Colin Powell says Georgia provoked Russian crisis, hints McCain's response was hasty, reckless
On CNN Sunday, former Secretary of State Colin Powell offered some "straight-talk" on the Georgia/Russia conflict, and not-so-subtly insinuated that McCain's rather belligerent response was careless and unnecessarily provocative.
Download | play 
Download | play (h/t Heather)
POWELL: And I think it was foolhardy on the part of President Saakashvili and the Georgian government to kick over this can, to light a match in a roomful of gas fumes.
SESNO: So you're saying the Georgians provoked this?
POWELL: They did. I mean, there was a lot of reasons to have provocations in the area, but the match that started the conflagration was from the Georgian side.
AMANPOUR: And yet...
POWELL: And that's a given.
AMANPOUR: And some debate in the presidential elections has basically been, "We are all Georgians now." What does that mean? It's the same as was said after 9/11.
POWELL: One candidate said that, and I'll let the candidate explain it for himself. [...] You have to be very careful in a situation like this not just to leap to one side or the other until you've taken a good analysis of the whole situation.
If I were a betting man, I would wager that Powell will throw his support behind Obama. Powell is rightfully criticized for pushing the administration's bogus case for war with Iraq, but there's no denying he is a respected voice of foreign affairs. The message an Obama endorsement would send would be a huge blow to McCain.
Thank you, so someone finally sets the record straight.
Well, um, two months ago would've been a good time for Powell to support Obama if he was going to do it.
I agree. I know that personally, I have no use for him, but he is an incredibly respected man among independents, Republicans and yes... a lot of Democrats (think the Chris Matthews or Jack Cafferty kind who opposed the war but can't bring themselves to dislike Powell). People feel about him how they felt about McCain many years ago.
Also important - if Obama gets his endorsement it guarantees a LOT of great press.
I think they will roll him, Hagel, and Bloomberg out after the debates.
headline...tool of the plutocracy speaks truth....
where's the anthrax???
can i get 700 billion, i promise to run my business into the ground
Obama is speaking somewhere right now and you can see it live on the cable news channels. He is kicking Republican ass with a sharp toed shoe. He is mentioning everything that needs talking about.
Powell has been silent too long. You bet he supports Obama, but I doubt we will ever hear it from him.
It's hard to imagine Powell as an acolyte of McLame I suspect it will be a bit of a bridge burning but there never was a great deal of respect offered him by the neocons
McCain hasty and reckless? Hey Colin! Tell us something we DON"T know.
thank you.
FINALLY.
No one has been willing to call out McCain on his reckless behavior here. McCain, in no position to engage on this issue, jumps up and starts howling. Writing checks that he (we) cant cash and driving the international dialog towards further conflict in response to McCain's empty and self-serving rhetoric.
when is the last time you heard McCain discuss Georgia and Russia ? Since it left the front page Johnny hasnt touched it.
Not to mention that it would be an ass removing laugh riot to watch how quickly the neo-kkkons throw Powell under the bus.
Powell won't endorse anyone. Powell looks after Powell. When the national interest was on the line.....he deferred to the neo-con maniacs. He certainly won't risk the smokescreen of his own "good reputation" by endorsing.
He may once have been a brave soldier....but he has NO bravery when it comes to standing up for what is righteous.
Uncle dick promised Georgia over a billion bucks so deduct the costs to repair or replace military hardware and walla! A win-win situation,cool hun and uncle dick got to go on a Georgian getaway taxpayer funded vacation.
Let's hope Powell steps up soon and supports Obama. Now is the time. I understand that it's in Powell's DNA to play the loyal soldier...so he may not offer an official endorsement...but this is too damn important to NOT speak out.
This country is in serious decline. That's is becoming painfully obvious. Powell should get over his loyalty to the GOP and support Obama. After the way Chimpy and his henchmen shit all over Powell and his reputation, Powell owes zero to the Republicans.
C'mon, Colin. Do it for the US...or what's left of it.
Finally someone actually tells the truth.
Something we in other countries knew all along, but hardly any mention in the US media.
Alice X - (Chomsky Nader) - status quObama - change you can pretend in - @ 1:
Oh...c'mon...Colin Powell is just "angry". I'm sure Rush or Hannity will mention that today.
Not to mention, the first three letters of Colin's last name? That would throw the McCain campaign into a collective heart attack.
A few months ago this would have been considered a Conspiracy Theory. Now I guess it's okay to talk about because Colin Bowell said it was. Powell is still a douchebag who supports his superiors more than he represents the American people.
I'm sure that Rush and Hannity will tell their audience that they "are not surprised" that Colin would endorse Obama.
WTF? This morning when McCain was giving a speech, cnn, msnbc and fox aired all or almost all of it. Now Obama is giving a speech and only msnbc aired it and only a few minutes of it. Considering the financial "crisis" shouldn't we be able to hear all of each candidates approach? Forget politics, this is information from both men, one of which will be the next president of the United States.
Okay rant over and now back on topic. When I see Powell it always brings back that morning at the United Nations with that silly dog and pony show he put on to try to convince everyone that Iraq was hiding wmd. He allowed himself to be used basically as justification for the commission of a crime.
"We Are ALL Georgians Now" - John McCain.
So when will "Honest" Colin put his money where his mouth is and endorse Barack Obama? I ain't holdin my breath.
Thank You,
I have been saying this for a while but people kept implying I'm some conspiracist.
It was Genocide but all i heard was........
The US will protect Georgia and it's People from Russia and it's new Cold War.
“We are all Georgians now.”
If Powell ndorses Obama,the neocons will not look at it as a sign that Bush's policies are flawed,they'll just say 'no surprise, the black guy is endorsing the black guy.' Condi is on the fence as well, they'll say the same about her too.
I'm not sure however how they will handle the Bush twins and/or Meghan McCain endorsing Obama.
The lack of respect is stunning — is this the kind of leader you want?
As long as he's white, for some people, the answer is yes.
Sad, isn't it?
The Reverend @ 10:
Never was a brave soldier. More of a coverup artist.
If I were running for dog catcher, I wouldn't want the lying sack's 'endorsement.' Arsehole.
Is it just me, or is McCain taking a beating this week? And it's only Monday. How... refreshing.
Ronin Tetsuro @ 25:
When Obama gets to a 12 point lead...wake me.
Ronin Tetsuro @ 25:
Palin is his only hope.
The fact that McCain is reckless and impetuous is the narrative the Democrats should be pushing harder than his associations with lobby groups and Wall Street.
The proof that he's reckless and impetuous is not hard to find. The fact that he chose Palin for the second most important job in the world after having only met with her once is obvious proof. Poor old Paul Begala was trying to push that theme for about a week after McCain chose her, but none of the official Democrats would follow his lead. Why I don't know.
He was making the analogy between McCain chosing somebody as VP and parents chosing a guardian for their kids should anything happen to them. "Would you write a will that lists somebody you only met ONCE as the guardian for your kids should anything happen to you? No? Well that's what John McCain just did."
The analogy works, and has traction. It also fits in with the rest of his actions, both recently and historically.
Do you want ANOTHER reckless, impetuous person in the White House? Wasn't George Bush, running off and doing things without thinking them through first, enough?
Ronin Tetsuro @ 25:
Long overdue too.
General Powell, endorse Obama or STFU. The equivocation is really beyond tiresome.
I just hope that's it too late for the GOP to switch their candidate, I want them to be stuck with McCain, he can't recover at this point.
McCain is the new Bob Dole, the guy that the GOP runs just to maintain presence.
Americans need to wake up and thoroughly reject the fallacy that is "Conservatism".
Powell, was he duped by Bushco, or did he allow himself to be duped, or was he just naive. I'd have to have those answers before I could trust his judgement as far as any endorsement. He probably understands this now as well.
Obama is better off without Powell's endorsement.
Looked like they all agreed with Obama's positions.
[Obama: On Economy, McCain Has Had An "Election-Time Conversion"](http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/obama_on_economy...)
Check out the attacks on McCain. I am impressed and yes he is going after lobbyists. Finally, somebody is addressing the problem of lobbying.
Obama can smell it and going after it.
Dale @ 27:
She's only one wardrobe malfunction away from bringing them back into the lead.
The rest of the world has long know all this crap was Georgia's fault,
and, of course, the USA's.
It is gratifying to finally see Powell not lying.....
Powell should have been the first black president. Aside from the blunder of throwing his weight behind the current Bush Administration and the stupidity of being used as a tool by the same group, he's pretty level headed when dealing with conflict. Too bad that gaffe will haunt him, he would have made a great cabinet member (national security, defense, state) again for either administration, especially Obama's.
Oops, here is his attacking like a Clinton:
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/obama_on_economy...
Liberal AND Proud @ 26:
If you're waiting for polls to vindicate reality, you're gonna be hibernating for a long goddamn time.
The Reverend @ 10:
The US doesn't need only brave soldiers. It needs brave CITIZENS. Citizen Powell, do the righteous thing.
Liberal AND Proud @ 34:
Yep. All she needs to do is wear a less-supportive bra and she'll have the white-male vote.
Speaking of world affairs and what is not being addressed. Has anyone seen this? I wonder if this will even be mentioned in the debate. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7628890.stm
Don't you just love nuance. And now back to the one axon mind of Bush/McCain.
Ronin Tetsuro @ 25:
No. Like all Republicans, McCain is a beneficiary of the Bush legacy of scandal desensitization. Do you remember the old days when Clinton "renting out" bedrooms in the White House to big campaign donors dominated the news cycle for a month? These days, the Republicans have created SO MANY scandals that the news media acutally has to cherry pick the one that they're going to cover. Usually the dumbest and most salacious one. McCain being on the wrong side of the Georgia conflict won't make it back into the news unless Obama finds some excuse to bring it up this Friday.
If we were living back in the good old days, that story of Oliver North covering up (or f-ing up, depending on your perspective) the bombing of that Afghan village would have been a MAJOR scandal covered by every news outlet. As things are now, it barely made it into Olbermann's "worst person in the world" segment.
This is really a 'through the looking glass' world we're living in.
Unless you're in front of the UN with pictures of trailer homes in Arizona...then, you just shill for a corrupt, genocidal executive.
Powell showed he was a "Company Man" starting with My Lai coverups. And he used cartoon quality illustrations in the United Nations to dupe most of you into the Iraq INVASION!
If he endorses, fine!
I'm sorry, but when Powell sat there and LIED to us about WMDs, when he brought out that little vial to illustrate biological weapons that he strongly said Iraq possessed, when he showed us bogus satellite images of god knows what and saying they were proof that Iraq was all set to attack us, he lost all credibility.
He was morally repugnant then and he will remain, imho, a cipher.
Respected? Not by me, dammit.
ThunderMonkey @ 36:
That's a pretty damn big "aside" for someone whose entire adult life was spent in one capacity or another on the stage of national defense and international affairs. "Apart from the fact that he can't sing or play an instrument, he was a great member of the band."
chicano2nd @ 45:
Dude! You mean he didn't fool you and you didn't warn us. That's harsh dude.
#32: Powell is still, unfortunately, what could be referred to as an "unknown unknown".
An Obama endorsement could go either way, smoking gun or Trojan horse.
It won't make a difference really. There are those who won't vote for Obama no matter what, as evidenced by the Stanford poll/study showing the racist attitudes towards people of African descent cross party lines - Independents, republicans, Democrats & Libertarians alike.
It's not that people were unaware that bigotry & prejudice still existed, but apparently there is still too much denial that racism (the result of the collective bigotry & prejudice of one group towards another) will play a too large of a part in deciding the outcome of this election.
I can envision the dismissal of an endorsement by Powell for Obama:
"They're both black and everyone knows that blacks are the most racist!"
"Black people always stick together."
"Everyone better prepare for a riot if Obama doesn't win, you see how they're backing each other up now?!"
Or, they'll suddenly remember My Lai cover-up and pronounce that:
"Powell is a traitor, nothing he says matters!"
If only character really mattered more than anything else and there was only one standard for everyone, instead of two...
NEOCONS want war with Russia and we'll pay for it, just like Iraq.
Meanwhile we bailout Georgia for picking a fight with Russia.
I'm believe in Aide but not in Stupidity (People should be held responsible)
$1.1 Billion Giveaway for the Republic of Georgia Announced:
"The United States Supports The Recovery, Stability, And Continued Growth Of Georgia's Economy"
My gosh, have our taxes become nothing but a F*ckin Bank to play with?
mcLIAR doesn't have the high emotional I.Q. Obama does. mcLIAR is like
BUSH a gut thinker...abrasive,defensive,stubborn and a relatively poor communicator.
Did the cold water surrounding Powell's genitals warm and the Pair finally reappear?
Dale @ 40:
She'll be Raisin' McCain.
News in the US maybe, rest of the world knew this a while ago.
Dale @ 40:
Where is John Murtha on all of this? He was such a big deal a couple of years ago. Does he support Obama? He always seemed like a gut-thinker. I bet he could slap down McCain.
Ronin Tetsuro @ 49:
If the devil himself endorsed Obama, it wouldn't change my support because I am firmly in the Obama court. However, I would prefer Mr. Powell to keep his endorsement to himself. It would only lead to more distraction at a time we need to be talking of issues, not personalities.
Gosh, when McCain is President, the news cycle will be dominated by his bm and bladder movements, whether or not he awoke in the morning, and if he can name who the current President is.
Russia had been discussing the Georgia/South Ossetia situation at the UN for months before the conflict. If you look back at the transcripts of those UN Security Council meetings, those talks were the majority of the very few meetings that were not released publicly (April 14th, April 23rd, May 30th, July 21st/2008). So if this situation could have been avoided, we won't really know who is to blame.
and the republicans call themselves 'conservative'. they're NOT conservative at all, nation building
wars and huge spending....... please. Palin the 'stupidstar' raised taxes on oil co. profit conservative
......nope. NEOCONs aren't conservative........they're extremists.
The Reverend @ 10:
I agree with this. Besides, Powell is damaged goods after that high wire act in the UN with his WMD speech. I think that people know what they're going to get if you believe the stories of Powell and the My Lai massacre. The man was propped up by neo-cons and he will still support the neo-con brand even when they throw him into the gutter.
No amount of sympathy is going to change the fact that the man served his country by carrying out the hatchet jobs of Bush and the rest of his cronies.
The Very Bitter Ceci Hussein @ 62:
Bravo!
Trying to be optimistic in a negative world, I found something to hang on to. McCain is having a bad week with this financial mess. He is on the defensive and I imagine he will be there for the rest of the week. The news is going to be about what congress agrees or doesn't agree to do. By Friday, the day of the debate, McCain may well be at his wits end. He may be testy and tired. This atmosphere could well set him up to be on edge during the debate. He may slip or utter some gaffe that he will have to deal with. On the other hand Obama is now on the attack and I believe he'll keep that up all week. By Friday he could be in a very good place and go into the debate with cool and confidence.
What would we be saying if POWell came out and endorsed McCain?
Billy @ 35:
Is it true that Karl Rove was in Georgia four weeks before all this happened? Heard that on Thom Hartmann.
27 Dale Says: Ronin Tetsuro @ 25:
Is it just me, or is McCain taking a beating this week? And it’s only Monday. How… refreshing.
Palin is his only hope.
_____________________________________________________________
When she was referring to clear and transparent it wasn't to governing
But to her panties.
John J @ 51:
Believe it.
If he is referring to the McSame campaign they can say whatever and then deny it and say something else the next time. McSame doesn't know what he is talking about and says whatever the liars running the campaign tell him, at that moment. This is the most dishonest bunch of thugs I have ever witnessed even after Bush.
Jo @ 63:
Thank you very much. I was only speaking my mind about this man. :)
Powell will not come out for Obama. He will play both ends against the middle as he has always done -- how do you think he got four stars and the SecState
job.
He knew Iraq was wrong and participated (perhaps maybe possibly reluctantly) in torture discussions. He sold his soul when he did not publicly announce, "I am resigning because I am not a war criminal."
Typical senior military staff officer -- suck up, never rock the boat, promotion first, all other second.
Why is it palin reminds me of that one dweeby class officer who would have a spazz, because no one else was excited by the prospect of a sock hop?
glad you posted this. mccain and palin were laughed at at this forum.
kissinger also said sakaashvili was adventurous and that georgia started the fight. who propped up sakaashvili should be identified. he thought he had the support of the u.s. cheney, perhaps?
albright was able to get a dig in on palin on climate change. palin is clearly a joke.
When palin was referring to OPEN and transparent it wasn’t to governing
But to her panties.
pissed off patricia @ 64:
Not to mention, many of the recent polls that put Obama with a small lead (I know, polls are nothing much) were taken before the fallout and before many people had an opportunity to witness McCain's confusion over the economy in general.
kasinca @ 69:
John McCain doesn't have to make sense. As long as he doesn't lose bladder control, his base will remain strong.
Watching this video makes me remember why I liked Powell and once wanted him to run for president - intelligent, considered, well expressed, rational. It also makes me sad that he held up that vial of fake anthrax to scare everybody into believing that war in Iraq was the right thing to do. Ultimately, that moment of being a tool has compromised him, in my view.
On the other hand it's nice to finally not be the only American to remember that first day of reporting on the Russia/Georgia conflict which was the first and last day that U.S. MSM mentioned Georgia's role as instigator.
Ronin Tetsuro @ 68:
Uhh...no offense...but where ya been for the last 28 years?
Read this in NewsWeek:
"What is so unnerving about the candidacy of Sarah Palin is the degree to which she represents—and her supporters celebrate—the joyful marriage of confidence and ignorance. Watching her deny to (Charlie) Gibson that she had ever harbored the slightest doubt about her readiness to take command of the world's only superpower, one got the feeling that Palin would gladly assume any responsibility on earth:
"Governor Palin, are you ready at this moment to perform surgery on this child's brain?"
"Of course, Charlie. I have several boys of my own, and I'm an avid hunter."
"But governor, this is neurosurgery, and you have no training as a surgeon of any kind."
"That's just the point, Charlie. The American people want change in how we make medical decisions in this country. And when faced with a challenge, you cannot blink."
-- Sam Harris
There was a guy who worked at my company for five years, who is Russian, more specifically, Ossetian. His iTunes on his computer was full of Ossetian Language folk songs. When I emailed him expressing concern for him & his family, his reply, understandibly, was pretty angry about how the ethinic complexities and history of the area are ingnored, not recognized, and papered over in simplistic terms to serve the Bush-Cheny-Neo Con hegemonistic desires. Of course the south Ossetians have more of an affinitty for north Ossetia than they do for Georgia. He and his relatives were safe.
obama should make colin powell his national security advisor. i know colin had a bad sec of state stint with dubya, but he at least had the courage to admit his mistake, which is more than we can say for hillary. his major flaw was that he was doing what he was trained to do, that is...be a good soldier, loyal to a fault. but, the man still probably knows more about national security than anybody and i'm sure he's itching for a chance to redeem his name after dubya shitted all over it...
Liberal AND Proud @ 76:
How do you know if he loses control if he's wearing Depends.
C. Hussein Jr. @ 22:
While I agree that they will spin it that way, I also feel that the more generals and military folk who abandon Hero McCain the better. If Powell, Condi and whoever want to jump ship, or waffle, or abstain, then it's fine with me.
palin's high-school class picture?
http://www.umsl.edu/~ccj/images/velma.jpg
pissed off patricia @ 64:
To Obama, Friday's debate is the the most important event in the history of his campaign. It is even more important than the legendary Kennedy/Nixon debates. All I can say is the man better bring his A game and try to use his wits and acumen to put the nails in McCain's coffin. The financial mess did give him a leg up. But now, he'll have to take that and run with it to see some success.
Ronin Tetsuro @ 49:
A Powell endorsement of Obama would only be hilarious - the right wing will throw him under the bus telling us how he lied us into war at the UN while absolving themselves of any responsibility for being his parrots.
If he did endorse Obama, Obama should just nonchalantly blow it off, muttering something about judgement.
ysbaddaden @ 84:
Jinkies.
Oh yeah, now Colin Powell has seen the Great White Light and all is forgiven. I can`t get over how easily history is glossed over with a few statements that contain obvious truths that any moron can compute. Tell us something we do not know yet Colin. I suppose we have to wait for your next book and buy your half baked BS. Come on Powell let it all hang out. I won`t put Powell in the warmongering sick-fuck category like Kissinger but he is no friend to the American People.
Ron @ 82:
Aaaah...there in lies the rub. It may have already happened. When he and Palin are on stage together, we need to watch Palin's face. It may provide the only clue as to an unfortunate eruption in McCain's adult undergarments.
You Can Take This To The Bank
John McCain is no match for Barack Obama. Whatever the issue, economy, war, health care, education, and immigration, McCain will be out classed. Based on observation and fact, McCain will be stumped in Friday's debate. If we are lucky, we might see some of that core anger surface from McCain, as he made to look stupid before all of America. He will claim "the Surge,the Surge, the Surge, and "my friend" the Surge. Remember, you heard here first.
McCain's knows he is out classed; he has resorted to stealing Obama's positions on the economy and the resent financial crisis. Today McCain sounded more like Obama then Obama. That is bad. Actually he has coined new saying: "if you can't beat them, become them."
So far, the media has not called McCain on his truly new black magic. They have not did so because they have a vested interest in keeping things close. For the remainder of the campaign, the media will display a very selective style in what they call McCain on. It may not work; if Obama gets into a "grove," his true magic is powerful. Ask Hillary Clinton. She would the first to tell you Obama is gifted.
Joseph
I forget who it was on one of the shows yesterday morning but they were comparing the leadership style exhibited by Obama and McCain. The first thing McCain did after the announcement of the financial meltdown was to call for the firing of Cox. Sort of an irrational knee jerk reaction. Obama on the other hand was calm and analytical. Which kind of leader would you prefer in a time of crisis?
Dale @ 87:
Can't be. She's not preggers.
ysbaddaden @ 74:
Glad you cleared that up. I was wondering if 'clear panties' were the new 'clear heels'
eyerah @ 81:
Sure giving promotions and high level jobs to water carriers would be nothing like the Bush administration. Redemption isn't a job qualification - it ranks right up there with seeing Russia on the horizon.
Isome Hussein @ 50:
That's why this claptrap about judging folks by the content of their character is nothing but neo-con colorblind racism at its finest.
It's time that we talk realistically about race in this country about interjecting all the sayings (i.e. "I don't see a color"; "There is no race but the human race", etc.) that cover up the racial realities of the nation.
Colin Powell directly okayed the torture of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and dark sites. He told me, face to face, in June that "they tried to torture as little as possible." As far as I am concerned, Colin Powell is a war criminal who will hopefully be tried before the Hague. The Obama campaign should have nothing to do with him.
Sadly,
For Dan,
Heather
Oops. Not *about*, but "without" in the last line of my previous post. :(
I apologize.
Liberal AND Proud @ 92:
Hey now, don't rank on Velma! She's alot smarter and way more qualified than Palin to be V.P. - it's likely that she's even read and understands the constitution. And you know that she doesn't believe that the earth is less than 7000 years old.
eyerah @ 81:
be a good soldier, loyal to a fault? A good soldier, loyal to the Constitution and not any individual (recall the personal oath to Hitler), would say, "Mr. President,
that's kind of a good idea, but, if it's not your idea, it's the dumbest f---ing idea I've ever heard!!"
Sure, he'd never get promoted again, but everyone can't make 5 stars.
Obama/Rufus 2008
As I understand it, the debate Friday night will be on foreign relations, war and whatever else that entails. McCain could well become over confident on those issues, figureing that all he has to do is remind the audience that for five and a half years he couldn't _____________. I don't know how many times he can play that card and the kicker, the surge card.
Obama is no dummy and he knows those cards most likely will be played. He has plenty of time to prepare for them. He could even play one of them and take it away from McCain. Right out of the chute he could say that he appreciates McCain's service to his country and realizes for five and a half years John was a POW and deprived of many many things.
Kucinich said this at the Convention last month, and O'Reilly literally laughed in his face. Why the fuck Kucinich would loewr himself to appear on O'Reilly's cocktail hour is beyond me, but I wonder what Billo will say about his favorite black man drinking Obama's (and kucinich's) m-f'ing iced tea?
Was that James Baker sitting next to him? God, I hate to admit it, but after eight years of Bushco, I kind of miss that guy. That really freaks me out.
Over the last few weeks I think it's been proven who keeps a cool head in a crisis. It's Obama. How many gaffes and miscues are the American public going to put up with before they finally come to their senses? McCain, whether he's losing his marbles or never had any, keeps showing the shallowness of his own thinking and a seriously bad grasp of the world in general. It's either that or he's getting senile. If he is, look out! It's president Palin. If that happened I think my head would literally explode. Just explode.
pissed off patricia @ 100:
"My friends...I know war....no one knows war like me...war and me...we're like best buddies....the only friend that I know better than war....is Prisoner of War....war and Prisoner of War have been strong allies to me....why...when I was in Baghdad...thankfully....the surge is working...when I was in Baghdad...I felt a kinship with our soldiers....because then know war too....thankfully,...because the surge is working....they have not had to meet Prisoner of War....that is why I believe my experience makes me the best choice for President of the United States."
And the wingnuts go wiiiiiild...USA! USA! USA! USA!!!
JoeSixPack @ 102:
James Baker - former head of.....waaaait for it....waaaaait for it...Merrill Lynch.
Cheap thrills.... it is great to hear Powel or any one else in US politics speak with a reasoned voice. So sorry he was forced to drink the Koolaid earlier....
And where is General_Rennenkampf, he was part of the "It's all Russia's fault gang" .........
By the way where are Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld nowadays? Are they relegated to rigging computerized elections under Rove`s supervision or are they still trying to concoct a new terrorist incident? My money is on Wolfowitz fucking around with the stock market bail out. Grand plans, grand fuck-ups.
Thanks Powell for telling the truth for the first time in your sycophantic life and what else is telling is Sesno's reaction to certain facts , SESNO: So you’re saying the Georgians provoked this? South Ossetia was attacked and shelled by the Government of Georgia , preceding the response by Russia , that is a FACT.
Yet the complicit corporatist need to cling to their misinformation , just like the lie Ahmadinejad said he wanted to " wipe Israel off the map " words never said ( Farsi Speaker Prof.Juan Cole proved that).
So are you telling me Sesno acted so surprised bcs he DIDN'T know , is he that ill informed or like I said before , they need to maintain the lie or narrative and can't bring themselves to tell the truth .
Joseph @ 90:
As it is with any election, it is a test of the people, not the ones running for office.
And the US population has shown in details time and time and time again what they are like ............
McCain will win.
COMMENTARY: Israel of the Caucasus?
Arnaud de Borchgrave
Thursday, September 4, 2008
COMMENTARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NATO guarantees that an attack against one member country is an attack against all are no longer what they used to be. Had Georgia been inside NATO, a number of European countries would no longer be willing to consider it an attack against their own soil.
For Russia, the geopolitical stars were in perfect alignment. The U.S. was badly overstretched and had no plausible way to talk tough without coming across as empty rhetoric. American resources have been drained by the Iraq and Afghan wars, and the war on terror. The European Union is still a military dwarf that swings no weight in the Kremlin. And the ineptitude of Georgia's leadership gave Russian leaders a huge new window of opportunity.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili evidently thought the U.S. would come to his side militarily if Russian troops pushed him back into Georgia after ordering an attack last Aug. 8 on the breakaway province of South Ossetia. And when his forces were mauled by Russia's counterattack, bitter disappointment turned to anger. Along with Abkhazia, Georgia lost two provinces.
Georgia also had a special relationship with Israel that was mostly under the radar. Georgia's Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili is a former Israeli who moved things along by facilitating Israeli arms sales with U.S. aid. "We are now in a fight against the great Russia," he was quoted as saying, "and our hope is to receive assistance from the White House because Georgia cannot survive on its own."
The Jerusalem Post on Aug. 12 reported, "Georgian Prime Minister Vladimir Gurgenidze made a special call to Israel Tuesday morning to receive a blessing from one of the Haredi community's most important rabbis and spiritual leaders, Rabbi Aaron Leib Steinman. "I want him to pray for us and our state," he was quoted.
Israel began selling arms to Georgia seven years ago. U.S. grants facilitated these purchases. From Israel came former minister and former mayor of Tel Aviv Roni Milo, representing Elbit Systems, and his brother Shlomo, former director-general of Military Industries. Israeli UAV spy drones, made by Elbit Maarahot Systems, conducted recon flights over southern Russia, as well as into nearby Iran.
In a secret agreement between Israel and Georgia, two military airfields in southern Georgia had been earmarked for the use of Israeli fighter bombers in the event of preemptive attacks against Iranian nuclear installations. This would sharply reduce the distance Israeli fighter bombers would have to fly to hit targets in Iran. And to reach Georgian airstrips, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) would fly over Turkey.
At a Moscow news conference, Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Russia's deputy chief of staff, said the extent of Israeli aid to Georgia included, "eight types of military vehicles, explosives, landmines and special explosives for clearing minefields." Estimated numbers of Israeli trainers attached to the Georgian army range from 100 to 1,000. There were also 110 U.S. military personnel on training assignments in Georgia. Last July 2,000 U.S. troops were flown in for "Immediate Response 2008," a joint exercise with Georgian forces.
Details of Israel's involvement were largely ignored by Israeli media lest they be interpreted as another blow to Israel's legendary military prowess, which took a bad hit in the Lebanese war against Hezbollah two years ago. Georgia's top diplomat in Tel Aviv complained about Israel's "lackluster" response to his country's military predicament, and called for "diplomatic pressure on Moscow." According to the Jerusalem Post, the Georgian was told "the address for that type of pressure is Washington."
The daily Haaretz reported Georgian Minister Temur Yakobashvili - who is Jewish, the newspaper said - told Israeli Army radio that "Israel should be proud of its military, which trained Georgian soldiers" because he explained rather implausibly, "a small group of our soldiers were able to wipe out an entire Russian military division, thanks to Israeli training."
The Tel Aviv-Tbilisi military axis was agreed at the highest levels with the approval of the Bush administration. The official liaison between the two entities was Reserve Brig. Gen. Gal Hirsch, who commanded Israeli forces on the Lebanese border in July 2006. He resigned from the army after the Winograd commission flayed Israel's conduct of its Second Lebanon War.
That Russia assessed these Israeli training missions as U.S.-approved is a given. The U.S. was also handicapped by a shortage of spy-in-the-sky satellite capability, already overextended by the Iraq and Afghan wars. Neither U.S. nor Georgian intelligence knew Russian forces were ready with an immediate and massive response to the Georgian attack Moscow knew was coming. Russian double agents ostensibly working for Georgia most probably egged on the military fantasies of the impetuous President Saakashvili's "surprise attack" plans.
Mr. Saakashvili was convinced that by sending 2,000 of his soldiers to serve in Iraq (that were immediately flown home by the U.S. when Russia launched a massive counterattack into Georgia), he would be rewarded for his loyalty. He could not believe Mr. Bush, a personal friend, would leave him in the lurch. Georgia, as Mr. Saakashvili saw his country's role, was "Israel of the Caucasus."
The Tel Aviv-Tbilisi military axis appears to have been cemented at the highest levels, according to YNet, the Israeli electronic daily. But whether the IAF can still count on those air bases to launch bombing missions against Iran's nuke facilities is now in doubt.
Iran comes out ahead in the wake of the Georgian crisis. Neither Russia nor China is willing to respond to a Western request for more and tougher sanctions against the mullahs. Iran's European trading partners are also loath to squeeze Iran. The Russian-built, 1,000-megawatt Iranian reactor in Bushehr is scheduled to go on line early next year.
A combination of Vladimir Putin and oil has put Russia back on the geopolitical map of the world. Moscow's oil and gas revenue this year is projected at $201 billion, a 13-fold increase since Mr. Putin succeeded Boris Yeltsin eight years ago.
The Bush administration's global democracy crusade, as seen by the men in the Kremlin, and not an insignificant number of friends, is code for imperial hubris. The Putin-Medvedev tandem's response is a new five-point doctrine that told the U.S. to butt out of what was once the Soviet empire, not only former Soviet republics, but also former satellites and client states.
Only superannuated cold warriors saw a rebirth of the Cold War's Brezhnev Doctrine, or the right to intervene in the internal affairs of other "socialist states," e.g., the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia. But it does mean the Russian bear cannot be baited with impunity - a la Georgia.
--
Arnaud de Borchgrave is editor at large for The Washington Times and for United Press International.
--
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/04/israel-of-the-caucasus/
Peter G @ 48:
You needed to be warned too that he was the snake-oil salesman? You too! Damn! My "Boss," a judge still reveres him. Sometimes I can "inform" or "warn" someone who has been blandsided when I meet them. Glad to have helped! As for "warning" my boss. I got to pay my fixed, very, very low rate mortgage! I can only hope legal reasoned judgement somewhere along his ways overcomes the myths that drive his train.
Liberal AND Proud @ 14:
They may call him "angry and uppity".
It does appear that, despite Russian efforts over the years to destablize and divide Georgia, that Saakashvili jumped the gun. It was a stupid move. But, I have been wondering how much he was led to believe that it would help advance his efforts to get Georgia into NATO, with back channel encouragement from the Bush White House. Was he given a bunch of empty promises that NATO, with the US stepping up to the plate, would stand up for Georgia? If so, then Powell's statements would amount to carrying water for Bush, as they cut Georgia loose.
If Saakashvili wanted to secure membership in NATO, he needed to first resolve the problems at home, which probably means cutting loose the seperatists and letting them be absorbed into Russia. Whatever is left is Georgia, and that could join NATO.
Fuck Colin Powell. A Black Republican. He's a joke.
Who was surprised the guy sold his soul and his reputation for Bush instead of his country.
He sold out his own race to the Republican party for years.
What you expect.
Is he not smart enough to realize he was surrounded by racists.
No you can't get your black pass back by supporting Obama.
If there was a picture in the dictionary next to sell out it would be a picture of Colin Powell. Fuck him..
Don't miss the import of this quote from Powell:
Translation: Wait until the dust settles some so you can discern who the likely winners are, enter into alliance with them, and then you'll have long-term regional advantage in the aftermath of the conflict.
i.e. Always take sides with the winners ... and always be sure who the winners are! (This is a variation of "playing both sides each other" ... "divide and conquer" ... etc.)
-dp
Jerry @ 106:
He's moving the remains of his 401K into a Russia growth fund.
As Secretary of State, Powell was fresh out of the miitary and the "follow the leader" mentality. He got flattered into the GOP because he was still pissed about the Gays in the Military flap. And he got rolled, fed cherrypicked info about Iraq. He knows, and resents that his reputation was badly tarnished by that.
Still, the author of The Powell Doctrine should have raised really bright red flags when Rumsfield proposed to invade Iraq with a third of the military force needed to reduce the chance of civil war to 50-50.
I agree that an endorsement of Obama would be seen as racially motivated. Better for the fellow that actually got the stars to attack McCain's foreign policy cred from the outside. I hope he continues to do just that, in detail.
If you listened to Coast to Coast AM - this was covered in length that Georgia was the CAUSE of the attack by Russia - Georgia who is the Puppet of Bush/Cheney started this and once History determines the cause - it will be like with Saddam Hussein in the First Golf War - Bush (Daddy) led Saddam to believe that the United States did not care and would not respond if Saddam attacked and invaded Kuwait. A LIE - that most Americans probably don't understand.
This Stinks of Bush and Cheney all over again trying to play out the Golf War I scenario.
Orangutan. @ 16:
It was hardly a conspiracy if you got your news from someplace other than CNN, MSNBC or Fox News. A lot of people have been saying its the Georgians fault just not enough in the US. Because WE encouraged them to do it.
lj @ 83:
the problem with Condi and Powell is that their credibility is tarnished. But I agree that all ship jumpers that came from this administration should be welcomed....... and questioned.
Orangutan. @ 16:
not theory truth there's evidence to back it up
Colin Powell is a proven liar. Why does anyone listen to him?
You're an idiot if you believe anything he says.
Ron @ 82:
The truth will come out, one way or the other.
i think powell is a good guy. i think hes been burned and is all the wiser for it.
We all knew, and reports later confirmed, that Powell's reputation was USED in the run up to the Iraq war. I've always liked Powell and was very disappointed in him. The US has always liked Generals because they are smart and honest. It's too bad Powell was bamboozled by Cheney, Rumsfeld, Perle, Wolfowitz, et al.
Barrett D @ 124:
A good guy, the kind you wanna have a beer with? Yeah, I know a lot of good guys who lie to their country while pretending to serve it.
Well, Powell has to repair his reputation somehow I suppose if he still wants to be a playa in politics...
I'd go this far on Powell who has been quite a letdown to a lot of people over the last ten years. IF anyone connected to the Bush catastrophe could possibly reclamate their reputation by doing some honest good for the country after the fact.... It 'might possibly', and I do mean 'ONLY MIGHT' be this guy... I know once upon a time he was a good soldier as opposed to McCain, who was never much more than second tier at best as a fighter pilot... I'm pretty sure wrecking four, was it only four jets, will tend to ruin your proficiency score, no matter who your daddy was. That's McCain.. I don't know what the hell happened to Powell... That Bush kool-aid must have had some damned potent dope in it to scramble a guy like Colin Powells brain... Now he gets to watch Obama do what he could have achieved for himself if only...... He'll never be president now, but he might save his reputation for posterity if he stands up for the country to these cretins now.....JD
Well, one out of two ain't bad.
Deborah @ 23:
Yes very
Too bad Colin dirtied himself with his association and complacency with GWB and his criminal administration. I think he would have been a good cabinet member. I guess that's what happens when you sell your soul.
Not a chance in hell that Powell will publicly support Obama.
Fuck powell. the fuckhead blew his chance to be noble. all i see is a lying cocksucker who cost alot of americans thier lives.
what's he done to erase his part in the fiasco called the iraq invasion?
fuck that guy and his endorsement.
langx @ 114:
Oh' that was you who pulled his card... I was going to do it back then but you obviously beat me to it.
eyerah @ 81:
Disagree. Obama needs a clean slate. Powell has already made major, major mistakes.
Jo @ 63:
I second that Bravo!
I would really like to see Colin Powell endorse Obama. I hope he does not wait too long.
Colin Powell attended Bilderberger meetings with the elitists.
He was a very "key" LIER, in the sale of the Iraq war. His sales pitch probably sold more borderline believers than anyone else. Honorable service records should not automatically mean undeniable creditability. Ask Duke Cunningham, one of the "best of the best" top guns.
He LIED bigtime once. But the LIE brought sheer devasting results of death and debt in a totally illegal, unjustified war.
He is on my list underneath Rove, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield, and Rice.
.......45 Chicano says: Powell showed he was a “Company Man” starting with My Lai coverups. And he used cartoon quality illustrations in the United Nations to dupe most of you into the Iraq INVASION!.......
Yeah, how about those cartoons in Powell's little slide show? When you had read the same Comic Book over and over again for 2-1/2 years, it's easy to recognize the main character.
Ronin Tetsuro @ 49:
Yeah, well the more that liberals or people sympathetic to Obama deride Powell on these threads, or elsewhere, the more meaningless a Powell endorsement will be.
Seriously, I don't give a shit about Powell's past. He is a political figure respected by the mainstream, and if he endorses Obama, we treat him with respect. If he doesn't endorse anyone, we play it for what it says about his lack of regard for McCain. If he endorses McCain, then we lay into him.
Really, I have to wonder if some of you really want to win this election, of if you just enjoy cutting off your faces to spite your noses.
AND BLOOMBERG REPORT SAYS MCCAIN RESPONSE TO THE FINANCIAL CRISIS WAS HASTY AND POORLY THOUGHT OUT....
i see a pattern here..... a vice president selection hasty and poorly thought out.....
on the bright side if MCLAME wins... we can all catch the Cindy / Sarah wet T-shirt contest on the White House lawn replace that dull easter egg roll thing!!
Thank God someone finally told the truth. For Georgia to instigate any kind of conflict that would involve Russia was totally foolish. And yes they did instigate. And no we aren't all Georgians mcsame.
John J @ 51:
And what about our own economy which, apparently is going down the tubes? These neocons are even crazier than I had credited them for being if they're aiming for war with Russia. They have enough nuclear headed missiles, ready for launch, that could wipe us and every damn neocon off the face of the map.
why is powell dragging his feet on an obama endorsement when you'd have to be brain dead to see that a mccain presidency would be disasterous, in not fatal, to this nation?
if he ever plans on redeeming himself, powell needs to it snappy . . . time is short and the polls are tight!
Well, this probably is as much a comment on the state of the State Dept. and Ms. Rice's stewardship as McCain's ridiculous posturings.
We're all Georgians with pre-existing conditions and no health care waiting in the emergency room and running up the costs for the whole system as a result--in LA, NY, Chi town, not of course in Sedona, where everyone sees their doctors regularly.
I watched the whole thing and I can't find the word reckless coming from his mouth. Can you point to me where?
castanea @ 139:
So a Powell endorsement is a sure-fire win, and can in no way backfire on Obama? How is pulling partisan solidarity supposed to insulate against that? That's exactly the kind of lemming mentality that gets the American voter derided as 'mark ass bitches'. None of what you stated, your plea for respect of his character, has anything to do with Powell's storied past and the possibility of the echo chamber turning the guy who went in front of the world with cooked intelligence into an albatross around Obama's neck.
.......Thank God someone finally told the truth. For Georgia to instigate any kind of conflict that would involve Russia was totally foolish. And yes they did instigate. And no we aren’t all Georgians mcsame.......
McCain had a lot of unmitigated gall to say we are all Georgians. I can't stand the sight of him -- or the dingbat Palin.
.......18 Pissed off Patricia says: When I see Powell it always brings back that morning at the United Nations with that silly dog and pony show he put on to try to convince everyone that Iraq was hiding wmd. He allowed himself to be used basically as justification for the commission of a crime.........
That dog and pony show ruined the following five years of my life and I still want to sue those bastards. For now, however, thank God for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
The lesson? Don't poke the psychotic bear.
don't want to badmouth colin now that he's growing a pair and actually beginning to speak out against the current administration and the would be king. But why should we believe anything this person has to say until he denounces in no uncertain terms the charade the administration placed him in in that united nations fiasco. colin has to stand up and be counted before i can ever take him seriously again. stand up colin and be a man. say that which needs to be said. the republicans are never going to welcome you back in the fold. You must know that, so join the ethical side and help us take over this white house.
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