Powell says Iraq's prewar arms should be issue, not Saddam's intentions
The Associated Press
Updated: 8:35 p.m. ET Feb. 03, 2004WASHINGTON - Democrats say they?re worried an inquiry into intelligence failures planned by President Bush won?t be truly independent. Some Republicans worry the inquiry ? at least the fifth now under way ? will distract the CIA from key tasks.
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But whatever the outcome, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday only Iraq?s prewar weapons stockpiles should be at issue ? not the infrastructure and intentions of Saddam Hussein.
?There should be no doubt ... that we have done the right thing and history certainly will be the test of that,? Powell told reporters after meeting with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.
With discontent growing on both sides, the White House was leaning toward announcing the commission and its members Wednesday when Bush is expected to give a speech on terrorism at the Library of Congress, a senior administration official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Bush said Monday he wants an independent panel to uncover ?all the facts? on prewar intelligence in Iraq and also ?look at our war against proliferation and weapons of mass destruction? in a broader context.
In one week, Bush has gone from dismissing the need for a review to discussing what form such a panel should take.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair told a parliamentary committee Tuesday that, Britain, too, will hold an inquiry into the intelligence used in deciding to go to war with Iraq.
He said Foreign Secretary Jack Straw would make an announcement about the inquiry later Tuesday.