Doug Ward, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, June 13, 2008


Might vote for Obama; Former U.S. secretary of state
says presidential voting decision will be based on passion
 and policies


He was a four-star American general, the secretary of state
during President George W. Bush's first term and
remains a Republican.

But Colin Powell said Thursday in Vancouver that he
is considering voting for Democrat Barack Obama in
November -- and he took shots at the Bush administration's
 handling of the Iraq war and the holding of terrorism
suspects in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Powell told a crowd of about 1,000 people at the
Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre that he
 hasn't decided whether to support Obama or
Republican John McCain for the U.S. presidency.




Powell said that Obama's life story sums up the
"American dream" and he described McCain as
 the "toughest man I've ever met."

Powell said he told both candidates recently that
 he has not decided which one will have his
 coveted endorsement.

The African-American former general said his
decision won't be based on the race or military
experience of the candidates, but on their
 passion and policies.

The former secretary of state discussed the
 controversy that drew a small but loud protest
outside the convention centre -- Powell's use
 of flawed intelligence during his 2003 presentation
at the United Nations to sell the world on
 the invasion of Iraq.

Powell told the audience that he wouldn't have
 agreed with the decision to go to war had he known
 that the data about Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein
having weapons of mass destruction was exaggerated.

Powell said that every word of what he called his
"infamous" presentation about WMD had been vetted
 by the intelligence community -- "and I had no r
eason to disbelieve it."

The former secretary of state has previously
described his prewar UN speech as a
"blot" on his record.

Powell went on to say that the Bush administration
 fell into "disarray" over how to govern Iraq
after it overthrew Hussein.

"If we had handled the aftermath of the fall of Baghdad
 differently then we wouldn't be where we are today,"
 said Powell.

He said the new president should "draw down"
 the number of American troops in Iraq and hand
more responsibility to Iraqi forces.

Powell said the use of torture and denial of habeas
 corpus at the prison for suspected terrorists at the
U.S. military base in Guantanamo has diminished
 America's standing in the world. "It [Guantanamo]
 is not a seen as a place that is consistent with
what America says justice will be."

Powell said the harshness of Guantanamo has also given
"cover to a lot of really bad people around the world
 who say: 'Hey, don't lecture me, look at what
you're doing.' "

Powell said that torture, including water-boarding,
should stop at Guantanamo and that terrorism suspects
should be given lawyers and afforded all the rights
of the American criminal justice system.

Powell also said that the American war on terrorism
has gone too far in deterring foreigners from entering
the U.S., and rules governing entry to the U.S.
must be relaxed.

Many well-qualified people from around the world
are deciding not to study at American universities
 or work at medical clinics because of their fear
 of being hassled by U.S. authorities, he added.

"We will not be terrified into changing our way
of life because of some guy [Osama bin Laden]
hiding in a cave somewhere in Afghanistan."