Monday, March 10, 2003
Powell has problems but the penguins stopped swimming in circles
Today was a fairly quiet news day. I saw that the penguins in California stopped swimming in circles. That was good news. I also read that Colin Powel may not get Bush's resolution through the UN. That may be good news for some but bad news for Colin Powell. I really respect Powell and I believe most of the country does as well. He has an impossible job. One that I am extremely sorry to say, he may soon loose.
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Los Angeles Times
NEWS ANALYSIS
Powell's Credibility Rides on U.N. Vote
By Robin Wright, Times Staff Writer
WASHINGTON
In a hint of the dilemma he faces, other U.S. officials and foreign policy analysts say Powell didn't dare leave town for fear of what administration hawks might sell the White House in his absence. Neoconservatives in the administration often talk about "us versus them," referring not to their conflict with Iraq nor with balking allies. The "them" is Powell's State Department. In his place, Powell has opted to dispatch lower-ranking staff, who often keep exhausting travel schedules.
"The war within the administration is almost as fierce as anything we face abroad. That may be a bit of a caricature, but the bureaucratic infighting is pretty fierce. Powell may feel that if he goes away and leaves his camp unattended, then opposing camps may do more harm than the good he could do by traveling abroad. Some crazy initiative could pop up that he wasn't around to put back in the box," said Moises Naim, editor of Foreign Policy magazine.
But pressure from the hawks has undermined Powell's strategy from the beginning. In an August video conference with Bush and the national security team, Powell mapped out his grand strategy to go to the United Nations, get a new resolution, press for a final round of inspections and then, if Iraq failed to surrender its suspected arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, use force. According to all accounts, Powell prevailed despite extensive questioning.
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If we lose Powell, who knows how many countries Bush and company will try to bring down. Some how the use of atomic bombs against other countries in a pre-emptive strikes does not seem like a big stretch for Donald Rumsfeld.
The penguins probably swam on instinct. They gave in to their instincts. If I followed mine, I would be in Canada. Do bacteria toxins live in the cold?
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Los Angeles Times
NEWS ANALYSIS
Powell's Credibility Rides on U.N. Vote
By Robin Wright, Times Staff Writer
WASHINGTON
In a hint of the dilemma he faces, other U.S. officials and foreign policy analysts say Powell didn't dare leave town for fear of what administration hawks might sell the White House in his absence. Neoconservatives in the administration often talk about "us versus them," referring not to their conflict with Iraq nor with balking allies. The "them" is Powell's State Department. In his place, Powell has opted to dispatch lower-ranking staff, who often keep exhausting travel schedules.
"The war within the administration is almost as fierce as anything we face abroad. That may be a bit of a caricature, but the bureaucratic infighting is pretty fierce. Powell may feel that if he goes away and leaves his camp unattended, then opposing camps may do more harm than the good he could do by traveling abroad. Some crazy initiative could pop up that he wasn't around to put back in the box," said Moises Naim, editor of Foreign Policy magazine.
But pressure from the hawks has undermined Powell's strategy from the beginning. In an August video conference with Bush and the national security team, Powell mapped out his grand strategy to go to the United Nations, get a new resolution, press for a final round of inspections and then, if Iraq failed to surrender its suspected arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, use force. According to all accounts, Powell prevailed despite extensive questioning.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If we lose Powell, who knows how many countries Bush and company will try to bring down. Some how the use of atomic bombs against other countries in a pre-emptive strikes does not seem like a big stretch for Donald Rumsfeld.
The penguins probably swam on instinct. They gave in to their instincts. If I followed mine, I would be in Canada. Do bacteria toxins live in the cold?
# posted by Thomas @ 12:40 AM 
