Hi I am Abdullah I am 12 years old PLEASE PLEASE dont do bomb in Pakistan and specially in Swat and Malakand PLEASE

ABDULLAH, SWAT, Pakistan

John McCain should select Colin Powell as his VP.

Blaine, Newport News, USA/VA

To Alan:

I agree that Powell argued for WMD at the time, but i have a strong feeling it was for another reason. Powell has been a loyal soldier for years, and he knows just how disrespectful it is to deny a direct order from the Commander in Chief. He did the best he could under the circumstances afterwards: When it would no longer influence elections, he resigned.

Vince Winkler, Omaha, NE

I think that Colon Powell is a PILLAR OF WISDOM. It's unfortunate that Bush could not see that. Listening to Powell's advice could have save. I'm not the most intelligent person in the world, but History 101, at an undergraduate university in upstate NY, taught me the ramifications of going to war. After each war that we've ever been in there are a list of consistent Post-War trends/ consequences. Among them are increased inflation, increase gas prices (which never go back down), loss of lives, and an overall decreased international morale. I think Bush should of picked up where President Clinton left off and continued to do his job of negotiating and establishing relationships with the heads of these countries. He sent our troops to do his dirty work. Its cowardice in nature, further evidence of the fact that he lacks the skill and diplomacy necessary to be the President of the United States. He should not be in the WH. He cheated his way in. We are all suffering . God bless USA.

Someone Special, Norfolk, , USA, VA

Why go-on bashing George Bush Jr.All the time, Colin Powel
ws an old General,the first Iraq war,it was Powel made the
mess of that war then,George Bush Jr.Had to clean-up mess
that was left by powel, i think Colin Powel should think before
he says anything more. It's sad the war in Iraq gone-on for so
long,so many fmily lost they're loved ones, but only if you could
read,How many million Japanise people were murdered 1945
(Harry Truman US-president Democrat 1945/53)after seventy
years people are suffering today,Colin Powel sound like doubl
standard,some of us know his real colour.
Cllr Ken Tiwari(Oxford UK)

Cllr Ken Tiwari, Oxford, United Kingdom

I respect Colin Powell and what he has done for this country. That being said, I am still concerned about his speech at the United Nations, where he outright supported the existence of WMD in Iraq which, in turn, greatly expedited the start of the war there. These are my main concerns:

1) Was Powell "forced" to endorse the "facts" regarding "WMD?"
2) Did Powell question the "facts" regarding "WMD" enough?
3) Where does the "line" exist in upper levels of government where political peers have the ability to question the "legitimacy" of the facts with one another BEFORE making decisions?

These questions are directly related to leadership, and the ability of individuals in this country to openly question our governments actions. What does it say if one of the great leaders of this country (Powell) was not able sway the President's position on the War in Iraq, and at the same time, be the one who helped start it with "furious speed?"

Alan Lupiani, Brooklyn, NY

It seems that Colin Powell; who served under Reagan and Bush I as well; seems to have been a semi-Colin.

mikethompson, saginaw, mi

The more significant question for America is when is Colin Powell going to run for President to this great nation.

Pat Allison, Arlington, TX

...and the General falls with his president who never went to war.

Patty, Seattle , WA

“If we pull out, if we stop this operation now, we will hand Al-Qaeda a terrific victory,” said Frederick Kagan, a military historian at the American Enterprise Institute and an early advocate of the policy.

“The Iraqi government, right now, is a terrific ally in the war on terror. There have been more Iraqis killed fighting Al-Qaeda than in any other nation of the world. The question is, are we going to stand by them?”

No, the real question is....How many Iraqis were killed by Al-Qaeda before the US invaded?

W. Scott, Mayfield Hts., OH

I've been waiting for Powell to start talking.

Nikki, PC, UT, USA

No one elected official should have the power to declare and maintain war, not even a President. Also, Bush should not be rewarded for his MAJOR miscalculation about the consequences of attacking and occupying Iraq. It is embarrassing for a country like our's to not have smart enough leaders to know about such consequences. Look at the tar baby they have handed to us by such a dumb decision. It was a dumb decision. I think I agree that it is a bodies for oil deal. What else could it be.

Fred May, Weaver, Alabama

There's a tremendous amount to do in sorting out the Iraq mess, but no matter how many troops (even Iraqi troops) are in place, we'll never make any progress until civilians are forbidden to carry or even to own weapons.

I find it unbelieveable that this isn't being addressed as the number one task.

The so-called super-powers (all of them) are responsible for the third world's current escalating violence, through their eagerness to sell arms and ammunition to governments and individuals who have no discipline; and who use them as a first-option solution to every problem.

Take away the guns and everything will fall into place.

Make it a capital offence to carry a gun or any firearm; and bring in severe corporal punishment as a first offence for weapons found on premises. Second offence - capital punishment.

Stop pussy-footing around while soldiers and civilians die... do the job!

Rob Manzoni, Cape Town, South Africa

The final troops have been in place less than a month, and there's all this talk that the surge is a failure. Give me a break. I have no problem with Powell speaking his mind, and he should. But lets not forget that it was Powell that made the case to the UN not Dick Cheney. Let's wait until September when Patreaus reports back and then evaulate wether the new strategy is working. It would be nice if so many people were'nt rooting for failure.

Chris, Pacific Grove, CA

Powell should have been talking to the real leader of the USA, Chaney, but then, the plan all along was to get the oil. We now have the oil, so, what now?

Damon Carr, Medford, MA

Listen - to everyone who said that Powell succumbed to political pressure forgets a few things about how powerful the administration was. They still had a strong approval rating, they were coming off what looked to be a successful war in Afghanistan, and the Republicans were quite unified.

For Powell to come out publicly against the war would not have been consistent with his job. His job was to advise the administration on defense matters, but largely is concerned with the EXECUTION of the president's orders.

There was no strong, organized anti-war movement with any legitimacy to support his claims, so leaving the administration would have been largely bewildering to most.

I think he was the smartest person in the entire Bush Administration and he still had enough gusto to speak up to the president to tell him what's up - something that has proven difficult to do for even people outside of his administrative team.

Lauren, Seattle, Washington

Surge or no surge,I'm sure that ,deep inside ,Bush and Cheney know that Iraq is lost,so the effort now should be to work for a post conflict Middle East.Few suggestions for Bush and Condy :
-Pressure Israel to return the Golans,and reach some sort of peace with Syria.
-Work with the new leadership in Europe to facilitate Turkey's accession to the EU.
-Assure Iran about its security concerns,and give it some leeway with its nuclear ambitions(it sounds naive,but a nuclear Iran is not the exaggerated, mega threat,that Israel and the Saudis are trying to convince the West,that it is!.)
-Lower the American forces to a minimum,and give the Iraqis the inevitable choice to settle their differences by themselves .
-Iraq will erupt for a while,but it will settle down on its own,like a volcano.The Iraqis will take care of Al-Qaeda,and the rest of the foreign-induced insurgency.
-The Saudis, should be allowed to play a bigger role in Iraq.
-Iraq 's mess will not be settled militarilly .

sam, Dallas, USA

I'm impressed by the comments on this story, with a couple exceptions: claiming racism is reponsible for keeping people from voting in Florida in 2000 is baseless and irrelevant to this matter.

Powell knw what was going on in 2002-03, and made his choice. To try to escape it now likely won't sell, as these post indicate.

I doubt Bush will change his aims in Iraq, which are for the U.S. to use Iraq as the staging area to control the Middle East for decades to come. He might change tactics, to relieve public pressure enough to continue to try to achieve that goal. If we are going to bring the troops home, we must first make it plain the U.S. will not stay in Iraq. We will leave, like we did in Vietnam, in the not distant future. Until we make that decision, we will be in open-ended combat.

Randolph Phillips, Shiloh, Georgia

I must say I am terribly disappointed in the tone of most comments. "Powell's a bad guy like the neocons and should be blamed." Not saying there is not truth to that BUT, I'm the new guy every politician wants, the guy in the middle of the spectrum. I have tended to vote Republican but won't be this time. But reading this is like listening to the "Alter Limbaugh". You're more interested in being "right". OK, your right. Now let's heal. Not with Bush/Cheney, but anyone else who represents the middle spectrum of the polics.

We are watching in my opinion a chance for the largest political shift since the Democrats lost the South due to civil rights legislation in the 60s. Let's not blow this opportunity. Let's heal and pull together. let's make this country great again instead of being a laughing stock.

ra spell, Memphis , TN

Sorry Ryan of ND, but Mike was right. Mr Powell who I also admired before sold us out at the UN with that sinister speech justifying going to war. If you could dig in your mind and recall that Hans Blix and the UN inspectors on the ground in Iraq looking for the non-existing WMDs were bring back the correct information, THEY ARE NOT THERE. Mr Powell ignored them and watched as the Bush administration led by Bush and Cheney and their friends embarked on a character assassination campaign against them and GW "The Decider" told them go get out before they too get bombed. To me Mr Powell as of now has no moral standing in this thing or anything else. He has forfeited it. He was complicit in this fiasco and he should have known better. He knew what WAR was like because he has seen it first hand.

Lou Truth, KC,

Craig - quit lying - you weren't with the US State Department and you didn't have information that there were no WMD's. If you did, then so did Congress, which on both sides of the political spectrum, voted for the war. Or, are they all going to pull a Hillary and say they didn't know they were voting for war?

If you think that Bush is the worst president ever, you should read into some of the CIA operations under the democratics like allowing a large number of ex. Nazi's into the CIA upon it's development [1945] to spy on Russia and forgivin their war crimes or using Laos during Vietnam and in return subsidizing their herion growth, which went right into Vietnam to our troops. Or, if you believe in conspiracy theories then did LBJ have JFK killed because he wanted to stay in Vietnam whereas JFK was ready to pull out?

The truth is, as somone else said, the Clinton administration said Sadaam was the largest threat to the US as well. Hindsight is a wonderful thing to have.

dan, London, UK

Mr. Bickley, you say he has failed us and should be embarrassed. I was in the Marine Corp in Viet Nam and served 3 tours in country. Colin Powell was in the101 during two of my tours, in the area we called ICORP. I came to respect the man then and still do. I believe that he began to see the futility of fighting in another country where we could not win or tell the good guys from the bad. The taxi driver you used today, was the same person using a RPG at your night defensive position that night. Moreover, as it became a "civil war" that we could not win, decisions had to be how to go about pulling out. He tried, but his opinion fell on deaf ears. In the beginning he may have been a puppet, but the man had the sense to recognize when it was time to say No, that will not work and get out. I have to agree with Nick from Sidney. The man held true to his C.I.C. even though he believed it was not in our best interest to do so and should have said so then even publicly.

JD, Houston, Tx USA

It's too bad that Frederick Kagan didn't try as hard as Colin Powell to influence Bush's decision-making missteps on Iraq war policy and strategy during the months prior to/years since the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Had he done so then Thomas Ricks wouldn't have been able to fill the 460 plus pages of his fabulous new book, "Fiasco", with documented fact after fact of how this American administration and our Army bungled their way into returning us to to a Vietnam-style quagmire where there are no real solutions other than getting the hell out now. However, Mr. Kagan resides in the camp of those who falsely believe that the "war on terrorism" runs through Iraq, so whatever advice he may have given to Bush re: Iraq would have led us to the same quagmire in which we now sit.

As for Colin Powell, it's a tragedy that his military ethos of loyalty to the "Commander-in-Chief" prevented him from summoning the backbone to resign rather than lend his support to Bush's plans for Iraq.

Hank, Pasadena, CA

Powell could have been a great leader in the U.S. though not a welcome visitor to the White House and the power elite in the Republican Party. Instead he chose to protect his image and his ego and not stand up for truth. Powell cares more for his ego than he does for his fellow man. He chose to look the other way on many issues in order to maintain or add to his personal power. What a shame! A man who could have been a bright shining hope for America instead cannot be trusted. Even today he supports Bush and Cheney. Abraham Lincoln in 1864 was losing his bid for re-election. Many told him to renounce his Emancipation Proclamation and allow the Southern States to keep slaves in order to end the war. He would not - he had made a promise and he was going to keep it. I had once thought that Powell would be a man of such character.

Stephen Borte, Atlanta, GA

Patrick Cummins: while your timeline is accurate, your reading skills could use some work. 2.5 HOURS. Read it again--the article says 2.5 hours.

Mark F., Minneapolis, US

joe, colorado springs

You seem to have taken this rather personally. We all know the difference between a lie, and a mistake. And the in the lead up to the Iraq war we were clearly served up some lies. Dont worry. You werent the only gullible fool. However Hans Blix must be laughing his head off. After all, turns out that he was telling the truth and Blair and Bush were "mistaken" ahem. Must be like all those other genuine mistakes like, the Levees, US attorney firings etc. Always amazes me the number of morons who think politics is a team sport, and supporting their "team" is more important than the appropriate policy. Go Republicans! Hey Joe, this "mistake" - should anyone be held accountable? How about blaming them Dems? Hahahahahaha

Harry, london, UK

No one wants to say it, it's politically incorrect. The idea that we could force democracy on a country dominated by the Muslim religion with all the different sects and their backward ways was foolish. The civil art of comprimise for the greater good simply does not exist and you cannot force it on them. Now there is no way out that doesn't leave us in a worse position than we were before we went in.

Mike, Gainesville,

Bring our men and women home now. The policy of post-invasion Iraq has been botched by Rumsfeld and Cheney.

The United States and its leaders did not successfully plan for the worst case scenario.

And unless our leaders and our people are prepared to fully mobilize to respond to the violence in Iraq, and to fully respond to all the regional players, we are killing and maiming our troops for an uncertain resolution to a stable Iraq.

I' ve read NR and Buckly. I get the Vietnam analogy. And the cost is unbearable. I'm tired of treacherous and foolish bloggers like Jim Garaghty stifling the conversation, misrepresenting the conversation. It is time to bring our men and women home.

And people need to realize that Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld and the cronies that adore them should never, ever touch a postion of leadership in our government and military ever again.

mikeVA, Charlottesville, VA,

It sounds like Mr. Powell attempted to talk to the President about what political vacuum there would be and that a infighting between the regional factions would occur. And that is exactly what has happened. Yes, there may be a genocide if the US forces leave - just as Hussein inflicted genocide on the Kurds.

It further sounds like Mr. Powell tried to discuss an exit strategy if we went in. IF you are going to start a war, its would be a good idea to have Plans A, B, and C for gettting out. We still don't have plan A. This was a large part of our problem in Vietnam - for nine long years. We are more than halfway there with this debacle.

And even if we remove "military" forces, we will keep "security" forces or "peace keeping" forces at the eight or so military bases we have constructed to use long term in Iraq to protect our oil interest there. It was always about the oil - it still is.

Too bad George didn't listen to Mr. Powell, but then there were the oil people!

Kathleen, Houston, TX

Evidently, Mr. Powell could not muster an effective argument in two and one half hours.

john, san juan, ca usa

You folks are too hard on Colin Powell. He expressed his opinion against the war early on while the decision was being contemplated by Bush. Don't you remember? I do.

Robert Raynor, New Bern, USA/North Carolina

Mr. Cummins needs to re-read the story. I would have been very impressed with Colin Powell if he had spent 2.5 years working over GWB. He said he spent a grand total of 2.5 hours. That's it? Go to war for 5 years and counting, kill tens of thousands of Iraqis, lose thousands of Americans and the only anti-war guy in the Cabinet gave it his all for just 2.5 hours? He should have done the honorable thing and resigned in protest, if he really felt that strongly about the wrong-headness of the invasion. I watched his U.N. presentation of the "evidence" and was not impressed with it. Up to that point, I had had a good impression of the man. After that, he was a waste of time in Washington.

Gary Reid, Brampton, Canada

Silly me. I would have voted for Colin had he run for President. Thank God he didn't. Way to go Colin - our troops must feel just GREAT hearing your words - you and Jane Fonda - what a team.

Magdalen, Houston, TX

john in charlottesville said, ." It's convenient for some who I dare say have never left their couch to serve in uniform to call a man of Powell's stature and experience a coward. He's a hero, you sir are the coward. Put down the bag of doritos and enlist for a tour of duty fat boy."

That is a pretty big couch in this administration: Cheney (FIVE deferrments) Bush (Keeping Texas safe watching the bars), and the rest. I have people in my family serving in this war even though i believe it is illegal, where are all the repubs kids serving? THey believe it in it SOOO much, let's see how they vote if there sons and daughters were being sent off. It is alot easier to send someone's elses poor children off to war then to your own. I'm sorry, they are being employed by all the war profiteers as "advisors" I would love to see a story about that!!!!

nora jays, Pittsburgh, PA

And why did Powell go in front of the United Nations with completely fabriacated evidence of WMD's?

Kevin, Albuquerque, NM

The struggle between Islam and
the West is nearly two centuries
old.
America and Europe must decide
whether to stand up to this
threat from the East or be prepared to accept Sharia Law
and Allah as god.

Jerry, Plano, USA/TX

Colin Powell was a credible, respected man prior to the Iraq war. He projected an image of intelligence, wisdom and sane thinking. His loyalty to the duplicitous and reckless administration he chose to serve required he sell his soul. If he had resigned and had the courage to bring attention to himself in that way, at the very least it may have nudged to American public to question the authority that was selling them a bill of goods (understatement). At best, if he wishes to seek absolution for his definitive role in this mess, he should model for our "fearless leader" the dignity in apologizing, taking responsiblity and straightout say..."I screwed up." For some reason the trend in our society is to avoid that at all costs as it's a sign of weakness. It's so much more hip and chic to create new lies, fall guys and pass the proverbial buck...the word despicable comes to mind. What amazing role modeling for our youth.

Mary, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA

To George in NY, SongHammer in AZ and Jim in MI:
To whom should loyalty lie - to the country or to a person? What are the lies - that there is a civil war on going in Iraq; that it will only be resolved by a test of arms or that he tried to stop Bush from going to war? Come on guys, it's American lives being lost needlessly in Iraq not members of Colin Powell's family.
Whatever your biased opinion of Powell, lets all agree that in this article there has been no lies and his loyalty is rightly with the country and not a person

Femi, Emure, Nigeria

Join Military Families Speak Out and help us IMPEACH Bush and Cheney for the lies they told that have led to the unnecessary deaths and maiming of our troops. Those who have supported this war are as guilty as Bush and Cheney. Unfortunately for you, the blood will never wash off your hands. Your support, your vote, your love of Bush, have all left a trail of dead soldiers in its wake and thousands of invalid troops. What can you do now? Impeach!!

K. Roberts, Fort Benning, Georgia

My boss, (a dual Canadian/U.S. citizen), and I argue all the time about General Powell. He was the only one I trusted in the Bush administration until his U.N. performance. After the U.N. speach, I forgave him saying I admired his "good soldier" mode, do what your commander asks of you. My boss said he should have resigned. The public was lied to and hood-winked into a war that never should have been started. I now must agree with my boss, General Powell's resignation would have promoted more discussion and his dissent was the only chance we, (the country) had to avoid this Cheney/Haliburton/bush fiasco.

Phil Bakshy, Austin , TX.

Powell has been used by Cheney,Rumsfeld and Bush, he just like Condi are powerless comparing to Rumsfeld and Cheny. If Bush, had listened more to Powell, may be Iraq would not be in a mess that it is today. Rumsfeld is gone, Bush got to stop listening to his Vice President and give more credit to Condi and Robert Gates.

V. Siona, London, UK

Second Vietnam. They have not learn their lesson from the past. Again.

Carrot, London,

Why did'nt you listen to Chirac, Shroeder and all those who prevented this desaster? You need humility which I don't think it's an American value

amandine, NY,

To Earl, I thought Americans still possessed the right of free expression even if it means disagreement with the status quo. Oh, I'm sorry. Excuse me, I forgot you're from Texas.

Want My Country Back, New York,

When you speak about "Al Qaeda" in Iraq, perhaps it would be more honest and factual to point out that you're speaking about a group that was formed IN Iraq--a group that didn't exist before the U.S. invaded. Their full name is Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, and their connection to the other Al Qaeda has not been established.

Mark F., Minneapolis, US

So is Powell now saying he (alone in the US, German, British and French Govts.), did not believe the intel. on Iraq, or is he saying he believed it but post 9/11 he was still OK with Sadam, a major terrorist supporter, who hated us, having WMDs?

We will win in Iraq if we stick it out. It takes years and years to defeat an insurgency. Bush has to hold off the weak kneed RINOS and the Anti-American Dems. Iraq is the central battle front in the War on Terror. If we surrender there ( the lefty plan), just where will be fight them. They’ll be after us like rabid dogs. AQ views Iraq like Afghanistan. They beat the Soviets there and the Empire collapsed. If they beat the US in Iraq they think our “empire” will collapse.

Kevin D. , Boston, USA

Interestingly enough, no one ever mentions the fact that it was our own USA that put that wonderful Saddam into power in the first place! Enough said?

NB, Glens Falls, USA NY

Well it's sort of like how Hillary Clinton was sayed to be silenced in the docu-movie "Sicko". She was promoting this idea of universal health care and because Mr. Clinton was president, she was well respected and widely received which ultimately made her movement rise far above and beyond the true scope of any other political faux-attempt and the medi-political industry shut her down. I don't know what type of threat could be used to thwart or shutdown someone's humanitary drive and mechanism. I suppose it would have to be quite threatening indeed

greg, los angeles, california

Good Job Powell, now lets make it count, get on that Obama team and try to "inform" your average citizen of the importance of reading and informing one self prior to going to the polls, after all we all voted this president into office. It's very easy for our general public to now point the finger, but we do have the power to impeach him immediately instead of waiting to see who speaks in two years or so and "not" doing anything now.. If we trust our own instincts, which voters didn't, this man would have never been elected..... Tony/Arizona

Tony , tucson/arizona, US

Well put Larry! I too am a conservative who thinks enough is enough...they have to write their own future.

Matt, Vancouver, WA

The terriorist have won, just by bombing innocent civilians, which works to change the opinions of those in the country's that fighting in Iraq. If it bleeds it leads the headlines of our News. We lose on the average 40,000 folks on our highways each year, dont see those reported everyday, by name, rank an serial number. I get disgusted with all of these retired Military folks who seem to have all the answers AFTER, why did they not speak up an resign in protest. Where were their prioritys. Its easy to critize after the fact. He was in a postion to have really be able to make a difference. He was not a good Secretary of State either. I just hope we do not abandon these folks that took a stand in the beginning.

ed, Enid, USA

In 20 years time oil will be a scarce resource; and in 50 years time, whoever controls the remaining oil will control the world. That is why Bush (or his neocon friends) will remain in power and in Iraq, regardless of morality, Powell, or any other inconvenient truths. What is that phrase from the movie "Alien"? Oh, yes: "all other priorities rescinded".

Howard, Johannesburg, South Africa

George Bush had such a narrow world view that he couldn't see beyond his "blue" nose and know that military power would not and could not resolve the problems in Iraq.....and I'm not even certain what the problems were. No weapons of mass destruction, and no apparent connection to 9/11. Many Americans shake their heads in disbelief that we have such an incompetent boob as President, but many others voted for this Texan cowboy fool. Lord, save us, before he destroys us.

Dr. Jean Oertel, Cape Cod, USA

Colin Powell is stating what he really believes and he is no longer being co-erced by the expediency of war by White House policy. Poor Mr Powell must deeply regret the UN speech he gave in support of the Iraq invasion and the lies he told to the General Assembly. The Iraqi people continue to pay an unjust price for an unjust war. Why is America taking so long to impeach its leaders? Why is the American media so compliant in supporting such corrupt policies now applied by America in the Middle East? How can America lay to rest this dreadful scourge it has brought down upon itself and those involved in the coalition of the drilling?

Peter Posetti, Brisbane, Australia

I am delighted at how many Americans read the Times.

Albert, Huntington Beach, California

Re. Colin Powell's pre-war UN presentation. I could never understand, given the incredible financial and brainpower resources available to the American Government, why the presentation was so, "here are some fuzzy pictures", amateurish. It never fooled anyone at the time or since.

Christopher Dodwell, St.Leonards-on-Sea, UK

Give al-qaeda a terrific victor? Buddy, they've already won...You can't deal with zealots in a conventional way (our way), case in point: Vietnam. The point is, democracy cannot be forced on any, as Mr. Bode points out by example.

Chris, Norfolk, VA

It's funny how GW B ignored the advice of a 4 star general with the most combat experience of any person in the last 50 years..............you think Colin Powell might be someone that you should listen to before deciding to start a war over nothing?

Will Ferrell, New York, NY

Joseph
Bush won the election. He won every recount including the ones by major newspapers. Jeb Bush had nothing to do with it. The only people I know who were convicted for vote fraud in 2000 were Democrats in St Louis. Stop whining. You lost in 2000.

Dennis D, NJ USA,

People have no clue anymore,i did my own surveys on the 4th.1st i asked who has been polled for these political polls you hear so much about.1 out 30 was polled(she is a stay home mom).My ? is who are they polling?not the working class,could it be the non working class?Any way the next ?`s where who did we get are independance from?what war did we fight to get it?and name 5 out of the 13 colonies?Try and answer these ?`s,see how much of a american you are!!!

jason, atlanta, ga

Have we forgotten it was Mr. Powell who advised the President previous to the invasion, " if you break it, you own it". Ultimately, it was the President's decision, and history will judge him on that. The greater danger, now is a wider conflict with neighboring Sunni nations supporting with arms, as the Iranians are with the Shiites.

Richard Franklin, Atlanta,

Dear Colin,

I hope you rot in hell.

Sincerely,

Nearly 3,200 dead American soldiers and nearly 100,000 dead Iraqi civilians.

Mike, Takoma Park,

Reading the comments are very amusing and people sound as stupid as the President at times, LOL, I guess that's why they voted him in for another 4 yrs. Yeah, the same idiots that are now blaming Powell are the SAME idiots that voted for George Bush. Look, everyone knew from the very beginning that General Powell NEVER wanted to endorse this war. Do any of you idiots know that this General was part of the leadership for the Gulf War? And, if I'm not mistaken we were SUCCESSFUL; correct? The problem here is a failure to COMMUNICATE, his own father (George Bush Sr.) advised his son against this war and he didn't listen. So, what makes you think that General Powell is responsible for not being able to change President Bush's mind? Hell, everyone knew it was a bad idea! IDIOTS, yeah the same IDIOTS that voted him in for another 4 YEARS! One more thing, What do ya think about (them cowboys) George W. Bush?!

Tiger, Reston, Virginia

As for serving in the military to know what is going on; they are some the most misinformed. You don't need to be a fireman to tell a house is burning down.


"Kagan is no expert on military matters - he has never served in the military and one look at this corpulent bag of jello makes clear that he is unfit for service

friedtoad, boulder city, "

Scaramousche, Knox, Tennessee

Is he kidding? He had the credibility and always put himself out as an independent thinker, so when he told those lies at the UN (with visual aids no less), he stopped any further discussion on the merits of the invasion. If he said there was danger, it must have been true. From that point on I was no longer able to argue with right-wingers about the war. They all pointed to Powell's testimony. For him to try to make things right now is too late and beyond hypocritical. His attempts to cleanse his record would be almost comical if the consequences had not been so tragic.

Peggy, Deerfield,

So Did I but I hadthe BBC report sexed up and Mr. Tony Balire lying to me andthe WMD was false but the Oil oil oil sir? Who does not want oil?

Firozali A.Mulla MBA PhD, DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania

It's too bad that the president didn't abide by Mr. Powell's words of wisdom thus avioding the sensless war that Iraq is and was. Oh wait a minute, he did abide by Mr. Powell's words, the words he declared in front of the U.N. declaring knowledge of a nuclear arsenal in Iraq.

Paul Battis, Brooklyn, NY

The purpose of the Iraq War was to depose Saadam and put in his place some sort of rational government. The war has accomplished these goals. The people of Iraq do not understand what they should do next, and we cannot reason with them or explain democracy to them; they have no conception of self rule because they have been ruled by fear for at least two generations. They must be given time and our resolve without all this nonsence about losing. And cutting and running, projected by the Dems. Quit the politics. You are just giving the terriorists hope, and there is none.

charles t. sherwin, pittsboro, nc usa

He tried for 2 and 1/2 HOURS not YEARS , Patrick Cummins, to convince that little ape not to start a war in the Middle East. Powell and Bush senior tried to invade Iraq after Saddam had invaded Kuwait and he had a very bad reputation in the Arab world. At that time was easy. In 2003 the same invasion would get this area off the political balance. Powell is a rather conservative fellow, but he really did prevent Bush to invade Iraq four years ago thinking about the devastating consequences of this offensive, Bush didn't want to hear his advices and Powell resigned for he didn't want to be blamed for that after many years. He probably smelt the vietnam-like civil war that could break out if the thing went wrong and hence that's what's happening right now.
The extreme right wing of the republicans wanted this war and now even the Pentagon claims that Rumsfeld was the wrong guy to manage the troups abroad. Powell has less to do with it.

Sam, Vigo, ES

An illegal war? There are so many cries in this blog about an illegal war. Who says it was illegal? Our own Congress? Because that is the body we should be concerned with. It is Congress that gave the go ahead based on evidence provided by the administration but supported by several US allies. Fine, they did not find the so called weapons of mass destruction. Personally, I think all the hoopla allowed them to move any incriminating evidence into Syria or some other nation before the hammer fell.

Now in the political backlash we have several people stepping up to cry I told you so but they did not cry very loud when the decision was made. I feel that going into Iraq was a fair thing to do based off of several reasons. The object I feel the administration failed in and what Congress failed to demand before the invasion was the post invasion plan. I say we should have crushed them and left. Then if the next guy wanted to cause problems, do the same to him. But that's me.

William, Jacksonville, US/ NC

Hey Jake - Is hastings on planet Earth? Do you even know what a Sunni is, or a Shi'ite? Do you think the Saudi's are actually our friends?

Jeff, Baltimore, MD

The reasons why Mr Bush would be reluctant to pull out of Iraq are: (imo)

1) Victory for al-qaeda
2) USA losing their 3rd war - Korea, Veitnam, Iraq
3) Worldwide humiliation
4) Flushing down of $570 billion
5) Worst president in history (credibility)
6) Loss of oil contracts

Additionally, Bush's nightmares will become a reality, mark my words.

Stanzler, New York, USA

That focus bears upon Powell's Truthfulness.

Bill Gordon L Stafford, Amarillo, USA?Texas

There are two points I wish to make. One, you're wrong when you say that al-Maliki does not have the political "will". It should read, al-Maliki does not have the political clout. He has been and always will be beholden to the powers that put him there. That power is not the U.S. but Sadr and other power brokers. Those are opportunistic men. They will work with al-Qaeda if that will get them into power. Forge the fact that, once in power, al-Qaeda will kill men like Sadr. That is the nature of third world politics. Notice what happened in Vietnam and Cambodia (Norodam Sihanouk).

The second point is that Powell has been a wimp and always will be. He did not have the gumtion to stand up for what he believed during Bush 1 and now Bush 2. He is partly to blame for the mess. If he had any honor, he would have resigned after Bush paid no heed to him, especially since he believed that soldiers' lives would unnecessarily be at stake. Shame on you Powell!

Tarrer, Orlando, FL

Had Powell been even slightly competent at his job, Iraq would have been successful. He failed miserably on two counts. First, he failed to sway the UN to enforce its own resolutions and stand up for its own principles. His dismal performance there probably convinced security council members the US wasn't serious. Second, he failed to get Turkey to allow the northern invasion plan to go forward. This massive tactical failure led to the escape of Sadamists and armed military members towards Syria and Turkey and allowed the formation of the insurgency. As a diplomat, Powell failed miserably and now has the chutzpuh to criticize Bush?

Paul M, Boston, MA

This is mainly to Jon in DC. I didn't vote for Bush, but I voted. I'm as angry as you are. But it's way past the time for Powell to try to regain his reputation. That went by the wayside in February 2003 when he made his speech before the UN, knowing that most, if not all, of what he said had been disproven, discredited or debunked. In fact, I'm really tired of all these Republicans just now coming around to the fact that the Iraq war was unwarranted and a war of choice. For those of us who were against the war (not out of dislike for Bush but because we knew it was wrong and trumped up), it doesn't make us feel better that more than 70% of Americans are NOW against the war. I'm a 58-year old grandmother in Dallas, TX, but somehow I KNEW the intelligence was bogus. I wasn't "misled." It was a lie to begin with. So, Jon, don't bloviate and sound like an ugly American. Too many people think we already are. And people like Powell have contributed to that.

Ellen, Dallas, TX

After the alleged 2.5 hours of trying to convince Bush not to invade Iraq the next step Powell should have taken was not into the UN with his dog and pony show but out the door of the White House in resignation and then to the American people with his story of the Bush administration hell bent for war in Iraq. Maybe this country wouldn't be in the mess we currently find ourselves in if Powell had taken his arguement to the American people. But what did we get, just another example of leaders putting PARTY before COUNTRY

stuart epstein, Scottsdale, arizona

Canada must be in a different TIME WARP.
He said 2 1/2 hours.. not Years.

GOG, Mars, MN

It is amazing to hear the vitriol and uninformed opinions of the crazied masses that desire to post their rubish along side this article. For those that have not served in Iraq but base your professations on MSM reporting. SHUSH! You know not of what you speak. There were no lies told except for those by Joe Wilson from his Nigerian hotel room. There has been yellow cake and chemical munitions found in Iraq that were to be turned over or destroyed but were instead hidden. There were dual use facilities found that could have produced Ricin, etc. that could have been activated within weeks. It is amazing that peopled blame Bush/Powell for lying when much of the intelligence used came from EU countries, Russia, and China. It's interesting that the UN members opposed to the invasion were found to not only be actively selling advanced weapon systems to Iraq in violation of sanctions (Germany, France, China and Russia) but that many were involved in Oil For Food fraud that funded Al Qaeda.

Erik, Houston, TX/USA

The sad thing is I said to everyone that would listen that going to war in Iraq was a big mistake. Not only would it divert resources from Afghanistan but there would be a power vacuum left that would not keep Iran in check. Strategically it was an absolute stupid decision. Bush having Rumfield in charge of the war proves to me why you can not have a civilian running a war. It appears nobody learned anything from McNamara’s failure in executing and micromanaging the Vietnam War. I blame the incompetent people in Congress from letting this WAR take place to begin with. We need to take the ability of the President to decide on the wars he starts in the name of the American People. We the American People should have to vote on going to WAR since the morons in the Senate and Congress are to stupid to understand the issues.

Steve Potempa , Desert Hills , United States/AZ.

How about we pull out completely right now? George Bush and Tony Blair assume PERSONAL responsibility for an illegal (never mind futile) war, admit that they ignored advice, made many terrible errors, and ask that no one damns the US and Britain as nations for their personal incompetence.
That might just start the healing process.

Tony Jones, Grantham, Lincs

He was the one standing at the UN before the invasion making the US case for war. He can add the word hypocrite to his resume.

Frank, BARROW, AK

Colin Powell failed to do his duty to the American people when he had the chance to make a huge difference. Instead, he served as just another rubber-stamping Bushbot. It's years too late for Gen. Powell to be speaking out, but it's better way too late than never. Perhaps there's only one way to restore his credibility: to do is something swift and strong -- to be the leader of the successful movement to impeach Bush and Cheney, starting right NOW..

Red, Bandera , Texas

The struggle between Islam and
the West is nearly two centuries
old.
America and Europe must decide
whether to stand up to this
threat from the East or be prepared to accept Sharia Law
and Allah as god.

Jerry, Plano, USA/TX

Too bad this will all happen again. Another administration, another "threat to our way of life", another made up enemy, and the U.S. public will jump behind the war effort as quickly and with as much flag waving as they did this time. And all rational dissent, as in 2003, will be called treason, cowardice, and most ironically, failure to learn from the past. If the Mexican-American War, Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, and Viet-Nam taught us nothing, why will this? Wait 20 years.

Ken, Detroit, Michigan

I sincerely regret that Mr. Powel did not run for president. He was the last decent man in Washington. Regretfully, he has a conscience, a liability in todays political arena.

Paul Francis, Springfield, IL

Powell was the main reason we are there today. he was one factor that caused the US to NOT go into Baghdad in the first Gulf War. He talked daday Bush out of it. Powell just stay retired and go on Oprah.

Willy Brown, chesapeake, oh

Colin Powell may well have prevented the invasion of Iraq if he had resigned in protest rather than comply with orders to give questionable (later proved false) information to the United Nations as though it were fact. He remained in his position as Secretary of State and part of a war cabinet and, as a result, shares responsibility for the war and all of its aftermath. His place in history was set by his decision to serve Bush rather than serving his conscience, his Nation, and the goal of Peace.

party-of-one, Miami, FL USA

How disappointing, I had thought Gen Powell was above the political opportunism ,but apparently I was wrong. He has obliviously gone the way so many Generals go, when they delve into politics. Maybe Barack Obama should take heed of that Shakespearian epithet about “Beware of the ides of March” in Julius Caesar.

Robert Kofford, Tooele,

In 20 years time oil will be a scarce resource; and in 50 years time, whoever controls the remaining oil will control the world. That is why Bush (or his neocon friends) will remain in power and in Iraq, regardless of morality, Powell, or any other inconvenient truths. What is that phrase from the movie "Alien"? Oh, yes: "all other priorities rescinded".]

Howard, Johannesburg, South Africa

Kagan is no expert on military matters - he has never served in the military and one look at this corpulent bag of jello makes clear that he is unfit for service

friedtoad, boulder city,

Sir,
Who can forget "Comical Colin" & his capers at the UN, & a liar to boot? 2.5 hours, he didn't try very hard for a fighter, more like a bootlicker than a leader, going whichever way the wind blows.
As Chindia rises, Imperial America appears to be engaging in a Machiavellian struggle for:
1- Strategic control of the confluence of 3 continents (Middle East) vital for transport & communications.
2- Neo-colonial grab using puppets who own natural resources e.g. oil, thus ensuring wealth and consequently raw power.
The entrenched Neo-conservative "powers behind the throne" have Bush as the sacrificial scapegoat.
How many generals have the think-tanks, such as the right-wing AE institute, of the military-industrial complex have on their books?
The modern "Rome" is playing with fire if she starts mixing the military, politics and filthy lucre.

SC, London, United Kingdom

General Powell strongly expressed his opinion to President Bush. That's not a secret; wasn't then; isn't now. Those persons who have opined that groupthink was the result of America's foreign policy were wrong. Nonetheless, when the boss provides direction, the mission is unfailingly supported. Anyone who works in a structured organization understands that one's opinion is no longer sought once the decision is made. The general did what was expected, considering the angst and insecurity of most Americans, in the fog of a perceived threat. Even the president questioned the lack of evidence that was provided, but I believe he didn't want to be discovered flat-footed again in the face of obvious truths about the past transgressions of Saddam Hussein. It's easy to examine their decision in the serenity of hindsight. You know, when the pressure to respond isn't a factor? Now we must recover and aggressively reassess our values. I've grown tired of candidates; we need a leader!

Emon J. Usher, Oakland, California

America, let us hear God's voice and pray for our leaders.
The truth is, Who have really known the mind of God?
Have you prayed for your leaders yet?Have we prayed for the victory of this war? Our words reflects the stability of our inner man. No wonder, our enemies laugh at us because we can never be of one mind.
A humble and contrite heart, He will hear. I have a son in Iraq.This experience has brought about a turning point in his life. He has deep respect for our leaders. To me this is astounding because it shows inner conviction.
Let our children remember what God could do, not just what our government can do for us. We are so spoiled like little children asking for more when we haven't yet an understanding
of God's purpose in our lives. Let us not disgrace our children's fight for justice.
I am neither for Bush nor the insurgents. I am for the leading
of God in our leaders decisions.

Maria Luisa Soriano, TUCKER, georgia

All of you bashing General Powell and calling him a traitor are the most ignorant, uneducated bunch of losers I have ever seen. You know nothing about Washington politics or the game of intelligence,.You know absolutely nothing about the presidency itself and the pitfalls of foriegn policy even. Every last one of you are most likely petty because your views are shallow, petty, and invalid. The ones to blame for this inconsistant war is WE the American People, home of the bunch that rather vote for an American Idol than for a solid president. Those of you that are bad-mouthing General Powell most likely either voted for Bush or did not vote at all. Blame yourselves and be accountable for your country than trying to pin it on one man. As far as I am concerned, you are the reason our country is painted in a corner now. You want instant gratification, and want everything in the form of fast food. Shameful! None of you could fill General Powell's shoes or even be a president.

Jon, Washington DC, USA

We must remember that Powell did not accept a second term with this administration. He could have resigned earlier but he chose the best way to leave. Any of you remember what hapened to the Dixi Chicks for speaking out? No one could say anything against this administration without being viewed as unpatriotic not only by the Whitehouse and Republican party, but also but Americans in general. I am guilty of it myself!

Powell would have been totally destroyed had he resigned as many here have suggested. I ask myself, what would I have done? I would have done the same and all you would have too! He honored his duty to this country by first honoring our leader who we foolishly voted in for a second term.

Powell also honored his country by trying to talk that buffoon out of the war but it was to no prevail because Bush and Chainey saw business opportunities. Haliburton and the oil companies have prospered while America is rolling down hill.
American voters are the ones to blame.

Elton, Houston, Texas

The war in Iraq must be resolved by means that may not be resorted to by the US and Britain. We must withdraw and let them fight until only one side is left standing. Our part should be to use our air and naval power to punish any Turkish, Iranian, or other outside forces that try to interfere.

Robert Campbell, Saelm, New Hampshire / USA

Don't forget the infamous UN speech by Powell. He also claims he was concerned about the information he misled the world with which led to the war in Iraq. He failed the United States and failed the world. As far as I am concerned, Powell can stuff it.

Bill, Richland, WA

Strong language torward Mr. Powell. The man dedicated his entire life to his country and served it proudly. What have you done for your country? Type messages on a message board? Placing the blame for this war on Colin Powell is severly displaced considering the amount of people (and countries mind you) involved in this war. Blame Bush if you want. Blame the entire u.s. congress for that matter. I personally blame Al-Queda, but thats my opinion. Just remember this....hindsight 20/20 is a beautiful thing isnt it?

Wil, Birmingham, US

Seems like alot of people are trying to distance themselves from the decision to invade Iraq,. It's a pity they didn't do something at the time. Perhaps they didn't want to get off the gravy train.

Well done Robin Cook

MartinG, Reading,

Well golly, folks . . . . even if the bad guy's on the bottom of the pile, I've always hated to see EVERYONE piling on --

First of all -- let's see a show of hands -- everyone who voted for GW in either 2000 or 2004, raise your hand . . . . no, I can't see you, but I'd suspect that there are no hands in the air - From the tone of all these postings, I'd guess that we have a room full of Democrats, totally joyous over our continuing misfortune, and our President's mis-steps.

It won't do any good here to try to recount the many pre-Bush era voices who were sure that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction - but it might help to remind you of who the Democrats ran AGAINST Bush -- Al Gore? Jon Kerry?

Folks, I don't care which party you're aligned with - if we don't demand a better quality candidate, and a better government, then we all deserve what we get.

Steve, St. Joseph, Missouri, USA

Powell should have done a Robin Cook, stood up then and resigned on the same high moral grounds that he seems to be claiming now. It's pointless saying now, I told you then after doing the UN act on WMD, waving that small bottle of liquid.
RIP Robin Cook, but credit to the man of principle, he stood down then and is today vindicated. He was attacked then by the neocons as someone who didn't understand the reality. Only wish he was around now. He would be taking these people on British/ American TV and probably cutting their arguments to shreds. About Iraq one word to describe it right now 'Quagmire'.

Bebedi, London, UK

The war was a horrible mistake. It was poorly war gamed, poorly planned and administered, poorly coordinated with the potentates in DC apparently doing the day to day control though they say other wise.

But the US and the UK gave the Iraqis a shot at freedom, a future and prosperity and all the rest. But they never came together to fight along side the coalition forces as a unified front to have peaceful country and a future. Instead they used the time the US and UK afforded them to kill each other or worse, flee the country in astounding numbers.

We will pay a price for the Iraqis failures but the Iragis will have lots of their own blood in the streets as their reward for not standing up against terrorism when they had the chance.

A pox on their house forever.

tom, missouri, usa

It is with a sad heart that I must admit we need to alter our course of action in Iraq. President Bush had the support of the world after Sept. 11th, and all the political clout he would ever need to perform amazing feats for all the people in the world. He has wasted it all and made America look bad in the process. I say it is time for a change and we need a change of course now, before things become worse for our troops and citizens.

I was never an advocate of going into Iraq, and it has turned out to be the BIGGEST American blunder of recent times.
I sure wish someone had the right answer to making a troop withdraw and to a stop of the spending being wasted in the Middle East and Haliburton. Is there anyone in government who can be honest and do the right thing?

We can't afford to wait for this Presidency to do the right thing. We need Congress to act in the best interest of the American people. We, the American people should be in the forefront of any actions taken.

Scott Ross, Atlanta, GA

What a bunch of freaking losers. But that generally describes most anti-war movements.

The USA has got troops there so support them.

Charles, Bergen, Norway

Where the hell was Powell when all this started? Why didn't he speak up instead of knuckling under... political politeness?????

sj, russell, kansas

What a group of fools, the problem is the oil - stupid. With over 5 billion dollars spent for Iraq I think the US could have developed an alternative energy supply, severely curtailed our reliance on oil, and thereby let the OPEC fend for itself while the US continues to prosper.

Felix Cabarle, Mt Holly,

Colin Powell, you are one of the murderers responsible for the tragedy in Iraq. IT WAS YOU WHO WENT TO THE U.N. AND SAID THAT IRAQ HAD WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. If you were so against the war, you would have stood up to the evil Bush and Cheney and behaved like a MAN, and refused to lie in front of the U.N. But NO, you only cared about your career. YOU ARE ONE OF THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 4,000 DEAD AMERICANS, THOUSANDS OF DEAD IRAQIS, AND THE COUNTRY OF IRAQ BEING DESTROYED. Don't try to talk your way out of it now. You only care about YOURSELF looking good. Forget about it. History will list you as one of the cowards who destroyed Iraq. You are FOREVER linked to the WORST President and Administration in United States History. Get used to it!

Hatch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida USA

This is news? Bob Woodward said this about Powell on 60 Minutes three years ago. It's why Powell and Cheney stopped talking to each other.

Grant, Morristown, NJ

What would have happened if Saddam was still in power and Iran was continuing with her nuclear program? Would a second Iran-Iraq War be any more stable than what we have now, where at least the United States and UK have a presence in fighting the extremism.

Dan, Chicago, IL

If he was not agree with Bush he had to resign immediately.
In that case we would cosider him as an honest man.
Now he looks like a hypocrite.

Jora, moscow, Russia

Hey John Stewart Mill of London: Well said man! Pres.Bush should hire you as a speech writer!

William of Red, White, and Blue, Freedomtown, USA

Instead of choosing the honorable path of resignation, Colin Powell let the neocon's use his "good soldier" reputation, status and ideals as a huge green light on this debacle of a war. Sorry, Colin, your attempting to assuage your guilt at this stage of the game just isn't good enough. You have some serious blood of countless innocents on YOUR hands. Is it harder to live with than you thought?

Beth Lewis Umlauf, North Canton, OH

More pontificating from the guy who knew exactly who leaked Valerie Plame's name to the press, and hid that fact from his boss (the President) for months.

He's a political snake, and simply can't be trusted. He must have earned his stars via sheer political maneuvering, as I can't see any record of him doing so on the battlefield.

Jack , Oakland, CA

Colin Powell was a "C" student just like George W. Thats a fact. Ive read his biography. The entire current administartion didnt do well in high school or college. So what we have is an administartion of under achievers running the country.Nothing good ever comes from any of the Bush clan or their cronies. I am a republican from Texas and I'm saying this. George H. Bush was a joke. George W.is definitely a joke, and The United States of America is the punch line. And we dont need Colin Powell trying to tell us that he tried to stop the war. Please, Mr. Powell, thanks to you and the Bush's, weve had enough jokes to last us to the next century.

Stephen Doherty, Dallas, Texas,

Lets face facts... the ONLY person who knew how to control Iraq (no matter how distasteful his tactics) was Saddam. Now there's a coincedence... wasnt he also the only man who had evidence to implicate Bush and his cronies in illegal activities in the region?!!!

seth taylor, cambs, Uk

It takes great courage to accept your country has done wrong, especially during the nationalist fervour whipped up by the neo-cons in order to justify an illegal war of aggression against Iraq.

I applaud the many American posters here for looking beyond nationalist hysteria and accepting your country has done wrong. If this honesty continues then there is a great deal of hope for the future. The Bush years have been the worst in living memory for America, but with dedication and a commitment to justice these years will soon be forgotten as the "dark ages" of American politics.

Byron, Leicester,

G8 conntries need to modernize so that no one leader acting alone can drag any one of them into an armed conflict, absent a direct attack.

Emma H., Ottawa, CAN.

"a rapid pull-out, which Gates fears could leave Iraq in chaos." - and how would that be different from the current situation?

M Scarratt, Bragg Creek, Canada

Powell did not do everything he could have to prevent this war when he held true power. Saying "I told you so" does nothing but try to repair his image in history.

TI, Washington, DC

It's unfortunate that Mr. Powell wasn't successful in his efforts to stop this mess before the war. It's obvious he had a much clearer understanding of the realities than the rose visioned neocons.

It doesn't matter how we go about reducing our strength in Iraq, it will ultimately disolve into violence. This nation will spend decades repairing the damage this administration has done to our armed services and to our reputation.

drihl, Springfield, VA

Once again, it is revealed that this entire war was pre-determined from the start of the Bush administration, and has subsequently been bolstered by lies, lunacy, and just plain arrogance on the part of the President and his lapdogs. Invading Iraq because of 9/11 made about as much sense as invading Belgium: neither had anything to do with 9/11. History will judge George Bush to be the worst President in American History, not only for the interminable war in Iraq, but also for his blatant disregard for the civil rights of American Citizens. Unfortunately, this country will doubtless spend the better part of the next century trying to calm the waters of what has been stirred up in Iraq. Colin Powell does well to speak the truth; it would have been nice to hear before 3500 Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were dead.

Patrick S., Minneapolis, Minnesota

I think that of course with hindsight being 20/20 things could have been done differently. One should not forget that he received some of the same intelligence that others did. If you are fed a lie and say it does it make you a liar? What Powell says is fine but frankly we should have had a honest LEGIT debate about the war before it happened rather than simply invade due to the mantras of fear. We've changed the reasons for going to war every year or so and frankly it isn't getting us anywhere. We chose to go to war in Iraq and frankly I don't think the Iraqi's want us to be there nor do they want us to be a battleground. "They" will attack us in iraq because their government is weak...so just by logic this is going to continue until either everyone is dead or everyone runs out of ammo.

Matt, Boston, USA

"Very interesting revelation from Powell that he tried for 2.5 years to convince Bush not to invade Iraq." Powell may have tried for 2.5 years, but I believe that the article has him "vainly" trying for "2 1/2 hours". But the record is clear that Bush, and those around him, were intent on invading Iraq well before September 11, 2001 -- some were intent well before the start of Bush's first term.

As to the view that Powell's statements are "too little, too late" -- in my view, the issue now is not to make moral judgments about how much is said by whom, how soon. The time for moral judgments -- and I agree, they need to be made -- should be AFTER we stop this murderous insanity in the Middle East, and passing judgment on the merit and timeliness of each new voice added to the effort is surely counterproductive.

Dan, Merion Station,

Sorry Mr. Poweel. You are a traitor. I care not what you have to say nor do I believe another word from your traitorous mouth. You sat before the world, threw your then stellar reputation out the door, and lied and lied and lied.

Shut up and crawl back into your hole. Thanks for nothing.

Signed, The World.

jerry Walters, Avon Lake, Ohio

I can't understand why a man like Powell, who seems to be an honest, reality-based fellow, would argue in this way and then go on to make a presentation to the UN to make a case for war. It seems that he tried, then once the 2.5 hours were over, shrugged his shoulders and said, "well, he's the boss." I think anyone with such a clear view of the futility of this process would have spoken up not only in private, but in public as well, and resigned much earlier in protest. He says he thought better at the time, but still has blood on his hands.

Leslie Popplewell, Monrovia, CA

So why did Powell give that stinkin' speech at the UN in February 2003?

Tom Lees, Lafayette Hill, USA, Pennsylvania

Colin Powell is proving the reputation he had in the Army: A cheap politician who has no loyalty and cannot be trusted.

George Albert, New York, NY

All I remember is Colin hammering on about WMD, aluminum tubes, trucks that made chemical weapons and NIger yellow-cake.

All lies then. Is there any truth in the man at all?

SongHammer, Phoenix, AZ

If you want to see the real Colin Powell, read the Walsh Report on Iran/Contra. Colin was Casper Weinberger's # 1 aid and nothing got to Weinberger without going through Colin Powell. So the evidence says Colin Powell was a long term member of the Buch Crime Family. Now in an effort to distort the truth, Colin Powell lies some more, just like he did to Congress during the Iran/Iran investigation. The bottom line is Colin Powell was a tool of the NEOCONS and loved doing it. He's only sorry about the outcome and now he lies to cover up the truth.

Jim Mulder , Grand Rapids, MI

Neither Powell nor Tenet had the courage to publicly oppose the administration on the war prior to the invasion. All that really matters is what they said (& did) then, when it counted. Gen. Powell (& Mr. Tenet re: your recent book), don't bother us with your ideas & Monday morning quarterbacking at this late stage - it doesn't matter, & we don't want to hear it.
Prior to the invasion, Powell was the only person with international credibility and stature who was capable of making the case for the Bush team (Wofowitz, Cheney, Feith et al) in front of the UN, and had he had the courage to stand up to them, perhaps our country (& the UK) could have avoided the fateful course that ensued. He (& Tenet) absolutely knew that the information underlying their UN presentation was smoke, mirrors, lies, & half truths. They just caved to political pressure.
(Correction re: Patrick Cummins' comment: Powell claims to have spent 2 1/2 HOURS - not 2 1/2 days - to convince Bush not to invade Iraq).

Chris, Atlanta, GA

When all is said and done, and historians begin to analyze and revise all the BS we've been fed in opposition to this war, I hope someone will ask why Rumsfeld would allow an operation in Iraq that runs so counter to his vision of the use of our military, and the successful campaign in Afghanistan. Think about it. The answer that seems clear is that the nature of the war in Iraq was determined by Powell more so than anyone else. So he deserves at least as much blame for the current situation. The information is out there in detailed, unbiased form - read a few books by intelligence experts with no axe to grind and no political offiliation to the current administration or the opposition. Then things will begin to become a bit more clear.

john_thomas, Columbus, Ohio

Powell tried to convince Bush not to go to war with Iraq, after failing to do so he convinced the UN to go to war in Iraq.
How about, Powell convinced the UN to go to war in Iraq, after the war in Iraq seems to be a failure, he was now saying he convinced Bush not to go to war in Iraq.

Jorge, Baghdad,

I think it will be a sad day when American military leaders CHARGE the hill. They are (and should be) subservient to the ELECTED civilian leaders. They can always resign if they feel strongly about a decision.

Tom Potter

Tom Potter, Houston, TX

I used to respect Powell for his service to the US. But, after that report to the UN, he lost me. It's too little, too late Colin. Now the deaths of 3600 Americans, several hundred Brits, and countless Iraqis are on your hands, too.

Linda, Flemington, NJ, USA

If Powell actually believed the intel, (which I doubt) then he was incredibly stupid. If he didn't believe the intel (or seriously doubted it), he should have had the courage to say so and resign rather than peddle the case for war. His testimony tipped the scales toward war and he can't escape culpability. He is just as guilty as the rest of them (including George Tenet) and nothing he says now will change that.

Richad Burgoine, Portland, Oregon

Hey Douglas,
Powell was the assistant archeitect who spotted the flaws early on. He was forced to, because he was a loyal junior archeitect, to follow the lead of the powerful, idiotic archeitects above. He is a man of conscience and depth. What's pathetic is the criminally shortsided agendas of the true archeitects involved. Shame on you for supporting such fools!

brad, Nashville, Tn

Colin Powell is a hypocrite!
He should have resigned years ago, to clue in bush 'permanant war / profit war' motivated sociopaths about the unbeliveably bad idea of invading Iraq!
but...
...on the other hand, it would be such a shame if Donald Rumsfield, (& the other white house criminals) had to fly to various political & corporate functions in a 'hand me down', 'last year's model' private business jet, wouldn't it?
...What would the 'neighbors think' of using last year's jet?

R.G. Frano, A.C.L.S., Jersey City, NJ, USA

And if the Iraq war was going swimmingly with Iraq on a peaceful path to democracy this black-hole of principles would be pleading with the press to help pat himself on the back. Like his pal McCain most of his notoriety stems from an affinity for betrayal, opportunism and a slithering untethered to principle.
Where do we find such men?

Kenton McCarthy, Phoenix, Arizona

Victory has a thousand fathers,while defeat is an orphan.
How many people are now disowning this pathetic war and where were their Balls beforehand??? When they should have resigned and gone public in protest.
The best thing to come from Americas and Britains utter defeat in Iraq is that it has stopped the Idiot bush from starting an even more costly war with Iran.(well so far anyhow)

John, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Anyone who couldn't clearly see that Colin Powell was against the war just wasn't paying attention. It was always clear to me that he quit because he didn't support the course President Bush was setting, and wanted no part of it. The sad thing is the sense of loyalty he felt he had to maintain to Bush in not publicly opposing the war.

Michael MacLeod, Dana Point, CA

Damed if you don't, damned if you do!

This comment is for all of you who are blaming Powell for our political woes! The bashing you are all giving Powell now is nothing compared to what you would have given him if he would have went against this administration! This administration used fear not only to get re-elected, but also to dare anyone to say anything against them publicly. We Republicans blindly supported any and everything that Bush had to offer including the destruction of our " World Leader" status! I am no longer voting along party lines!

From reading some of your comments here, I pity the future of this country with voters like you. To blame the man who tried to prevent this war for what has happened is seriously frightening! It sounds to me as if you would vote Bush back into office if it were possible!

Ray, Dallas, Texas

Give al-qaeda a terrific victor? Buddy, they've already won...You can't deal with zealots in a conventional way (our way), case in point: Vietnam. The bottom line is, democracy cannot be forced on any, as Mr. Bode points out by example.

Chris, Norfolk, VA

Any military policy that is engendered from lies and deceit shall only wind up as sheer tragic folly. Vietnam. Iraq. "Those who refuse to learn the lessons of history shall be condemed to repeat them."

john keller, lantana, fla

Every time Colin Powell's name comes up relative to the current fiasco in Iraq, the same questions keep coming to my mind: 1) What was he doing in the Republican Party in the first place? 2) Why would he associate himself with known neocons by joining the Bush Administration in any capacity? 3) Why, when it was apparent that Bush was determined to invade Iraq over his objections, he didn't resign? 4) Why he agreed to go before the UN with admittedly flimsy intelligence? 5) and why has he waited so long to make revelations like the one featured in this piece?

Mike Brown, Waco, TX

I have no respect for the former secretary's revelations or opinions at this time. I beg to think that Mr. Belafonte's characterization of Mr. Powell as an uncle Tom was appropriate. With his experience he should have disassociated himself from this fiasco by resigning, not going to the security concil and presenting power points of lies. He too has the blood of young American soldiers and innocent Iraqis on his hand. I want to hear nothing from him

editor, Gaston, AL

While its o.k. to criticize a murderous dictator like Saddam, its POLITICALLY INCORRECT to criticize a murderous religion like Islam. The military mission to oust Sadam was successful. The political correct effort to have Sunni and Shia work together in harmony is wishful thinking, as they have been at odds since the 7th century.

Had Bush been right when he called Islam "...a religion of peace.", our troops would be home by now. Saddam understood the religion; Bush doesn't.

Robert , Clearwater, Fl. USA

How interesting that most of the comments on this article are from people in America! Let's face it, right or wrong, it is about the oil. In 20 years time it will be a scarce resource; in 50 years time, whoever controls the remaining oil will control the world. That is why Bush and his friends will remain in power, and in Iraq, regardless of morality, truth, or any other inconveniences. Unless of course, someone comes up with an idea for dispensing with the modern motor car?]

H. Grattan, Johannesburg, South Africa

Powell has turned out to be a "peace in our time" kind of guy. Missing is the waving of the paper he used in the UN.

Now he opens up?

Frank , Westlake ,

Powell going public would have changed nothing. In this period of crisis you cannot demonstrate weackness of your president. If he had try to go public, peoples would have talked a little about and then the administration would have controlled the media anyway. On the top of that 4 years ago peoples didnt have the same insight of the situation that they have today. After all decisions and mistake made by bush and his administration at that time peoples still choose to be behind him so somehow to acknowledge his decision and to reelect him president.

Martin, NANCY, FRANCE

John, charlottesville, Virginia.....Come now "little man", Jimmy Carter was not the worst prez. He was an honest
man and that didn't work well for some. Being honest
made him look like a wimp as he didn't try to be King Carter
but he did work hard for the people Powell is a hero
and i'd like to see him run with Obama as VP.

Clay, Ashland, OR

Powell has been a "dog robber" for someone all his career. He is the officer sent to investigate the My Lai massacre and could not find it. He is the one Bush sent to the UN with that phoney weapons show.
Just add him to the long list of former supporters trying to get out the door while there is time.
Bush and Rove are preparing to start removing troops from the hot spots to reduce the terrible casualty rate. Support for the war in Congress is failing fast.
Some of Bush's supporters will be hung out to dry like John McCain and Joe Lieberman.
Bush will beat them out the door.

c. perry, Boynton Beach, USA Florida

Funny how everyone seems to forget the political climate back then- I would bet that more than half of you who are now bitterly writing about Powell would have been just as bitter back then if he stood up against bush - he would have been labeled as unpatriotic and a supporter of terrorism... Powell always looked uncomfortable with the whole thing anyway...I always had the impression he wasnt on board. Unfortunately there is a disproportionately large in the US that will vote for a leader based on unimportant personal issues (like same sex marriage) rather than what is going on in the world today...leaders like bush and the Iraq war are what you get when you dont use your vote intelligently. This is truly a mess that can be evenly blamed on the American voters.

Jason, Toronto, Canada

The giddiness of the Left over the U.S. military's failure to quell the violence in Iraq is exactly why no one listened to them before the war nor trusts them on matters of national defense - they will without fail side against the U.S. in any military conflict, and against any military figure who doesn't betray his nation or desert. If Powell, like John Kerry, had stabbed his country in back and sold out his own troops the left would be hailing him as a "war hero" instead of denigrating his service.

Larry, Seattle, WA, USA

I'm a bit amazed at some of these comments. Keep your enemies close. Giving in and running from a situation makes you a coward. Principles without action are worthless. What was he to do? They would have found somone to be their lap-dog had he quit. He stuck it out and tried to effect change in a group of neo-cons. He clearly is NOT part of this group and never has been. He did his duty, he did not run, he tried to persuade the group wanting to go to war; but when the arguments against it did not work (thanks to Cheney), he followed his Commander in Chief. Sounds like a soldier to me. According to some here, he should have skipped to Canada! Ridiculous. What would have happened had he NOT been around to temper the wolf pack?
General Colin Powell is a great American and always will be.
Patrick (Canada). Gulf War and assassination attempt on George Bush senior in 1993. Yes, Iraq was on the radar before 9/11.
...and I'm a gay liberal Democrat!!!

John, Cullman, AL

First off, let me say that I'm an American and have never supported the war from day 1, nor have I ever believed that Iraq had any connection to Sept 11th or Al Qaeda.

How can so many people condemn Powell? When I saw him in front of the UN, I know he didn't really believe in what he was trying to sell. What people have to remember is that a military man like Powell is trained to be loyal to leadership and follow orders whether or not he agrees with them. That is what he did. He also didn't speak out against leadership because that is not the military mentality. He even fulfilled his commitement as SoS until the end of Bush's term. I still beleive he is one of the only peole in GWB's admin that has ever, and still does, have some integrity.

And yes, there was a Neocon agenda to get into Iraq. Let's hope our Congress has the courage to stand up to Bush/Cheney. I also would encourage all of you to learn more about Candidate Ron Paul for the '08 election.

Best from America

Thomas Anderson, New York, NY

All the lives lost in Iraq War 2 have been wasted, just lost and wasted with nothing positive to show, and it is unutterably sad, especially since the people who can't bear to admit the truth are prepared to waste more lives. The administration knew there weren't weapons that threatened the U.S., he knew Iraq was not allied with Al Quaida. We went there for oil, and to lure Al Quaida into Iraq in an attempt to fight them conventionally on a foreign battlefield, demonstrating horribly callous indifference to civilian life in the country and equally callous use of American soldiers as bait.
History will tell this story accurately someday, a long way in the future, as with Rome and Caligula and his ilk, but right now there is no truth.

Brian, Manchester, NH, USA

Big picture time: The Iraq occupation (and other military operations) are causing the US to hemorage financially. Calculated at $5,000 per family to date, although not shared evenly. But you ain't seen nothing yet. Wait for the bill for reperations.
I know you aren't ready for this, but with sections of US opinion so divided, have you considered devolution? Red states, Blue states, West Coast, Texas, Hawaii, the South will rise again. Elimination of the US as school yard bully would solve many of the world's problems, for example Israel would have to fend for itself. Of course it would let China become top dog a little earlier. Nice legacy, George.

Andrew Milner, Yokohama, Kanagawa

I have a question for Russ from Charlote. Yes Sadaam was a bad guy. The Sunnis and the Shites obviously hate each other. If the Shites get control will their leader be any better than Sadaam or will it just be another violent ruthless dictator? We will soon find out.

Steve, Dayton, Ohio

Why is it that no one of any stature in American life--Newspaper Editor, College President, Business Executive--has simply listed the facts constituting the enormity of this failure and called for the President to resign?

Is he immune to the consequences of total failure? And what failure could be worse than to mistakenly start an illegal war from which it is impossible to exticate the country? what could be worse?

William Fritz, Hickory, NC

I love George W Bush and the republicans.

There would have been many more dead in our country if it was not for their leadership.....god bless america and god bless the republican party.

Sweet Jesus I love republicans so much!

David Greene, Tempe, AZ

I served in the US Army for 8 years, and in Iraq for a year. I resigned my commission as soon as I could as I had lost confidence in the Commander in Chief.

As a medical officer, I saw a lot of people die in this predictable disaster. That year was the hardest year of my life because I saw so many people suffer and die needlessly.

I would not be so harshly critical of Colin Powell. Maybe he could have come out more strongly in public against the war. However, I have learned that true courage is very rare. Certainly, I have not shown an exceptional degree of courage in this matter. I resigned quietly, out of fear that a more public stance could have hurt my job prospects after I got out.

The real test is what people do about preventing the next war, the one against Iran. The pretext for this war has already been readied, based on alleged nukes and fabricated stories of Iran sponsoring Al Quaeda attacks on the US.

Let's hope we all show more courage this time.

John Collins, Augusta, Maine

For any one to blame Powell for this mess is absolutely rediculous, as Wayne from Salt Lake does. Too bad he was talking with narrow minded individuals who already had their minds set on what they wanted to do. They ran Powell out of Washington because he would not tell them what they wanted to hear. He disagreed with them, now he is unpatriotic? Sounds like an ignorant republican comment to me.

Mike, Los Angeles, CA

It is too late to say so now. DO not you forget Mr.Powell when you tried to convince the whole world about the biggest lie about WMD in Iraq at security council... really it's such a shame to say something like this now.

Taher, Damascus,

I used to be a big fan of Powell. He now says he tried to talk Bush out of going to war. I don't doubt that at all. In fact, many experts felt he was just playing the "good soldier" role when he went before the UN to make the case for war. The way I see it, he was playing more the role of coward. He should have had the guts to go public with his reservations about the war. He should have done everything in his power as Sec. of State to prevent this incredible mess. He should have resigned to make his point crystal clear. He should have been screeming from the rafters. Powell is very familiar to the death and horror of an unneccesary war. As i said, I used to admire Colin Powell. The fact that he was arguably in the best position to prevent this war shows he's not a man to be looked up to. To the contrary, he evidently, at his core is quite a weak individual.

Daniel Brenner, Long Beach, New York

Where did the reporter get the statement about "The surge's lack of demonstrable success," from her own agenda? If she's fully informed and expert enough on such matters as military strategy and counterinsurgency I'd like to see her information and credentials.
The surge is one month into full implementation and has already shown significant successes according to the people who are leading and bleeding in Iraq. When Bush announced the surge he warned there'd probably be an increase in violence, perhaps even spectacular attacks.
When I attended Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications in the 1980s professors would get out the red pen and mark unattributed statements "Sez who?" and severely downgrade the assignment.
But that was before agenda journalism took hold, back when journalists told the facts, not what they want others to believe.
Maybe some journalists need to go back to school and learn the difference between straight news and opinion

Paul, Wichita, KS

What folks can't seem to keep in context, is that we are talking about GENERAL Colin Powell... one time Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and career military man.
Yes, the criticisms of his "performance" are certainly valid. But as a military man (retired, but decades of an esteemed military service, don't just stop when you flip a switch), every fiber of his military training is to defer to civilian leadership.
That is FUNDAMENTAL to the American System. We are in now in new territory, politically, in the U.S.. The misuse of Executive power certainly isn't new to this administration.
The reason we are such perilous ground now, is politicians have hedged on the safeguards in the constitution for many decades, but now, the Enemy Around Us, which the public has been whipped into a frenzy over, will require "perpetual war".
And if you believe that, I have a great bridge to sell you.
The shadow of a bigger picture and motive, is there, and we all feel it. We just won't admit it.

DJ, Chicago, IL

There are a number of reasons that people lie. The first is fear. This is the most common reason that people may lie, and they are taking shelter from a perceived punishment. It may be because they know they have done something wrong a single time, in which case it is not compulsive lying.

But if they are always in fear of being punished, it may become a habit, which is a second reason for lying. In this case, it may become compulsive lying, which is lying by reflex. Even when confronted by the truth, they insist the lie is the truth in this case.

A third case is learning to lie through modeling. When a people see others lie, especially when they get away with it, they may become more prone to lying. Finally, people lie because they feel if they tell the truth they won't get what they want. Thus, out of the main reasons for lying, only lying by habit can truly be called "compulsive lying."

T. Taner, Istanbul, Turkey

The USA cannot be 'damned' for events in Iraq. How could it be that a nation which grew from invasion and ethnic cleansing of the native Americans pretend to be some special beacon of light to the world except in the delusions of its propagandists and those who believe in nonsense? The USA was created by imperialism, colonialism, genocide and slavery based on color and race. And that was the 19th Century! We love to pretend we are different than the other nations but it all comes down to one group of brutes taking over the water hole from weaker brutes. No other nation covers its origins in the BS that America does. The Iraqis are just the new 'American indians' sitting on lands now considered too valuable for them to have. Don't criticize Bush and Powell too loudly because they truly did attempt to represent America's best interests in Iraq. They just have the misfortune of leading a nation of imperialists who shy away from serving in the legions charged wit winning it.

Susan k, Indianapolis, Indiana

Wait a moment before bashing Powell. Few Americans can say they saw this happening prior to Bush becoming President. After 9/11 most of you were on board. Remember OK, OK? None of you were so intense on routing the militias that were openly training for a war against the Federal government. You Americans are the reasons that political leaders can no longer tell you the truth. You know damn well why there's an army in Iraq but where were any of your voices when things were going good? The number one weapon in the arsenal of the Islamists is the Truth. Use of the Truth as a weapon is mentioned several times in the Quran. Now look at all of those Americans who want to drive Hummers and Jeeps on city roads but not serve in the military or even pay taxes. We are in Iraq so that you can continue to drive SUV's for 'safety' and have your air conditioners run on full. The White House and Congress dare not tell us for fear they lose their seats. Such as has become the USA.

Susan k, Indianapolis, Indiana

Genocide now or genocide later. Take your pick.

William A. Yarbrough, Vidalia, LA

When is anyone ever going to confront the UN for steiing the stage for the disaster in Iraq?

Oil for Food programe, a graft based policy that enriched the top dogs at the UN.

This filthy lucre undermined the sanctions put in place.

Russia, France and Germany were all complicit in further undermining the UN sanctions, perpetuating the Iraq issue.

Saddam, himself had the opportunity to diffuse the situation by not playing his decade long game of cat and mouse with UN inspectors.

The UN has blood on its hands, it created the opportunity that Bush/Cheney exploited.

Ivan, Albany, US

"He is the worst american since Benedict Arnold."

Hey, if Bush could run a war like Arnold, Iraq would be secure. Arnold was one of our greatest generals. If he had died at Saratoga, which he was responsible for winning, thus turning the tide of the Revolution, he would be in marble.

lbjack, Long Beach, California

I do believe that Powell was once a good man, but at this point, he should either step in big to change things or leave the situation be. True he did help create it, but of all the scumbags in the administration, this one at least had the foresight to jump ship when he realized that nothing he was doing would change the course of the war.

What isn't right is people bashing Powell's military service like they actually knew something about the US armed forces. He was, and still is, a good soldier. He was an inner city NYC kid that rose to the ranks of 4-star general, without the help of mommy or daddy. It’s these sort of blanket accusations without any knowledge of fact that got us here in the 1st place.

DP, Kenmore, NY

Too little too late, Colin. If you felt you were right and Bush was wrong about Iraq, you should have tendered your resignation as Secretary of State and gone public to stop the war. That was your duty.

By saluting and flapping his yap at the U.N., Powell proved himself to be a moral coward. Where the heck are our leaders?! Does anyone in a position of power in this country have ethics and a spine?

C. L., Little Rock, Arkansas USA

My apologies for the error in the previous post. I mistakenly read 2.5 hours as 2.5 years.

Patrick Cummins, Victoria, Canada

Whatever happen to principle and honor? Someone with these attributes would have stood up to be heard years ago when thousands of lives could have been saved. Not now when the captain ("decider") is going down with the ship.

Oh well, yet another case of career and self before honor and your fellow man.

william, Toronto, Canada

Boo hoo. Colin Powell is really just like the rest of the adminstration; looking out for number one and cowardly to boot. Shut up Coliin, you're several years too late with the remorse act.

Jan Hutchinson, phoenix, az

of course i´ll have my say. you will let thousand of americans be killed, maimed and injured to save the political face of custer 43 till he can dump the problem into the laps pf UN and the democrats.
He is the worst american since Benedict Arnold.

ANDRES ANZOLA, David, chiriqui, Panama

"Profiles in Timing" - Keith Olbermann

me, USA,

Too little, too late, Colin. Where the hell were your public statements when they would have made a difference? "Good soldier", bad citizen.

me, USA,

Colin Powell, the most overated spineless public figure of our time, is

a day late and a dollar short. He should've resigned in protest BEFORE

the war started. Had he done so, the world could be a much less messy

palce than it is today.

Lucas Augusto, San Francisco, CA / USA

Back in 1991, Colin Powell also advised (then) President Bush not to go to war, despite Iraqi invasion into Kuwait and threats to Israel and Saudi Arabia. Colin Powell typically advises against war, since it should always be considered to be a last resort. Whether he was the Joint Chief of Staff, or Secretary of State, he always worked for the President once he made his decision. For General Powell to advise the current President against the war is not a surprise, it is part of his personality.

Him going public now about his political beliefs (about the war) does not help anyone, especially our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Frank, Irvine, California, USA

Colin Powell is as much a mass murderer as Bush. Had he publicly denounced the invasion of Iraq, Powell would have been a hero today rather than the gutless wonder that he is!

tom, Richmond, bc canada

You can't support sending the same men and women into tour of duty after tour of duty and say you support the troops.
The American public is clearly not willing to sacrifice their children or their time to 'victory' - even if it were possible. This includes the pro-war advocates, from whom I have hear zero about a draft, the only way we could get the fresh troops necessary to pacify Iraq - again, if such a thing is possible.
If you support this war, you HATE the troops. You want them to go back day after day, working men and single moms on the front lines for the second and third tour of duty, while you or your draft age children live your lives like its 1995.

David Bernstein, New York, NY

dismantle british colonial partitioned iraq and split the country along sectarian lines. start diplomacy with iran and syria.

israel should also negotiate a truce with hamas. anyone who thinks a hardline stance will do anything useful in the middle east must be smoking serious crack cocaine.

ben, chicago,

WHEN was this supposed 2 1/2 hour ples? September 2002? The day before the invasion? Before or after Powell's crucial U.N. drama? The date of this 2 1/2 hour plea is pretty significant. Why is it not given?

In any case, I very much doubt the 2 1/2 hours took place: first, Bush wouldn't tolerate being contradicted for anywhere near that time; 2nd, Bush's attention span isn't even close to 2 1/2 hours.

Jim W, Syracuse, NY

I always liked Powell but must admit that after reading comments here it makes me wonder if I was wrong. Powell is now coming out strong saying he was warning Bush not to make a big mistake. If that was true then why go before the UN like he did? He needs to explain that.

Steve, Dayton, Ohio

Patrick...2 and a half HOURS...not years.

ECMPuke, Edgartown, MA

It is unbelievable how stupid the Americans are?? They were involved in a war in Vietnam for 13 years suffered the lost of 58,000 lives and god knows how many injured soldiers only to be taken again to war by a president who lied to them straight in their face.Once again the Americans are out to try to settle the world yet the only rational person in the Bush administration was too coward to leave his office and see the U.S enter into an Arab country which was bound to turn into a second Vietnam.
If I were Powell I would have asked forgiveness from the families of the fallen soldiers who dien in vain .

David Shulman, Tel Aviv, Israel

I'm amazed there was a war in Iraq given how many people who voted for it now say they were against it - fortunately, history will tell another story (George Orwell, 1984 - was right).

Ian, Bristol,

I have to agree that coming out now to say "I told you so" is cowardly on the part of Powell. Again, when he realized that the Bush cartel was planning to invade Iraq, he should have let the American people know what he knew. All he had to do would be to go on Larry King and/or Meet the Press. If he had wanted to do what was best for the country and not just his own political hide, things would be much different today. George Tenet was widely reviled for his way-too-late revelations and here we go with more. How did things get so politicized in this country and when are WE THE PEOPLE going to take it back?

Bon, Salina, USA

The war was easily won. What a pity no one gave a thought on how to win the peace. Did Bush and co really think the locals would roll over and have their tummies tickled? Sad case!

Alex, Edinburgh,

All governments govern with the consent of the governed. Even the former Soviet coalition dropped like a rock once their populations said "enough". Not having a military draft allows the majority of Americans to avert their eyes from the Iraq disaster. The US Congress is deadlocked. It is within the power of the American people to take to the streets in a non-violent manner to change our policy. If they have the courage.

J. Kennedy, Bellevue, WA

Powell spent 21/2 hours trying to talk Bush out of a war and then invested countless hours concocting a story for the UN in order to be counted among the annals of "Good Soldiers."

A stellar political career was pumped down the drain, and the American people were duped to our permanent harm.

His assertion that Al-Qaeda is only 10% of the problem and that the rest of the problem is the lack of will on the part of the new government ignores the reality that before we went into Iraq, there was no Al-Qaeda, and the new government is a US puppet regime.

More squirming and spinning.

Stan Moody, Manchester, ME

He had his chance to prevent us from going down this road when he put on that infamous dog and pony show at the United Nations. He could have resigned instead of being Bush's puppet way back then.

Don H, Vallejo, USA

It is wildly inaccurate to refer to Mrs. Powell as having gumption in comparison with Colin and the two Bush Presidents. Colin fought in a war. Bush I fought in a war. Bush II flew a jet and is serving as President at risk of assassination. Mrs. Powell wouldn't let her husband run for President because she was afraid he (and she?) would be assassinated.

Richard, dubuque, USA/Iowa

i believe that president Bush has become hostage to the monster he helped create. His emotions concerning the deadly attacks on 9/11 was clearly clouding his judgement while planning for iraq's invasion. he allowed "ungodly" counsel to influence his "godly" mind. here we are now with a hostage president and selfish legislature who are only keen on building political capital from our common dilema. may God save us from us.

uche, oak park, michigan

I urge you to continue to resist any efforts to withdraw US troops without consideration to the regional effects or potential genocide.

US policy should basically reflect that it is in US interests to stay in Iraq until the country has reached a degree of normalcy. The current costs, while regrettable are nothing compared to the costs to the US of a significant withdraw on a timeline driven by domestic oposition.

Please continue to support the mission in Iraq.

jaf, LA, CA

Saddam gone...that's a good thing. When we first went in there, it was because the President along with several other nations with the same intelligence, believed that there were WMD's. I believe W honestly believed that was a possibility with the available evidence. Perhaps there were and they were just shifted to Syria. We don't know.

So from there, the idea is to capitalize on the fact that an evil tyrant is out. Give an oppressed country a chance at democracy and freedom. As conservative as I am, that didn't work and it's time for this to be over. Those people are too crazy to want democracy. It wasn't this crazy there before, because Saddam was even more crazy and resorted to brutal measures. That seems to be the only thing these people understand. They are crazy and after four years, there is apparently nothing we can do to help the majority. It's not fair to our soldiers to keep this up indefinitely. These people only understand religious oppression! Let them have at it.

Larry, Santa Ana, California

The WEST could not police China in the 1890s, the WEST could not police Russia in the aftermath of 1917, no one couldever police Somalia, Nigeria or western Africa. Stop playing the global state troopers of the world. Our armed forces should never again take action in Asias, Africas or South Americas inner state problems. Let them be on their own as long as they fight civil wars, ethnic cleansings and all that kind of atrocities. Right?
It does not sound to me like a good alternatve for a human future on earth. It is cynical because the west can bring things to an end! I think their should be a combined power to bring an end to that kind of violence. But (!!) it should not be the UK and the US alone to work on that! That is the real problem: Who will build up a military and social axis of power to inforce freedome and peace and democracy in the world? Someone has to do what has to be done! Let us work on that instead of surrendering to the power of evil and hate.

Dirk R Bode, Hamburg, Germany,

This is the same kind of BS that Alistair Campbell and Tony Baloney are coming out with in the UK since the nightmare that is the Iraq War . Trying to absolve their responsibility is disgraceful , these people have no honour and I hope they are punished .

Benzo, Nr Chelmsford,

Frederick Kagan said,

“The Iraqi government, right now, is a terrific ally in the war on terror. There have been more Iraqis killed fighting Al-Qaeda than in any other nation of the world. The question is, are we going to stand by them?”

What balderdash. Until the news media puts an end to its practise of acting as stenographers for these criminals the propaganda they record as "fact" will continue to poision John and Jane Q. Publix ability to see, our, governments actions in the full light of the truth.

Fact, the US and its client states attacked Iraq a country which posed no threat what so ever to any nation on the planet earth.

Fact the Bush Administration with the help of a pliably compliant group of stenographers in the media used outright lies to create an atmosphere of fear that allowed the US to prosecute an elective war in Iraq.

You have your right to your own opinions not your own facts.

Persona non grata, Isle of Misfits, NY

I opposed the war in Iraq, for more than one reason. As General Norman Swartzkoff said after the first Gulf War, Saddam Hussein was a danger only to his own people--not us. We went there for very selfish reasons--oil--and to set up a base to dominate the middle east.

The essential decision to make, and make it clear, is that when we leave Iraq, we will leave Iraq. Like we left Vietnam, not with 50,000 troops staying there forever to "manage" Iraq and the middle east.. The Bush policy is to stay there for decades, and Powell plainly agrees with that. So he hasn't really broke with the "Bush Doctrine" after all.

Bush has repeatedly said he means what he says, and I don't think he will change his policy at all. He might repaint it and call it something else, but he won't change it. He has 18 months left, and he can cause a lot of trouble during that time.

Randolph Phillips, Shiloh, Georgia

I have faith that Powell is not the complete moron we might expect, considering the people he worked for as Secretary of State. His is simply weak in the arena of diplomacy, as are so many.

But if I were ever to meet the fellow, I would want to ask him a single question: "Why, after the first invasion of Iraq and the complete defeat of Sadaam, didn't you and that President explain to everyone who had ears why you KNEW it would be folly to carry the invasion into Baghdad?"

If they had done so, it would have saved everyone a lot of pain. The dim-witted son of that President and his evil Vice president could never have sold their cart of manure to the American people (or the English, for that matter).

steven austin, California, US

Elect Ron Paul the next President of the United States and things will change for the better. The pull out of Iraq is inevitable, and should be done now. It was not our war - and we should not be there.

Scott Saks, Los Angeles, California

It's interesting that dg of Los Angeles makes the point that Sun Tzu said "do not fight in your enemy's city" (precisely the advice Colin Powell gave Bush snr). There is a play called The Art of War that has been playing to sold out audiences here in Sydney, in which the entire Iraq scenario is followed step by step according to the principles of Sun Tzu. The result is exactly what we now have--a war in we have become the invader who cannot win--the unwanted and disliked occupier suffering death by a thousand cuts from a fractured society whose only common ground is to get rid of Americans. The great tragedy here is that Powell followed his commander-in-chief when to be insubordinate would in fact have been a greater act of patriotism. I think it is far too easy to blame him in hindsight. No doubt he lay awake for years praying he would be proven wrong. Sadly, he was not. It will be 50 years before we recover from this mess--and Bush will retire to the ranch, oblivious to it all.

Nick, Sydney, Australia

We need military leaders who are willing to charge the hill today, not 4 years later. We trained Powell to fight for his country. I'm sure as a 2nd Lt. he would have charged any hill, but when his day came to save his country, he failed us...and the U.K. as well. He should be embarrassed.

Wayne Bickley, Salt Lake City, UT

The Powells, father and son, have proven themselves to be obliging puppets to power. Mrs. Powell on the other hand seems to have savvy and gumption.

neil, la quinta, california

Nice*real nice Mr.Powell. Just who the hell did you think you were working for ? How many dead because you chose NOT to be a human. All your past and present lies will not return life or limb.You and people like you make me sick.

T.Nairns, Rowlett, TX

How convenient that NOW Mr. Powell has decided that he was against the invasion before he was for it. Very Kerryesque! However, this is consistent with a character flaw that has always plagued him and why he could never be POTUS.
It is like an architect looking at a house he has designed and said I told the builders that design would never work.
Pathetic!

douglas, Kuwait City, Kuwait

Colin Powell is one of the few folks in this world that can bring an out-of-control Washington AND a hysterical public to the reality that we have a whole lot of hard work to do in this country of ours and the world abroad.

We need to get away from right and left and get back to right and wrong. The real Americans here on the Plains know that. But politicians need to start talking the right talk in Iowa AND the Southern and Coastal Elites in the country need to put their money where their mouths are.

We'll be tending to the crops in the meantime. Perhaps we should send the Mexicans. They do a damn fine job building and maintaining the suburbs.

Ehren Parks, Fremont, Nebraska

Many of you are bashing Gen. Powell because he made the WMD statement at the U.N. That statement was based on intelligence that was provided to Gen. Powell and as Sec. of State it was his obligation to report the findings. Don't kid yourself - Gen. Powell was the voice of reason on the Bush administration before he resigned. He is a patriot and one of the great leaders of our time. It is unfortunate for us that he declined a run at the Presidency.

Dan , Charlotte , NC

When he was able to, he could have resign, or at the very least not take the case for war to the UN. Instead, he MADE the case for war. Whatever else he says now to justify his role is just so pathetic. He should realise this and just do as the man says:

"Do us a favor Mr. Powell. Go away and shut up!"

I hope he's not trying to angle a role for himself as a possible future Secretary of State with Obama. I'm very confident Hilary Clinton is smart enough to smell a rat.

Tony, Perth, Australia

Powell is a day late and a dollar short. His presentation to the U.N. was the frosting on the cake for a lot of people who supported this unholy war. Had he opposed it, his reputation and popularity would have swayed public opinion. I knew he had sold his soul to the devil - - - there's no redemption for him now.

Lynn, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Shame on you Powell et al it's too late, your disgrace is complete and why anyone from any minority group should align themselves with the Neocons is beyond me(you should have known better), be warned Ms Rice history will judge you just as harshly.

Chris Foley, sydney, australia

The President appears to have made the decision to go to war with Iraq at the behest of advisors that conviently left him standing alone once the it became clear that Iraq's infrastructure was destroyed. Thus Iraq's threat to US friends in the area was eliminated. Now that Iran's threats are growing, some in the U.S. Senate are urging attacking Iran. Such individuals wont be leaving, however. The President will leave office instead in 1/20/09. Hopefully Mr. Bush will stand and not yield to such urges.

Richie, San Antonio, Tx

"If you see an iceberg, tell it to go away", said the captain of the Titanic to his crew as he went to bed on the unsinkable Iraq War.

Mark Cartwight, Rushville,

I believe they used to say, in the US Army,
'There are old soldiers, and there are bold
soldiers, but there are NO old, bold soldiers.'

That's where Generals come from.

Barnegat Leight, Haven Beach, NJ, USA

Powell's belated comments remind me of the old saw, "success has a 1,000 fathers, but failure is an orphan." In the months and years to come, I'm sure others will step forward to say that they were against the war all along. Just like all the "good Germans" who came forward after May 1945 to say that they were always against Hitler.

Jim, NY, NY,

I find neither cause nor desire to hold Gen. Powell any less accountable for the Iraq debacle than the Commander in Chief himself. He, Rice, Rumsfeld, Cheney, and Bush are all inextricably linked by the plan (plot?) to fool the American public (and the slightly more gullible Legislature) into accepting a virtually unilateral, aggressive, and short-sighted invasion. I guess we'll never learn.

Noah Golden, Ft. Wayne, IN

Like all cabinet secretaries, Colin Powell took a oath of office where he swore to "support and defend the Constitution" of the United States. Unfortunately, he seemed, like all members of the Bush Administration, to believe he swore a personal oath to George W. Bush. This same switch of oath to "leader" was accomplished by Adolph Hitler in the early 1930s, as he consolidated political and military power. There is no excuse for loyalty to the leader when the Constitution is being violated and political leaders are waging illegal wars.

David, Madison, Wisconsin

There is no victory for the U. S. in a civil war in Iraq. All we have done is inflame the other extremists in the region. Would it have been any different had we kept our nose out of Iraq? We will never know. Had I been president, the mountains of Afghanistan would no longer exist in my quest for Osama bin Ladin. Or, were we ever looking for him in the first place? Friends of mine on the hunt for Osama in Afghanistan have had to go through 'channels' before a possible attack on the area in which he was. Amazing, he packed up and left before the very eyes of the Air Force. You decide: Are we pursuing Osama or not?

Coral, Henderson, Clark County/NV

Colin Powell is probably correct on his assessment of the situation in Iraq.The problem with him is his lack of credibility for his pre war public stance and especially his remarks to the UN on WMD.He was not a good soldier.If he did advise Bush not to go to war as he now claims a good soldier would have resigned as Secetary of State and publicly opposed the war rather than be part of an administration that needlessly has caused the slaughter and maiming of thousands.

R Mosco, Glendale, AZ USA

Shame on you, Colin Powell. You are as much to blame as Bush and Cheney. If you had dignity, you would have spoken out publicly as the American public was led by the nose into this disaster. You are a disgrace.

Chris Woods, Houston, USA

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse.

The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.

John Stuart Mill, London, United Kingdom

Powell is in the state of denial. If he carried water for Bush administration, knowing fully well that he did not believe in the mission, then he has blood on his hands as well. If he wants to make amends, he should talk to the Congress and expose the shenanigans that went on before the invasion of Iraq, which had nothing to do with terrorism or with 9/11.

SONNY PITCHUMANI, NEW YORK, USA

In Physics and in Politics, Action Counts.

Powell should have studied Newton:
For every Action, there is an equal and opposite Re-Action.

The American People must 'Act ' to Save America. America belongs to the People, not the Government, AND certainly not to the Corporate Military Complex.

Common Sense, Washington, USA

For or against the war, there seems to a general disgust of Powell.

Consistent support, or opposition would have served him better.

Charles, Burton-on-Taylor, UK

I am angry when I see Mr Powell on TV or read about him. Mr Powell went to UN to lie for this administration. My respect for Mr Powell went down the drain when it became clear that he was a part the plot to use fear and spread lies on behalf of the Bush Administration. TOO LITTLE TOO LATE MR POWELL.

Mario, Lawrence, Kansas

These treacherous and treasonous comments I am reading strengthen the power of the evil assassins. You have been officially reported to Homeland Security by this patriot and I hope they deal with you like they do all internal dissenters and traitors.

Earl, Austin, Texas

I completely believe the war would be over and won if the democrats had not sided with the terrorists in fighting the American President Bush. The same could be said about some in England as well. I feel that one should NEVER side with an enemy of your home country.

Jake, hastings,

if Powell knew all this why did he not resign. i listened to his speech at the UN on NPR live about mobile chemical labs etc. and immediately called a friend about the lies Powell was giving to to the UN. because I had heard previously those were not chemical/biological labs on the damn media!

Just as general scowcroft of the kuwait war, Powell seem learned about arab factions and mentality he should have made his feelings known after all our own were being put in harms way.

gjz, Birmingham, Alabama

I have to add something more, following upon the above comment on Powell: The American nation does,
repeat DOES, have the mechanism for getting rid of
a malign or incompetent President and, perhaps more to the point, Vice-President. It is called Impeachment,
an investigation that can lead to conviction and expulsion. I predict if we do not use this measure, history will judge the USA in this present era very very harshly, negatively for our failure to face up to and clean up the mess, and put a stop to Bush's madness.
It's like the whole country is a Colin Powell: We know
it's wrong and evil, we advise against it, but we dont DO anything about it!! Why is this, do you suppose?

Jim Allen, Santa Fe, NM

I really wish when on-line news outlets did reports like this and quote people from orginizations like the AEI they would give readers a little background on said orginizations.

The American Enterprise Intitute is a neo-conservative "think"-tank run by ex-CEOs of companies like ExxonMobil.

By not indicating what an orginization stands, for the Times gives more validity to someone like Frederick Kagan than he deserves.

K Hack, Castaic, CA

I'd like to see more info on what the "response" was at the Aspen Ideas Festival to Powell's attempt to save himself. Anyone know?

Here's an "idea," Colin: you were, and continue to be, a cowardly, self-serving suck-up, more concerned about your own political future than about the welfare of men & women in uniform or of those killed and maimed.

Mauimom, Washington , DC

Damn Colin.

You let us down. Help us out by speaking out now.

Loudly. Often. To all the military members both Active Duty and Retired.

Yell louder!

Unique, RapidCity, USA/Ubet

The west has brought this on itself by arrogance and disdain against people of color all across this planet. The sins of the fathers will surely be paid for by the offspring. enough said

Gerald, Oxnard, California, USA

Just eight words: Powell yesterday, Rice today, which Jim Crow tomorrow?

Karm Arger, Kent, U.K.

“You are going to have to have some people left behind to provide stability and security for the country and take on the terrorists".

For heaven's sake, if 160,000 American troops are incapable of providing stability and security to Iraq and "take on" the "terrorists", how are 60-70,000 supposed to do it? There is no reason for any foreign troops to remain; they are not helping, just making things worse. The Iraqis are, sadly, going to fight this out themselves and the West needs to butt out and leave them to it. And learn to never do anything so murderously stupid ever again.

David S., Sydney, Australia

I have absolutely no respect for Colin Powell anymore. He's a "yes" man that betrayed our country. His reputation is shot, give it up. I wish I'd never hear his name again.

Ted Paxin, Charlotte, NC

Good to see that so many of the comments come from addresses in the US.

We in the UK are finally rid of our scheming PM it would be wonderful if your President was impeached and then removed.

Fromtheislands, Stornoway, United Kingdom

Powell is a sad case. He wasn't one of the warmongers but he let himself be used by Bush to gain crucial support for the war and nothing he says now can make up for that. One should also remember that during the Reagan administration we were pals with Saddam because he fought Iran. When Congress threatened anti-Saddam actions because of his atrocities, it was good soldier Powell, as Reagan's national security adviser, who convinced key members of Congress to drop them. He has a lot to answer for.

Victor, Los Angeles, California

Powell is high on my list of duplicitous, mendacious people I once trusted, who have turned me into a confirmed cynic.

ECMpuke, Edgartown, MA

So we are going to pull most but not all our troops? We never should have been there! Did Great Brittan come over here to stop our civil war? We have to realize we made a big mistake and we need to leave, If those peaple are gonna kill each other then i guess thats what they will do. Hopefully we learned not to trust a liar (I was fooled at first) I hate this administration and all those who sit around just talking endlessly about not doing anything. IMPEACH

Greg Donaghu, Placentia, California

Russ and Mark are just upset that Americans no longer beleive these irrational myths they purport. The lies based in fear and deception are buried deep in their bones, as is obvious, but the rest of America decides to be courageous, saving US soldiers and Iraqis from needless death. We understand that your Fox news ideology has you both fearful, hateful, and confused, but this is the purpose of such infotainment. America woke up, and you have been left behind, as Tim Lahaye would say.

Justin, Phoenix, AZ

We are sacrifycing our young , our future and Americas good
name to the Altar of Egotistical Stupidity ...
The question is how to avoid another GEORGE
God Help US !!!

jekll, West Covina,

I have always had respect for Colin Powell until his support of the Iraq war. Even though he claims he tried to talk Bush out of the war, he still went to the U.N. and said there was unmistakenable evidence Iraq has WMDs.

At that time, Powell had more credibility than Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld and the neo-cons combined.

He could have stopped the rush to war in its tracks. All he would have needed to do was to call a press conference and say he was resigning because he did not want to be part of a misguided and morally wrong invasion of another nation. Do you believe Bush, Cheney, Rice and the neo-cons could have overcome one of the most respected--at that time--military men who had oversaw the Gulf War opinion?

I feel sorry for Colin Powell because he threw away his credibility to be one of the team.

He must now carry on his conscience the 3,900 dead and 25,000 + wounded and opening the gates of hell in the Middle East. It will be decades before this us settled

Johna Hayes, Green Cove Springs, Florida/USA

Bush and Cheney should have listened to people who knew a lot more about the region then they did. Did anyone know more about Iraq then Saddam Hussein? He told his General Staff that the Americans would carpet bomb the country but they would never be stupid enough to put me on the ground. That was good advice, just like Colon Powell's advice when he told George W. "This is not your father's war sir; this time you break it you bought it."

Mike Joyce, Fort Lauderdale,

You tried to talk him out of it, but then were willing to throw your reputation behind its rationale: Iraq possessed WMDs and posed an imminent threat to the U.S. and its allies.

You can't have it both ways Mr. Powell. Too late to rewrite history or to repair your stained reputation.

At one time I admired you; today I consider you a traitor.

And it's been a civil war since we occupied Baghdad. And yes we could decide the outcome to favor the legitimate government that is dominated by Shiites and Kurds, the majority of the population who the Baathist Sunnis terrorized.

All we have to do is start leveling Sunni towns and treat them to a taste of the medicine (terror) they all too willingly inflict on Shiites and Kurds.

We lack the guts to do what's right and the result is we're enabling the Maliki government to wither on the vine. By not stopping Sunni inspired terrorism we are feeding the Shiite militias.

Do us a favor Mr. Powell. Go away and shut up!

Robert, St Louis, Missouri

I served under you General Powell in the first Gulf War. You did a great job. Politics is different that the military. Your first duty in you job within this administration was to the citizens of this country, the constitution and the military. You let them all down by your misguided loyalty to the President. In the military you must say "yes sir" to the commander in chief. As Secretary of State your actions could have prevented or at least seriously undermined the Presidents desire to go to war. You lacked the political courage to defy the President. I believe you, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Cheney and the President are all are guilty of War Crimes. Were we not the United States, there would be calls for tribunals. I think you are right in your assessment of the situation as it currently is. But then again you knew it would turn out this way.

max, Alexandria, Va

This is what our great president of character has brought us to. We have a damaged and slowly deteriorating army fighting in a foreign civil war. We have a dunce in the White House(Bush) who has already said that the next president will clean up his mess. We have a Darth Vader vice-president who is orchestrating the biggest fund transfer from the government into a single private company in the entirety of US history. And you have a public that can't even see the game. It's a wonder this country has lasted this long.

LarryL, KC,

Takes a lot of nerve, Mike, to call a man such as Gen. Powell a coward and a traitor. He is far from either. Powell presented what was at the time the trusted intel of the world. He did not blatantly lie in the UN or to the US citizens he presented evidence that was thought to accurate. Can one not later realize mistakes? Additionally, it is stated that there are many, many accounts of Powell warning the admin of the dangers of this admin and being ignored.

Ryan, Fargo, ND

What do you get when you cross a good heart with a bad brain? That's right; George W. Bush. What do you get when you cross the Commander-in-Chief with a creationist lunatic who wants to "teach the controversy?" Yup; George W. Bush. What do you get when you cross the Leader of the Free World with a man who says "nucular" and "ah b'lieve" but rarely says "I think?" Right; George W. Bush. Remember former Texas Governor Ann Richards? "George W. Bush was born with a silver foot in his mouth." I could go on but you get the point. And don't say I didn't tell you so.

Marty Kay Zee, Pasadena, CA, USA

From the time talk of invading Iraq began, those who denounced the idea as a recipe for disaster were denigrated as spineless, unpatriotic, and worse. Now that even some Republicans are abandoning the president on Iraq, I hope Americans will go back and re-read what many were saying back in 2003. Who had it right? Who revealed not only that they had absolutely no idea what they were talking about but also viciously denounced those who disagreed with them? Which news services, broadcast, cable, and print, did a better job of preparing the public for the complexity and enormous risks of this war? Which served as craven cheerleaders?

Ideology is one thing, and for too long that's all voters paid attention to. The catastrophe in Iraq now gives us the means to evaluate leaders and opinion-makers based on what's really important: knowledge, wisdom, and honesty.

Grant, Madison, WI

I disagree with those who are slamming Colin Powell. He can only try and convince the President of the consequences. Failing which, he is bound by duty to carry through on Bush's decision to go to war. He is not a rat bailing on a sinking ship. He is an honorable military man. The blood is on the hands of Bush and Cheney who are the real decision makers to wage war on Iraq. This has NOTHING to do with Powell. I hope this is not a racial bash and that we have more sense than to stoop to that level, America.

Victor, Vancouver, BC Canada

If Colin Powell had said "I cannot support a policy of war, I resign" before the war started, the American public and the congress would have had the guts to vote against it. Unfortunately, Mr. Powell went along with the decider. Our congress did not want to be seen as being unpatriotic because this administration kept throwing that word out making it seem that anyone who wasn't for war was unpatriotic! It was shameless blackmail! Tony Blair was also responsible because he supported such a terrible policy of "preemptive war". What a terrible waste of lives and money!

Marie, Elyria, OH

I, too, have no respect for Powell. He knew he was wrong, that Bush was wrong, and that the war was the wrong thing to do. He is the worst Secretary of State ever, for allowing this. Had he resigned and raised hell, others would have spoken up, you can be sure. He was in a pivotal position and could have turned the tide. And now he wants to be paid to expound as an "authority"? Everything he makes should go to the families of the servicemen, OJ-style.

Don Hazeltine, Seattle, USA / WA

After the ladies have made us look back on the Bush years as the good old days, Mr. Obama and Mr. Powell will be quite the ticket.

Dan Plecha, Streetsboro, Ohio

Jimmy Carter still holds the title of worst presidency in the nation's history. EVERYONE believed the intelligence hyped by George Tenet, not just Mr. Powell. Colin Powell was trying to talk the President out of the war even after the UN speech he delivered. It's convenient for some who I dare say have never left their couch to serve in uniform to call a man of Powell's stature and experience a coward. He's a hero, you sir are the coward. Put down the bag of doritos and enlist for a tour of duty fat boy.

john, charlottesville, Virginia

If Colin Powell had done then what he is doing now, we would not be in this mess. If he had had he b.....of a general, he would have resigned and said publicly why. His views now are too little, too late, and irrevelant. His time to speak up was before, not 4 years later. And, as to advising Obama, well, that says enough to me not to vote for him. His advice can't be too reliable if he was giving it to Dubya and then couldn't make his case. Why do we continue to give this man a platform to whine about what the didn't do?

Hellen Hoffman, Lake Worth, FL

is anyone really shocked that a politician lied ? The two party system needs to be abandoned and we need to elect someone who has integrity and character. People who think having a Democrat as the next President is going to change everything need to open their eyes...a Democrat is the opposite side of the same dirty political coin.

Gary D, Clinton Twp, MI USA

This could have all been avoided had the strategy included the logical separation of Iraq into its three natural components; Sunnis in the west/midwest, Shia in the south/southeast, and Kurds to the North ..... or whatever the practical demographic, religous and/or ethnic boundries would dictate. In such an event, with the central power of Saddam eliminated, the next step would be to convene a meeting of the three proposed regions to work out the physical arrangements, boundries and spoils. Its still not too late.

Paul VanDerHeusen, Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Powell might have saved countless lives
if he had resigned from the administration
and gone public with his warnings instead
of playing the good soldier and going along
with the idiotic adventure.

robert, oakland, USA/CA

Yeah, everyone here is right. Iraqis were much better off when a murderous and brutal dictator ran Iraq so his sons could go raping their way through Sadr City. I'm sure the Iraqis preferred the tortures of wood chippers and sliced faces to the situation now. So what if Saddam gassed the Kurds and drained the Marshlands? As long as weall know it was about oil.

I'm with the rest of you - it is too hard to try and defend the freedom of others. So long as I'm safe, the rest of the world can fend for itself!

Russ, Charlotte, NC, USA

To say that the surge shows "lack of demonstrable success " is the most tremendous lie. All the defeatists, fellow travelers, and Al Quaeda sympathisers in the media and politics are desparately trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory before it is too late. Their greatest fear is that the US will demonstrate enough staying power to knock AQM out of commission, leaving their investment in a Bush Administration defeat comes up as a total loss.

Martin Palmer, San Augustine, Texas

I agree with Sandy and Mark - I worked in the US State Department while Powell was SecState... We had all the intelligence which said NO WMD in Iraq - yet the 'dutiful soldier' Powell ignored the advice of talented State Department Intelligence Personnel and lied to the world about WMD and the rush to war with Iraq... Apparently, his New story is brought about by his undoubtedly guilty conscious, knowing that blood of our dead, dying, and maimed military and innocent Iraqi's deaths lies at his feet... Ironically, had he been the truly good soldier, he would have had the courage to resign, rather than tell those lies at the UN, and ironically, we wouldn't have gone to war - Congress would have demanded the truth from Powell as to why he resigned... Courage is absent in Washington and unless we as Americans begin to call a spade a spade - we are in serious trouble of losing our most precious freedoms...

Craig Michaels, Beverly Hillls, CA

Powell should first have taught himself out of giving that ridiculous speech/act at the UN. Powell was, and still is an enabler of the Bush/Cheney's war on Iraq. He is not a conscientious citizen of USA and he is still not telling the truth, the whole truth of going to war to the American people and the rest of the world. His lately bits and pieces mumbling to the media is only an excercise of cleansing his legacy. Mr.Powell, please don't insult our inelligence. Go write your memoir or story, or stories at the American Enterprise Institute.

L.P. Yuen, San Francisco, USA

Colin Powell is an honorable man. He stated his case, but when the President (or Vice President as the case may be) decided to go to war, Powell fell in line like a good soldier and supported the decision. Unfortunately Powell could not over the likes of I. Lewis Libby (real name Irving Lewis Liebowitz) and the other neocons.

Ray, Virginia Beach, VA, USA

my 8 year old son knows the difference between a lie and a mistake. the ENTIRE WORLD all had the same intell on Iraq. The intell was wrong. When you insist that is a lie, you label yourself as a liar. you are a boob - and that's why, no matter how badly the bush administration has handled the war, your political views will never gain power, because they are hysterical and untruthful, and ultimately, unsupportable. Grow up.

joe, colorado springs,

Powell is as much to blame as is Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. His protestations are way too late. He should have been a patriot and spoken up in real time and resigned if necessary to do so. Shame on him.

Al Cafaro, NY, NY

I think Powell was duped and lied to by President Chaney and h is minions. I think when he found out the truth, that is when he resigned.

w.barnes, Far Northern Utah, USA Idaho

Powell didn't lie. No one lied. Did Bill Clinton lie when he bombed Iraq in December 1998 for having WMD? Tony Blair supported that mission too. I don't remember any Europeans protesting against that action. Democrats applauded when Bill Clinton made "Regime Change" in Iraq the foreign policy of the United States.

Madeleine Albrite, Arlington, Virginia

2 and a half hours is about a half a minute for every slain american soldier so far..i guess that's trying hard enough.

Can't help repeating this:

He sought the UN and was caught there
Blaming Powell for Iraq is just Not fair
We know he was duped
And outta the looped
We hated him last -- but we GOT there!

Heidi , Lafayette, CA

General Powell apparently also failed to talk HIMSELF out carrying Bush's water to the United Nations General Assembly to make "the case" for the war. Sorry, Colin, too little too late.

NLPoff, Fort Collins, CO

Yes, Colin, and why did you not speak out to the public about this when it would have mattered and made a difference? I shall always remember you for
what you *did not* do! Alas.
Time for Gen Powell to fade away.

Jim Allen, Santa Fe, NM

Too little, too late Mr Powell. You sat in the UN and lied just like the rest of the Bush regime pushing for war. It's interesting now that this horrendous war has gone from bad to worse, the Bush supporters are like rats abandoning Bush's ship. Crawl back in your hole Mr Powell. You and the rest of your ilk will never be able to wash the blood form your hands.

Sandy, St Petersburg, USA/FL

I have no respect for Mr Powell. In the run up to the iraq invasion he lied to the United Nations and the United States citizens.
He placed politics before defending the Consitution. As a soldier he is a coward and a traitior. Coming out now is to little too late. Just imagine for a moment how the hundreds of billions of dollars spent on the war could have been used for here for building a more energy effient infastructure.

Mark Eifert, portland, OR

The Bush Administration based their invasion of Iraq on a mountain of lies. Everything that they predicted failed to come to fruition i.e., weapons of mass destruction, the war paying for itself, and the admiration and respect of the Iraqi people for liberation them. What exist today is a Civil War that we cannot politically resolve with military tactics. President Geore W. Bush and his administration had hopes of mirroring Teddy Roosevelt what they reaped was the status of becoming the worst President and worst Administration in the history of our United States of America.

bill giesin , louisville, Kentucky, USA

Two and a half hours, Patrick, not years.

I have no sympathy at all for Powell. Yes, I'm sure that, compared to the neoconservatives in the Bush administration, Powell was a voice of reason on Iraq. But when the neocons pushed back, Powell decided to roll over, and it was his lies before the United Nations that may have led us most directly into war. Apparently he's now trying to assuage his conscience by saying he tried to talk Bush down off the ledge. I think that asking the U.S. Secretary of State to tell the truth is a reasonable standard. Powell didn't meet even that minimal standard. And now he, like the rest of the administration, has the blood of thousands of people on his hands.

Jim, Reno, Nevada

This is old news. Powell apparently didn't believe it was his duty to resign and publicly break with the administration when he had a chance to do something to avoid, or at least alter, the disaster he knew was coming.

I am saddened by Powell's failure but I find it difficult to have any sympathy for him. Powell is courageous, valiant, gifted, talented, brilliant----all the things we have heard about him for decades. But he has always been a careerist---whose personal ambition subsumed his better judgment and his duty to the public.

For all his remorse, Robert McNamara has never been able to wipe out the reality of the destruction he helped to bring---and then carried out, even when he allegedly knew it was hopeless--to this country and Southeast Asia. Powell's actions and words in this disaster can never be made right, and he has to know that. If only he would have considered the McNamara tragedy as he kept silent. To paraphrase Powell, he broke his legacy. He owns it.

John Hennen, Morehead, KY

Americans and the Bush administration are ignorant of history and are doomed to repeat past mistakes again and again. Anyone who had only a passing understanding of Iraq history would have know that trying to occupy the country would be a disaster. It's the hubris and greed of this administration that makes imperialism the foreign policy of the US, as it has in America's past history going back to the invasion and occupation of the American continent. Bush and Chaney simply invaded and will continue to occupy Iraq in order to control it's reserve of cheap oil and to estabish military bases there to control the rest of Middle East oil suppies . I'm afraid that this same Imperialistic foreign policy will continue no matter what administration is in power . Or until the American Empire slowly declines or more probably implodes quickly in economic collapse.

norman ernsting , Montreal, canada

"We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality - judiciously, as you will - we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors ... and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do."
Karl Rove (aka Bush's Brain)

Ronnie, Paris, FRANCE

If Powell did in fact attempt to talk Bush out of invading Iraq, he should have quit once the war started. Instead, by pushing the WMD myth at the UN, he became complicit and is just as responsible for the horrors the US brought to Iraq as Bush et al.

Gary, Vancouver, Canada

2.5 hrs not years!

Aled Morris, Manila,

Wars are never fought because of a clash of ideologies, wars are fought because of a clash of economies. In the case of Iraq, oil is the bottom line. The United States is energy driven and we need control of energy sources. Iraq real estate sits on top of the second largest lake of oil on the planet. Figure it out yourself. Energy=wealth=power.

Art Lyon, Ocala, Florida

Well let's see now... Bush starts a war with Iraq for which the justification was all lies. The country is now in total chaos with thousands continuing to be killed in an internecine bloodbath. The instability is slowly spreading throughout the middle east. The influence of Iran is in the ascendancy. He is still deluding himself that somehow there is a military victory to be had.he cannot admot he made a mistake of epic proportions. American troops are being blown up daily as their lives are sacrificed
on the altar of Bush's ego. I wonder if he wishes he had listened to Powell.

Bruce Northwood, Washington, D.C., USA

That's 2 1/2 HOURS, Patrick. Not years.

James, Swindon, Wiltshire

It's too bad Powell didn't try and talk him out of becoming president!

Kim Righetti, Upland, California USA

4,000 years ago in the book, The Art of War, Sun Zu said, Do not fight in your enemy's city.

Money and the lives of our soldiers are finite resources. If they were unlimited, we should stay in Iraq indefinitely; since they are not we should redeploy.

dg, los angeles, , california

Typical neo-con... plan for the war they want (but not for the aftermath), warp the truth, lie to the public to get their war, bungle every attempt to form some sort of order after destroying the country and then say 'it's not my fault'

To anyone who voted for Bush (even once) (that's you, R. Marks from Watertown, CT) , this is YOUR fault. Way to go!

p. king, New York, New York

Powell is either a liar or a coward; probably both. If Obama, or anyone else is listening to him, they are bigger fools than he is.

marco rabino, florence, italy

But what sort of policies does Powell now favour toward the two regional oil giants, i.e. the authoritarian Sunni-led Saudi Arabia and Shiite-led Iran?

And what about terror inflicted Western Europe? In my eyes, there isn't really what I'd call a deep-seated consensus for a return to the former stability goals toward the troubled Arab world. Listening to influential leaders such as Monsieur Sarkozy and Frau Merkel you get a slightly different perception, right?

But don't get my points wrong. I'm hardly trying to defend the current nightmare in Iraq

Simon Gade, Copenhagen, Denmark

I would not have thought my respect for go-along-get-along Colin Powell could have decreased. But with this whinging and self-serving claim that he tried to protest the Iraq War convinces me that Powell is spineless. And it is just embarrassing. Furthermore, there were people courageous enough to denounce the war before it began and during its long years. Now, when only Bush and Cheney, and maybe Laura and Condi, still support the war, Powell wants to be heard. And his coat-tailing on Obama is just shameless.

Marcia , Gothenburg, , Sweden

Far too little; far too late, Mr. Powell. It's even late -- maybe by two years -- in the context of the massive turn of opinion against L'il Duce! Mr. Powell, once again, your caution and timidity are almost AUDACIOUS! Many of us still remember, not only your ignominious performance before the UN (which you try to blame on neo-con propagandists writing your speech, which you accepted), but also your role in the MyLai Massacre cover-up. To say nothing of your continuing allegiance to the Republican Party. In short: never once have you said, "No, I won't do this." And all your years of craven loyalty have resulted in exactly the reward you deserve: nothing.

Drayton, Montgomery, AL

im sorry for the inocentes lives thats we lost each day , its the bush fault and his dogs of war . they have opened one of hells doors and never they will can close it again. they never get there lesson will of hestory iraq is the land of death and wars from the begining and only one man knew how to control this contry its sadam.
now u have to suffer as the iraqi did all the time .

brahim, agadir, moroco

It is admirable in today's climate that Colin Powell's decision to
spill the beans answers my own questions about his addressing the U.N. with his initial support of our presence in Iraq. I admire Mr. Powell and have great respect for him, except for his involvement in the Bush administration. How disappointing this administration has been! I come from a long line of Democrats. I would not vote Republican except after intense research which led me to believe that I was voting for the best person in a particular office.
Marks, Connecticut.

R. Marks, Watertown, Connecticut

The U.S. has placed itself in the middle of a conflict that has been going on for 700 years in Iraq. For the Iraqi participants, the battle is as real as the day it started. What did President Bush think he was bring to the table to end a 700-year old religious conflict?

Clyde - Florida

Clyde, Brooksville, Florida

It's really too late for Mr. Powell to redeem his reputation now. He could have resigned and gone public at the time rather than signing on to the whole fiasco. Please just go away and don't bother us with half-hearted excuses.

kevin robbins, queensbury, ny

Is Iraq really such a disaster? There seem, once one gets past the media's compulsion to report only bad news, many signs of genunie reform and progress.

Kevin Dunn, Nedlands, WA, Australia

A whopping 2.5 hours. Wow.

Fernandez, San Francisco,

Was Mr. Powell selling the war on Feb 5th 2003 or am I mistaken? These so-called leaders are truly disgraceful and without a shred of consciousness. A million Iraqis have perished since the folly began. Are they free now?

Abdelali, los angeles, CA

Even in the face of the utter disaster and colossal infliction of untold misery on the innocent population of Iraq, there are Neocons in the US, allied to evil heartless warmongers, who want this neo-colonial stupidity to continue. The US will be forever damned by history for its evil war conceived in stupidity and executed in shame. The only solution is for the US and its silly poodle/toady, the UK, to withdraw NOW, without dithering and delaying. Only our exit can create the possibility of a final solution of the mess.

Hal, Tucson,

Strange that Powell should be saying this now; wasn't he the one in the UN, holding a small test-tube to demonstrate the "weapons of mass destruction" he was so sure were in Iraq? Now the times have moved on, that position was all based on a lie, and he's now trying to hitch himself to another bandwagon, namely that of Barack Obama. Perhaps that is what was meant by "regime change"!

rob wells, oxford, uk

Having failed to change the presidents intention Mr Powell procedes "apparently" to support him including his infamous UN slideshow. He should have resigned. With iraq a total mess he wants to distance from the bloodbath in which he was part of.

Jim, London, UK

Very interesting revelation from Powell that he tried for 2.5 years to convince Bush not to invade Iraq. Since the invasion occurred in March 2003, this means that Bush want to invade well before 9/11. In fact, it means that he wanted to invade Iraq even before he became President in January 2001. Obviously there was a pre-existing agenda to attack Iraq well before 9/11.

Patrick Cummins, Victoria, Canada