Columnist: Bush administration fears Powell will emerge as anti-war critic

From Rawstory:

Of all the former Bush administration officials whose advice was ignored -- to disastrous effect -- in the run-up to the Iraq war, Colin Powell has remained the most stoic and unwilling to criticize what others have called a lack of planning and overall mismanagement that led America to its current predicament.

A column published Thursday suggests that all could change at a most inopportune time for the administration, as it prepares to release its second surge-related progress report next month.

"Powell is the White House's ticking-time-bomb scenario," Sidney Blumenthal writes in Salon.

"He was Petraeus before Petraeus, the good soldier before the good soldier, window-dressing before window-dressing. The White House aides' fear of Powell reflects their guilt, if not their stricken consciences, over his disposal. Powell was used, ruined and tossed overboard. His warnings were ignored, his loyalty was abused, and when he no longer served Bush's purposes he was unceremoniously discarded."

Blumenthal notes Feb. 5, 2003, the date of Powell's infamous United Nations presentation, "will live in mendacity, for every statement he made was later revealed to be false."

A recently released documentary, "No End in Sight," featured devastating interviews with three of Powell's former aides and associates who were involved with Iraq's reconstruction. RAW STORY previously published an exclusive excerpt of the film.

Blumenthal predicts the criticisms from Powell's former inner circle -- chief of staff, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson; his former deputy, Richard Armitage; and former U.S. ambassador Barbara Bodine -- could foreshadow the former Secretary of State's personal criticisms of the war.