More Shame on Colin Powell

It's pretty easy for Colin Powell to now say he "advised President Bush before the Iraq war to send more troops to the country, but the administration did not follow his recommendation". He's the former Secretary of State and with 2400 dead soldiers under his belt, in a war he did nothing to stop, it just seems a little too easy and a little too late for him to say "I told ya so".

How long ago did he forget about his years as a soldier? How long ago did he forget that he was a General, a leader of men? Before troops were sent into the middle east, back in 2002 or 2003, he could have and should have shouted from the rooftops, "SEND MORE TROOPS TO IRAQ", and fallen on his sword, but no, he has waited until now, nearly 4 years too late and his statement is barely a whisper.

People still say that Colin Powell isn't so bad. If you feel that way, you are wrong. He stood in front of the UN in 2003, and while he refused to cite the 16 words that Bush spoke at the state of the Union earlier in the month about Iraq attempting to acquire uranium from Africa, he knew he was not speaking the truth. He said

My colleagues, every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we're giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence. I will cite some examples, and these are from human sources.

We know the sources were not solid, and the information was not based on solid intelligence. It was based on information that was formed to fit the premise this administration wanted, and what they wanted was to go to war with Iraq.

I hold Colin Powell, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld personally responsible for the death of my only child, Lt Ken Ballard.
Why? Here are the facts.

• 1st Cavalry had arrived in Iraq on 3.29.04 to replace 1st Armored Division.
• Ken's unit turned in their weapons on 4.3.04.
• No soldiers from Ken's unit had been killed as of 4.3. 04.
• Ken's unit had shipped their personal belongings home.
• They were ready to march out of Baghdad the week of 4.10.04.
• Ken expected to be home in Germany by late April.
• On 4.14.04, 1st Armor Division was operationally extended for 120 days because the "mission was not complete" (read that, there weren't enough soldiers in Iraq.)
• Instead of shopping for Ken's Homecoming Party, we had to fire up the CARE package shipping schedule, which had ceased as we awaited Ken's return. We resumed shipping necessities & goodies to Iraq.
• Every single day in May, Ken's unit was in combat.
• Ken was killed on 5.30.04.
• 4 men from Ken's unit were killed by the end of May.
• All of those soldiers should have been home safely to their families.

And the answer is, Bush, Powell, Rumsfeld and Cheney are responsible for my son's death because they did not properly plan for this war by providing sufficient boots on the ground, equipment, and training, they didn't plan for the peace. And worst of all, they don't know how to get out of Iraq. I suspect they would if they thought about it, but with 6 enduring bases, 4 American and 2 UK, being built in Iraq, bigger than any we have seen before, why would they want to?