Powell Regrets Iraq Weapons Claim for War

By BARRY SCHWEID

WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell ventured into the thick of the presidential campaign Friday by challenging John Kerry’s attacks on President Bush’s leadership of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

At a news conference in Atlanta, Powell disagreed with the Kerry’s contention in Thursday night’s presidential debate that Bush missed an opportunity to capture terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.

He also dismissed the Democratic candidate’s suggestion that Powell had been compelled to apologize for asserting at the United Nations that Iraq’s Saddam Hussein had amassed hidden stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction.

Then, in Washington, Powell took on Kerry over his assertion that Bush had sidestepped U.S. allies in going to war in Iraq and in his overall approach to world problems.

I don't accept that characterization,'' Powell said in response to a reporter's question as Powell escorted the foreign minister of Belgium, Karel De Gucht, from the State Department after a 30-minute meeting. He said, however, referring partly to Belgium's fierce opposition to Bush's decision to go to war last year,It doesn’t mean we get a blank check from (the allies).’’

In the Bush-Kerry debate Thursday night, which dealt solely with foreign policy, Kerry described the president as a failed leader for invading Iraq without the support of most U.S. allies; for letting the Iraq war take precedence over the global fight against terror; and for failing to find and eliminate bin Laden.

The leader of the al-Qaida terror network had been cornered in the mountains of Afghanistan, but instead of using well-trained U.S. forces to kill him the administration outsourced'' the assignment to Afghan warlords, Kerry said. Only a week earlier, those warlords had been fighting the United States, he said. Powell, in Atlanta, called that allegationa stretch.’’

I can assure you that we are looking for Osama bin Laden,'' Powell said. The retired four-star Army general added:With respect to a specific tactical operation and who might have been in Tora Bora that day or not, I have no reason to believe our commanders mishandled that.’’

At the same time, Powell defended the administration’s prewar stand on Iraq.

As he has before, the secretary said the allegations he presented to the Security Council in February 2003, that Saddam had secret arsenals of banned weapons, reflected the best views of the intelligence agencies.

We got it wrong,'' Powell said.We have seen nothing to suggest that he had actual stockpiles.’’

He blamed bad sourcing'' and did not apologize for his U.N. presentation, which had been designed to rally support in the United Nations for the coming war. He said,I am not only disappointed, but I regret that the information was not correct.’’

A Republican centrist with appeal to moderate voters who might decide the election, Powell is a valuable asset for Bush in his race with Kerry to hold on to the presidency.

As the campaign heated up during the summer, Powell said as secretary of state, he was obliged not to engage in parochial debate.'' At the same time he has defended Bush's foreign policy, and in taking reporters' questions Friday in Atlanta and in Washington he challenged Kerry across-the-board.I assure you that we will prevail, and we will be successful, and Iraq will be better off for it, Afghanistan will be better off for it, and the world will be better off for it,’’ Powell said.

Meanwhile, Powell’s deputy and close friend, Richard Armitage, went even further in boosting Bush over Kerry in an interview with reporters from NATO countries, released by the State Department.

I think George Bush will be elected to his second term,'' Armitage said.I think the American people like his clearer vision, his strength of views, even if they don’t agree with him sometimes. They like that.’’

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4528921,00.html