part in coniving with the G W Bush administration to enable the war machine to go to war. What a bunch of lies you all manufactured. And where are you today? Teaching? Where is Mr. Powell? We all know where DC is, hiding in Wyoming. How any of you can hold your heads up is beyond my understanding of human nature. The three of you should be cleaning Veterans Hospitals so you can see up close and personal what you have done to veterans and their families. You all started a war that will never be finished. Thanks for nothing.
3
That Bush strategy cost us 3 trillion dollars, 4000 dead Americans, 40000 wounded.
4
Once again... I want to point out Trump's draft dodging during the Vietnam war.
Five deferments!!! Yeah, that is the number "5". This is outrageous!!! We have the worst president in American history. Not only a draft dodger but one who has avoided using American labor when building his New York city Trump Tower.
1
The unnecessary Iraq War had the same sponsors as the now promoted, unnecessary war with Iran: oil industry (think of the record high oil prices), military industry complex (think of all those weapons being used and all the new sales), white Evangelicals (another step closer to Armageddon, Rapture, the world ending, but Jesus finally coming back), right-wing Zionists (Jewish and Christian) in America, corrupt, theocratic Saudi Arabian monarchy and right-wing ethocratic/theocratic Israeli government (got rid of Saddam and Iraq, now time to get rid of Ayatollahs and Iranian regional threat). Real threats but real deception. This time add Trump’s lies and propaganda and his cult-like base. The majorities in America, Saudi Arabia and Israel don’t support these manufactured wars. But those in power do. They are ruthless in getting and maintaining their power. They divide, scare and sow hatred in their populations. The billionaire class will benefit. American soldiers and Iranians will die.
3
America needs a good war. Do it. Do it. Do it.
Trump's "strategy" is Anti-Anything-Obama- Accomplished. He has stopped talking about "tearing up" the Nuclear deal..so he goes down to the next low level...throwing out those stock comments about Iran being a terrorist state.. building a bomb and all the oother Bibi Blabber.meanwhile he,his administration and most of the media..seem not to dare mention that ..Iran has and is ,at this moment fighting ISIS..What exactly would we accomplish by a war with Iran? Turning the most pro-west/America country in the ME against us...and helping the harrd-liners , rather than the progressives in the country. Is mmadness!
2
Two very unprincipled men, traitors against our nation and higher self: Powell and Wilkerson.
1
careful? whats that like?
1
This drives me nuts. Colin Powell's speech at the time seemed suspicious and the war seemed to be based on flimsy evidence. That this guy gets a NYT op-ed for fessing up 16 years later is annoying.
It was not rocket science to see what was going on and the truth is, they never were held accountable for such a staggering lie.
4
Not only would a war with Iran be catastrophic, probably with first use of nuclear weapons by the U.S. as soon as a carrier or two was sunk by the Iranian forces, but Trump is foolish enough to get into another war with N. Korea at the same time, which will without doubt be, or become, a nuclear war. Let's remember how well two-front wars worked for the Kaiser, then Hitler. We're on the same path of idiocy they were on, which is likely to lead to a similar bad end. This time the end could be for the entire planet, not just the U.S. or its enemies.
Col. Wilkerson--
Thank you for the op-ed. I hope it deters some of our fellow citizens who support war against Iran. The loud mouthed Israelis and Saudis (infrequent and strange bedfellows.....) will continue to bay for the US to wage a war at its expense. They should be ignored.
I watched Colin Powell's 2003 UN speech in Saudi Arabia where my wife and I had been living since 1979. I had great faith in Powell and grudgingly bot his argument for war. I felt our military victory would be quick and decisive but that "bringing some form of representative government to Iraq" would be much more difficult, drawn out and had a significant chance of failure.
Thruout Powell's whole speech my wife kept repeating, "He's lying! He's lying!"
My Saudi colleagues at work all opposed US intervention. I told them I supported US invasion and that I believed that they (mostly US educated and Saudi's employed intelligentsia), would have much more voice in their government's affairs within 5 years after the US invasion.
We won the military victory in Iraq quickly and completely flubbed the "representative government" objective. The reason for that is another very unpleasant history.
In short, my prediction to my Saudi colleagues was totally wrong and my wife's sentiments (even if Powell wasn't lying) were right on. I still hurt today about supporting the invasion and the damage it has done to the whole Arab region and to our country. It must be much worse for you.
37
I had always thought Powell would be a magnificent choice for president with his intelligence, terrific experience and seeming admirable moral compass. A real leader. What the devil happened ? I hope he will someday tell us how he got corrupted by the stupidity of men (Bush, etc) no where near as bright as he .
Col. Wilkerson (USA Ret.) has something in common with The New York Times. They both contributed to the invasion of a sovereign country. Col. Wilkerson (USA Ret.) doesn't seem to be burdened with contrition. Nor does The Times.
Perhaps The Times could begin the long slow path to redemption by printing an article on March 19, 2018, to commemorate that infamous day fifteen years ago. I would suggest a retrospective on the first Marine killed in the War Against Weapons of Mass Destruction. Although he was a United States Marine, he was not a United States Citizen. It is a story worth telling.
Semper Fi, Corporal, semper fi.
3
The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies is a Neo-Con "think tank" created to spread pro-Israeli Likud ideology and propaganda much like the AEI and the Washington Institute did for the Iraq War. They also are the main propagandists for the brutal dictatorships in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. These actors are all implicated to their elbows in wasting American blood and treasure and that of hundreds of thousands of civilians in the Middle East. Their payed political hacks in both the Democratic and Republican parties must be held accountable by the American people.
3
So Mr. Wilkerson,
why don't you, Mr. Powell and Mr. Bush are in jail or stand trial at The Hague?
You just admitted to have supported their war crimes and crimes against humanity?
Do you really feel that you are a voice of reason?
3
What I want to know in all this manufactured Iran handwringing and hysteria is where the heck John Bolton and Frank Gaffney are hiding out. We're running out of clowns and they're desperately needed to fill the gap. We've got a circus to run!
The ones that are now backing the administration for a war are the Arabs, the right wing of Israel and the right wing of US. All using the 'threat to the world' as the pre-emptive strike.
1
When Tiffany, Ivanka, Erik and Don Jr. enlist to help defend America, I will think the threat is real.
After they die fighting for America, I will allow my sons to enlist.
2
Democrats -- when it's time -- vote.
1
"As I look back at our lock-step march toward war with Iraq, I realize that it didn’t seem to matter to us that we used shoddy or cherry-picked intelligence:"
That assertion tells me that you knew and Colin Powell knew that the intelligence was bogus - and that you both went ahead and lied to us anyway, justifying that horrible, unnecessary, destructive war. How do you live with yourself?
2
Sorry, but you helped lie the country into a pointless war.
Why should I listen to you on any issue?
18
The author notes that "one has to wonder where team Trump gets its ideas."
As was the case with the invasion of Iraq, the propaganda inciting war on Iran comes from Israelis and their American supporters. They want to use American military resources and American lives to fight another senseless war against Israel's supposed enemies.
Are we so stupid and directionless that we would accede to Israel's insane request again?
4
Nicole Wallace of MSNBC also "Helped Sell the False Choice of War" while working for Bush. And now working for the left and condemning Trump. Fake news?
1
Nice of you to write this, but to most of us NYT readers it was completely obvious from start to finish that any "need" for war with Iraq was a cynical fabrication serving the hyper-affluent. Go preach somewhere where it will make a difference instead of looking for absolution from us. 15 years has not diminished my disappointment in "good soldiers" like you and Mr. Powell.
2
America should not follow the lead of the draft dodger in chief in virtually anywhere he leads as past performance indicates that is the wrong path
So many puppeteers behind our Mad Marionette...
I remain convinced that we went to war in Iraq as a consequence of Saddam Hussein's attempt to have George H.W. Bush assassinated in a visit to Kuwait in 1993.
https://oig.justice.gov/special/9704a/05bush2.htm
Quote:
n April 1993, former President George Bush visited Kuwait to commemorate the victory over Iraq in the Persian Gulf War. During Bush's visit, Kuwaiti authorities arrested 17 people allegedly involved in a plot to kill Bush using a car bomb.
The United States sent various personnel to Kuwait to investigate the alleged assassination attempt. Based on interviews of the alleged coconspirators, forensic examinations of the explosive devices, and intelligence reports, the United States Government concluded that Iraq was behind the attempted car bombing. In response, on June 26, 1993, President Clinton ordered a cruise missile strike against an Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS) building in Baghdad. A Kuwaiti court later convicted all but one of the defendants charged with crimes arising from the assassination attempt.
End quote
Goerge W. Bush famously said about Saddam Hussein that "he tried to kill my daddy."
Georgie Boy used the American military as his personal hit squad to get "revenge."
When Georgie Boy served in the Air National Guard in the 1970s, he famously spent his time getting loaded and chasing skirts in Alabama, and flying obsolete jets that would never be sent to Vietnam.
2
"one has to wonder where team Trump gets its ideas" the Author says. He then answers his own question: from Adelson and Singer and their propaganda machine. From the neoconservative clique who planned the Iraq war - and from the ultra-right leaders of Israel.
2
So, will any of the Trump kids be called up to go to war?
Or are bone spurs now considered a genetic condition?
1
bush knew....no second term without a war to ride into
the republican national convention. With the same lemmings scurrying to the voting booth.
“loving eyes can never see”
Mueller just may save us from WWIII
but it’s going to be close...
May have been better if you had written this letter for Powell and he apologized! Either way, you all can get away for the million dead and countless wounded because you are here and it is easier to share the blame. Oh, one more thing, the media which was in cahoots never really apologizes either.
1
Colin Powell was a well-respected American. His performance at the UN destroyed his career, reputation, and credibility. The difference with the current administration is that NO ONE in the current administration has ANY credibility, and that’s from Day One.
As far as Lawrence Wilkerson goes, if you think an “I was just following orders” op-ed mea culpa washes the blood of 4,400 American military personnel from your hands, guess again.
2
Let's not mince words: In ramping up to war with Iran, we're just doing the bidding of Israel and Saudi Arabia.
America First?!
1
You simply can't trust the government.
1
Just to be clear: there was no" lock-step march" to war. Millions upon millions of people protested around the world and resisted having an obviously cooked-up war rammed down our collective throats. My wife and I laughed while watching Powell's third-rate shilling with absurd props. You're all criminals.
1
Shame on us and this country if we allow another draft dodger to send us into another useless war.
I couldn't believe, when Bush, Powell, and company pushed war in Iraq, that the lessons of Viet Nam (including Don't Start Wars with Cultures Whose History You Don't Understand, Never Start a Land War in Asia, and generally You Have No Business Trying to Tell Other Cultures How to Run Their Affairs) were all being ignored. I can't believe anyone could do it AGAIN, much less this soon (did I miss something, or aren't we still at war in Afghanistan?). Oh, yes, and there's that other lesson: The Only People Who Win in These Wars are Corporations.
27
The big question is about the First Iraq War. Ambassador April Glaspie, it seems, told Saddam Hussein that it was acceptable to invade Kuwait. When he did, G.H.W. Bush went to war against Iraq. As soon as we won, we withdrew, and Saddam began slaughtering Kurds in the north and marsh Arabs in the south. Why doesn't anybody complain about the first Iraq War?
Will we ever learn what was going on? Why didn't G.H.W. Bust know what Glaspie had said? Or did she say it because she was obeying orders?
8
Americans were shell-shocked by the 9/11 attacks, and the Bush/Cheney administration manipulated that emotional state to push their agenda, an agenda most Americans, including many republicans, now openly regret. While it's been obvious for years that the usual suspects want to invade Iran, I think the "war on terror" card has been played, and most Americans will not fall for it again any time soon.
7
First, is Mr. Wilkerson getting a government pension for "service" to our country? If so, it should be rescinded. And he should spend the rest of his life making sure we aren't duped again...and everyone who had a hand in the lying then (Iraq) and now (Iran) should face charges.
10
I remember watching Gen. Powell & wondering if he belied what he was saying because it all seemed so nonsensical to me. I lost my previously deep respect for him that day. I was also so proud that my prime minister, Jean Chretien, did not allow Canada to be coerced into that false war despite the backlash from millions of America. I shudder if this happens all over again but I think Trump believes a war would make him look bigger, strong and a tough guy.
14
Since the end of WWII America has become the most heavily militarized society the world has ever known, with the ability to fight simultaneous wars on 2 continents.
When you have a big hammer - everything looks like a nail and when you only have a hammer - eventually you have to use it.
The GOP / Republican party wraps itself in the flag and bases its world view on military strength and self interest - never on doing the right thing or taking moral leadership.
America has chosen to go to war so many times expecting an easy win, only to find that the other side is actually well dug in and serious.
Nowhere else in the world do you hear politicians talking about "our enemies" - except perhaps for tin pot dictatorships.
15
This article took guts and integrity to write, I have to admit. Very few people in public life today owning up to their mistakes.
15
I would find Wilkerson's opinion more convincing if he flatly stated, "I was wrong about Iraq". Perhaps he thinks it is more persuasive if someone who liked even the Iraq War says that war with Iran is a bad idea.
8
This article reminds me of the movie about Robert McNamara and Vietnam, "The Fog of War." In the film, McNamara admits that the "Best and the Brightest" had led us, either through ideological blindness or willfull deception, into a war that took 58,000 American lives and countless more Vietnamese. While I appreciate the mea culpa here, but as they say those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. Forget any illusions about the "best and the brightest," this administration specializes in distortion, deception and dishonesty. We can't even end America's war in Afghanistan, our country's longest, and we still hear this admininistration rattling its sabres. SAD.
10
Reinstitute the draft, and make it fair. No Trump buy-outs.
I agree with your premise, Moderate. The campuses would erupt if the complex grabbed students to die for these endless wars.
But it's a hard argument to make: the left deplores violence and covers its eyes; the right fears dissent from within the ranks.
Most crucial, of course, is that a lot of people make a lot of money from wars, and the victims are generally poor kids from poor places whose wounds aren't so visible as they would be if they were more affluent. Sadly, the profiteers, who include the soon-to-be lobbyists from the Pentagon, can find few dollars for the beleaguered VA hospitals.
8
After 9-11, the whole world was united in support of the United States. The actions and posturing of the Bush Administration squandered that unity and goodwill and turned major portions of the world against us. One consequence was that our inspirational role in the world was diminished and the lamp of hope in the promise of a free and democratic society was dimmed. The Trump Administration is accomplishing that to a degree, as well, though the resistance that has arisen is, for now, its own source of inspiration.
But the Bush Administration had the neo-cons--the members of the Project for a New American Century--who stated openly and on their website that they needed a Pearl Harbor-type event to make their voluntary war and secure a democratic base in the Middle East. Donald Rumsfeld rushing in to the cabinet meeting after 9-11, saying that the catastrophe meant we should invade Iraq was baffling to other cabinet members. But they didn't know about the long-held plan.
One only wonders what is behind the Iran plan, if it is as Wilkerson is perceiving it. Is there a group with an unseen motive? Or is it just small-minded, short-sighted people who don't see the tremendous and inspiring achievement of the Iran nuclear deal and who are simply using similar tools to advance their goal?
6
Way back in 2003 it seemed pretty clear to me that the run up to war was more about domestic politics than anything in Iraq. Let's face it, Sept 11 made Americans feel vulnerable and emasculated.
Afghanistan was never going to be a war that made Americans feel powerful again, but Iraq could be televised and spun to bring back our national pride. So we invaded, and then cheered as the tvs showed toppling statues and empty palaces. So what if it all fell apart later; we had soaring home prices to distract us by then.
Invading Iran may be a harder sell. I don't see Americans today as being in need of a testosterone boost as we were in in 2002-03. Of course, if this administration needs a major distraction, it may start a war regardless of its popularity. The protests alone will help focus the public away from whatever Mueller finds.
2
I'm not sure the purpose of this opinion article. Would reading such a post have changed Secretary Powell's mind in 2002? Or Bushes? Or Congress? Half of Americans were opposed to the war, and economists were already decrying the debt it would create in 2002. No one in power listened. I stopped believing we had a democratic republic around that time.
The Bush administration stole the promise of the millennium and ensured the Millennial generation would be the first since WWII to lack social mobility. The Trump administration is doing little more than digging them graves. We have unprecedented attacks on education, widening economic disparity, wage stagnation, social wars, and neighbors fighting neighbors. But what exactly are these opinion pieces accomplishing? Would reading this information have convinced the author in 2003 to do anything different? Why does he expect the Trump administration to do anything less self-serving today? What are we supposed to do with this information? It's stating the obvious -- of course Trump wants to "Wag the Dog" to distract from an investigation.
5
I firmly believe that a lot of this war mongering is related to the powerful military-industrial complex.They depend on wars and revolutions etc. to sell billons of dollars of weapons (40 plus billion to many nations). They have lobbyists throughout Washington with lots of cash to give out. They have ex military men with Pentagon connections They have "industries' connected to the military in every congressional district (on purpose).
The almost trillion dollars of taxpayers money is never questioned when given to them.
They are very influential in promoting our involvement , directly or indirectly in any and all wars.
9
The only real winners of wars seem to be the extremely rich and wealthy classes and those despotic leaders seeking more wealth and riches.
6
"Today, we know how terribly wrong Mr. Tenet was." It took only a moderate amount of skepticism and close reading to come to that conclusion fifteen years ago, especially when you consider the source.
6
In 2008 I went to a lecture given by the screenwriter of the animated movie "Persepolis", an autobiographical account of an Iranian woman who grew up in France. During the Q and A I asked about the possibility of the US invading or attacking Iran. I was cruelly mocked, to the great delight of the audience who thought it ridiculous that there cold be any such possibility. Iran is a much bigger country, with a larger military and a more politically and ethnically unified country, we were told.
So you see it could never happen.
2
Mr. Wilkerson, thank you, for this article. So important and insightful. I believed Colin Powell way back when as much as I absolutely did not want to believe him. And was so deeply shocked when we all learned that the evidence was false. I know little about the military complex or who profits and benefits from it financially, but suspect sadly this is the primary hidden impetus. And lives again so sadly lost? Do we really want this again America? Can we let this happen? And how much longer can our world bare this restlessness, this environmental devastation all over again impacting the whole of the earth at this critical time in history. Out of ignorance such actions come, versus wisdom and authentic leadership - acting with the greatest measures of restraint and negotiation. We need to hold off this march toward war. We mustn't be fooled and sold on this fiction.
1
Make the sons of the President and Congressmen go fight.
This is not a new idea but it is the right idea to get the country out of wars that are unnecessary. Who starts wars and introduces tax cuts the same year? Is that a Republican thing now?
4
I applaud your protests and warnings that we should not rush into another unnecessary war, but quite honestly, you are fifteen years too late. I don't know how you live with yourself knowing that you contributed in a major fashion to the unnecessary deaths of thousands of American and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. We won't go into the number of wounded and maimed and the cost of the war. Brave and honest men speak up when needed, not fifteen years later. And your argument that Bush would have gone to war anyway is completely disingenuous. If Mr. Powell had resigned in protest, the outcome may have been remarkably different.
8
Saber rattling has been around for centuries. This is nothing new. And there is actually more than one reason that this happens.
Yes, there are times when another country does pose a real, existential threat to the homeland. But there are many other reasons, most of which fall into the category of deflecting attention from the current economic, social and political turmoils that aflict the homeland.
But the comparison here of Iran to Iraq is not really valid. Iraq had already engaged in two invasions in just a 20 year period. The US led attack against Iraq in the first Iraq war was a resounding success militarily. Which then leads to delusional beliefs. Especially delusional beliefs in the post war period, of which little thought is given before war.
Fast forward to today. Iran has not invaded anyone. Everyone can see that terrorism, while feeling like death by a thousand cuts, cannot be eradicated in a traditional sense. So invading Iran will not only not stop terrorism but any invading force will suffer the same fate, x10, that the US suffered in Iraq. Iran is also a much more unified people than Iraq.
2
"...virtually no opposition"? I remember huge marches in 2003 in the U.S. and around the world in protest of the pending decision. I also remember the many courageous speeches in congress against going to war. But the post-9/11 fever was unstoppable. One can only hope that the context of this current war mongering (Trump's history of mega-lies and the memory of the 4000-plus American lives lost) will prevent this one. Of course now the congress' approval is not even required.
7
Nothing changes, as we always choose war and tax cuts.
So we then can have starving children, pollution in force, global warming, elderly outliving their money, people 60+ years with college debt, crumbling infrastructure a vaunted health care system that's actually around 13th in the world, increasingly undereducated "citizen" consumers... and people who have saved little or nothing for retirement in part because banks give no interest and we have a populace that thinks it needs to charge instead of saving for stuff.
Please finish my listing for me.
3
I'm an OIF III Army vet and as I recall, selling another small war in the Middle East after 9/11 wasn't too difficult. Yes it was preemptive but Hussesin was an easy target, a bad actor. His son raped the bride of a colleague on her wedding night so of course they're capable of anything so goes the narrative. No one asked difficult questions and deep down those serving wanted to believe the administration and above all the analysis of the intelligence. It's a shame that many who served in Iraq still believe that Hussesin had weapons of mass destruction. Those who accepted the fact that the war was a mistake justified it by believing that it was at least a distraction for extremists and at least provided a battlefield to engage them. As an objectivist, I later understood that the overthrow of Hussein's regime and the occupation was not a war but just another constructed theatre in the overarching Global War on Terror. When strategists and policy makers envision and wage war on those terms you don't need grounds for war or an exit strategy. I don't blame Colonel Wilkerson for his role in this mess. It goes much higher.
2
How could we not learn that if the people are not for us then we would lose. How could our military not say we don't want another Vietnam (already have Iraq and Afghanistan) out of Iran.
1
I remember listening to the Powell UN address, yelling at the radio, as I realized Powell was browbeating our allies and straight up lying--apparently with help from Wilkerson, the author of this op-ed piece.
If Wilkerson wants to redeem himself, he needs to hit the road and broadcast his message at every venue, in front of every camera he can find.
This time, deliver the truth: The administration is lying to start a war, very likely a nuclear war, which will be catastrophically destructive and most likely the last gasp of American global influence (if we haven't already passed that point...)
3
It should be pointed out that Netanyahu wants an attack on Iran just as he wanted an attack on Iraq. And Trump and Netanyahu share a mutual friend and contributor, Sheldon Adelson, who would also like a war with Iran, presumably to help Israel. It should also be noted that US troops are doing training exercises with the IDF. We must stop this reckless march to supporting another war to support a foreign country’s strategy for regional dominance.
6
President Eisenhower warned Americans to keep an eye out for the "new military industrial complex" which needs to keep war alive somewhere on the planet at all times. This together with contracts that lobbyists promise and politicians promise to bring to their states and districts continues to lead us down this dark path.
4
I'd go one step further and say the (illegal, unjustified) war in Iraq destabilized the whole world, not just the ME. But otherwise a fantastic op-ed piece by a principled man.
2
Mr. Bush claimed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction but none were ever found. Likewise, Mr. Trump claims that Iran is not keeping its bargain but has given little evidence of that. Many Americans think we "gave" money to Iran, but it was Iran's own money plus accrued interest. I fear that Mr. Trump desires a war somewhere new, either Korea or Iran. He may not even care which, because he needs a war to boost his popularity.
5
..."that we might be hopelessly naïve in thinking that the war would lead to democracy instead of pushing the region into a downward spiral."
Naïve is not the correct word. It was arrogance coupled with ignorance and greed. Halliburton and Blackwater made millions which was the point.
5
The question must be raised if/when Iran is attacked, by US, Saudi Arabia, Israel or by any combination, when will Russia come in and how hard? Could get very interesting very quickly.
2
Powell's speech and Wilkerson's participation in it should be regarded as war crimes. They had to be well aware through military and intelligence information the "facts" they were promoting were lies. They should be prosecuted for their actions.
Furthermore it should be noted that NO military or intelligence officials EVER stepped forward to admit to what was being undertaken. In addition to Mr Wilkerson, Richard Clarke and many others were well aware of what the Bush administration were undertaking. Also noteworthy is the fact no general officer or other top military commanders who understood the treason that was taking place chose to spoke out ...then or now. These people and the horrors and crimes they undertook, including Mr Wilkerson, should be considered as war criminals and treated as such. It is much to Mr Obama's own weakness and failures they were not prosecuted.
2
Fifteen years ago, a call came in from an American friend in Boston around 9:00 p.m. where she sounded distressed about going to war with Iraq. She wanted to speak to a mutual friend of ours, an American Iraqi, who had been back and forth to her Country over the years, bringing family members to safety in America.
Listen to her, I ventured. Listen to what she has to say. Perhaps my American lost heart and was not able to place the call. She died shortly afterwards.
My understanding is that America's Bush had been waiting, along with Cheney and others in his league, for the right moment to strike out at Iraq, and that the tragedy of 9/11 offered an open window.
The average American in The Street so to speak, does not recognize the difference between Iraq and Iran. History in America seems to begin with the Civil War and end with Vietnam.
'Weapons of Mass Destruction'? An astonishing amount of lofty words was one reason the Public was fooled into going off in the wrong direction. It was a bit of a hard sale, because if one looked at a map, the walk from Iraq to Afghanistan was quite a hike.
In 2010, my American Iraqi friend was to say 'My Country has never been in such terrible shape after Saddam Hussein was set upon'. Then came ISIS, the terrorist group, parading under the banner of Islam.
Hush, hush, whisper who dares, but we have a war going on in America these days.
1
Surprisingly, Grover Norquist has never received his due as cheerleader for the Bush Administration's push to war. Reporter Greg Palest interviewed Norquist before the Iraq invasion, when the lobbyist was boasting of his plans to open the Iraqi economy to his big-business clients. But by the time that "Jerry" Bremer's Coalition Provisional Authority had replaced Iraq's legal system with one tailored to outside investors, American troops were caught in the middle of an Iraqi civil war. Norquist, who famously wanted to shrink government to a size that could be drowned in a bathtub, shares responsibility for the trillions that the invasion will ultimately cost us.
5
Trump doesn't want war with Iran in particular; North Korea or Qatar would do equally well. Trump wants any war because he thinks war will make him look like a big man, and that is all that counts.
3
We are always told that if we don't engage in these conflicts that our security is at risk. The problem is, anyone who disagrees, or promotes some other course of action is branded as unpatriotic. They are shouted down, an politicians who want to be re-elected turn into supporters. I have become incredibly cynical about out leadership when they start screaming we need to intervene, or in the case of Iran, promote starting a war because they might have the capability to harm us. A lot of nations have the capability to harm us - are we also going to start a war with Russia? China? Pakistan? North Korea? I'm tired of spending ourselves into financial ruin, and sacrificing young men and women on the alter of war. Yes, we all want security, but I would make the case by bullying and threatening Iran and other we actually do harm to our security. Collective International pressure appears to have worked so far in Iran. There are stirrings within the country for greater freedom. If we attack Iran, or act in a threatening manner, we play right into the hands of the conservatives in that nation. We have proof during the last nearly 20 years that wars haven't solved the problems of the Middle East. Another one isn't going to change that.
2
Some of us saw the Bush administration’s drumbeat for with Iraq for what it was. Anyone with some sense would have seen through the lies and misrepresentations and know that this war of choice would not end well. With hindsight, it is easy now to reflect on the lies that sold this war of choice that brought catastrophe to the Middle East with so many deaths and so much devastation. This war was predicated on outright lies and a might makes-right foreign policy, which is also the unapologetic modus operandi of the current administration on matters domestic and foreign. Folks with a shred of sense should know that this will not end well either.
After the Iraq invasion and the imaginary search for the non-existent weapons of mass destruction, I had a conversation with one of my kind elderly neighbors. She was insistent that we weren’t lied to and kept repeating, “They haven’t found any WOMD yet, but I am sure they will. I am sure they will.” I didn’t tell her, but I was sure they wouldn’t.
4
What is really astounding is that he would threaten war with Iran or North Korea while we are mired in 17 years of an unwinnable war in Afghanistan and hitting our 15th anniversary in another unwinnable war in Iraq. Those wars have created dozens of hotspots that did not exist in 2001.
4
Really, the only reason to consider Iran an "enemy" of the US is if your view of US foreign policy align's lock-step with with Netanyahu and certain well-funded elements of the conservative pro-Israel lobby in the US.
If, on the other hand, you don't think middle east foreign policy should be viewed purely through an Israeli lens, then talk of war and, honestly, continued sanctions with Iran make little sense. It's a situation ripe for more diplomacy building off of the current deal.
If Iran is deserving of sanctions, why not Saudi for their role in perpetuating global terrorism, not to mention war in Yemen?
3
This time we will lucky to get off without a catastrophe. Unlike our other modern Presidents, our current one is fundamentally unstable.
3
Many democrats supported the Iraq war. Why? Because they as well as the military thought it would be a quick easy victory (just like Libya). That is the problem we have as a nation. We think our incredible military might will make our wars quick and easy. Sometimes it does as in the case of the first Iraq war, the balkans and our role in Libya. Sometimes however it is not as was the case in Vietnam and dubyas Iraq. Fortunately in this case the military thinks a victory in Iran will not be easy and they don't want to invade Iran. This I believe will be the reason a war with Iran will never be undertaken.
This is not a new problem. Lincoln thought the civil war would be over in 5 weeks with few casualties on either side.
1
I am grateful for the many thoughtful comments that accompany this critically important essay.
11
And the financial incentives being plied by the Saudi's and the Israeli's on Trump. Trump's business operations are always open. Haley is a remarkably poor spokesperson. Her performance on the international nuclear deal with Iran displays a total lack of what the agreement accomplished and the international support it retains.
11
Col. Wilkerson is too polite perhaps to say so, but cooking up a war with Iran plays right into Israel's ongoing strategy for the Middle East which is very simple: keep the United States ensnared in a ceaseless state of revolving conflict with major Islamic nations that have the potential to challenge Israel's military domination of that region, with or without nuclear weapons. That strategy means that the U.S. will never have the capacity to develop any constructive bi- or multi-lateral relations with such nations that do not give Israel a veto power or domination of the whole process. That's one of the big things that's really going on here. In the long run, it will be catastrophic and destructive both for the U.S. and Israel, but too few Americans are willing to challenge the covert political consensus in Washington on that project. At least Col. Wilkerson helps clear our vision so that we can see it fully.
33
You, Powell, and Bush all deserve to be rotting in prison. How many lives and how much money were wasted because of your lies?
50
The crucial question this column does not even address is, "Why?"
It was obvious at the time that the neo-cons who were effectively running the Dubya administration wanted war with Iraq - I think primarily to make money out of their stocks in arms production companies and Halliburton - but why did George Dubya Bush - a simpleton but a relatively harmless idiot - decide to say yes to a war he cared about as little as any other international event?
The answer - which I've never seen seriously even considered in this newspaper - is that Karl Rove convinced Bush that he had to run for re-election as a "war president" and Afghanistan might not have lasted through to November 2004 - not even after Bush ordered the military to let Osama bin Laden escape from Tora Bora.
Bush Senior had decisively won his optional war - protecting a medieval kingdom and it's deeply corrupt rulers - and then gone on to lose his bid for re-election. There was no way Karl Rove was going to let that happen, and it's probably the one chance Dubya ever had to do something better than his war-hero, CIA director, Vice President, President father.
So Iraq needs to be understood as the Election Stunt War, and that is exactly what Trump's war will be when it predictably starts in the spring of 2019. We know Trump doesn't care about anything - anything! - apart from himself. He doesn't care about Iran, he hardly cares about North Korea, but he deeply cares about not losing - so the world gets a war. Stop him!
47
I think it was something much more simple. Hussein has launched a clandestine operation to assassinate the first President Bush. I think that W knew the day he took office that he was going to go after Hussein as retribution. The fact that it played into the neocon's hands was just fortuitous for them. The reason they wanted war with Iraq is no mystery - they explained it to the world nicely and neatly in this white paper written years before W took the oath: https://web.archive.org/web/20130817122719/http://www.newamericancentury...
1
This likely goes beyond an election in almost three years' time which Trump may not even want to contest (at least, if he has a lucid synapse left in his skull). This is about an existential threat this year, in the form of criminal allegations that may arise from the Mueller inquiry. So, wag the dog for all it's worth
Colonel (ret.) Lawrence Wilkerson is an American hero. He served a great man and is a great man. This column is a monument to the power of a clear eye and honest mind, the very heart of integrity. Few nations as powerful as the United States have learned to use their power judiciously. Col. Wilkerson makes it clear that we better learn soon, or see the world and ourselves suffer atrocities on a scale no with a sane mind would ever pursue
12
Colonel Wilkerson is a knowledgeable man, a man who is trying to do the right thing now, a man who has valuable experience to share. But American heroes don't harbor deep doubts about the intelligence leading us to war and allow evil forces to drag us there; they go to the press and RESIGN in a full page ad that explains why. And Colin Powell should have led the way. Neither are great men, and they owe us, now, every bit of wisdom they have.
2
I used to think Powell was a great man. Then I heard him interviewed and asked about that UN speech. Did he express regret and take full responsibility for inadequately fact-checking his own speech? No, he did not. He finger-pointed. He placed the blame squarely and singularly on the “people who gave him information.” He defended that speech as the act of a misinformed but honorable man. And this in the same interview where he advised soldiers to refuse immoral orders even at great personal cost. Colin Powell is NOT a great man.
What does it mean for a "great man" to serve a vile and execrable cause? How many "great men" have served murderous and illegitimate regimes throughout history? How many "great men" were responsible for the bloody debacle in Vietnam? Pray tell me doctor Lavin, we're all waiting.
2
MG has it exactly right:
"It's great that Mr. Wilkerson has spoken so candidly in this article. However, misleading the public to entice the world's most formidable military into a war that killed hundreds of thousands, destroyed a civilization and inspired ISIS is, in essence, a crime against humanity. It is not a 'mistake'."
Another commenter referred to Powell (and presumably Wilkerson) as a "good man." Not sure how he reached that conclusion. Both of them flat out lied to entice the US into a war of choice based on allegations that Saddam had "weapons of mass destruction" -- allegations they knew were false.
It's not sufficient simply to acknowledge that, or even to apologize for it. Each of them should be locked up for the rest of his life.
38
"I knew that was why he(Powell) was chosen to make the presentation in the first place: his standing with the American people was more solid than any other member of the Bush administration." That was obvious to many of us from the beginning. Bush/Cheney had zero interest in General Powell's policy ideas. They were only interested in using his standing with the American people to sell their policies.
20
And for Powell and Wilkerson to not know that is scary on an entirely different level.
1
During the run up to the Iraq war, I lived in Houston Texas. I was one of 14 people to protest outside KPFT radio station when station management took Democracy Now off the air, and I was one of the 30 or so who would show up for a candlelight anti-war vigil on Fannin Street. Not many, for a city of 4 million.
This time it feels like the subterfuge and war-mongering are all the more transparent, but maybe not. And if you were to put an Iran War - NO! bumper sticker on your car, you would probably still get yelled at while buying groceries. Sadly most citizens manage to lose all critical thinking and rally to the flag the moment the first bullet flies.
But after that invasion and the endless war to follow, I did what seemed the next logical step - I left the country. I know what the eager patriots will say, they will say, "Good riddance." Ah well. There will be a war in Iran, or elsewhere, and this time not one tax dollar of mine will have gone to support it. I suspect there are, and will be, more of me.
28
Darrren, Good for you. I wanted to leave but didn't have the nerve. I'm proud of you.
As to: "And if you were to put an Iran War - NO! bumper sticker on your car, you would probably still get yelled at while buying groceries," I see you lived in Texas. We should sell that state to the highest bidder.
Collin Powell made his bed when he moved to the dark side. That famous WMD speech at the UN is one for the history books - of lies and deceit. He cannot explain it away by saying that he was just a pawn. But he was a very respected General, a tactician who understood war, it's implications and repercussions. He should have stopped the war or at least not be party to it. He could have pointed out that the Iraq War was wrong and there was no real proof of WMD. He should have just resigned. Instead he pointed to rickety trucks moving and called them WMD. And he was the top General of the Armed Forces! Thanks to him making the case in the UN ,America ended up in a War of such great proportions that more wars, deaths, displacement of entire peoples are still continuing and the rising of horrifying, murderous groups with tentacles in our own country. Can his conscience forgive him? No! He'll be lying in the bed he made with sleep completely eluding him.
28
I blame Bush, Cheney, Powell, et al, for the death of my son, KIA in Afghanistan in 2010. Instead of completing a focused mission in Afghanistan after 9/11 we became almost immediately distracted by the prospect of a "war of choice" with Iraq. And then turning the Afghan war into an effort at nation building, and using the Iraq "surge" model which we were convinced finally won the Iraq war in Afghanistan when my son was KIA, I also blame Obama
It is incredibly painful seeing us still in Afghanistan after more than 17 years (!) and seeing so many people who have nothing to lose (with no family in the military and with no worries about actually paying for the "trillions" it costs to wage war) advocating for more wars -- in Iran, in Syria, in North Korea
45
And Joe Kennedy, III's response to Trump's State of the Union was not to highlight that we are still(!) in Afghanistan; or that Trump just flip-flopped and caved to national security state on surveillance bill, but instead to play the same old tired identity politics that lost the Democrats the last election.
You would think someone from the Kennedy family, grandson of Bobby Kennedy who ran against Vietnam in 1968; and great-nephew of Ted Kennedy, who voted against Iraq, would have enough sense to talk about this with his opportunity on national television. But I guess that would also raise the uncomfortable point that Obama continued the Bush-Cheney neo-con wars for the entire 8 years of his presidency.
3
James, I'm so very sorry for your loss. Cheney, Bush, Wolfowitz, Perle, Hadley, Yoo, Powell, Tenet. . . none of them cared one whit about you or your son, or the rest of us for that matter. The war drums started pounding immediately after 9/11, even before we knew where the war was going to be. Ready, aim, fire. They used Colin Powell, who as a four star general should have known better, as their Cliff Huxtable father figure to get us all on board when they knew what they were going to do from the start. I am so sorry that you bore a loss none of them--NONE--will ever know.
2
My condolences.
1
Though it may have no persuasive power, pointing out that America under trump has a much reduced number of "allies" willing to lend support for an Iraq adventure.
17
Not only reinstitute the draft, but the first to go would be any one between the ages 40 and 60 who is a member of the Congress.
31
Add the Trump family as well.
1
And it was also really obvious then in 2003 to those who were paying attention. As it is now.
26
In another NYT article, the author delves into 18-34 year olds not wanting to have children due to climate change and either the toll their children will have on our already taxed ecosystem, or the fear that their children will suffer as climate changes wracks the globe. Instead, I as a mother of 3 children under the age of 12, am wracked with guilt about the possibility that they may not see their 20th birthdays due to nuclear war. I remember clearly, watching the imagination of Obama with my oldest and the hope I had for her future. Now, I plan how to minimize her suffering if and when nuclear war breaks out. I’m still trying to figure out how we as human beings made it to the precipice of destruction so quickly.
16
It started with the deconstruction of the democracy in the name of religion circa Ronald Reagan, Newt Gingrich, Christian Coalition-turned-Tea Party. That was the beginning of the polarization from which we may not recover.
3
Your fears are well-founded.
2
Wilkerson is correct but, we are not going to war with Iran in the same way we went to war with Iraq because:
1. We no longer have the troops, nor do we have a "coalition of the willing" nor do we a public willing to send their sons and daughters to die in another Middle Eastern War.
2. Iran is too big to invade, 80 million people and the size of Alaska.
3. The Democrats will skewer Trump if he thought he could do it.
What we will have is a covert war fought in Syria and other places attacking Iran on its peripheries. This may get ugly but there will be limits.
4. Trump's military advisors are well aware of all of this. Trump can't fight a war without his advisors on board.
11
Trump doesn't know, or care, about facts.
Used to trust Kelly's judgment; not anymore. That leaves Mattis and whoever the chair of the JCS is.
The Bush Administration sent thousands of young men and women to die or be horribly injured in wars that have now raged for the past 16 years for dubious benefit. The Republicans like to say that they are for supporting our troops and veterans but that rings hollow when they are so eager to put our soldiers in harm's way with so many false pretenses in wars that are un-winable and with un-specified goals or clear exit strategies. Perhaps Ms. Haley needs to go visit a few veterans hospitals and meet with the families of those that lost a loved one before so eagerly beating the war drums yet again.
Better yet, re-institue the draft. When Ivanka and Jared lead the march to Tehran, then Trump and Haley can talk of sacrifice.
22
But aren't bone spurs hereditary? Trump's trumped up WH personal physician surely would say so.
If the military only obeyed lawful orders (in terms of US and International Law), then most of our wars, invasions, bombing campaigns and even drone assasinations would not go forward.
I am dissapointed that the pledge of every military member to only obey such orders goes unheeded.
13
Wonderful thought, but wholly impractical. How can you burden the lowest ranked member of a military unit with determining what is “lawful”, when we, as a country are at odds with it? Colin Powell, a Four Star General should be held accountable, not the PFC.
1
Thank you for this candid assessment. It is helpful to hear the truth about Iraq from one of that disastrous war’s designers.
Trump is the most dangerous man America has yet produced. Unless prevented, he will do everything in his power to attack Iran Andy North Korea with nuclear weapons. There is no rationale for war with Iran. And as for war with North Korea, which actually possesses nuclear weapons, it must be avoided. North Korea will never attempt a first strike. And a nuclear attack by us will kill thousands upon thousands, as well as trigger a useless response from the North that could take many more lives.
War between nations is no longer viable as an option for any purpose in the world. This has been true since Vietnam, but particularly so since Iraq. It is no longer possible to invade a country and bend its populace to our will. The only result is a worse situation than before, and a net loss to the US. The costs of Nation Building are too high. (For better or worse we will stay in Afghanistan now for many many years).
Trump must be stopped. I pray he will be. Saner heads must prevail.
149
Well, if you believe that, you had better be spending time making sure every Republican you know will be voting Dem in 2018 and 2020, because we need an undeniable mandate to start righting this listing ship. No room or time for close elections any time in the foreseeable future.
4
The problem is not Trump. The problem is there are two parties that put their wealthy benefactors' interests ahead of the country. When 50% of the electorate doesn't vote and the other 50% is largely uninformed about national issues in a factual way the problem is even uglier. There was a time when the country knew the facts but differed on how to deal with them. We are a big step behind that now when the facts are not known. When is the last time there was a documentary on a national network or a news panel questioning a government official instead of one-on-one reiterations
5
Better be finding any Republican you can and convincing him to repair this disaster in 2018 and 2020 by voting Dem.
2
Among the resident scholars of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies that is providing the Trump administration with intelligence analysis to make their case for military intervention in Iran are several figures who consulted for Dick Cheney and Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith to make the case then for military intervention in Iraq, and have since made their careers as Iran hawks.
Michael Ledeen, for example, has endorsed the military defeat of the Iranian "terror state" since 2003, and he co-authored with Lt. General Michael Flynn the book "The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and its Allies", released in the midst of the 2016 election campaign. Ledeen was at the the American Enterprise Institute at the time of Desert Storm, but has since carried his battle against "Islamofascism" to a fellowship at the even more radical Foundation for the Defense of Democracies to argue for similar "regime change" in Iran. Even though Flynn has left the White House, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Chief of Staff John Kelly all share a long fixation with Ledeen's advocacy of war against Islam, which they judge to be a “failed civilization.”
17
Friends and neighbors of mine have come back from Iraq with PTSD or in a coffin. Thousands of Iraqis and Syrians are dead as a direct result of our invasion of Iraq.
Why aren't any of the Bush administration on trial for crimes against humanity?
34
Ah the 2003 invasion of Iraq, opened up a lot of eyes, and one of course has to ask qui bono? And, if we attack Iran, again qui bono? Ain't us folks, Mr Wilkerson, you should have raised your hand back in 2002, there were a few who did.
11
While you never can tell what this incompetent ego maniac demagogue Trump will do, it is less likely he will start a war with Iran for the following reasons.
1-He has no ideological views. He has no moral compass. He only wants to make himself look better with his base and a large part of it does not want another war.
2-He brags about how he could have made a better deal with Iran, but you noticed he has not stopped it completely yet. He wants both for him and his corporate buddies to make money off of Iran and if we go to war with them we can't.
3-Last but not least, it would upset his buddy and spy plant in the WH, Putin.
Trump has a man crush on him and wants to make loads of money with him both during and after his presidency and does not want to rock the boat with Russia's ally Iran.
10
So, why would we go to war with Iran.
Would it be to make the Saudis happy by eliminating a counterforce in the region.
Would it be to make the Israelis happy to eliminate a large nation who is a middle eastern power player.
Would it make Russia happy to tie us up again, opening them up to cause mischief in Eastern Europe, and redirecting their Muslim problem of the southern stans and Georgia to us.
I don't even know who we are going to be mercenaries for. Any answers/
15
I can’t find the author’s apology for his role in this disaster.
26
The shoddy intelligence and weak reasoning mattered to a lot of us. Big new organizations ate the whole thing. It's one reason people doubt whether reporting from the most respected news organizations is still routinely questioned and why the NYTimes and others are still vulnerable to assertions that they're not telling the truth.
10
They didn't eat it up. Rather, they knew full well what was going on but are working hand and glove with the CIA, FBI, and the rest of the national security state apparatus and military contractors who have a lock on both parties. Whether Operation Mockingbird, or Iraq War, etc., the evidence has always been there.
1
It is not an assertion, they did not tell the truth.
Mr. Wilkerson,
Thanks for the warning. Where's the apology? You owe thousands of US vets and Iraqi civilians not only that, but restitution for damaged limbs, scarred minds, and ruined hopes. Perhaps you're not woke enough yet to realize it. When Death comes for you, and you have to explain yourself to the Creator, I sincerely hope you have a better answer.
18
Oh, did you miss North Korea, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, etc., etc., etc.
1
This, in no way, absolves you of responsibility for perpetuating a lie that led to the loss of many American lives. I served during the Iraq War and as a military member, I believed the reports that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and that these weapons posed a threat to national security. I was all in and ready to protect and defend. After Saddam was toppled, the truth came out and we learned that he had no WMDs. And fifteen years after that invasion, there are families still dealing with the loss of a daughter, son, or spouse. We have former service members, who survived the war, who have debilitating injuries (physical and emotional) that will forever be part of their lives.
Now we have a situation where a madman, Donald Trump, is at the helm with the stakes more dire than 2003 because the U.S. is facing the possibility of an existential nuclear conflict with North Korea, Pakistan, and Iran. And it is Trump who is isolating America with a go-it alone strategy.
The United States is headed for another war based solely on hand selected intelligence to support its case. Making such a case based on bits and pieces of intelligence without full context is inherently dangerous - just as it was in 2003.
32
My short term fear isn't that Trump will push for a war or a major skirmish. All recent Republican presidents have done that. Public discussion will escalate rapidly if a war is actively put on the front burner.
I worry events will more easily spiral out of control when our putative enemies (or we ourselves) are primed to react or counter-react to a mistake by a low level flunky. We recently had a statewide ballistic missile warning because of one employee's mistake.
Also, there have to be front line people on the other side who have been put on heightened alert, perhaps with orders to use their offensive assets to avoid a preemptive loss. Or we might get unintended conflict during shows of force in contested or border areas. Or, worse yet, conflict could easily escalate when Trump decides to administer a 'bloody nose' to an adversary determined not to back down.
De-escalation becomes much more difficult if both sides are primed and ready to fight to 'defend' themselves. Calibrating responses is difficult, and the tendency is to overreact to teach the other side a lesson.
Rational foreign policy involving armed conflict becomes even more problematic when our president is under intense and apparently fruitful investigation (four indictments and two guilty pleas). And when he's also poorly informed, has an immense ego, and was probably happiest after launching 55 cruise missiles at an empty Syrian airbase.
Trump is our biggest threat to national security.
24
Given that this administration and the GOP as a party take the pulse of public opinion from Fox News, I'm (sadly, frustratingly) uncertain that the opinion or clarity of the majority of Americans will make any difference in this march towards more, ongoing, permanent war.
9
The glimmer of hope is that Americans are by and large fed up with Mid-East wars and that there is no one on Trumps team with near the credibility or gravitas of Colin Powell. the scary thing is that what America wants may have nothing to do with what trump does--it hasn't to date.
5
While entering into a war with another country is certainly something to avoid, are there any circumstances which warrant such action? This article attempts to convey that Iran is close if not the equivalent of the Iraq war, which he contends was entered into through dishonesty. My understanding is that Iran is nation centrally responsible for terror throughout the world. This is not true? If they acquire nuclear capability, would that not qualify as an alarming and very dangerous event? What would Mr. Wilkerson propose?
2
Disagree. We are responsible for more terror than any other nation on Earth. This is a Shia minority surrounded by the Suni majority, with the US and NATO supporting the Sunis regardless of what they do. Nuclear weapons are the means of Iran's survival as an independent nation. As we declare in our foreign policy doctrine we could strike anywhere we feel threaten - as for now planet Earth is the only limit.
5
Where is it written that we are the arbiters of who is entitled to nuclear weapons?
How many countries is Iran bombing and/or engaging in assassinations from the air or otherwise at the moment?
Who's the international terrorist and pariah right now?
Just sayin
2
How many American soldiers would it take to fight two simultaneous wars, one in Iran and one in North Korea, including their partners, notably Russia and China? As good as our military is, it isn't built for that.... unless, of course, the use of nuclear weapons is considered. And with Trump trying to build up our nuclear arsenal, he obviously has that in mind.
This is insanity, pure and simple. Trump thinks he is a powerful leader, with full control of all the institutions of government, like his cohorts, Erdogan, Duterte, Putin, and the rest. That represents a complete lack of understanding of our Constitutionally-based system of governance. Yes, as President, he is nominally the most powerful person in the world. But that is a partnership between position and competence. He has one, but not the other.
8
Oh goody, a massive tax cut followed by a war. Wait -- haven't we seen this before about 11 years ago? And how did that work out?
26
Mr. Wilkerson closes his Op-Ed in today's NYT by stating "The sole purpose of our actions was to sell the American people on the case for war with Iraq. Polls show that we did. Mr. Trump and his team are trying to do it again. If we’re not careful, they’ll succeed." He's not wrong, but he is overlooking an equally dire alternate purpose for this proposed war. The profit motive fueling our immense military industrial complex. An aggregate of warmongers that makes the fossil fuel and absurd "Clean Coal" coalition look like a seat-of-their-pants kick-starter move. If we can take the profit out of war we can take war off the planet. And if we don't, we'll off the planet entirely.
14
Where are the international lawyers reading this account? We need your help. Could this admission be used in a court of law as evidence of war crimes? Shouldn't this entire cabal be tried, convicted and jailed? It is long overdue for all Americans to hold their politicians, speech writers, policy makers and arms dealers to serious account for the heinous death, destruction and suffering they have caused in so many parts of the world.
16
There's nothing like a war to make people forget a President's transgressions. One of the most powerful weapons at a President's command is the Weapon of Mass Distraction.
10
At the time of the buildup to the Iraq invasion in 2003, Bill Moyers had a great conversation with the writer Doris Lessing. Lessing talked about how all wars creates a lot of "damaged people" on all sides, including her own parents from the WWI generation. We have a lot of damaged Americans from Bush's war, and now we are being asked for another batch of PTSD just to raise Trump's low approval ratings.
8
" What's the sense of having nuclear weapons if we don't use them"?When I heard Trump's question during the election campaign, I knew that if he was elected we'd be looking at some sort of war. To him this is nothing more than a game, with no conscience about the thousands of lives lost. It's all about his team winning...that's it.
9
“Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it” Santayana. Unfortunately you have a President who does not read. On the plus side, many (hopefully) of the nation’s who joined in the Iraq debacle will not be in any hurry to join in another disaster. Trump’s alienation of US allies may end up being a plus for the planet.
5
Among my family members most irrational moments of argumentation we have nephews and cousins citing the fact we are at war as a reason to support the current Administration in anything they do or say. It is like they never left the childhood playroom stacked with dolls, robots, electronic games, and television cartoons and shows glorifying the surrounding presence of war and the ensuing emotional effects of victory at any cost.
When I ask who are we are war with? What war are we in? When did this war get declared? Complete silence is the answer. This is what I believe will take us into war following the Pied Piper.
8
We stopped teaching real civics--more than the history of your own little state--in the public schools decades ago, and we are reaping what we sowed. We have 62,879,979 people stupid and gullible enough to have voted for Donald Trump--and the vast majority of them will vote to re-elect him if they get a chance.
One would think that somewhere in this article Wilkerson might sincerely apologize for the damage he did in helping sell an unjustified conflict that not only wrecked our economy and standing among nations, but also killed and injured thousands of people, including our own service members. Perhaps telling those who are pursuing the same tactics against Iran how hard it is to live with yourself after tricking America into a war of choice might be a more compelling argument -- but only if that is how you feel. If you think this is doing a service to the nation, you might better start with an apology.
7
I found this confession/repentance deeply moving. How many more good men and women, co-opted by Trump and his minions and blinded by their own ideological bias, will, ten years from now, or even sooner, look back with sorrow and regret at what they have done? And how many will mourn their tarnished, perhaps completely lost, reputations?
Colin Powell, Robert McNamara… Who is next?
2
Funny...we didn't hear an apology from Mr Wilkerson for the role he played in fabricating lies and deception, causing the deaths of countless servicemen and women, the loss of loved ones in military families and the civilian population of Iraq, destabilization of the entire region leading to more wars and misery, uprising of terrorist organizations, etc., all of which continue to this day.
The confession/repentance you allude to on the author's part seems lacking in contrition and downright hollow as an apology to millions across the world.
1
I hope Nicky Hailey? Unless she is true self-righteous Republican who never done anything wrong. I have more hope for women...
That UN speech was delivered in February of 2003. but the war ships were leaving the San Diego Bay in August of 2002. I flew in and out of the San Diego airport on a regular basis back then and saw the disappearance of destroyers and other ships from the bay long before the Bush administration sought to justify the ill-fated war to the public. I knew in the summer of 2002 that they were going to war. I do not fly much anymore, so, I cannot determine if the ships are being deployed again.
10
Powell, someone I had great respect for, was used, but not without his own complicity in serving Bush with a degree of loyalty that was not deserved or prudent.
This write cautions with this: “That effort (Powells’s UN speech) led to a war of choice with Iraq — one that resulted in catastrophic losses for the region and the United States-led coalition, and that destabilized the entire Middle East. This should not be forgotten today for a clear reason:”
If not forgotten, the impact and the results the unnecessary war that followed are willingly if not exuberantly ignored today.
To a major degree this is because the horrendous negative impact of that war was never redressed in any concrete way. No one was ever held accountable after the fact. The same was true for Vietnam. This is at the very heart of why these imprudent, unnecessary military actions continue to haunt and afflict the US. and those who collaterally suffer the unconscionable and momentous destruction of America’s bogus wars.
9
Lawrence Wilkerson is commendable, but he doesn't quite get it yet. He says:
"As I look back at our lock-step march toward war with Iraq, I realize that it didn’t seem to matter to us that we used shoddy or cherry-picked intelligence; that it was unrealistic to argue that the war would “pay for itself,” rather than cost trillions of dollars; that we might be hopelessly naïve in thinking that the war would lead to democracy instead of pushing the region into a downward spiral.
The sole purpose of our actions was to sell the American people on the case for war with Iraq. Polls show that we did."
What Wilkerson does not say -- or even approach saying -- is that the country was quite deliberately LIED into GWB's Iraq war. Maybe Wilkerson was himself duped at the time. I wasn't. Wilkerson seems to have some conscience; he should address the lying. Many of the other players have no conscience.
10
Even if he still doesn't believe it was all an outright lie, he DOES know that we weren't told anything like the whole truth, or even that there was substantial uncertainty as to the veracity of the "evidence." He cannot be vindicated for this lack of judgment until he apologizes outright and sincerely. Perhaps a full page in the Times written by Powell and Wilkerson. . .
GW just recently shared that he has no "regrets" over the war in Iraq.
Thank you, Lawrence Wilkerson, for speaking truth to power. You are a brave man. I wish I knew how I could support you.
2
And I thought this article was going to be about North Korea. So now this administration is trying to push war with Iran and N. Korea. How is that even possible? Just when you thought it can't get any worse, it just did. Just finished reading the op-ed from Victor Cha in the Washington Post on how we are heading down the road to war with N. Korea and now this article on Iran. Very scary times indeed.
14
If I deliberately planned to kill one person and carried it out, I'd be imprisoned for a very long time. The author, Colin Powell, and the entire Bush administration should be tried for mass murder.
37
Yeah, Lawrence, I remember that too well. I thought Powell was the adult in the room. I was wrong. Whatever you have to say is between you and Powell. And you and your God.
14
That speech totally destroyed for me any respect I ever had for Colin Powell.
21
Did you notice that Nelson Mandela didn't come out strongly against it til he saw Powell giving in?
The U.S. has been propping up the region's most abominable regimes, and bombing the less abominable ones, since 2000.
If I were to write the truth about U.S. foreign policy this post would get censored. Suffice to cite Alibaba's Jack Ma who stated in a recent interview that the U.S. had spent $ 18.6 trillion on military misadventures since 1980, while China had spent a similar amount on infrastructural investments both at home and abroad and is investing an additional $ 8 trillion to re-establish the 2000 year old Silk Road stretching all the way from China to the U.K..
Meanwhile, while the U.S. is trying to defend its commercial interests by force, China, Russia, India, Latin America, Turkey and Iran are taking full advantage of U.S. stupidity to undermine the Petrodollar and achieve their goals through stealth, patience and diplomacy.
The U.S. has become, according to various polls, the most unpopular nation on this planet. How much more unpopular does it hope to become? Does any U.S. citizen, in this day and age, still favour brawn over brain?
35
Yes! I think you are right on the money with this comment. The U.S. has wasted so much money on pointless wars. That is why our infrastructure is falling apart.
11
While I do not disagree entirely there are several caveats. G1 where Iraq did invade Kuwait and was pushed out. Interventions in the former Yugoslavia which were necessary. On Mr. Ma his fortune is built on technology and innovation that came from the US. In general one of the real mistakes the US has made was NTR for China without which the vaunted Chinese miracle could not have happened. Which is why I supported Sanders who wanted to revisit trade deals that have damaged the US. Russia is hardly an economic competitor. Nor am I very concerned with how people see the US. Well until they have the same views about several of the countries you cite. Russia a kleptocracy where rights are suppressed. China with its heel crushing Tibet and its campaign against the Uighurs. Turkey with its fake coup and crack down and your own country. All hardly shining examples of human kindness. The world should shudder when it sees Trump and similar leanings in the US. As if the US went down the authoritarian road and our dark side took the forefront the world would not likely survive.
2
In fact, US citizens keep trying to elect the candidate who signals greater foreign policy restraint and less interest in the adventurism and overseas seeking of dragons that George Washington and John Adams warned against. Unfortunately, with the exception of perhaps Rand Paul and maybe Bernie Sanders (though less sure about him given his all-in support for F-35 fighter jet), they all are liars, from both parties. Obama was elected to stop this nonsense and, of course, he capitulated to the military-industrialists and war hawks in his administration, like Hillary, or was with them all along.
2
The song "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire is as relevant today as it ever was--maybe more so. This Youtube video of the song has some very disturbing photos, but they clearly depict the horrors of modern war and result of the hatred that consumes some people: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntLsElbW9Xo.
It's time for cooler heads to prevail, to pull back and say, "no more war."
11
There is a master plan here. Dictators need war to consolidate their power and suppress opposition. War will replace the 2020 elections, or what will pass for them. Trump has already demonstrated that national security is far less important than his own political interests as the ruling party agrees.
We have traitors and kleptocrats controlling the levers of government. Right now there is an internal battle to determing whether the rule of law is dead and whether investigating whether a hostile foreign power has attacked our democratic norms to elect a foreign agent to the presidency to destroy the United States is worthy of investigation and whether crimes and obstruction of justice is aided and abetted by our ruling party.
War is good for incumbents as the people rally round the flag as the truth is called fake news and Trump TV’s version of Dr. Goebbels demand that the nation needs war and marchall law. There is a plan here and we should be aware of being lied once again into was by the party which still call themselves “Republicans” when they are something we fought WWII to destroy and is back with wrapped in the flag by peddlers of the big lies, racism and fear.
17
I followed very closely the Iraq pre-war and all events that led unfortunately to that horrible war! Losses and Waste in so many levels! Bob Woodward's Plan of Attack included several interviews with Mr. Powell for whom I had the greatest respect and really believed that he would do the right thing and stand up to the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld Trio de Guerre! Until that speech!!! I would have respected him more if he resigned instead of feeding the American people false allegations that he didne believe himself! What a waste! And what have we accomplished to date? How could these people live with themselves and sleep at night!
And yes, it's a sort of a repeat with Trump going after Iran! While the Germans, French, Chinese and many other nations are sealing Billion Dollars deals with Iran, our dear President talks about war! To please Israel?? Does he even read intelligence reports? Does he even read? Period.
18
I really cannot read through 515 Readers' comments to find out whether anyone knows, but I do wonder what General Powell has to say about this. Can he be persuaded to come out now and denounce the current warmongering? or is it too late? Do most people remember who he is?
6
Don't hold your breathy. He has had every opportunity to speak out but is too busy on the golf and lecture circuit, apparently.
Colin Powell has no credibility anymore because of his role in Iraq and advancing the criminal Bush-Cheney administration. If Powell spoke out, it would look like sour grapes on behalf of the Bush family, angry about Trump beating Iraq War apologist Jeb! Bush.
1
This is an important rticle, but needed to start out with an apology.
14
I think we need people to resign before the becomes bad public policy rather than people to concern troll years later.
1
Re: Trump vs. Iran and North Korea:
World War III will be fought with nuclear weapons.
World War IV will be fought with clubs.
13
Like mold on an old mattress, the GOP penchant for lies and disemblement thrive not matter who is Liar in Chief. I have always seen Cheney as the head villian, but I guess they were all in on the joke.
What frightens me is how so many Americans continue to buy into their scams. Do we have such a pathetic national memory that the last decades' ponzi schemes work today The answer is to look at the bitcoin hysteria for the answer.
"We have met the enemy and he is us" Walt Kelly via Pogo.
7
The ill adviced invasion of iraq . The atack on Libia wich resulted in the assasination of Khadafi. In Libia US had obtained a treaty in wich tha country undertook the oblgation of foresaking weapons of mass destruction.the came the attack In Siria US try to deposed Hassad helping the enemies of Isis. Result North Korea has nuclear weapons ,the foreign policy of the US has been a real mess blunder afther blunder .The security of the american nation has been put at risk of great harm
8
I knew better, at the time. I saw Bush et al use 9-11 (a false flag if ever there was one) as an excuse to bomb innocent people, demonize a whole religion, and juice up the economy (nevermind all those dead and injured soldiers, who cares about them, right? Certainly not the underfunded afterthought that is the VA...)
Why didn't you?
I look forward to living on a planet, if I'm lucky enough to come back again, where violent men are kept in cages where they belong instead of running things. In the meantime, next time, No Planet Earth, no matter what the brochures say.
6
Let's not forget the decision to invade Iraq and remove Saddam was made in the early days of the Bush, jr administration by the Neocons. 9/11 was an excuse to start the war not the reason for it. For a in depth look at the run up to invasion: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/bushswar/
10
I remember being called a traitor and a "dupe" for marching against the Iraq war so please don't say that everyone supported it. Those of us who opposed it paid a price.
19
Millions and millions of Americans opposed it from the very get-go. As we lived through the run-up; the fawning media, etc., we were astonished, frustrated, disgusted and disappointed that Colin Powell debased himself by serving Bush-Cheney and the PNAC agenda of using a catastrophic event on US soil as an excuse to invade Iraq. And we felt the same, in real-time, about Hillary Clinton's cynical vote in favor of authorizing war with Iraq. Courageous legislators who voted against, like Paul Wellstone, Jim Jeffords, etc. had open eyes and knew full well what Lawrence Wilkerson was put to.
If anyone is wondering why and how Trump got elected, it is because Bush-Cheney completely destroyed the credibility of the so-called "normal" Republicans, as well as anyone else associated with authorizing the Iraq War & not speaking the truth, including unfortunately Hillary Clinton and her vote in favor.
1
Mr. Wilkerson, this president will use men of conscience to sell his war just like you were used. Unfortunately you did not see what I saw at the time. Anyone with half a brain and a sense of history of the area could have told you that the Iraq war was a terrible idea without enough cause to offset the predictable bad consequences to both us and the region. I knew it. Why didn't you?
The war in Iraq was unnecessary and unjust. Now you, an agent in that war's origin, come to tell us to beware of the next one. Hey no kidding. Unfortunately this nation has learned nothing aside from the mass delusion that has wrought the Iraq war, the financial crisis, the bots/followers social media frenzy, this president, and the next likely war that he will start out of incompetence, malevolence, or in an effort to seize power as his past indiscretions come to haunt him. Please go and teach your students to think for themselves, and to be better than you.
10
I just cannot imagine what credibility the Trump administration could hope to leverage if they wished to go to war with Iran.
The president himself has no credibility whatsoever on this or any other issue. He has already been exposed on many occasions as a hopeless liar and the only real question is whether any of his lies are worthy of impeachment and/or criminal prosecution. So no one in their right mind would go to war based on Trump's word of honor as commander-in-chief; least of all the U.S. allies he so gleefully insults.
That really only leaves the intelligence and law enforcement community to make Trump's case for him. But wait... Trump spent a good portion of his campaign and early presidency informing the entire world that the CIA, NSA, etc. were a collection of idiots whose opinions are not to be taken seriously. He did this, of course, because he did not (and does not) want to address the fact of Russia's sincerest efforts to aid his rise to power. More recently, Trump and the GOP have been telling horror stories about "deep states," "secret societies" and the treasonous plots of career Republican intelligence and law enforcement officers to deliver the country into the clutches of democrats. Why Republicans (some appointed by Trump himself) would do this is unclear.
It would be strange indeed for Trump to suddenly start relying on the "fake news" of these so-called "leakers" and "swamp creatures" in deciding whether to risk U.S. lives in combat.
6
Polls show (I read it in the Times) that a majority of Americans believe that Saddam really did have WMD, we just never found them. That way, those people don't have to confront the full tragedy and utter wickedness of the American invasion of Iraq and all the war crimes that followed (not to mention destabilization of the whole region, leading to chaos). Since this is the majority opinion in America, it is the functioning "truth." So chill, Col. Wilkerson. We'll find those WMD hidden in Iraq, eventually. Because a majority of Americans believe they are there, thanks to you.
7
Your depiction of warmongers in our midst, trying to stir the 'war pot' under false premises, is a most dangerous undertaking, especially from the vulgar bully in the Oval Office, a demagogue trying to validate his assault of the presidency, with Putin's assistance, to appease the greedy industrial-military complex, always ready for combat...with innocent blood at home and abroad. And speaking of Iran, what moral standing does the U.S. have, after staging a coup on the legitimate president of Iran in 1953, and installing a puppet, the Shah of Iran? And now than Iran is compliant with the nuclear deal, Trump is trying hard to discredit it, in spite of an agreement signed with other nations, an irresponsible mockery towards allies. The American people must be opposed to this cheap maneuver, so full of deceit and lies, a repeat of the Bush-Cheney fiasco, with the inexcusable loss of blood and treasure...and the ongoing chaos in the Middle East. Haven't we learned anything? Are we morally corrupt? Or perhaps we have matured and now have the will to oppose this 'ugly American', and a vigilant press to keep us informed (just forget Fox Noise, Trump's propaganda loudspeaker, and Sean Hanniti's hysteria personalized). A lot of the abuse of power happens when we, the people, stop caring about the value of freedom, and justice, and peace.
6
It is apropos to this article to post the famous excerpts from a discussion Luftwaffe Commander Hermann Goering had with psychologist Gustave Gilbert during the Nuremberg trials:
"Of course the people don’t want war. But after all, it’s the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it’s always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it’s a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger.”
— Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials
Stilling chillingly frightening seventy years later.
19
You forgot the last line. As I recall it's: " It works every time."
8
Mr. Wilkerson - do you then acknowledge complicity in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who died defending their own country, and the deaths of 4000+ American servicemembers who thought they were serving theirs?
Do you consider this warning absolution for your past transgressions?
8
This is a very refreshing piece and a reminder of the travesty of the Bush/Cheney/neocon cabal that set the world afire. However, had I had the involvement in the lead up that the author claims, I probably would have put a bullet in my head long ago.
6
The evangelical component of this cannot be dismissed. Bush was not just the worst President ever but also the most misinformed. There is not a worse influence on American politics, and it is one of such unabashed racism that Trump and the GOP have branded as theirs for the foreseeable future.
5
Trump "needs" his war to protect his political viability. He knows he is going down the tubes and that Americans rally around the President in times of war, at least initially. Iran is still the universal bad guy to ignorant nationalistic Americans, so it becomes the target, just as Sadam Hussein was before. N. Korea is a more clear danger, but Trump's team knows that this poses difficulties. The only question is when will Trump use this war card - before the 2020 presidential election or before the 2018 midterms.
8
Hello Mr. Lawrence: You might want to add to the discussion and your opinion, that not long ago, I believe it was ISIS which attacked and killed Iranian Parliamentary "workers" in Terhan. ISIS claimed responsibility in part.
That stated, a War with IRAN would only foment ISIS to war against the US and IRAN, possibly.
2
With the evidence presented in the Pentagon Papers of so long ago, (as well as the tragic numbers of young dead Americans) one would think we would make it transparently harder to go to war. Add to that, we have an unpredictable thin skinned president who has shown he will do just about anything to deflect from his own troubles and a majority congress who appears to follow like lemmings. We should not only be alarmed, but we should be fed up. Vote in 2018.
10
So maybe 20 years from now, when we're all beating each other with rocks in a dry future dystopia, an opportunistic Trump staff member and speech scribbler will stand up, admit his mistakes, and write an Op-Ed in the NY China World Government Times about how bad the next local warmonger is. I'm honestly tired of the reconstituted David Frums of the world, who grease the skids of government dysfunction and dictatorship, and then go on TV to complain that the ride's too fast. If you helped sell the false choice of the Iraq War, lied to the UN, you deserve jail, not a megaphone.
11
Exactly. And it is embarrassing to the state of Virginia that the College of William & Mary employs this person.
1
It's great that Mr. Wilkerson has spoken so candidly in this article. However, misleading the public to entice the world's most formidable military into a war that killed hundreds of thousands, destroyed a civilization and inspired ISIS is, in essence, a crime against humanity. It is not a 'mistake'. It IS something the American people need to own, atone for and hold those who perpetrated this monstrosity accountable. Which won't happen, of course. Why? Well... Simply because war is too profitable to give up. And the American people are still too comfy in their dream of being 'the greatest nation on earth', etc. Which is, after all, why Donal Trump is President. Now the drumbeat is for taking on Iran and/or North Korea. It will continue until the kind of truth telling in this article is the norm, rather than the exception.
7
Anyone who trusts the drumbeats of war played by any administration should watch Ken Burns' Viet Nam documentary. The harsh reality of that war is compared to the lies sold by each successive administration (Republican and Democrat). Young men died because politicians felt it would make them look "tough on communism" and get them re-elected.
Our massive deficit is not caused by Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid, it is caused by military spending. Our infrastructure is crumbling, our health care system is a joke. We lag behind other developed nations in education, infant mortality, and the safety of our populace from violence. It is not Islamic terrorists who will destroy this country. We are destroying ourselves from within.
18
Donald III?
In the Declaration of Independence our founding fathers cited the following specific grievances, among others, concerning the behavior of George III.
Immigration:
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
On trade:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world
Justice:
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
Eerily familiar. Do we have the same resolve for the cause of democracy 242 years later?
4
Thanks, Col Wilkerson, for showing Trump and his minions the way. You had your chance, why shouldn't Trump have his? America knew what it was voting for when they elected Trump. You knew what you were doing supporting a war of choice. Conservatives supported you, Conservatives support Trump. It does not matter that conservative views are in the minority. You helped pioneer that, too.
It is nice that you write this piece, but those in power, those who support those in power, do not even believe in established science. Your punishment is the curse of Cassandra, telling the truth, but no one in power will believe you.
3
Thank you, Mr. Wilkerson, for this courageous column and for your willingness to tell us the truth about this awful time and the dangers of repeating it again, less than two decades later.
However, where is your former boss on all of this? If he wants to be remembered in history as someone who did the right thing, when it counted, and to do his part to stop tragedy from repeating itself again, he NEEDS to speak out. Now.
Has Colin Powell ever publicly recanted and apologized for his conscious complicity in these crimes against humanity? Is he publicly imploring his fellow Americans to NOT fall for this mendacious, deceitful propaganda once again? That would be a good start. And it would redeem his reputation in a way that nothing else will.
3
It was again "The good old days" at last night's Football finals. An old retired WW2 Military got to toss the penny, Military planes flew over the stadium, and the national anthem was sung as was "America The Beautiful." In short the big masses were brain washed that fighting and killing was what makes us great. Meanwhile we are criticizing George Bush for a fake war in Iraq and now Trump for trying a war with North Korea and perhaps Iran. So what do we want? This emotional conflict very much goes hand in hand with American Football: we just can't decide if we love it or feel guilty when recognizing the brain damage inflicted on the players. The Roman Empire is alive and well.
7
Another article perpetuating the myth that Saddam's Iraq would have lived happily ever after had we not invaded. Today we'd be appalled that two genocides went on for decades and we did nothing.
Iran is indeed a huge threat and an extreme enemy of the US. But that does not mean that war is the right path. In fact it is the wrong path. Bravo to Wilkerson.
Imagine if Trump had been duly drafted to go to Vietnam. His father sent him to military academy presumably for that. Then imagine if he had fulfilled his promise to produce his tax returns. What a mess we have now since he didn't do either.
1
This is so surreal. Colonel Wilkerson candidly discusses how he helped the Bush administration knowingly lie to the American public to start a war, shows no contrition whatsoever, then tries to shame Trump for attempting the same feat.
There are so many parts about this op-ed that are horrific and mind-boggling and scary. But at the end I immediately had one question: for someone who seems fully cognizant that his deliberate misdeeds contributed to hundreds of thousands of deaths, mutilated the lives of millions and proliferated terrorism (to name just a few), what actions has Colonel Wilkerson taken, other than write an 800 word op-ed, to atone for the immeasurable pain and damage he helped inflict?
6
No doubt the ease with which the Bush administration got its long-intended war with Iraq and Trump's future war, is rooted in 9/11, an event that to this day has not been honestly and fully analysed and explained to the American people. Our collective failure to confront 9/11 has lead to near-pathological political cowardice and has spawned widespread fear and hopelessness for any citizen seeking to end America's seemingly perpetual warfare. Without viable and effective politics, we end up with a Trump and inevitably with another war. Until we confront the subliminal unresolved matter of 9/11. America will continue its politically pathological pursuit of more, and more war as a form of demented catharsis. What horrors we have wrought to exorcise our 9/11 demons. Iran is next up.
2
Mr. Wilkerson,
Knowing, as we now know, that the American military industrial behemoth wastes no time in its efforts to create conflict everywhere, and anywhere on our planet, there are very, very, few who believe a word this administration, and it's mouthpieces have to say, and likewise the same feeling exists and has existed regardless the political persuasion of all administrations during the last 40 years.
While you may be seeking absolution for your own part in the horror visited on the people of Iraq, by the United States, and the further horrors visited on the region, either through direct or on-going proxy wars, I find it difficult to understand how you can presume you are entitled to absolution, considered the war-crime level of destruction wrought by your masters, and you.
I could feel somewhat reasonably disposed towards you, if your first paragraph was a contrite apology to the people of Iraq, the region, and the American people, an apology asking for forgiveness for your part in these war crimes against sovereign nations, populated by people wanting nothing more than to be left alone to raise their families in peace.
I would be ashamed beyond anything imaginable, and if I believed in a hereafter I would be spending every second of my remaining life doing whatever I could to atone and avoid damnation.
6
After reading Frankopan's 'The Silk Roads,' I had this notion of an American President going to Tehran, hat in hand, and humbly asking "With your 2,500 years of history, what can you teach us about maintaining and growing a vital society? We have done a lot of good as a relatively new country, but it's clear we have a lot to learn and we have clearly overstepped at times due to hubris and arrogance. What in your experience, existing at the crossroads of history, can you share with us for a better world?"
People seem to think that we live in a binary, Chamberlain/Churchill geopolitical system - probably the legacy of the Dulles brothers two-thirds of a century ago; if you're not with us, you're against us. How unfortunate. A healthy dollop of humility would go a long way. This piece hints at that, but in the current environment - with a leader who represents the smallest of our collective thinking - you can go to the bank on dumb trumping smart.
2
It's deja vu all over again. Despots in trouble at home frequently have used war as a distraction.
We know it is happening, and we must not allow it.
5
We seem to have improved our ability to believe a lie in the time frame between Powell's speech and the dialogue from Trump and his administration.
1
Dear Leader wants military action to show how tough he is and to improve his poll numbers. He can't get poll lift through policy or actions at home (no policy, too divisive, too focused on the minority mob). As the investigation into Russia gets more uncomfortable, the likelihood of military actions only increases, especially as he has the fewest checks and balances on him in these areas. Every person in Congress should have their children or grandchildren serve in the armed forces so that military actions are taken with more thought as to consequences.
3
Some people think Mr. Wilkerson is confessing that he helped deceive the Congress and people into a war of choice. I don't see a confession of responsibility. He is warning us against doing it again without once saying plainly that he was wrong to do what he did.
10
Did Mr. Powell know he was lying when he made his/America’s pitch to the UN? Did Mr Bush know Mr Powell’s pitch was a lie? Did Mr Cheney know Mr Powell’s pitch was a lie?
A “yes” response for any person listed will hopefully ensure a that person a place in Hell.
1
I don't believe any one of them "knew" they were lying. What Powell and Bush Jr. should do today is to fess up to their monstrous mistake vis-a-vis Iraq and forcefully oppose any confrontation with Iran.
Is it possible that such folly could happen again in our lifetimes?
Speaking as a 'Nam vet, the last thing I would ever want to see is this nation sucked into yet another pointless war. We are, after all, already in our seventeenth year in Afghanisan, how many is it in Iraq/Syria, and then there's Yemen and Lord knows where else. Last I heard, we have a military presence in something on the order of 145 countries, and they're not all Marines watching the embassy. The days of kings starting wars on a whim have ended. It's past time the days of presidents doing the same also ended.
9
Where are the Colin Powells and Lawrence Wilkersons of the Trump administration? I share Mr. Wilkerson's appraisal of the use of intelligence in the service of an administration's policy agenda- or the goals of a particular leader in it. My late parents both hel top secret security clearances. In discerning some of the clandestine activities my father based on some of the countries to which he would suddenly disappear, coupled with later public revelations, it became clear that foreign policy debacles in Asia and the Middle East are a common feature of administrations in which ego of the President plays the key role. Sadly, most members of our legislative branch seems to lack the moral backbone to stand up to a President to avert the expense of thousands of lives of Americans and others- only to have the historical record 20 years later reveal that it was objective folly at the time the decisions were made. Still the blood of so many innocents was spilled.
2
There have been more than 4,500 Americans killed in Iraq, many times that number wounded, and still more with PTSD who will carry the emotional scars the rest of their lives.
The invasion of Afghanistan was morally justifiable because the Taliban had harbored al Qaeda, who continued to operate freely in their country. Iraq had absolutely nothing to do with it. Ironically, the country of origin for most of the 9/11 attackers, Saudi Arabia, received nary a critical word. I guess it is true what they say: dollars are thicker than blood.
Before the United States enters into another video game war, the President and members of Congress should have to meet with the families of our war dead, and explain to them how another 4,500 dead Americans (and tens of thousands of wounded) are worthy of the cause. Better yet, make the children and grandchildren of those elected officials lead the first charge into battle.
6
War is lucrative for those companies owned by the 1%. Let's not lose sight of the fact that it is in the best interests of the GOP and their puppetmasters to wage war, rather than fix sorely needed infrastructure and healthcare in their own country.
9
There's a lesson to be taught; until a majority of Congressional Republicans call out Trump for his politicizing intelligence, we should all vote for someone from another political party. In other words, boycott Republicans to make a point they need to put the U.S. Constitution ahead of party loyalty.
3
Mr. Wilkerson, I did not support the Bush/Cheney policy in the Middle East but, as an American, I now carry the moral and practical burdens of its disastrous outcome. As one of its architects, I appreciate the courage it takes to admit your culpability and your desire to spare your fellow citizens further unncessary burdens. Given the current administration's reliance on "truthiness", clarity and a cautionary voice of experience is useful. Thank you for raising the red flag.
1
Trump probably wants multiple options of countries to attack if the November 2018 election looks like it could put him at risk. North Korea is a bit too dangerous with actual nukes - the downside could be immediate or weeks before a US target suffers greatly, instead of delayed a few years before Iran or its sympathizers respond.
Without the right prep work Trump's actual intentions and manipulations would be too transparent even for his base. Just like with Mueller. So he has to prime the pump...
3
Trump has drawn 3 arbitrary, unnecessary red lines, all with those red lines likely crossed within a few months: Iran nuclear deal (Trump said that he will not renew deal in 120 days unless Congress and Europeans strengthed the deal; the other P5+1: China, Russia, UK, France and Germany say that Iran is in compliance with no need to change deal), North Korea nuclear missile threat (CIA Director Pompeo says he is worried that North Korea could have a nuclear missile capable of striking the US “in a matter of a handful of months”) and Pakistan’s continued support for terrorists, US suspending aid (Pakistan got support from China instead and rachected up terrorist attacks in Afghanistan). All 3 countries are legitimate threats and issues - that can be managed with diplomacy. Trump administration has no strategy other than red lines that will create manufactured wars. Trump will be stuck at 40% support with voters unless he can manufacture a war - for his personal gain/power and for his domestic and foreign base. The Petagon does not want give him war options, but Trump has staked out 3 red lines to start a war. Pray for our democraccy and for all the innocent lives that will be lost unnecessarily.
3
Re-instituting the draft as well requiring all members of the Executive and Legislative branches to have their of-age children and grand-children sent as combatants to the war zone, should bring some sober assessment back into the rhetoric.
2
one saving grace in all of this is no one in the trump administration from trump on down has the gravitas and universal respect that powell had.
1
Powell said he was going to find out who mislead him on Iraq. Never did. He was part of the gang that brought on the senseless war , that we’re still fighting.
4
Don't forget that this unnecessary war was a Rovian gambit to get W a second term unlike his father. It would be the height of cynicism for TD to try to do the same thing and sacrifice innocent lives.
5
The country needed to read this article; and it will need more of its sort going forward.
4
It wasn't a false choice. The quote at the beginning of this op-ed was exactly right: Saddam Hussein was planning to restart is nuclear weapons program after he kicked out the inspectors. If we hadn't gone to war, he'd have nuclear weapons now. Everything we fear about Iran, but achieved in 2005 rather than maybe in 2025.
At the risk of over-simplifying an incredibly serious and nuanced problem, I want to remark that we have an opioid crisis that is touching all populations in this country, especially that of veterans. If we are too far removed from the human beings who reside across the ocean to care about their plights and, above all, lives, I hope we are at least close enough to our own boys and girls (boys and girls!!!!) to care about sending them off to fight wars that primarily benefit the hawk industry. I could never send my child to die in a war, especially a war founded on invalid and dishonest premises. Could you send your child to possibly die in a war? I say we reinstate the draft. As an upper-class American, I speak for my counterparts (with children of age) in the same tax bracket who support these wars when I say that there would follow a "miraculous" shift away from support for a war.
How many more of our children are we to send to die? To see the worst that human beings can be and do? To come home, if they are so lucky, with cynicism and depression? To recognize their lives--and the lives of their families who sit in fear and anxiety waiting for their arrival--were exploited in exchange for the already wealthy's interests? To add to our massive healthcare costs when we account for substance abuse-related healthcare, among other forms? Can we carry the burden of knowing we've burdened our children and their children?
2
One only has to know that there is currently a huge mobile artillery build up and live fire training at Camp Roberts in California, to understand that author is correct. We are completely and undemocratically again heading down the same awful and likely catastrophic path to another wrong war.
2
I don’t think Secretary Powell painted a clear picture at all. He was supposed to be making a case for an invasion of Iraq; however, the only real evidence to which he could point was a bunch of metal tubes that the Bush administration claimed were for a uranium centrifuge, but which looked far more likely to be used for conventional weapons, like rockets. I don’t care what the polls said, anyone with critical thinking skills listened to that speech and wondered how it could possibly justify a war.
5
Well said--and timely.
But why doesn't Mr Wilkerson -- and Colin Powell, for that matter -- 'fess up to THEIR roles in the campaign of disinformation and outright lies that led to the Iraq 2 fiasco and created the current disastrous state of affairs in the Middle East?
Even Robert McNamara had the courage, honesty, and sense of responsibility to eventually confess his mistakes vis a vis Vietnam and seek to make some amends (however belated)!
6
The invasion of Iraq cost the US dearly not only in terms of war-time losses but in the things we've neglected or couldn't afford because of that involvement. If we get into another war this time with Iran, I think it will be truly catastrophic for the U.S. socially, economically, and for our world standing. Our nation will fall into a major chaos and further decline from which it will take a long time to recover. It will also drive North Korea to be even more heads down on its nuclear efforts.
I reacted to Iraq with disgust and disapproval through comments and blogs, as did most of my friends and acquaintances. I'm not a big fan of the Women's marches, but if Iran happens I will take vehemently to the streets.
5
Out of the blue in the late summer of 2002, United States Vice President Dick Cheney declared Iraq the real enemy after 9/11. I recall saying, "Iraq! What is he talking about?"
But he kept up the drumbeat for invasion and, by 2003, journalists were salivating at the prospect of being "embedded" with the invading troops.
In early 2003, I joined 17 million Americans in nationwide protests against invading Iraq, I will never forget the sinking feeling I felt when the supercilious dauphin, G.W. Bush, selected to be president by the U.S. Supreme Court, dismissed the 17 million as "a focus group."
We now have the 45th president, selected by the Electoral College and even more dangerous in his hubris, heading down the same, senseless road.
Untested young U.S. Marine reservists were first among the troops on the road to Bagdad; forces assigned to vehicles lacking proper armor. They fell to roadside bombs with severe concussive injuries and returned home forever changed, to be deployed again and again. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld shrugged without shame over going to war, "with the Army you have."
The 17 million protesters were not enough to stem the heartbreak that continues to this day. Everyone who finds the prospect of this senseless war revolting, please report to Main Street, U.S.A.
5
For some reason I cannot understand, the MSM have totally avoided Nikki Haley’s total ignorance of the world, as in her recorded phone conversation with 2 Russian comedians (not known to her) showing her stupidity. That’s all I can think of when I see her pushing for war. She knows nothing: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/366712-russian-comedians-appe...
Why are all the media avoiding this? Because war makes a good story?
10
None of us who witnessed Secretary of State Colin Powell's denunciation of Saddam Hussein's Iraq fifteen years ago today imagined that George W. Bush's two Middle East wars would still be ongoing today. WMD and "Mission Accomplished" with GWB in his tight flight suit on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in May, 2003, were tragic farces that have led us to our 45th President's nasty sinecure over our entire government. Trump's and his Republican servants' playbook is traceable to the 43rd President's ignorance and empire-building. Iran is the least of our worries these days. Our ship of state is being riddled inside by MAGA shipworms; we're riding on the Titanic Redux and all unequal classes in racially striated America today will be sent to the bottom of the sea among the whale orts. Fake news -Trumpland! Like Cheney's lies to send American and coalition soldiers to their graves in far-away places with strange-sounding names. Trump is now trying to sell his American "Patriots" (sic) and no longer democratic government into a third and more terrible war in the Middle East (or hey! maybe North Korea?).
4
Nope. You gotta go further back. Nixon, at least. And I mean Eisenhower-era Nixon.
I'm sure if either or both of trump's able-bodied sons were conscripted to fight this war with Iran that kind of talk would disappear.
8
Let's be clear - the 9/11 attacks on America were financed by and led by Saudi interests and the adherents of their Wahhabi madrasses.
And yet the US attacked Iraq - a country opposed to Saudi interests.
We should all remember Sec. Colin Powell's "Pattery Barn" foreign policy -
"If you break it, you own it"
8
The thing is, all this about Iraq has been said before, by Donald Trump, looking to distinguish himself from the rest of the field, and particularly the front-runner, who happened to be GW Bush's big brother. I knew not to trust him at the time--only an idiot would--but I was glad to hear it articulated.
The question is this: why would someone who supported him then still support him now, when he's precisely reversed that position and also his position on tax reform (that tax cuts should be limited to the middle class and below)? When Obama similarly reversed his position on our wars in southwest Asia, I acknowledged it, opposed it, but justified my continued support by his significant domestic agenda. How is it that Trump's remaining supporters justify themselves after he's done precise 180s on tax and benefit policies as well as war? Until I hear a clear justification of that I have to conclude that not a single one of them is a responsible adult.
4
Not only will Americans be kissing their tax breaks goodbye, they will be kissing their children goodbye. Someone has to do the fighting, it won't be the 1%. There's a saying that old men make war, young men fight it. Sad!
6
Iran is mostly a distraction--like almost everything coming out of the White House these days.
The much bigger threat is Trump launching a pre-emptive strike on North Korea. The idea of giving Kim Jong-Un a "bloody nose" is utterly preposterous. Who comes up with this stuff?! The lives of millions hangs in the balance. And don't think for one nanosecond that Trump cares more about Koreans (and many thousands of Americans!) on the Korean Peninsula than he does his own family empire that's presently endangered by the Mueller investigation.
Meanwhile, Congress whistles past the graveyard...
1
This article is spot-on. Anybody who knows anything about the Middle East knows that the Sunnis and Shiites will never collude on any level. They are essentially at war. The idea that Iran would support Al Qaeda is ludicrous. Bush-Cheney pushed the false narrative that Saddam was in bed with Al Qaeda in 2002, in order to justify the Iraq war. Americans bought it. Osama bin Laden viewed Saddam as a bad Muslim and would have nothing to do with him. But we invaded Iraq anyway, to no purpose. And now we are seeing the same movie again. The US was wrong on Vietnam, wrong on Iraq and now wrong on Iran. We never learn. No wonder everybody hates us so much -- all we do is blunder around the world like a bull in a china shop, sowing destruction and crowing about the benefits of democracy. And now we have a President who is truly an idiot, strutting around and bragging about how powerful he is. This will not end well.
8
Cheney at the very least greenlighted 9/11 and at worse aided and abetted the worst terrorist attack in US history. His motive was to create an incident whereby he could bring US forces to war with King Abdullah of Arabia's worst nightmare: Saddam Hussein. Oh, and Cheney knew that the attack would distract the voting public from W's dubious election and plummeting popularity. As we now know, Bandar Bush, W's former roommate at school and then in-house resident at the Texas White House, and special Saudi Ambassador to the Administration (he disappeared after the Bush Administration, didn't he?) was in contact with the terrorists before 9/11. And the first thing Cheney did one hour after the attack was frame Saddam for it and get Prince Bandar and his family out of the country on AirForce 2. And soon enough W. called off the search for his pal, Osama, who was after all an important member of the Bin Ladin construction family, partnered with the Bushes for 4 generations. So we started a regional war we are still mired in, along with Russia and China, removed the one Middle Eastern power (Saddam) that was a check on both Iran AND saudi Arabia and helped get W re-elected so he could destroy the economy. Democrats like Hilary, et. al. fell in line like sheep. Obama chose to focus on his own reelection future and issued a pass for... treason(?), especially from the President and Vice President of our country? No Congressional investigation! And here we are again.
2
A once willing propagandist who seems to know better now. But easily discredited by the current crop of willing and enthusiastic propagandists. Alas, the fate of the US is dictated by the constant insatiable hunger of these propagandists and their paymasters for blood and war. Shame on all of us for allowing this in our name!
2
Both this guy and Powell abandoned their oaths of service to sell what we all knew was lies.
There was so much evidence that they were lying that anyone could access it.
Did'nt this guy (or Powell) read the Blix IAEA report? It said the exact opposite of what boy George was selling.
If he read it and supported the invasion - he committed treason (as did Powell)
If he didn't read it, he should not have been in the job.
Powell sold his integrity to be a "Toto" to Cheney's "wizard"
After all that was the admn that turned the MOST failed NSA in history and rewarded her with a promotion.
I'm betting on treason
3
Trump needs a war to save his presidency and Putin and China can not wait to further weaken American power and democracy. They will encourage Trump to start such a disastrous war and help Iran to make sure that America loses its young men and women by thousands in addition to wasting more trillions without achieving a single objective. IMO, war with Iran will make Iraq war a cake walk. What a scary idea! How did we get here???
6
Yes it is only too obvious, the Republicans and Trump do idiotic things and they use twisted logic to try to justify what they do, if at all. I have stopped trying to understand or care, really. I see we are also going into another Republican financial bust after the "boom" they created when they goosed the economy for a little while. Now I will have less money; I care about that, but there is still nothing I can do about it. Way back a long time ago I tried hard to say I was patriotic, that is a joke now, but it is not funny.
1
Well Mr Wilkerson you are a brave person, wise and thoughtful. Brave to admit your role then. You have come a long way in fifteen years. At that time you did not have the brains to read what was in the newspapers refuting or at least questioning every point you and Mr Powell made in that speech. You do not get a pass however. Guilty of negligent homicide.
3
Trump so far still can't poll above his base (good term). Beware he doesn't use the old 'la patrie en danger' trick. As Goering put it: "the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger.”
The Trump administration is desperately trying to get a war going with Iran to obfuscate the Russian connection. Iran is the logical choice because China and Russia are too big and mean. North Korea is connected to China so they're off limits. The United States likes to pick on small stuff that they can easily win such as Grenada. The problem is Iran is no pushover. They won the Iran-Iraq war, and they are not stupid.
2
@Lawrence Wilkerson – We knew that Iraq had no part in 9/11, and the reports of WMDs rang false (and were denied by the UN), and we know that we have no business invading yet another Asian country.
Our enemies are the countries that we invade. Frankly, who can blame them? Would we Americans not **HATE** any country that invaded U.S. territory?
It's time to stop cultivating foreign enemies. It's time to stop invading other countries, especially in far-flung hemispheres.
4
I would be more impressed with Colonel Wilkerson and his opinion to learn he has devoted his (or at least some) time following retirement to charity work in Iraq.
1
The great shame of Colin Powell is not that he was duped then, but that he isn't being heard from now. If Wilkerson can bring himself to speak out, at some cost to his reputation, why doesn't Powell, with his infinitely more powerful microphone, do what is best for the country and warn us about Trumped up reasons for war with Iran?
Powell's silence is a disgrace.
3
Sales of weapons, vehicles, transportation and shipping services, security services, personnel services--the list is endless--are way down over those wildly profitable days during the peak of the Bush wars. Trump will ingratiate himself with defense contractors, securing his own place, and together they will make a killing off of the killing the war with Iran will unleash. All Trump has to do is sell it to his base and the congress that will be licking its chops over the money they'll be making. It'll be another slam dunk.
1
Along with tens of thousands of others, I walked in protest of the planned invasion of Iraq, as the inconsistencies and outright lies you cite here were already evident to anyone paying attention at the time. Your "confession," as I will call it, is much too little much too late; the atrocities you helped perpetrate clearly paved the road to today's world situation. I take it you see your words as a warning of some sort, and I further assume you have rationalized your complicity in such a way that allows you to live with yourself, but if you are looking for redemption consider volunteering in the rebuilding of Iraq, or providing financial support to those orphaned, widowed or disabled as a result of this forever war, writing NYT essays isn't cutting it.
4
Colin Powell and Lawrence Wilkerson had to have known Powell was peddling lies in his presentation to the United Nations 15 years ago. The shoddiness of his 2003 case for war on Iraq was as transparent then as we now know President Johnson’s was in August 1964 for escalation of the war in Vietnam on the basis of lies by Secretary of Defense McNamara about US-supported shelling of North Vietnam from the Gulf of Tonkin.
To me, at age 16, Johnson’s 1964 case appeared flimsy, merely going by news reports published before he obtained the August 7 congressional Gulf of Tonkin resolution by a vote of 504 to 2, giving him free rein to wage war in Vietnam.
Today Wilkerson reminds us that in February 2003:
“...the secretary’s gravitas was a significant part of the two-year-long effort by the Bush administration to get Americans on the war wagon.
“That effort led to a war of choice with Iraq — one that resulted in catastrophic losses for the region and the United States-led coalition, and that destabilized the entire Middle East.”
It is appalling that he says not a word of confession or contrition about his and Colin Powell’s complicity in effecting this catastrophe, widely predicted at the time.
Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, no bleeding heart liberal pacifist, wrote in his 1970 Nobel address that violence “...is necessarily interwoven with falsehood. Between them lies the most intimate, the deepest of natural bonds.” Wilkerson should be an expert on the intimacy of those bonds.
2
This is about as close to an admission of war crimes as I've ever read.
3
People like Trump and Cheney get their way because they can fool a lot of people all of the time.
2
Bravo Colonel for admitting to this decade long debacle which got our country into a 1000 year war of jihad against the Shia on behalf of our Saudi allies and the Sunnis and Wahhabist! A decade late and a few trillion $$ short, but who's counting but us boys in the defense industry? I guess you should send a copy of this to Trump's personal Generals/handlers who may have some sway over him. You could also send this to FOX and have them read it at the 10:30 PM show called "Telling our President what to Do and How to Feel Tomorrow".
2
I remember Dick Cheney saying, "Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. We know where they are." The UN was conducting a study on WMD, but Bush/Cheney would not wait for the study's results. Maybe they know their lie would be found out?
4
Maybe we should start by looking at which industries and which friends of Donald will benefit from a war, any war. Just as Halliburton 'won' no-bid contracts, and friends of Dick got richer, someone will make money on a war.
Someone whose son or daughter will not fight. The same folk who will make money on the Trump Tax plan? Sure. Not the 99%. Those other guys.
8
I would loathe to have more lives of American boys lost, all to further expand the ego of that foul Toad and for the benefit of those who stand to profit from armed conflicts. It is enough that Busch suckered Americans into more or less believing the necessity of removing Hussein (the man was no angel), which has completely destabilized that region and created ISIS. Enough lives are being lost as is.
Go deeper. Saddam Hussein's mistake was wanting to get rid of the Petro Dollar and instead accept gold (or real money backed by... something) for oil shipments.
He was a dead man after that stunt - the people who are really running things are nothing if not predictable in their protection of their oily cash cow.
1
The lead-up to the disastrous invasion of Iraq was aided and abetted by the media, including of course, the NY Times (remember Judith Miller?) I would like to think that cannot happen again. Certainly the MSM will be much more skeptical if trump and cronies attempt to distract us from the Mueller investigation by rallying the country to another unwinnable war. I cannot see an invasion of Iran garnering a single Democratic vote, and at least a few Republicans must realize the folly of such a move.
6
You guys under Cheney and Bush did a great job creating the "Axis of Evil". You didn't just sell it, you sold in perpetuity. To this day, a lot of Americans seem to believe it's wrong to negotiate.
You say: "So far, news organizations have largely failed to refute false narratives coming out of the Trump White House on Iran." Your truthful article isn't going to gain traction, and if we go to war with the Axis of Evil, it's not just because we have a corrupt, megalomaniacal president. It's also because you did such a good job creating a vivid, if not entirely real, enemy.
7
War criminals Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and the rest of the illegitimate (stolen election) Republican criminal administration never paid any price for lying America into an unnecessary and disastrous war that cost thousands of lives and upended the Middle East. The failure to call these war criminals and liars to account was one of the most serious mistakes of the Obama Administration.
This mistake should not be repeated when the Republican Criminal organization is finally ousted from power, hopefully in the next two elections: the corruption and crimes - obstruction of justice, campaign finance violations (laundered money from Russia), sedition (over many, many years), and treason (an election stolen in collusion with Russia), must be investigated and where crimes have been committed, punished to the highest degree of the law. And the criminals of the Bush Administration, in so far as they remain culpable under the statute of limitations, must also be duly prosecuted and if convicted, jailed as well.
No more forgive and forget, no more bygones be bygones, no more kumbaya bipartisan nonsense for REPUBLICAN TRAITORS and CRIMINALS.
11
Wow, what a revelation!!! Everyone who pays attention to US foreign policy knows that war is always the preferred option.
4
While Bush/Cheney/Powell were many deplorable things, they were not despots. Our current President is. And the last resort of a despot is always war. To avert the coming war, we must rid ourselves of the mentally ill monster in the White House (and for good measure, those who support him). Mobilize for the mid-terms!
4
Funny (sad?) how easy it is, untethered from party in favor of country, it is for these people who destroy other human beings and societies to seek absolution now that they have gained wisdom with the benefit of "hindsight" that others of us did not need to see the obscenity and futility of their goals.
I have no doubt we will in the near future be hearing the same refrain from Nikki Haley or others among her cabal, expressing regret for not realizing how she was unwittingly used by a mentally unstable, unfit chief executive and the war-mongerers who prop him up.
2
How nice that Wilkerson admits that he was a part of the team of obfuscators that helped bolster Bush' Blunder into Iraq. Fifteen years later here we are still throwing American lives away, still throwing good money after bad in our long militaristic misadventure in the Middle east. Colin Powell forever lost my respect when Tommed himself for Bush and lied to U.N. in this speech.
2
"The sole purpose of our actions was to sell the American people on the case for war with Iraq."
But why did you do that? I am not in government, but I knew very clearly at that time that invading Iraq was a stupid and terrible idea. Why did people like you in government not realize that?
That is the most important question that needs to be answered if we, as a country with a significant percentage of hawkish politicians and voters, are to have any hope of avoiding such enormous misjudgments again.
I don't know the answer, but could one possible explanation be the good old military industrial complex, where sustaining and maintaining all the jobs and salaries and profits in the military and among defense contractors creates a huge incentive to create adversaries and enemies? When you hear Trump and Graham and their ilk calling to "rebuild" our military, even though we spend far more on defense than any other country, you have to wonder what dynamic is at play that leads them to these budget-busting crazy conclusions.
5
Well, its been said that when the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
1
Egomaniac Trump would be thrilled to be a "wartime president". It would also remove Russiagate from the front pages. We already know how immoral and unscrupulous both Trump and the GOP leadership are.We must vote out the Republican Congress in 2018 in an effort to spare the lives of our young men and an untold number of innocent civilians.
3
And Trump's base thought they had elected a man who had been against the Iraq adventure from the beginning and would not send more of then to die in the service of the "rigged" foreign policy elite.
But then, what can you expect from people who think that professional wrestling is wrestling?
6
The US has been the scourge of the world since before the start of the Vietnam War. It is addicted to war. It develops a massive war machine. It attracts a certain type of people to join it and stay with it until they, through experience with warfare and longevity, rise to its leadership. They hunger to fight other people. That is their mojo as well as their vocation. After one war, even one in which it got defeated, they look for another war to fight. So it's not surprising there is a faction looking to start another war. The prospect of fighting another war gives them a huge adrenalin rush. They start thinking and planning and they tell their civilian bosses they are ready to go to war. When these bosses are too stupid or too nutty, they too find that a war IS UNAVOIDABLE. We haven't seen a Truman sacking a MacArthur since the Korean War. Contrast these people with those who are doctors and nurses, priests and nuns, the Mother Theresa type, the volunteer workers, the firemen. These people seek to help others. The firmer group are out to kill people. We are required to admire the veterans and the Gold Star families. What a curse we have been enduring. Anyone who goes about killing other people, no matter how far they are or how poor and inferior they are, are supposed to be our heroes. All the people who volunteer to work with Medicine San Frontiers, for example, we conveniently ignore. Forget them, excuse me, because we have another war to fight !
1
As someone who was working in the Pentagon on 9/11, I was certainly on the side of those who wanted to bring swift justice to the perpetrators and their collaborators. But I was also one of those people unpersuaded by the Bush Administration's arguments for war with Iraq in 2003. UNTIL I watched Secy Powell at the UN, and I was all in.
This is the same drumbeat by the ever-honest and self-reflective Mr Wilkerson. At least we don't have a lap dog like Tony Blair in power in western Europe to give a patina of respectability to this idiocy. I don't see any allies, except Israel and Saudi Arabia, supporting action. That's not to say Trump won't do it, but we will be an even more isolated nation if we do. Which is to say, Trump will gladly do it if Mr Mueller doesn't get to him first.
2
Not buying. Iran is in fact seeking hegemony in the middle east and doing all it can to undermine Israel, but not even DT is interested in a war with Iran. Even he understands, it is not in our interest and we do not have much to gain. Though we would wipe Iran off the face of the map, there would be tremendous casualties though maybe not in the US. Israel would be fried. I doubt DT wants that with his evangelical base. Until recently when North Korea for optics seemingly backed down, war with North Korea was the possibility. It does seem DT listens to the secretary of defense and others and they will not sign off on a war with Iran though Iran could do something really stupid and then all changes. For example, should Iran launch against Israel, all bets are off. The iron shield will not protect Israel. Trump would then launch against Iran. The supreme leader of Iran is rabid, but not quite that crazy.
I remember the run-up to the Iraq war. I remember marching in the streets. I remember that millions of people around the world marched in the streets. I remember that it made not one iota of difference. What in the name of all that is holy must we do to stop these monsters? We vote in the majority, we march, we write and call our Congressperson... nothing matters. Has there ever been a population that was able to stop its leadership from going to war? Anyone?
5
There’s a need to say this, even if an apology from the good colonel about his complicity in the Iraq war, where modest estimates of the body count exceed 100,000, is in order. Since when is remorse a dirty word?
2
I guess non Anglos sell war better. First Powell, and now Haley. Go figure.
1
I agree that news organizations have not been paying attention to this. I wish they would stop following the Tweeter in Chief around in circles, and devote some reporters to other news .... like war!
2
you have caused so much damage wit the Iraq war. That Bush should be in jail. Isis was the failure of Iraq. Iran is not a joke. Iran has never been dominated by another power in history. They will fight so hard that we will prove Bin Laden right that he wanted America to wage constant wars so that it will bankrupt us financially and military wise.
5
With Iraq and Syria defanged and at perpetual war with themselves both Israel's and Saudi Arabia's chief threat now is Iran... so in the world of dark arts and espionage you have to wonder if and how these two allies of ours (though not allies of each other) will move the USA closer to war with Iran. What will they offer up to Trump? Remember Cheney talking to Rush Limbaugh in the final leadup to the bombing and invasion of Iraq:Cheney says: “What’s happening, of course, is we’re getting additional information that, in fact, Hussein is reconstituting his biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons programs.” Good old WMD, we looked high and low and never found a one.
Trump is a weak man who has the loving support of the Saudi's and the Israelis. Now if they can only nudge him in the right direction. Shouldn't be too hard, just study how Putin pulls his strings... Spend some capital and get yourself a copy of a video or two. Maybe track down some of those emails that the Russians hacked from the GOP leadership's private accounts...
3
And then Stuxnet. Like no one will 'shoot' back. But who needs enemies when you can shoot your own foot?
The Panama Papers and then Hillary's email server and now Trump.
Powell was talked about as Presidential, but he had a sword to fall on.
1
....but Iran’s long deposed President made statements that were deemed hostile to Israel. Enough said?
I'm marveling at the people here questioning the wisdom of another war theater in the Middle East. I'm one of those weirdos that thinks very highly of human life, be it American or foreign and with the knowledge that war brought to already suffering populations is an immoral choice when other tactics are available. The Israeli Mossad was able to get an agent as Syrian Cabinet minister; clearly, were not trying hard enough. The beating of war drums is also evidence of the power of the military industrial complex we were warned about. How about we take a look at who is lobbying these war drumming advocates to see what their ties are?
1
I wish SOMEone, ANYone, would write an article that gives us readers some direction on how to MOVE our congressional representatives to ACTION and STOP this mad man, Trump, before he completely snaps. (sorry for the shouting)
I write, weekly, to my own congressional reps as well as Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and various other congress reps who accept contacts outside their districts. It makes me feel a little better for having voiced my opinion, but it does nothing.
300 million people in this country and we are held hostage by 3 sick men: Donald Trump, the narcissist addict; Paul Ryan, the evil enabler and Mitch McConnell, the consummate coward. And the rest of the GOP troops just dutifully fall in line to wait for their weekly campaign donations. "I didn't see or hear nuthin!"
So what should we the people do? We cannot wait til November! The tension is growing intolerable for those of us who are terrified for our nation.
Help! Someone! Tell us what to do!
Mr. Wilkerson,
It never ceases to amaze me how the perpetrators of colossal debacles see the light after the damage is done. You and Colin Powell (with his phony vial of anthrax) and the Bush bunch are responsible for the loss of so many lives and the grievous losses to innumerable individuals and families, not to mention the loss of national standing and treasure which continues to this day. How dare you lecture us on any subject!
2
The author provides no evidence that the current intelligence on Iran is false. Nothing but conjecture. Just because the author was duped or went along with the story in 2003 does not mean the same thing is happening.
So Mr. Wilkerson used his previous position to deceive the American people. Now he knows better. Many, many people knew better then, and many many people died in Iraq for nothing.
How about an apology?
And so, George Bush was reelected.
Why Iraq? Why Iran? I still don't understand what's behind it.
Saddam was Saudi's #1 enemy and only real Sunni competitor.
They wanted him gone.
The last 3 GOP presidents served Saudi first - this one will too
Powell's support of the attack on Iraq cost him any chance of being our first black president, and rightly so, because it showed that he could be rolled and persuaded to give up his own doubts and premonitions. His subsequent failure to admit he was rolled or speak out about those who had borrowed and trashed his reputation shows that he was too loyal to the established order and too reluctant to challenge it when it needed most to be challenged.
Having no conscience, all Trump requires is a handy excuse (whether valid or fabricated) to proceed with any item on the long menu listing possible plans of attack. All indications suggest that ordering death from the air for countless abroad will matter even less to this 'president' than ordering a cheeseburger.
4
We, as Americans, are used to the idea of "innocent until proven guilty". it is a principle fundamental (among others) to the idea of being an American. And yet Gen Powell insisted to a global audience that it was the other way around - that Saddam had to prove he was innocent. And this man was his chief of staff and didn't think anything wrong with that?.
He (and Powell and others) should be serving time for war crimes. The fact that he feels free to come here and speak so freely and warn ("do as I say, not as I do" says volumes. For that I have to thank former-President Obama for doing nothing about the former crooks in the Bush Administration - they're going to be all over these pages giving advice -remember - "do as I say, not as I do".
Colonel Wilkerson expresses satisfaction that lies and distortion convinced the American people that the invasion of Iraq was a good idea. The polls proved it, after all.
I think polls might also show that when military men betray their country in the pursuit of a political fantasy, the reputation of the armed forces suffer greatly, as does the nation's standing abroad. And how many grieving parents of KIA troops has he consoled, or parents of Iraqi children incinerated in that needless war?
1
Until US politicians and military are held accountable for war crimes - there will be no peace. We are in a constant state of war with almost no repercussions for the lies, death & destruction - I fear it will never end....and that will eventually be the demise of the United States.
2
Colin Powell may have succeeded in convincing "many Americans" of the need to invade Iraq. But they were in a minority. Most Americans, left and right, were already willing to accept that stupid story about "weapons of mass destruction." I remember this as clear as day, 8 months pregnant and one of 10 people, mostly in their 70s, shouting themselves hoarse at a tiny demonstration while our neighbors cursed. Even before Powell made his speech, plenty of intellectuals on the left wrote op-eds supporting the war. The blood of this war is on most Americans' hands. Most of them supported it.
Mr Wilkerson: If believing that “President Bush would have ordered the war even without the United Nations presentation,“ (which is probably true) helps you sleep at night, I understand. But that UN presentation cost a good man his reputation and cost our country more than we’ll ever know.
2
it didn't cost hjim his reputation. he burned his reputation in front of the world
I remember these events well. And I also remember, after it all went to pot, Mr. Wilkerson on TV, on NPR, and possibly other places, explaining his version of methodological problems. What Mr. Wilkerson never did back then, and still doesn't do here, is discuss the flat-out lies that were told. And we have to understand that Mr. Wilkerson was part of the team that told those lies, by the way. But I have a specific memory of Mr. Wilkerson denying that anyone knew there were no WMD's. The problem is that Scott Ritter, a weapons inspector, was shouting it from every rooftop and media outlet he could shout from. Paula Zahn made her infamous "he's really drunk the Saddam Hussein Kool-Aid..." comment about Ritter.
So, while it's good that Mr. Wilkerson is speaking up now, to state that what was done in Iraq was not hopelessly naive and "...pushing the region into a downward spiral" but rather criminal. Never mind whose statistics are more accurate, hundreds of thousands died as a result of the process Mr. Wilkerson was a part of. A bit more humility would be in order, one would think. Humility and a war crimes trial.
6
Humility ???
These criminals are 100% devoid of empathy, and the idea that they even consider they need be forgiven is simply unknown to them, and if perchance any of these creatures read my comments, their reaction would be outrage at the gall they see us as possessing.
Godforsaken is how they must be described.
1
Nine months before the actual invasion, the head of British Intelligence returned from meeting with the Bush Administration and told his Prime Minister, who supported the war, that the decision to go to war had already been made, and "intelligence was being fixed around that decision." Google the Downing Street Memo to see the official memo from that meeting.
If we were actually looking for weapons of mass destruction when we invaded Iraq, special forced would have been tasked with searching weapons depots on the first day. Instead they were tasked with securing oil fields and refineries. Weeks later American reporters on TV were still watching Iraqis taking munitions from unguarded weapons depots to be used against American forces.
Rumsfeld insisted on fighting the war with too few troops (125,000 trips to pacify a country of 25,000,000 people), and fell for the oldest trick in history (retreat on the front followed by attacks on the rear).
I no longer believe any of this was an accident. Before the war, Cheney met with global oil corporations and they divided up a map of Iraq. The chaos of the occupation was used to steal pallets full of $100 bills. Local elections were canceled by Rumsfeld. But the Iraqi constitution and laws were changed to give global oil corporations control of Iraq's oil and oil revenue.
We stole Iraq's oil, and gave it away to the global billionaires that own 75% of corporate stock.
Then the Democrats took the blame for the unpaid bill.
5
Lawrence Wilkerson deserves respect for stepping up. I hope Colin Powell and other Republicans of the era have the courage to do the same.
I'd add one thing he did not emphasize: Trump seeks war because he believes it will boost his approval ratings. In short, he's willing to see people die-- on both sides -- to retain political power. There is no greater crime for a leader.
5
The morning Bush unleashed his shock and awe barrage on Iraq citizens, my local NPR radio station in Honolulu aired recordings of Souza marches to demonstrate support for the Bush-Cheney war, thus irritating thousands of loyal listeners. Senator Kennedy and others spoken against the attack, stating an absence of evidence of 'weapons of mass destruction'. I believe Barack Obama's opposition to the war was my introduction to this young Senator from illinois, leading to support for his eventual candidacy for president of the US.
2
The real concern here is that Trump, in an ever more desperate need for ever an more significant distractions, could decide that a war is the ultimate solution for his own increasingly serious problems. As we have seen in recent weeks he is more than prepared to rubbish an institution such as the FBI with the seemingly sole purpose of ensuring an investigation of him stops. The Iraq war however misguided and worse poorly executed it ended up being took place in the context of 9/11 and its aftermath. Trump and the GOP seem to be quite prepared to sacrifice US soldiers to save their own hides without, for the most part, showing any preparedness to put themselves or members of their families in harms way (foot spurs anyone?). Having recently watched the movie The Post where McNamara’s report on the Vietnam War showed that 75% of the reason for the continued prosecution of the war was to save the US government loss of face. If the leaders of that age, all infinitely more competent and ethical than Trump, were prepared to do that then just imagine what the current batch will be prepared to do today.
1
Trump needs a war. It is precisely the thing to shift attention away from his domestic and electoral controversies, issues and possible exposure to one being enabled to override congressional supervision via commandeering the federal government via war powers supplemented by possible emergency powers. Congress is the bane of Trump's evecutive ambitions. I submit his aim is restructure the de facto government as a corporation absent a political legislature/legislative
2
Nixon/Agnew, Bush/Cheney, Trump/Pence - Republican/Republican/Republican - War/War/War? - Defeat/Defeat/Catastrophe?
Trump and Putin overthrew the United States. Like the former Soviet Union, the U.S. was defeated without firing a shot. One real wall came down when the USSR collapsed while a wall of lies took down America.
5
You know who else helped sell the false choice of war?
The NY Times and many of its columnists, as well as many other established news media institutions.
Thereafter, there was further (reckless, illogical) endorsement of regime change, not tempered by caution or responsibility, for Libya & Syria. The blame of poor judgement should be taken seriously by many within the establishment.
As one who values the NY Times as a respected institution of journalism. The foreign policy biases over the past 30 years advocated by the NY Times, within its editorials, columns, and some of its foreign coverage, deserves harsh review and criticism.
My critique is not intended to be an ideological bias against or in favor of hawkishness or advocacy of one foreign country or another.
The need is apply higher standards of logic and the consideration of consequences over hysteria/emotional arguments when it comes to endorsing a decision to escalate chaos & mass death (ie: war). There were many logical reasons & consequences that would invalidate the case for invading Iraq, and regime change in Libya and Syria.
But with regard to other situations, firmness & toughness is more prudent. Yet in other situations prodding another country into further enmity might not be wise.
Objectivity does matter.
2
Obviously, we need more civil servants like Mr Wilkerson - and less like Colin Powell.
One FYI is in order: HRC would be following the same path as Trump with regard to Iran. Both parties have their war hawks - and it's the public's duty to see that they never reach public office again.
1
Mr. Powell made a grave mistake in offering a false narrative to gain international support. I do believe that he was not willfully providing false information to the UN but I have no doubt that he knew he wasn't providing a clear picture. Having said that, I do not place as much blame at his feet as I perhaps should. I believe his intentions were to prevent us from going down this road alone. He told President Bush concerning Iraq that "if you break it, you bought it" and he knew better than anyone what that meant. I don't know if he was willingly a pawn in this charade in order to at least attempt to gain international support for what he saw was a very shaky venture, or if he truly wanted to make the case for war as others in the administration so obviously did. Regardless, he must live with his actions. This was an incredibly honest Op-Ed and I am very grateful for it. I hope it makes an impact on people's opinions and focuses some attention where it clearly needs to be. I have not been pondering this issue as much as I clearly will now. Thank you.
One almost wishes Mr. Trump would be foolish enough to attack Iran.
When the Roman Empire controlled the known world (to them) it developed a persistent obsession with Parthia (from where we get the phrase “Parthian (Parting) Shot”), the Iranian Empire of its time.
Crassus, seeking a final chance at military glory, ended his life with Iranians pouring molten gold down his greedy throat, losing as well the standards of his Legions that it took decades for the Romans to recover.. Caesar was assassinated just as he was later making preparations for invading Parthia, though not for that reason. Not much later, Mark Antony, in his bid to wrest the Empire from Augustus, found his ambitions and his army destroyed in the sands or Iraq, Iran and mountains of Armenia as he too vainly tried war with Parthia.
Mr. Trump might want to read (!) these histories before he tries the same thing, but surely won’t.
The Roman Empire is long gone, but Parthia (Iran) yet remains.
3
The Parthian Shot was delivered by a horseman shooting arrows backwards off his mount. The Romans had no defense for this type of warfare and suffered mightily. This same tactic was used by Asian invaders like the Mongols and also, by the so called American Indians. No Fair!
"This should not be forgotten today for a clear reason: The Trump administration is using much the same playbook to create a false choice that war is the only way to address the challenges presented by Iran."
It should not be forgotten for an even more basic ethical, philosophical reason. Words spoken at podiums and disseminated by journals like the NYT --words many of us knew in the moment to be lies (it wasn't hard; it was as easy as listening to an international team of investigators who kept insisting there were no WMD) -- consigned hundreds of thousands of Iraqi people to death, rape, maiming, loss of homes, jobs, schools and hospitals.
It always passed the bounds of reason and decency that that illegal war played out with zero accountability. We have the current crop of criminal leaders precisely because the Bush White House got away with war crimes. The message was clear: break any law, do anything you want; if you're president of the US, you get away with it. They do just that.
The US not only forgave those involved, it also rewarded them with more corrupt power and money. Lots of money. Many members of Congress became millionaires through investments in Blackwater. Who is once again knocking on WH doors? Why Eric Prince, CEO of ...Blackwater.
It's why some of us will not stop protesting until there is real accountability. I can think of no crime that matches that of launching an illegal war. It was unforgivable the first time. There must not be a second time.
1
I realize that it didn’t seem to matter to us that we used shoddy or cherry-picked intelligence; that it was unrealistic to argue that the war would “pay for itself,”....
Some of us, with no intelligence on the matter, could figure this one out pretty easily. We were right. Thanks for ushering this new Dark Age we now live in.
4
Amongst hysterical distortions of right, left and media that dominate the public discourse on Iran, Mr. Wilkerson raises the only voice of evidence-based reason. Thank you, Mr. Wilkerson, for your clarity, your humility and your candor. You are a reminder that buried somewhere beneath all the detritus that is heaped upon the American public in the name of democratic conversation, there still exists honor and integrity.
2
displayed 15 years too late.
you sure are easy to impress.
perhaps he might have shown some integrity
at the time
That would have been admirable
I'm both very disappointed and saddened that Secretary of State Colin Powell did not co-sign this important, timely piece along with Colonel Wilkerson.
1
So Question to the Author: I saw the case for the Bush Cheney was against Iraq. And I knew it was bogus. In fact I thought Bush wanted to go in and fight Iraq before he was elected, thinking he wanted to prove himself after his father decided to run only a limited attack on Iraq after the Kuwait invasion. But what do you see as the real reason Bush and Cheney wanted the Iraq War? Money for the military industrial complex? And what do you see as the motivating for Trump? Why does he want war with Iran? I fully agree that the Saudis were behind 9/11. Certainly most of the players were Saudi. So why does Trump wan war with Iran?
1
Thanks for fessing up to your complicity. Do you really expect us to believe the politicians were naive rather than nakedly greedy? As an enlisted veteran of Somalia and Haiti I care deeply about the abuse of sacred trust by our elected officials and their high ranking stooges in the Pentagon. Using resources of the NYPL I was able to cut through the lies before invasion. I would have been more impressed if your column was titled "I am a war criminal." Then reveal the rest of the wicked cabals of corruption in the highest places. You and your ilk are destroying our nation.
4
It seems that some presidents who assiduously dodged the military draft in their youth and have no first-hand experience of the wars and attendant carnage have an insatiable itch to claim the label “war time President”. This feeling exists in spades in Trump who is metaphorically speaking dying to be the supreme commander of a war time army by making other Americans literally die for his glory. Occasionally wars are inevitable for the right reasons, but when a nation frequently goes to war by crying wolf, the citizens and allies will refuse to engage in a war when it is a necessity and not caused by narcissism.
Thank you Colonel Wilkerson for helping to clarify the historical record by your admission of participation in the deceit that led to the invasion of Iraq and the destabilization of the middle east.
Can you document the process by which Bush/Cheney (allegedly) perpetrated the fraud that has cost so many lives and so much money that could have been so much better spent?
It is galling that those responsible for the unjust debacles of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have not been prosecuted. The USA is the self proclaimed paragon of Western Civilization and our total failure to indict the (suspected) war criminals among us brings the whole enterprise democracy and the rule of law into question.
1
Am I deceiving myself? I was under the impression that Sec. Powell was deceived and mislead by his State Dept. aides. Similar people whom he "trusted" when he was in the Army and Chief of Staff. But, the executive branch and the Sec. of State's office use "different" versions of truth aka accurate facts. Yes, the Sec. accepted responsibility for the deception.
From my experience in the USAF during the Viet-Nam war (I was young & naive), among the enlisted ranks and the junior officers (of all the service branches), "truth" aka accurate facts were precise and used. I don't recall anyone in my areas shading the "truth" or misleading others. It wasn't until the senior officers (Colonels, Gen'ls, and high ranking civilians) got the information that the serious distortions were created. Years later, McNamara later admitted he distorted "the truth" and made lousy decisions (meanwhile our young men and women paid with their lives and injuries).
Now, a repeat of past mistakes. Trumpster seems our enemys' best friend (his lies about Russia, Islam, immigrants, and so on) He and his henchmen lie, undermine the credibility of our trusted FBI and Dept. of Justice, and give orders grounded in ignorance and emotions to the Dept. of Defense. With "friends" (& alleged leaders) like the Trumpster, our nation needs no enemies; our POTUS appears to be destroying our culture from the top down and from the bottom up. Who will stop him when he declares "only I" can save you?
Small wonder Iran was trying to get nukes. Look what happened to Iraq when they tried to play fair with the Americans.
1
The public will never learn to protect itself from bogus war alarms. Iraq was only 15 years ago, was followed by general revulsion and repentance, and yet Trump and the GOP are pulling the wool over the public yet again. Forget learning from history. Do you "Remember the Maine?" Or how about, "Avenge the Lusitania?"
1
You are one of many people from that time who have a lot to answer for, Colonel Wilkerson. Lives of American soldiers, 100,000s of displaced civilians, and a huge chunk of our national treasury. The voice that still rings most clearly in my mind is that of German Defense Minister at the time, Joshke Fisher: "We are not persuaded."
2
And Trump is on record stating that our invasion of Iraq was one of the worst U.S. foreign policy moves ever.
I think Trump understands. The Iraq War had something to do with why he won over other Republican candidates—and Hillary Clinton.
I've always believed Gen Powell was set-up by Cheney et. al. to smear his reputation with the intent of preventing his being the first non-white POTUS. In my opinion (still) he would have been by far the most qualified and electable president since JFK.
The scariest part of what is being planned by the Trump administration is they very likely plan to use war as a diversion when the special prosecutor begins to issue arrest warrants and indictments, particularly when these involve Trump and his family. I firmly believe that Trump and his lackeys have a plan to distract the American public from the damming results of the special prosecutor's investigation and plan to implement it when the investigation results are released. This diversion plan could involve North Korea and/or Iran. The reason that Nicki Haley and others are working to convince us there is a threat in Iran is to build a justification for the planned diversionary action(s) involving a combination of invasion, special forces operations, missile strikes, or bombing missions.
Any such use of military action would likely result in their desired effects:
1) diverting public attention from the confirmation of collusion with Russia and other crimes by Trump and his cronies; and
2) bolstering the argument that in a time of war it is unpatriotic to question the authority or office of the President.
This insidious plan is very likely well along in the Trump defense camp and you can bet that Trump loves this plan as a way to save him from prosecution for the crimes he knows he is guilty of.
278
Will it be North Korea or Iran as victim this time? Attacking North Korea will probably result in a nuclear attack on South Korea, Japan, and possibly the U.S. West Coast (disposable to the GOP). Attacking Iran will result in a 100-year war of attrition and immediate, justified efforts by Iran to build and deliver nuclear weapons. Either one, if civilization survives, will result in a stampede by countries all over the world to obtain nuclear bombs. Thanks, GOP, right-wing radio, and sociopathic billionaires. It's your game; you alone have the (ir)responsibility.
6
My suspicion is Russia would prefer Americans involve themselves further, deeper in the middle east and Iran. It'll make our role as potential mediator during Russian interference with former Soviet Block countries impossible.
The US once tried to 'bankrupt' the soviet union by dragging it into futile, costly skirmishes and technology battles. I think they are returning the favor to the American people. The problem, our current administration is eagerly playing along.
2
Sadly, this rings true. If it happens, i hope there are patriots who will do the right thing and stop it.
2
In the lead up to the Iraq War, anyone opposing the idea was called unpatriotic and mocked by the Republicans. No doubt, this will be their M.O. again, especially with Trump needing ever more distractions from the Russia investigation.
304
Yep. I had a huge fight with my family over this. I was living on London at the time and not subjected to the daily onslaught of "rah rah rah" that was coming from Washington. The BBC was pretty good in picking apart Bush's arguments for war and we had access to newspapers like The Guardian which presented a lefty look at the situation. I am afraid we are going down the same rabbit hole and young people will be caught up in a war we started yet again on nothing for nothing.
11
Colin Powell and Larry Wilkerson are as culpable as Cheney/Bush because they didn't bother to swim upstream when they knew they should have.
4
I knew 'something was up' when the ambassador to Kuwait raised the alarm about what the US was doing and it got reported. A few days later she and her husband were outed by the administration and no further reporting was heard from.
5
Hundreds of thousands protested the war, the UN opposed it and would not participate, Scott Ritter wanted more time because he found NO WMD, and despite all the opposition, bush and cheney and the oil industry got their war, killing millions, for their own oil profits.
Horrifying and a very scary lesson for our protests today.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/16/us/threats-and-responses-dissent-tens-...
13
Thanks to Colonel Wilkerson for giving us a vivid and memorable history lesson.Voices like his help us from being "doomed" to repeating mistakes.The problem of Iran is shrouded in political intrigue and competing interests .It is useful to hear a reasoned analysis.
8
Going back to Powell's speech at the U.N., I remember wanting to hear what he had to say, and wasn't going to make my decision on what I thought was right until after he made his case. After all, General Powell had an excellent reputation and was generally thought of as credible, but after hearing his speech, my reaction was "that's it?" There was no credible evidence presented of WMDs, which is why the world was unconvinced, although most democrats were too timid to speak up and supported the war until it was politically convenient not to. Here, however, I could care less what sort of a "case" is made, by a U.S. regime with no credibility for a potential war that would primarily benefit the Israelis and the Saudis (the country that has essentially financed Al Qaeda and Isis). What happened to America first? There will still be millions who will support this and anything else from the current leadership. Let's hope it doesn't take thousands of needless of U.S. combat deaths for that support to erode.
12
Bill Clinton was president three years prior to the invasion. He and Hillary should have known the evidence of WMD was bogus. Hillary voted for the war for political expediency, which backfired.
I actually did a statistical study of the Iraq War vote and how politicians fared after the vote, while working on my masters degree in political science.
Contrary to TV pundit group think, a majority of Democrats voted AGAINST the war. It was those that had presidential ambitions that voted for it.
And contrary to the conventional "wisdom" before the vote, there is no evidence that voting against the war was bad for re-election. If anything voting for the war was a problem, as Obama's win against Hillary illustrates.
This is an important lesson for legislators now. Don't think you have to vote for a war to keep your job. It didn't work then and it certainly work with a war started by Trump in a country that still remembers Iraq.
1
While we can appreciate Col. Wilkerson coming forward now, it would have been better if he had stepped forth the day after Mr. Powell gave his address.
Think of how many lives would have been saved.
10
Although we have seen the horrors of our involvement in Iraq war, the threat of yet another war in the Middle East seems more likely than not. Three different groups may opt for this war for their own purposes:
In the event, Mueller investigation comes up with a clear, convincing case of wrongdoing against Trump, he may want to use the war as a diversionary tactic.
Republican party's shameless pursuit of power at any cost may lead them to support Trump's war declaration with or without support by the full house of the Congress.
Then, too, the Israel lobby in the US - in evangelical circles as - well as political, and defense industrial complex may once again conspire to use America's resources in this proxy war for their own purposes and Israel's.
Poor, gullible people of America! Here comes another demon of war asking you to surrender your sons and daughters to the coming war, of choice, just as you did in the still unfinished war in Iraq.
As often happens in wars, crooked, conniving people would be the only ones who benefit from the war - adding millions and billions more to their already bursting piles of money.
12
While I suppose that Professor Wilkerson is uniquely qualified to expose lying by a government to justify going to war, perhaps he should spend his time visiting and helping the soldiers physically and psychologically wounded from the pointless war that he enabled.
5
On all sides. Shia Iraqis, the Kurdish, and the US.
Many of us remember the hostage crisis in 1979-81. Militarily we were impotent, and we were humiliated. Too many will see this as pay back for that time.
1
How will Trump be any different from the world's worst known dictators if he resorts to war make the country forget about the problems he created for himself (Russia scandal and policies that favor himself and the super-wealthy at the cost of poor and middle class)?
5
Not enough remember that we deposed a Democratically elected president of Iran, and replaced him with the Shah and then helped him torture Iranian citizens who opposed his rule, leading directly to revolution and the Ayatollahs.
We should also remember that U.S. forces shot down a civilian Iranian airliner, killing hundreds.
We have no moral standing to invade Iran.
Let's not forget to mention that the Netanyahu government in Israel is gung-ho about taking on Iran. They together with the Saudis are a driving force in Trump regime thinking.
9
Trump is trying to wag the tail. And alas he's proved very good at doing this.
5
(The expression is actually "wag the dog" meaning that the tail is controlling the country. I agree with the bigger point.)
The U.S. designs on Iran-- its oil, its soil, for all intents and purposes, its "soul" have a history, which is unchanging in its imperialistic bent. It has met with stiff opposition in the past, which is, perhaps, why Trump and his neo-fascist cronies are preparing for war once again. The Iranians, some of them, at least, have tried to foster positive relations--student exchanges, the nuclear pact, etc. Others, however, have retained a suspicious view of U.S. intentions, and that is no wonder. When one considers the events of July, 1988, and what must be seen as an intentional message to the Iranians as regards the U.S. view of their sovereignty, that of the intentional destruction of Iran Air 655 by the U.S. Vincennes inside Iranian territorial waters, one can only reach the conclusion that imperious designs on others' natural resources are rooted in the foreign policy of the U.S. "Bog Hammers" are not serious threats to the security of U.S. Naval vessels. U.S. destroyers are a threat to Iranian sovereignty. The time has come for regime change in the U.S., as well as a completely re-thought approach to our relations with others.
8
Our adventure in Iraq resulted in at least half a million unnecessary deaths--something for which I am not able to forgive any member of the Bush cabal. Particularly since, as Mr. Wilkerson's essay evinces, they knew they were lying at the time.
But I do appreciate Mr. Wilkerson's repentance and his warnings about war with Iran. Going to war with Iran would be catastrophic on every level. Outside of the Marshall Islands, it's unlikely that we would have the support of any allies. Millions would probably die. And nothing would be accomplished.
Certain Iranian elements have supported terrorist groups in the Middle East (Hamas and Hezbollah), but not to anywhere near the extent that Saudi has. And the Iranian backed terrorists have not attacked us. Iran has used these groups primarily to achieve political ends in neighboring countries. Moreover, a movement exists in Iran toward modernization, and turning it's back on fundamentalism--a movement would should support.
No such movement exists in Saudi.
13
Picking a war with Iran is like taking a third mortgage on a house imminently being foreclosed. Haven't we learned that trillions later, blood on thousands later, 2 wars with 2 losses later (allowing the spread of Taliban in 70% of Afghanistan and ISIS in the entire region, today) that a 3rd war will get us only deeper in the whole we're already in? Mr. Trump is playing on American vices we haven't matured from: media sensationalized enemies, personal power appeal, and an infantile sense of self worth. The Iranian (Persian) empire fell 2,000 years ago from global debts due from an over-extended military. Now, it's America's turn to learn that hard lesson.
12
*hole not whole -- typo.
The horrors of American foreign policy, including "pre-emptive" and aggressive war, are bipartisan. And since the news media, including this newspaper, will only present the views of the two parties, we're done for if Trump decides to start the bombing.
If that sound like calumny, find a war our papers of record, or either party, ever opposed.
6
Contrary to pundit propaganda, a majority of the Democrats actually voted against the Iraq War, Democratic presidential candidates notwithstanding.
I know because I counted the votes for a paper. If you want to double check go to the congressional record.
1
IMO Colin's speech was quid pro quo for Michael's appointment to the FCC.
5
A rare, honest mea culpa — a dying breed for sure. But we knew all this 15 years ago... it was plain to anyone who wanted to actually look with honest eyes.
Trump and his cabinet seem to care far, far less about truth, integrity or even a public mandate than Bush, Chenney, Rumsfeld, Powell, etc.
So, if honest warnings from decent people didn't matter back then, how on earth are they going to matter now?
8
How do you apologize for committing a fraud against your allies, your soldiers, and their families?
Yes, while the from page of the NY Times relayed Bush administration lies in bold headlines, the evidence that the war was based on lies were buried in the International section.
Very good article. I agree completely. I am sorry to hear General Powell was so involved in such horrific actions.
There have been many presidents who acted out of their own or their friends interests. But I believe trump is the worse. When I heard people laugh at trump when he mimicked a handicapped person, I was more of afraid of them than of 'the president'.
5
If they actually wanted to win the war in Iraq, they would have made Powell Secretary of Defense. Putting Rumsfeld in charge shows they wanted maximum chaos for maximum global defense contractor profits.
1
Many members of the Bush administration are war criminals. Many members of the Trump administration are potential war criminals. There is a difference between the two.
6
So why haven't we heard from Colin Powell? His voice is needed NOW, more than ever.
14
Loyal Americans who made these same points at the time were accused of not being patriotic. I think Nancy Pelosi was the sole person in the House who voted against it. She was attacked for that.
10
No, Oakland, California's Barbara Lee, wearing one of the worst outfits ever, a large polka dot dress suit, maybe purple polka dots, stood up and voted no, to got to war. She spoke at length but not very persuasively. Clearly, she was afraid. But she was against the war with Iraq, and wanted to wait for more evidence to be presented. Her constituents are vehemently anti war. It is not just how they might protest but the many local laws which have underlying safety measures against weapons of mass destruction from being developed and or transported through Ms. Lee's district.
2
Yes, the true patriots, those of us that actually care about the troops, instead of using them as propaganda pawns and can't be bothered to buy them modern body armor or armored humvees or guard weapon depots to keep explosives from being made into IEDs, demand an airtight case for war, not vague threats of mushroom clouds.
If you can't be bothered to do your research, don't support a war that will kill American soldiers.
2
So who profited from the "trillions" Mr. Lawrence mentions? Did he? If we did an analysis on the companies and politicians who profited from the Iraq War, I think we'd have our answer as to why they would offer up Colin Powell as a sacrificial lamb. And to now have the Bushes and their cohorts throw stones at Trump is hypocrisy at its highest level.
As it is today, it was then: a war of choice is not about defense; it's about money.
5
War against Iran will play in the hands of the hardline Iranian Imams and .the Saudi Arabian Mullahs and will not end the ongoing conflict. Confinement of the conflict may be the way to go until the two arch enemies seated in Riyadh and Tehran will exhaust themselves and come to their senses for coexisting.
Trump wants to further deplete the underclass, which are mostly minorities. Trump knows NO ONE will enlist unless they are desperate for a job with benefits and the GI Bill for college.
Reinstate the DRAFT. Trump's "war" will be over before it begins. Remember Viet Nam, anyone? Politicians do NOT like their children to fight their dirty money making wars.
3
I hear this idiocy from many on the left now. Mostly younger folks who did not have to live with the specter of the draft hanging over their heads while a terrible war was raging. No thanks. Any political party that tries to push through the draft will lose my support forever, and I'm not alone.
I never believed the "evidence" the Bush administration provided to justify invading Iraq. One only needed to read multiple sources to know the "evidence" was specious. Bush's administration was full of war-mongering men. My fear is this administration is equally full of them. They seem not to give one iota of thought to the service people who will inevitably return (in body bags or alive). Their physical and psychological health does not even seem to enter their minds.
5
"...one has to wonder where team Trump gets its ideas."
Two problematic sources. First is Likud and Bibi, reinforced by AIPAC and the lobby. Israel has a legitimate concern about Iran's animus, but it seems greatly exaggerated and manipulated in furtherance of Israeli belligerence and hegemony, and by the momentum of constant warfooting and warmaking promoted by the MIC and its patrons in the administration and congress.
Second is the triumvirate of Marine generals in the administration. I have some respect for SecDef Mattis, who evinces a soldier-scholar's political balance and wisdom atypical among Marine brass, but he has a blind spot when it comes to Iran, as do many Marines. It stems from the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 Marines. Iran is widely thought to have been the actor behind it, but it's never been proven. There has been a deep and destabilizingly irrational Marine grudge against Iran ever since - enhanced by Marine wariness of Iranian influence in Iraq - and that has colored Mattis's approach to Iran policy ever since. It's his Achilles Heel.
As for CJCS Dunford, I haven't read any specifics. Kelly in the White House is a lost cause for wisdom and a balanced approach to policy - he exemplifies a jarhead's hardheadedness, perhaps aggravated by having lost a Marine son to conflict. In the final analysis, the concentration of military advice from one service, with Marines of particular concern in this instance of Iran, is troubling.
3
How hypocritical for Mr. Wilkerson to point an accusatory finger at Trump and Nikky Haley now over Iran- after15 years and with a devastated Iraq in his wake. Colin Powell, for whom he worked, is not an innocent puppet of the Bush administration. He is an accomplice of the war crimes waged on Iraq.”Weapons of Mass Destruction” was a war cry, a fabrication sold to the public in order to illegally invade Iraq. (Perhaps as promised retaliation for the Scud missile Iraq launched at Israel during the First Gulf War?) Iraq had nothing to do with September 11th, and yet, it was chosen as a soft target for USA’s wrath and vengeance with much geopolitical advantage. Iraq was, in 2003, a crippled country, ravaged by sanctions and decades of war with Iran and the First Gulf War. Righteousness would be more credible presently if the U.S. offered to pay Iraq war damage. Blair, Bush, Colin Powell, Cheney, Rumford-all lied about Weapons of Mass Destruction and should still be held accountable.
5
It would be helpful to explain why the Trump administration wants a war with Iran. Is it bowing to Israeli and Saudi Arabian interests who want American lives and treasure to solve what they consider to be their untenable regional problem? And if so, why is our government so willing to go along with it?
Personally, I felt that a war with Iran was highly likely when Trump made his first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia, of all places, and also by watching Jared Kushner's bumbling pro-Israeli Middle East "strategy". In my opinion, he is an amateur who is being played by the Israelis and the Saudis and Americans will pay the price of his ineptitude.
9
War may be politics by other means, but Congress is the entertainment division of the military-industrial complex.
2
I wish COL Wilkerson had included the role of Fox in Republican campaigns for war. While not many Trump supporters may watch coverage of UN speeches, they certainly are acutely tuned into Fox and its alignment with the administration. When White House messaging is wrapped in a neat package of T&A titillation, accuracy is of little import.
2
Iran poses no direct threat to the U.S. Trump wants a war to boost his approval ratings and those of his conversations allies.
Don't fall for it. Don't let American troops die for Trump's re-election campaign.
5
Wilkerson, what was wrong with your thinking and listening in the past? Why did you not listen to the technical advice from the scientific community which said that weapons of mass destruction were a fiction? An answer to this might help us in the present.
5
This is the speech Colin Powell gave that destroyed his credibility and revealed that he was not destined to be a great leader.
8
I only demonstrated once to protest the Vietnam War; not nearly enough. So I marched a lot more before the Iraq War; in fact, I lost count of how many times. I couldn’t stand the thought that I could have spoken out against something evil—maybe even helped to prevent it—and I hadn’t done so.
I’ll be protesting the upcoming Trump wars, too. Won’t you join me? Protesting is sometimes inconvenient and it takes time, but think of the bitter regret you will have if the war happens and YOU SAID AND DID NOTHING.
This goes double if you are in a position of authority or influence, or if you have a public voice. Protesting against a war may lose you a few brownie points with your friends, but it’s really in your own long-term best interests. Remember, “limited” wars have a way of spreading beyond their boundaries. So the life you save may be your own.
6
This is an astonishingly frank article about how the big
decisions of this country are made. But the author should not
have started with 2002-3. The same strategy of disinformation,
smartly fed to an ill informed but reflexively aggressive (in the name of
self defense of course) population, willing to pay any price to
protect what its leaders identify as critical national interests, began
in the sixties in Vietnam.
That model has evolved, greatly facilitated by the morphing of electronic journalism into an entertainment business to jack up ratings, i.e., advertising,
or a well oiled propaganda machine for one of the two political parties.
The current campaign re Iran is completely nuts since it has
no practical, doable, end game that is at all realistically obtainable. Perhaps
only in a fantasy world fueled by the incessantly played video games, played by the adolescent alpha male wannabees slithering around
the corridors of Foundation for Defense of Democracy, would the Iranians
faced with a trifecta of military power from their mortal enemies Saudi Arabia, Israeli, and America just give up with white flags fluttering from all
balconies.
The same fools had comparable delusions re Iraq. Why should catastrophic disaster ever lead someone in this Foundation to learn from experience?
The problem is that cooler heads must prevail, but they're
far from power in WH and congress. So we are left dangling, waiting
for the next disaster to begin.
4
How many mea culpas have we been subjected to in recent years, long after the horrendous damage has been done: Colin Powel, Alan Greenspan, Jim Comey... I'd venture there are dozens from these powerful people whose bad decisions led to death and destruction in the name of the flag. I suppose they feel better after they write them, but they just make me angrier about the deceit, ignorance, personal gain, or even corruption that was behind their original sin. It's not enough. It's never enough.
6
We never go too long, without either starting a war, or sticking our nose where it doesn't belong. What is obvious however is we never win any wars post WW 2, where after the Russians wore down the Germans we used overwhelming force to destroy Germany, and dropped a nuclear bomb on Japan to get them to surrender. Now we go in tire of it all and leave. And as Cronkite used to say, " And That's the way it is." That party line," protecting our interest is worn out".
1
Hasn't every US President been a 'War President' fighting 'Evil Russia' by attacking it's allies/potential allies? Didn't Trump in his campaign speeches say we should make peace with Russia? Isn't he being attacked now for 'collusion with Russia'? How can those who are condemning President Bush for Iraq debacle overlook Syria/Libya debacle? Hypocrisy much? American Presidents are pushed into wars with Russia because they know war with Russia is popular with Americans. They, especially the coastal elites whose children don't serve in the army and who are inured from financial pains because of financial can kicking by both the Center and the States. That's why there has been no Vietnam era protests against war especially in the last 10 years. Please America. SAY NO TO WARS!!! Say no to all wars whether it's promoted by Republicans or Democrats. All wars kill people, devastate the environment and destroys economies including American economy.
While I think our intervention in Korea was justified and in the national interest--and I know that is arguable--I do not think any use of American military power since has been. Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan were and still are total wastes of American lives and dollars. I mean no disrespect to the men and women who served honorable and at great cost in those misguided endeavors. I can see how the people who got us into Vietnam could have made their mistake, though they lacked the courage to admit it. Iraq and Afghanistan were and are total idiocy. We need to cut the size of our military at least in half so presidents will not have the ability to get us into more unnecessary conflicts.
5
Wars are the best fires at the edge of town and push the Dow upwards the fastest. Cui bono?
enough said.
1
Trump administration is owned by the money men.
Media is also an accomplice. All the leading newspapers
supported invasion of Iraq. They are as gullible as the
average Joe and Jane. The more jingoistic Nikki Haley
sounds at UN, the more she is considered a presidential
candidate. Trump will oblige Sheldon Adelson
and Paul Singer.
5
Tar Pit might turn out to be a more accurate image of US leadership than quagmire or swamp.
2
There was nothing more frustrating than to present hard-headed, rational, fact-based arguments against the invasion of Iraq, only to be dismissed by the warmongering Republicans (most of whom had evaded service in Vietnam) as unpatriotic "pacifists." At least Wilkerson has the integrity to admit he was wrong. The Iraq War was the strategic disaster that keeps on giving. It led to one of the bloodiest episodes in religious and ethnic cleansing since WW II. It led to the death and wounding of hundreds of thousands. It created chaos in the Middle East. It sowed the seeds of the Islamic State. It advanced the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It came close to "breaking" the American military. It transformed balanced budgets into the $1.4 trillion deficit George Bush handed Barack Obama (aided by the country-clubber tax-cuts-in-a-time-of-war).
5
For myself I just don't remember Tenet assuring Dick Cheney of connections between bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. And I notice the author doesn't provide a link, does anyone have one?
For my part I DO remember the connection being made, by Cheney.
Propaganda for Dummies : make 2 statements one immediately after the other, in same comment. Let the rubes makes the connection, without getting caught out in the transcript by saying it verbatim. Go to war anyway. Only cynical Americans can claim it isn't a lie (look in the mirror, David )
That's how it was done.
1
I was expressing doubt about the accuracy of the statement. It is my recollecton also that only Cheney was making the connrection.
Colin Powell, the then Secretary of State will carry that regret to his grave for supporting the Iraq War, the wrong War. It left an entire part of the world in ruins along with lost and destroyed, displaced lives. He maybe a good man but he allowed himself to become a pawn - a pawn of vicious, warmongering men like Dick Cheney. And so was Condaleeza Rice. Two intelligent people who ended up serving as mouth-pieces for Darth Vader. And now there is the drumbeat for another war - the Iran War which happens to be a real Democracy, the only stable country in the region. Yes, the players are different. Yet an intelligent American-Indian, Nikki Haley is put on the hot seat trying to defend a War that is indefensible. How many cherries can you pick? Hope she has the audacity and nerve to quit. Otherwise she will join the ranks of Colin Powell and Condaleeza Rice with a burdened conscience that just won't let up.
6
You willingly served an incompetent president and and evil vice president who have to this day not taken responsibility for their military actions to redirect the public discourse about 9-11 by starting two unnecessary wars.
The very least you can do today is to implore the former president to put down his paint brush and take to the airwaves to help avert the potential catastrophe you describe. Methinks he'll do nothing to damage his new 62% approval rating, but you might have a clearer conscience for having tried.
2
The American people thought Iraq War II would be the same cake walk Iraq War I was in 1991, which, as George HW Bush said then, "we kicked the Vietnam syndrome!"
Then junior brought back the Vietnam syndrome times two.
2
This is so correct, Mr. Wilkerson, and yet you did what you did. You are a Republican. You voted for Bush (clearly lacking even the qualifications to run a kindergarten), pushed for this war under it's incompetent managers, and have still maintained your party affiliation.
At what point will your convictions inspire you to live and vote the values you espouse? Because I have to tell you that it simply doesn't cut it anymore for Republican dissenters to voice their displeasure at what's actually happening. The gap is too great.
4
Historically the surviving beauty of America the Beautiful has been to make consensus opinions against forwarding the one out of the differing opinions. We have seen this eroded time and time again, especially in Foreign Policy and war-making abilities! At least we had hoped that as “thinking individuals” and true patriots, our leaders would study history and not repeat it by doggedly
persevering their stated catastrophic agendas! I have to blame the decidedly Alt-Rightp media, with a President who gets his news from such media and a selfishly sycophantic Congressional leadership!
I am no one and I am nothing. Glad I don’t have regrets and have not played a role in creating destruction and death.
1
Where has integrity in service to one's Country gone? Our leaders must stand for the truth while in government, not just in their memoirs. This administration and it's enablers are more interested in their own agendas, not the good of the Country.
Trump wants loyalty to himself, personally, not loyalty to the United States of America. Those that will stand by Trump at the expense of our Country, are traitors to the ideals we were founded under and millions have died for over the centuries.
Come on Congress! Live up to the ideals you were elected to uphold! Protect the Constitution! Protect our Nation, not just your job & pocketbook...show some real courage! Do what is right, don't just look to your future job as a lobbyist where you'll make millions schmoozing your former colleagues.
2
We knew the claims leading up to the Iraq war were baseless and full of lies. We protested. We called our congressmen and women. We did everything we were supposed to do to voice our opposition. We went to war anyway. The people in charge will go to war whether the people want it or not. Dying is for the little people. The big people get rich.
3
If Mr Wilkerson suffers from the delusion that there "is more joy in heaven over one saved sinner," he is indeed deluded. The rest of us knew that Colin Powell was reading a meretricious statement drafted by others, that he knew he was lying through his teeth, and that nothing he ever said after that speech to the UN could ever be believed.
My question is what William and Mary has hired Mr Wilkerson to teach...is there a course in blind obedience and military maniupulation of civilian government? Gen Wilkerson may have been too stupid and too dishonorable to say no, I will not join in this effort, but he did not.
He could probably get a good job at the respective universities in Argentina, Chile and Romania.
2
Lesson learned. Never believe or support things having to do with war. The govt. will get our kids killed at the drop of a hat to increase the profits of big business.
1
For selling false choice, almost half a million innocent Iraqi people were killed, about 7000 American young soldiers had to give their lives, a beautiful country is destroyed, trillions of dollars wasted , ISIS was created, Iraq became pro-Iran islamist country and China having their construction business. What we got?
2
I wish I could say, "Thank you for your honesty and for 'fessing up about the phony lead-in to a devastating war." I wish I could, but I can't. I learned at that time how helpless I am as an individual American who saw the truth but couldn't slow the stampede of public opinion to invade a foreign country that did nothing to jeopardize our safety or sovereignty. People who were elected as our leaders have an overwhelming amount of power in that arena. You and Colin Powell abused that power. Fortunately, I did not suffer any personal loss, but the GWBush administration owes the families of fallen American soldiers and all those who lost people in that abysmal war, including Iraqis, profound contrition. The sad truth is that as much as I can call, write, or talk to my representatives about the folly of going to war with either Iran or NKorea, it won't matter in the end. Leaders of "democratic" nations have been manufacturing reasons to start wars for hundreds of years. "We the people" won't matter until "we the people" refuse to take up arms. That's what will make the difference.
417
You are so right and all the latest accolades for Bush as he paints pictures of veterans he sent to slaughter make me ill. I have 2 children in the military and I've said if they come home in a box I do not want the President with me on the tarmac, ever.
7
I remember thinking it was easy to see that all of it was a lie at the time. I remember people attending a "die-in" in Times Square. And the riot police being bussed in to arrest them. Our country was taken from us after 9/11. And we never got it back.
7
You lost the value of thousand$ of dollars of your taxes that could have been spent to educate students or research cures for disease or rebuild aging roadway and dams.
3
Colin Powell was used, and used badly, by the Cheney-Bush administration. Its likely that Cheney had more to do with it than Bush, although the entire administration was eager to go to war. Peace is less profitable, and keeping Americans scared, and angry, is a good way to distract them from how they systematic redistribution of wealth to the very very top has been the fundamental foundation of the Republican party's actions for 40 years... and was in full force with Cheney-Bush's administration. Trump's election has only removed some of the illusion, and made the graft and economic inequality more transparent. Trump's "tax reform" giveaway builds on Bush's tax cuts, guaranteeing that the bankruptcy of America's finances will be due to the transfer of American wealth to a very very few at the very very top.
13
What is it in the DNA of so many Republicans, from Think Tanks to Congress, that produces this warmongering gene? Why is it more important to them to fund war-making than to fund education, science, research, and infrastructure in our own country? Why the emphasis on aggression instead of diplomacy? It is especially egregious to know that the current "Commander in Chief" is a draft dodger. The Republican Party is not fit to lead this country.
678
Follow the money, and it will become clear that genetics has nothing to do with it.
6
There is psychology that bolsters the fact that Conservative mindsets are controlled by fear and dread of the unknown (note Rumsfeld and his classifications of 'unknowns'). It's Fight or Flight response toward things that aren't always there.
5
Plenty of Democrats, and plenty of leftists, enthusiastically supported this war. Even Sanders voted twice in favor of resolutions which supported the overthrow of Saddam Hussain.
2
Well, for all practical purposes, we are now a Russian puppet state. We shamelessly suck up to China, and we pathetically bully and insult another madman with a smaller nuclear button than ours while provoking Iran into establishing a second anti-western nuclear front.
This isn't bad foreign policy; it is utterly insane.
7
Is there any reasonable person that does NOT think HE will start a war, any war, to save his posterior??? What better distraction, what better faux patriotic " leadership "??? My money is on IRAN. Donald handlers will not allow HIM to engage the OTHER crazy guy, in NK. I hope.
1
Thank you Col. Wilkerson for your fine work in helping create the smoking ruin that is the new Middle East. Millions of dead, tens of millions of refugees, and who knows how many hell-bent on revenge are the legacy of your "service." Aren't you just proud?
5
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone. Col. Wilkerson has the brains and courage and moral fiber to warn us not to repeat his error.
2
Bush was in reelection trouble. Nothing much for show and tell and Osama nowhere in sight. Wartime presidents always win reelection. Osama? "I don't about him all that much". Saddam is a loudmouth, he tried to kill my daddy and he's in the phone book. But, he had nothing to do with 9/11. Dick, leave the shotgun and go on over to the CIA and connect Iraq to 9/11. Four more years! But what about Iraq, billions of dollars, a destabilized Middle east and thousands of American lives? Four more years, that's what.
2
Mr. Wilkerson should be in jail.....way to whitewash your culpability.
5
It seems hilarious to me that Trump and his war-mongers would seriously consider attacking Iran when they can't even prevail in Afghanistan, a country a fraction of the size. Trump seems hell-bent on having his own little war, if only to show just how much 'tougher' he is than Barack Obama. You would think he's going to suit up and fight it all by himself... but of course that won't happen. He'll be sending tens of thousands of young men to die while choking on the acrid dust of those distant countries while he swings his golf club on a lush green lawn down home at his resort in Florida.
6
If this article was to apologize for killing innocent people Mr. Wilkerson flunked big time.
6
This idiot in the White House is much worse than the 2003 idiot. I can't even take this clown seriously, and yet, he has the power. OMG, how did we get here?
Slogan for 2018 & 2020 Democrats; Return to Normal, or how about "We're not Republicans!"?
6
Wow man, you got a lot of people killed for no reason.
14
Governments have used wars with other countries 2 unify their own people. This is not new. Garibaldi did it 2 unite the Italian states into 1 Italy & Bismark did it 2 unify German states. Governments stage/or select events 2 bring their countries into war 4 "national interests".We did it 4 the Spanish American war (the sinking of the Maine), WW1 ( sinking of the Lusitania), Viet Nam ( the Gulf "incident").Iraq ( weapons of mass destruction).ENOUGH! The only reason we should have a war, ever,is 2 protect USA. Let Israel do "preemptive strikes"; USA should not. The problem is politicians are so dishonest. Read " Advise & dissent" by former Senator John Abouresk(sp?) of S D, & " throw them all out" an investigation of thievery by politicians based on SEC documents. We need to STOP all wars in the Middle East. Should 1 American die so that Mrs Mohammad can get out to vote or drive a car?.NO.Where does it say in the Constitution that America should bring Democracy 2 the world? It dose not..Follow advice of Teddy Roosevelt;" walk softly & carry a big stick".We do not need to have Americans in the gulf for " American interests". Ther real reason we were there was for oil. We don;t need Saudi oil any more we are going solar in case you have not noticed. Bring American troops & their families back home saving BILLIONS of dollars. Say NO to the Military industrial complex companies who want the Pentagon 2 spend billions 4 war equipment ..WE DON"T NEED !!!
4
It's about time you admitted your pack of lies Mr Powell.
10
Not good enough by a long shot, Mr. Wilkerson. An article in the NYT is a pathetic and weak attempt to cleanse your soul. If you spend every day of the rest of your life, and every dollar of your ill gotten gains trying to right the wrong you perpetrated, then, perhaps, you can die in peace.
8
Americans just have to have a war every 25 or so years or they get antcy. If they don't have external motivation they get lazy and complacent. Inner motivation for life is a French ideal of liberty, not an American one. It takes Creative Greed, pure selfishness and warmongering to make that type of American excited enough to work. Selfishness for Americans is the root of all progress. Value is only monetary. And if they don't pay a lot for what they get, it's not worth much so they miss out on the meaning of gifts. That's the 48% or so of Americans. The rest are too busy to listen or care. That's why we can pay more for our military than all of the rest of the civilized world combined and still consider that it's crumbling. American Ideals and Identity has gone to hell. It's culture is trash and it only depends upon money as motivation and misses much of the meaning of life and the value of what is wonderful and natural about the country. If they don't have something to blow up or shoot, they just aren't fulfilled.
7
Well, Mr. Wilkerson will not be getting much absolution from many readers (not that he deserves any), including from myself.
Having said that, the real confession should come from Mr. "PowerPoint" Powell himself, since he was the ultimate responsible actor in this lie to the American people and to the world at large.
Unfortunately, I don't hold too much hope on that happening though, any more than I hold no hope in the NYT apologizing for enabling its very own Judith Miller to conduct the Bush-Cheney et al dirty work in the very pages of this newspaper.
8
How to add this to the list of truly terrible outcomes occurring during this present administration, how? The rumors of Trump's false narratives toward undermining the Iranian deal are akin to hearing the noise of a jet approach, seeing a fire in the distance, smelling smoke in a crowded theater. What do we do? Yes, we went to Iraq for false reasons and now as Wilkerson states, admitting his own culpability in the Powell/Bush/Cheney imbroglio, we are the same road again. Stupidity or insanity, inanity or immorality? What the hell are we doing?How can this runaway train be stopped? Elections and Congress and the people must wake up and be prepared.
5
"As his chief of staff, I helped Secretary Powell paint a clear picture that war was the only choice,..."
Is it off topic to suggest that Mr. Wllkerson, at some point in his presentation, might have found space to say " Man, did I screw up. Sorry about that." ?
10
The Iranian regime is awful to its people and is an entity we don't want to see empowered with nuclear weapons. However, only the Iranian people can cause regime change. Their elections really are fake, with cherry-picked candidates and massaged results. It took them a revolution to get this crappy government, and it will take another to get the next one.
That the Iranians are our enemy but the Saudis are our friends (or at least frenemies) is a mystery to me. We probably have more natural allies among the Iranian people (not the regime, the populace) than among the Saudis, who have less of a diaspora around the world. And as bad as the Iranian regime is, the Saudi royal family and its policy of spreading Wahabism around the world to justify its existence is the root of far more problems. Especially extremist Islam.
8
In May 1954 Dwight D Eisenhower’s National Security Council advised against a defensive military posture in Southeast Asia recommending instead a preemptive nuclear strike against ‘the source of the peril’, China. To his everlasting credit Eisenhower pushed back on his generals by pointing out that a declaration of war against China was tantamount to a declaration of war on her ally, Russia.
But that isn’t even the scary part. Four years later these same advisors were insisting on the nuclear option again, this time in support of Chiang Kai-shek even tho Taiwan was under no real threat from the mainland at the time.
What the hell is it with these guys? Do they feel that in order to validate their time on earth they have to lay as much of it as they can to waste? A landscape to match in fact the desolation in their imaginations. That is, in fact, just how Eisenhower put it: ‘ I repeat, there is no victory in this except through our imaginations’
10
Donald Trump should keep his two yapping chihuahuas, Nunes and Ryan, in the back yard.
1
Careful, Americans! The last thing in the world you would ever want to do is hold those responsible for the Iraq war accountable. To offend a Neocon is far worse than to commit a warcrime in the good ole U S of A. Oh, they want another war? With Iran this time? C'mon, Americans, just do what you're told and get to it. Trying to think for yourselves at this stage is a big ask!!!!
8
You think this confession absolves you? Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi dead and thousands of dead US troops say otherwise. Their blood is on your hands. Let me say that again.
Your words marked thousands for death. You killed. With your words.
We don't need any lessons or warnings from you. We have our own eyes, ears and brains, thank you.
If you want to absolve your own conscience, go apologize to the family of a dead US soldier. Or of an Iraqi we or the insurgency killed, or drove out of their homes. But this paper is not where you gain absolution. No way.
10
Bill, thank you for telling this guy exactly where it's at, without the profanity that I would have used in my post.
I’m not sure why this piece is in the Opinion section, as the admission of complicity sounds rather factual.
8
Thank you Col. Wilkerson. It takes honesty and courage to admit a mistake albeit a mistake with severe consequences. Thank you to the "New York Times" for publishing this "Opinion". Moreover, thank you "New York Times" for resisting president Trump, who views the free press as "enemy of the people" (same language used by nazi/communist leaders)
1
Congratulations, Lawrence. You just earned a spot in Guantanamo.
6
End the 1400 year old Sunni / Shi’a schism.
Yes, Told you so, and reconstitute Christianity into one church.
Col. Willerson, your duty should always have been to uphold the constitution, protect the people of the USA and always tell the TRUTH to power. You and your colleagues failed miserably at all these tasks, and the result was the death of thousands of young American men and women, thousands more allied soldiers from many countries, and HUNDREDS of thousands of Iraqis. The long term consequence of the disaster you unleashed led to ISIS and more chaos in the Middle East.
You people have been a disgrace for everything and everyone that you represented. Writing a fancy editorial on the NYT is not enough to make amends for your crimes. You, Powell and all the other top military brass responsible for the 2003 debacle should use your still considerable voices to publicly expose the incoming train wreck of the war-mongering Trump administration. And face the consequences for your failures, if it comes to that. The time for hiding is over.
10