Former Powell Aide Says Bush Policy Is Run by 'Cabal'

[JackSpratts]

close confidant of powell says country "more vulnerable, not less to crisis."

things are so dysfunctional if anything major happens "you are going to see the ineptitude of this government in a way that will take you back to the Declaration of Independence."

- js.

Brian Knowlton

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 - Secretary of State Colin Powell's former chief of staff has offered a remarkably blunt criticism of the administration he served, saying that foreign policy had been usurped by a "Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal," and that President Bush has made the country more vulnerable, not less, to future crises.

The comments came in a speech Wednesday by Lawrence Wilkerson, who worked for Mr. Powell at the State Department from 2001 to early 2005. Speaking to the New America Foundation, an independent public-policy institute in Washington, Mr. Wilkerson suggested that secrecy, arrogance and internal feuding had taken a heavy toll in the Bush administration, skewing its policies and undercutting its ability to handle crises.

"I would say that we have courted disaster, in Iraq, in North Korea, in Iran, generally with regard to domestic crises like Katrina, Rita - and I could go on back," he said. "We haven't done very well on anything like that in a long time."

Mr. Wilkerson suggested that the dysfunction within the administration was so grave that "if something comes along that is truly serious, truly serious, something like a nuclear weapon going off in a major American city, or something like a major pandemic, you are going to see the ineptitude of this government in a way that will take you back to the Declaration of Independence."

Mr. Wilkerson, a retired Army colonel and former director of the Marine Corps War College, said that in his years in or close to government, he had seen its national security apparatus twisted in many ways. But what he saw in Mr. Bush's first term "was a case that I have never seen in my studies of aberration, bastardizations" and "perturbations."

"What I saw was a cabal between the vice president of the United States, Richard Cheney, and the secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld, on critical issues," he said.

The former aide referred to Mr. Bush as someone who "is not versed in international relations, and not too much interested in them, either." He was far more admiring of the president's father, whom he called "one of the finest presidents we've ever had."

Mr. Wilkerson has long been considered a close confidant of Mr. Powell, but their relationship has apparently grown strained at times - including over the question of unconventional weapons in Iraq - and the former colonel said Mr. Powell did not approve of his latest public criticisms.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/21/po...rticle_popular

[tambourine-man]

The result was that America's relations with the world had taken a pounding. Asked about the efforts by Mr Bush's key aide Karen Hughes to sell America to the Muslim world he said: "It's hard to sell shit." In remarks quoted by the Washington Post, Col Wilkerson said: "If you're unilaterally declaring Kyoto dead, if you're declaring the Geneva Conventions not operative, if you're doing a host of things that the world doesn't agree with you on and you're doing it blatantly and in their face, without grace, then you've got to pay the consequences."

http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...1/ixworld.html

[albed]

Ooooh, the world hates America for doing what it wants instead of what they want.

And it's got to "pay the consequences". How awful!

Isn't the agony of not being everyone's bitch punishment enough?

[Mazer]

You know, if I worked as some kind of aid to some cheif of staff in the president's cabinet, my word wouldn't mean shit, even if I was bureaucrat with of some influence and stature. That, of course, doesn't mean that there aren't dozens of reporters who would print my opinions and thousands more readers who would believe them. We keep hearing all these "insiders" comming out to attack this adiminstration as if their "confessions" and "whistle blowing" are purely altruistic gestures by selfless patriots with no ambitions of their own. They're really just saying what they think people want to hear, especially when they're giving speeches at institutions that hire them to do just that.

As much as people would like it not to be true, the middle management bureaucrats in the government who parlay instructions between the people at the top who give their speaches and the people at the bottom who do the actual work are the people with the most power. Not individualy, mind you, because they're always trying to climb that ladder, always in competetion with each other. Collectively they would be a force to be reckoned with if they could organize, but these types of people are not team players which is why I'm so incredulous about these accusations that keep sprouting up. These individuals get their fifteen minutes of fame in the hopes that someday, after this administration has passed, that they'll be that much more promotable if the newly elected president happened to run against the incumbent party. Make no mistake, they're every bit as arrogant and ambitious as candidates for national elections, with the added bonus that they don't have to impress a majority of the public, just those officials with the power to hand out promotions.

On a side note, ever notice how half these people have the qualifier 'former' attached to their titles? You think maybe this Wilkerson guy has an axe to grind? The "dysfunction" he's aledging is probably this administration's failure to increase his pay scale.

[theknife]

Originally Posted by Mazer

You know, if I worked as some kind of aid to some cheif of staff in the president's cabinet, my word wouldn't mean shit, even if I was bureaucrat with of some influence and stature. That, of course, doesn't mean that there aren't dozens of reporters who would print my opinions and thousands more readers who would believe them. We keep hearing all these "insiders" comming out to attack this adiminstration as if their "confessions" and "whistle blowing" are purely altruistic gestures by selfless patriots with no ambitions of their own. They're really just saying what they think people want to hear, especially when they're giving speeches at institutions that hire them to do just that.

As much as people would like it not to be true, the middle management bureaucrats in the government who parlay instructions between the people at the top who give their speaches and the people at the bottom who do the actual work are the people with the most power. Not individualy, mind you, because they're always trying to climb that ladder, always in competetion with each other. Collectively they would be a force to be reckoned with if they could organize, but these types of people are not team players which is why I'm so incredulous about these accusations that keep sprouting up. These individuals get their fifteen minutes of fame in the hopes that someday, after this administration has passed, that they'll be that much more promotable if the newly elected president happened to run against the incumbent party. Make no mistake, they're every bit as arrogant and ambitious as candidates for national elections, with the added bonus that they don't have to impress a majority of the public, just those officials with the power to hand out promotions.

On a side note, ever notice how half these people have the qualifier 'former' attached to their titles? You think maybe this Wilkerson guy has an axe to grind? The "dysfunction" he's aledging is probably this administration's failure to increase his pay scale.

so exactly which of Wilkerson's remarks are inaccurate?

[RoBoBoy]

Originally Posted by theknife

so exactly which of Wilkerson's remarks are inaccurate?

I agree. What isn't accurate?

It's frightening that so many Americans are wearing blinders. There's just too much smoke for there not to be a fire.

or

The Bush administration must be sending subliminal messages, which might explain why so many apparently intelligent people can still stand in his defense.

[albed]

Originally Posted by theknife

so exactly which of Wilkerson's remarks are inaccurate?

Mazer didn't make any comments about innaccurate remarks.



Try to keep your eye on the ball knife.

[Drakonix]

Mr. Wilkerson has long been considered a close confidant of Mr. Powell, but their relationship has apparently grown strained at times - including over the question of unconventional weapons in Iraq - and the former colonel said Mr. Powell did not approve of his latest public criticisms.

Sounds like Mr. Wilkerson had a bit of a "fallout" with his boss. LOL, I believe I hear axe to the grindstone noise. I hope the "New America Foundation" didn't pay Mr. Wilkerson very much for his "performance" of "My Sour Grapes".

[Nicobie]

"Ooooh, the world hates America for doing what it wants instead of what they want. "

Now that is true enough. Seems a wise policy where I'm standing.

[Nicobie]

"Former Powell Aide Says Bush Policy Is Run by 'Cabal' "

Yes, And what is the problem?

U think one person can run the whole shittin' country?

[RoBoBoy]

Originally Posted by Nicobie

"Former Powell Aide Says Bush Policy Is Run by 'Cabal' "

Yes, And what is the problem?

U think one person can run the whole shittin' country?

Open your Webster to the word cabal and maybe you'll revise your question.