(Powell) came through the door ... and he had in his hands a sheaf of papers, and he said, 'This is what I've got to present at the United Nations according to the White House, and you need to look at it,' ... It was anything but an intelligence document. It was, as some people characterized it later, sort of a Chinese menu from which you could pick and choose. |
A de facto civil war |
George actually did call the Secretary, and said, 'I'm really sorry to have to tell you. We don't believe there were any mobile labs for making biological weapons,' ... This was the third or fourth telephone call. And I think it's fair to say the Secretary and Mr. Tenet, at that point, ceased being close. I mean, you can be sincere and you can be honest and you can believe what you're telling the Secretary. But three or four times on substantive issues like that? It's difficult to maintain any warm feelings. |
How much influence on their decisions? I think a lot -- in how much the decisions reflect their connections with the cartels and the corporations and so forth, I think a lot. I think the president, too, |
How much influence on their decisions? I think a lot -- in how much the decisions reflect their connections with the cartels and the corporations and so forth, I think a lot. I think the president, too. |
I don't have too much problem envisioning the Turks taking over at least the top third of Iraq were we to leave a mess. I don't have a problem with (envisioning) the Syrians then becoming involved, the Iranians becoming involved. |
I think there has been an agreement formed in the administration ... and the body politic of America - a nuclear armed Iranian leadership is unacceptable. |
I wish I had not been involved in it. I look back on it, and I still say it was the lowest point in my life. |
I would say that we have courted disaster in Iraq , in North Korea , in Iran . |
I've been there. I've stood on the hot parade ground as a pilot. I've cursed generals. |
If we leave precipitously, ... we will (have to) mobilize the nation, put 5 million men and women under arms and go back and take the Middle East within a decade, |
If you are a military man you know that you just don't do these sorts of things because once you give just the slightest bit of leeway there are those in the armed forces who will take advantage of that, |
If you are a military man, you know that you just don't do these sorts of things, ... they have to do what they have to do to get it. |
In essence it said, 'Dear Mr. President, I find myself at variance with a majority of your foreign policies and even your domestic policies and therefore I respectfully submit my resignation. |
It takes firm leadership to preside over the bureaucracy. But it also takes a willingness to listen to dissenting opinions. It requires leaders who can analyze, synthesize, ponder and decide. |