Powell: "You do not know what you are talking about."
AP:
" Under questioning by House Democrats, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday he was surprised U.N. and American inspectors did not find storehouses of hidden weapons in Iraq.
"
But Powell told the International Relations Committee that "we presented what we believed the truth to be at the time."
"Powell testified that President Saddam Hussein's apparent intent to develop and use weapons, his record of gassing his own people and his defiance of the United Nations all were ? and remain ? valid reasons for going to war to overthrow him.
"I don't think anyone in America should think that President Bush cooked the books," Powell said.
"The reason we told you there were stockpiles there was because we believed it to be true," Powell said. "We were surprised when they did not turn up."
"But Reps. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., Robert Melendez, D-N.J., Rep. Robert I Wexler, D-Fla., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, challenged Powell about the administration's case, suggesting it may have been misleading from the outset.
...
"...when Brown contrasted Powell's military experience to Bush's record with the National Guard, saying the president 'may have been AWOL' from duty, Powell exploded.
"First of all, Mr. Brown, I won't dignify your comments about the president because you don't know what you are talking about," Powell snapped.
"I'm sorry I don't know what you mean, Mr. Secretary," Brown replied.
"You made reference to the president," Powell shot back.
"Brown then repeated his understanding that Bush may have been AWOL from guard duty.
"Mr. Brown, let's not go there," Powell retorted. "Let's not go there in this hearing. If you want to have a political fight on this matter, that is very controversial, and I think it is being dealt with by the White House, fine, but let's not go there."
These jerks are so caught up in their partisan nonsense that they thought they could use the former chairman of the joint chiefs as apolitical foil. Powell was right, they do not know what they are talking about. In watching the confrontation, I had the feeling if Powell had "gone their" he would have dressed him down like a raw recruit.
AP:
" Under questioning by House Democrats, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday he was surprised U.N. and American inspectors did not find storehouses of hidden weapons in Iraq.
"
But Powell told the International Relations Committee that "we presented what we believed the truth to be at the time."
"Powell testified that President Saddam Hussein's apparent intent to develop and use weapons, his record of gassing his own people and his defiance of the United Nations all were ? and remain ? valid reasons for going to war to overthrow him.
"I don't think anyone in America should think that President Bush cooked the books," Powell said.
"The reason we told you there were stockpiles there was because we believed it to be true," Powell said. "We were surprised when they did not turn up."
"But Reps. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., Robert Melendez, D-N.J., Rep. Robert I Wexler, D-Fla., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, challenged Powell about the administration's case, suggesting it may have been misleading from the outset.
...
"...when Brown contrasted Powell's military experience to Bush's record with the National Guard, saying the president 'may have been AWOL' from duty, Powell exploded.
"First of all, Mr. Brown, I won't dignify your comments about the president because you don't know what you are talking about," Powell snapped.
"I'm sorry I don't know what you mean, Mr. Secretary," Brown replied.
"You made reference to the president," Powell shot back.
"Brown then repeated his understanding that Bush may have been AWOL from guard duty.
"Mr. Brown, let's not go there," Powell retorted. "Let's not go there in this hearing. If you want to have a political fight on this matter, that is very controversial, and I think it is being dealt with by the White House, fine, but let's not go there."
These jerks are so caught up in their partisan nonsense that they thought they could use the former chairman of the joint chiefs as apolitical foil. Powell was right, they do not know what they are talking about. In watching the confrontation, I had the feeling if Powell had "gone their" he would have dressed him down like a raw recruit.
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