Decade After Iraq WMD Speech at UN, Ex-Powell Aide Lawrence Wilkerson Debates Author Norman Solomon

DemocracyNow.org - Ten years ago this week, a defining moment occurred in the Bush administration's push to invade Iraq. On February 5, 2003, then Secretary of State General Colin Powell addressed the United Nations Security Council. His message was clear: Iraq possessed extremely dangerous weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein was systematically trying to deceive U.N. inspectors by hiding prohibited weapons. A decade late, we host a debate between Powell's former aide, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson -- who prepared the UN speech, only to later renounce it -- and media critic Norman Solomon, author of "War Made Easy."
"I don't believe the hype about that having been the ultimate presentation that led us to war with Iraq," Wilkerson says of Powell's speech. "George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and others had decided to go to war with Iraq long before Colin Powell gave the presentation. It added to the momentum of the war. ... Frankly, we were all wrong. Was the intelligence politicized in addition to being wrong at its roots? Absolutely." In response, Solomon says, "We were not all wrong. Many experts and activists and researchers from the get go in 2002 were saying that the administration case for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was full of holes. ... So now to say, 'Well it wasn't just us at the administration, other people believed it' -- people believed it because they were propagandized by the administration with massive assistance from the mass media."
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[@hbenabdelali1]

America never stopped being america.... look at your history books... this has always happened....

[@FrickFoster]

Don't look at the history books. They're completely inaccurate.

[@duxd1452]

All nations engage in such behaviour.The US is not even close to being the worst offender, just the most powerful. What sets America apart though is that they have a very vibrant civil society that scrutinizes the government and holds it accountable. The people involved in this business may not be in jail but their reputations are ruined and their political careers over. In most other countries we would never have learned the truth, unless perhaps decades after, and through outside pressure. The US media uncovered this within a year, not because of international pressure but out of a sense of duty to hold the government accountable. Other scandals, like the Abu Graib torture, were discovered even sooner, and did lead to people being jailed. There are few nations that have such a healthy system of checks and balances. Can you imagine the Russian or Chinese governments being held to account like that by their own citizens?

[@Worldwideguy96]

Yup. Vietnam also...

[@lukegrainger8670]

@@duxd1452 hello, Joe Biden is your current president. Your country is run by Wall St. I wish your idealism was grounded in reality it would be a much nicer world.

[@vauj0001]

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. " - Edmund Burke

[@funny573ff]

burke ain't no good man himself

[@vauj0001]

It means that all Americans are to blame for allowing this to happen.

[@Tsnore]

But 21% did not support the invasion of Iraq.

[@ethanweeter2732]

Not really. We were supporting the war based on what we were told by Powell, Bush, Cheney, and many of the Democrats.

[@is3t]

@@ethanweeter2732 War is never the solution... So you're wrong in any case

[@crand20033]

Knowing what I know, I think we did the right thing. There were many reasons to get the regime changed.

[@brendasullivan7553]

@@crand20033 I remember the BS we were fed after they found no evidence of WMD. We were lied to. Period. It’s too bad Colin Powell’s legacy was marred by this one incident.

[@trollfinger]

What's the point in apologies? It's hardly going to bring back all of those who died and had their lives destroyed because of the invasion. What's more worth noting, is that no matter whether democrat or republican are in government, war is always a policy. But why was Iraq such a mess?

[@nahimwazir1616]

I have no time for Powell.

[@MiteshDamania]

where are all the apologies? criminal psychopathic lairs and cheats

[@richardcashley5856]

Fast Forward nine years and here we are again !

[@1shakezula1]

...not to minimize the absolutely horrifying 100,000+ innocent Iraqi's killed in all this by pointing to my friends' deaths. I just finally got a taste of how our country's violence affects people on the losing end. It's all so horrifyingly sad that it's tough to really comprehend.

[@pondsj01]

OK... they were wrong... Now Who Goes to Jail for murder????

[@mogadon7]

NONE OF THE MILLIONAIRES. 'Winner takes all'.

[@vauj0001]

If karma really does exist then, we shall reap what we have sown for allowing this horrible incident to happen. All of us in the USA are being punished collectively.

[@crand20033]

There were many reasons to go to war with Iraq. We did the right thing.

[@George-ek5wh]

@@crand20033 what were the reasons?

[@paulcharles7627]

Evil men with lies and deception. Hell bound .

[@paulcharles7627]

Soldiers of Lucifer. Kill for fun.

[@paulcharles7627]

W.M.D. in the hands of the Intruder.

[@dannyloats929]

Cannot wait to watch this!

[@1shakezula1]

I guess I was unusual for my interest in being informed on world events, but I was just a dumb kid. My peers were the ones that fought this war, and I absolutely paid attention and searched for a worthwhile reason for all this. Sadly two of the kids I spent K-12 in school with are now dead thanks to this war-for-profit travesty.

[@wonderwhy2335]

Dying does not erase his mistakes and sins.

[@Xavier7799]

He’s burning in hell now.

[@scotty]

When America stopped being America.

[@scholarssolutions6735]

Idk where that perception came from. America had to genocide the natives and enslave people to build their country. Then once they got powerful enough started committing atrocities in the Philippines, in Vietnam (to this day babies are born deformed because of agent Orange), in Korea, in Japan, and all over the Middle East. They interfered in elections in Africa and Latin America. Nothing is more American than war crimes tbh.

[@normbatchelor7403]

It never was.

[@cychreides8931]

Why is the quality so bad :-(

[@ChromeMan04]

2003 no HD

[@kykypierce]

@@ChromeMan04 2013*

[@n0manland]

And hasbara are claiming those wmds were sent to Syria.

[@meroneadawson6847]

Lots of babies were blown to pieces

[@crand20033]

How do you know?

[@marinodezelak1180]

@@crand20033 There's video and photo for those with morbid curriosity. It's no different with the drone strikes.

[@JkJK-pb5qm]

Thank you for exposing all those evils had done to lead the whole world from peace to war and kill hundreds of thousands of innocent people.

[@Luzina0603]

Wow… This gives greater perspective to what is now happening in the world with BO’s third term.

[@louellacentina89]

It's amilitary practice to follow now complain later.

[@dimestoresage]

The Col. is absolutely right - a LOT of people were deceived. Let's not confuse the victims and the perpetrators. ;-)

[@vudat189]

Spoiler He holding a Box of Salt not Sarin

[@GuerrillaBlog]

Democracy Now and Amy Goodman usually do a good job of moderating debates - it feels like this one went off the rails a little bit.

[@daviej6666]

wilkerson unlike most of those involved admits a grave mistake,costing millions of lives,was made.does this excuse him? no. ultimately wilkerson is small fry,the big ones seem to have gotten away,thus far.

[@ludwigvanbeethoven6853]

8:47 Fucking Kissinger is involved in every disaster

[@binyamina8850]

Juice juice juice

[@1985collado]

Hope he is roasting

[@afoxatemyinternet4215]

SerialBrain2 sent me, WWG1WGA! UK anon

[@kevinknorr9126]

Me 2.

[@TheKeithvidz]

I watched Colin and was UNCONVINCED - many Americans were at the time however.

[@jasonsanchez6595]

Powell just another clown

[@duxd1452]

Powell was not just another clown, at least not at that time. He was a highly respected person by both political parties at the time. That's why this made such an impact. And it destroyed Powell's reputation forever.

[@luvsilly60]

The Yes General.

[@patribbing6756]

so they had it on good, authority, vaguely put through a lie, of the connections and "intent" of what was going to happen before it happened? then called it a computer huh?

[@trollfinger]

I know the saying, but I don't see it's relevance to my comment.

[@crand20033]

So, our intelligence organization were actually stupid?

[@haroldcruz8550]

They are actually brilliant, the fact that they were able to convince the country to go to war over a lie shows how good they are.

[@crand20033]

@@haroldcruz8550 Saddam was a terrorist to the mid-east region and the world. He was an oppressive tyrant to his people. The world should be glad he was neutralized. "It was the right course of action not just because it would succeed in removing a murderous dictator from power, or even because it would lead to circumstances that would be in some significant respects better than the status quo, but because it would clear the way for democracy, peace, and prosperity in Iraq." I wish we could do the same for the Russians.

[@1271108227]

Old soldiers never die, they just lie !

[@goscott444]

Liar....Liar....Pants on fire! How bout this one?: "I thought I saw a Puddy Cat......I did I did! hahahaha REV 18

[@davidricketts9165]

The info came from Israel. Let’s be honest.

[@crand20033]

Yes, because Saddam was paying Palestinian suicide terrorists to go in to Israel and blow up the civilians.

[@june7914]

SB2 sends us! Dark to Light but not without a fight. WWG1WGA

[@susanrigali8515]

😂powell😂😂😂look who sits behind Powell for guilty criminals

[@ajaypasricha9855]

Wilkerson messed up a little here. Glad he saw the light later on

[@samvana8228]

Bush did it. Now this time Trump!!!

[@Doe174]

Wilkerson: I lied but I ain't going to jail. Oh yea yeah.

[@petloveru]

The blame game gets ridiculous around 23:00 with the "you-didn't-call" "you-wouldn't-have-taken-my-calls" exchange. More like a spat between 2 lovers! Wilkerson gives no report of valid intel (satellite imagery, 1st hand observers). More like "Gee we assumed WMDs based on what our allies and a guy we almost drowned told us." I heard oil barons Cheney and Bush created an excuse to destroy Hussein and control Iraqi oil once he decided to take his koolaid stand outside the petrodollar arena.

[@tet6131]

You just don't know who to believe anymore....

[@1271108227]

Best wishes from Iraq!

[@crand20033]

Happy we got rid of Saddam for ya?

[@Majoofi]

Barack W. Obama or Bush 2.0

[@lesleynoelle7337]

I'm a Bernie Sanders person, I've enjoyed Scandinavian Social Democracy ~but I do enjoy Col. Wilkerson.

[@1985collado]

The book author is just as guilty

[@user-tc1es8yq4o]

This ex colonel is excusing their crimes against humanity

[@jackzhou4813]

Iraq washing powder

[@matthewlangley3524]

When soneone speaks of a massive, coordinated effort that everyone got wrong, I fail to understand how the blame can be laid at Cheney alone. This guy and Powell talk about Cheney as if he spoke for them; everywhere and all at once. No one should trust anyone with a clear interest in lying. That is especially true when they are talking about someone you already dislike.

[@mtgne5351]

I only have to stop the video at 6:01 and I know for a fact that I'm not supposed to trust this gentleman even with my nose between my eyes.

[@StarTrek-fj8oh]

When the American sons asked why we died tell them because their father lied

[@tonywalton1052]

Thank God we freed Iraq. Operation freedom fries.

[@trollfinger]

Any smart person wouldn't blame all Americans for what your government did.

[@Sarah-bq3tc]

It is not the point

[@emailnetonline]

Now he will keep looking for these WDM in hell, now.

[@user-tc1es8yq4o]

Ask this dude, who mades money liying about Iraq, and is making money now by disclosing USA lies, How he is able to sleep with the thought of all the crimes against humanity that they commited In Iraq.

[@lynnejimenez1260]

SerialBrain2 sent me!!!!!! WWG1WGA!!!! Q rocks

[@rezakarampour6286]

' IRAN LIES same as IRAQ LIE '

[@jeniamtl6950]

Thats the beginning of the Islamic State

[@richardcashley5856]

The Beginning of the Islamic state was in afgan to bring Russia down

[@jeniamtl6950]

@@richardcashley5856 I think the consensus is that the modern IS has began with al-Zarqawi in Iraq. Ofcouse there we other iterations but that's the sort of direct lineage sort of speak

[@ethanweeter2732]

I do think the WMDs were moved as well. Saddam was no idiot.

[@crand20033]

The were destroyed by the allied bombing just before we went in.

[@marinodezelak1180]

@@crand20033 sure thing. lol

[@crand20033]

@@marinodezelak1180 So why did Bush announce that we were going in? Of course that gave them time to move them. Like the drug dealer flushing the drugs down the toilet when he hears that battering ram bashing at the door.

[@marinodezelak1180]

@@crand20033 and moved them where? underground? flew them out of the country? With the amounts claimed, none of the participating agressor nations would've missed such movement, not for anything in the world, not with how desperate they were to prove they were right. Are you still trying to justify this to yourself? This wasn't looking for a needle in a haystack.... this was supposedly on a massive scale. Do you know how we monitor North Koreas and Chinas nuclear weapons production? We observe from space, the massive facilities required to produce the weapons. We're not talking about barels you can just burry in your bckyard either. this leaves traces. If Forensic investigators can prove you're a killer from skin flakes under the victims nails, several countries runing rampant all over Iraq looking for proof, and can't fin it.... Either those nations investigators are embarrassingly incompetent... oooor, they're full of shit and they commited to execution alla "guilty until proven innocent" style.

[@crand20033]

@@marinodezelak1180 Bush just wanted to bring Saddam to justice. I think he got achieved his goal.

[@daveyork0]

Forgive the lies, as we got the oil.

[@crand20033]

We don't take our forces and go around the world and try to take other people's real estate or other people's resources, their oil. That's just not what the United States does," Rumsfeld said. "We never have, and we never will. That's not how democracies behave."

[@chunnel3471]

hara-kiri, that would be the honorable exit path for Colin P; but considering that he has the spine of a lizzard, this will never happen! watching him speak, it turns your stomach: he is responsible, and not alone, for the death of hundreds of thousands of people.

[@janosschaffer4596]

War criminal.

[@teresanikole6307]

I love Colin Powell. ❤️❤️❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@lauriealach1072]

Maybe you won't, Teresa Nicole, once you grow up and learn to read and make reason of things. For the time being, enjoy the remaining years of elementary school.