“I tried to avoid this war,” Powell said at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado. “I took him through the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers.”
In that light, Powell should have resigned rather than continuing as Secretary of State. Powell doesn't say whether he spoke with Bush before or after his own dramatic UN presentation that turned the American public in favor of invasion. If he spoke with Bush before the UN presentation, Powell bears enormous responsibility for justifying an invasion he didn't believe in. In my opinion, that would make Powell just as culpable for the war as George Bush, Dick Cheney, or Paul Wolfowitz. In fact, one could argue that Powell would have had a greater culpability because lack of public support might have forced Bush and Cheney to call off their invasion.
Even if Powell talked with Bush after his UN presentation, he still should have resigned. A resignation would have stiffened the backs of the Democrats (who really needed it), given legitimacy to the anti-war movement, and perhaps pushed a couple per cent of the vote to John Kerry in 2004. That's all speculative, but Powell could have given alternative scenarios a much better chance is he had left the Bush administration in protest.
By the way, Powell isn't helping his reputation or legacy through these revelations. Just thinking about it makes me nauseous.
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How could I have ever respected Colin Powell? I did admire him somewhat but time after time he has sold out. Sold out the men and women who fight our wars. Sold out the African-American community. And ultimately sold his soul by going along with a war policy that he knew was wrong the entire time. Some have posited that he went along out of some sense of duty or patriotism. There is nothing patriotic about supporting an unnecessary, illegal war. The people of both the Iraq and the U.S. are paying the price for the unnecessary invasion and occupation of Iraq. Some 3500 (apx)U.S. soldiers and countless Iraqis have died so far. The war diverts funds from essential domestic projects like better schools, social programs and jobs. This will be the legacy of everyone who is/was part of the Administration of George W. Bush. Including Colin Powell. What a sad final chapter to one's career.
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