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Colin Powell at the UN, 5 February 2003: "These Are Not Assertions" — and "A Blot on My Record"

The shadow, at its most convincing​

On 5 February 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell presented the U.S. case to the UN Security Council: "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." He described "biological weapons factories on wheels and on rails" (White House archive transcript).

Powell was the most trusted man in the administration. That is what made the speech work on patriotic families: honor trusted honor.

The volume​

The Center for Public Integrity later counted "at least 935 false statements" by President Bush and seven top officials in the two years after 11 September 2001 about the threat from Iraq (Center for Public Integrity, "False Pretenses," 23 January 2008).

The admission​

In September 2005, asked by ABC's Barbara Walters about the speech: "It's a blot on my record." "It was painful. It's painful now." And: "Some members of the US intelligence community knew at that time that some of these sources were not good" (ABC News (Australia), 9 September 2005).

The Iran-war lesson​

"Some members of the US intelligence community knew at that time." In 2026, too, members knew: the DNI's written testimony, the briefers who told Congress Iran was not preparing to strike, the counterterrorism chief who resigned. The difference is that in 2026 they said so before the fighting, and the record is already public. A parent does not have to wait for the "blot" interview. See The Person Who Checks.

Sources​

Status: Colin Powell: Deceased (2021). George W. Bush: Alive.

Last Updated: 2026-09-26

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