The Associated Press article entitled "Powell's U.N. Speech: A Report Card"
reviews in detail the allegations made by the Secretary of State to the
U.N. Security Council in support of a pre-emptive attack on Iraq.  As the
article makes clear, not a single claim has been substantiated in the nearly
six months since the U.S.-led invasion, despite strenuous effort and ludicrous
attempts to distort the truth.

While it is bad enough that none of his claims has turned out to be true, the
real tragedy is that most of these claims were obviously false at the time the
speech was given, and those that were not patently absurd were highly dubious
at best.  Powell's evidence consisted of mis-translations, use of undated
photographs and recordings, and cartoons drawn by members of his staff.  Even a
cursory examination of his claims by a competent journalist would have revealed
the mendacity, duplicity, and deception at the core of his case.  But only now,
after thousands have died, is the American press able to draw even the most
obvious conclusions.

Powell's speech deserves an "F", the American press an "F-".

Robert Harper
Squirrel Hill