the decade that followed the nine eleven attacks was marked by wars waged under the flag of writing the reading the world from terrorists lawrence wilkerson a former u.s. official in the administration of george w. bush told r.t. that america thinks its exceptional and abuses the power no longer has. i. after nine eleven america did not just go after those who perpetrated that tragic vicious attack it only campaigned on nations that had nothing to do with nine eleven we're talking about iraq where hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians have died since two thousand and three america's been in constant war since nine eleven in different countries are we talking about one of the most profound overreactions in military history to talk about that i'm joined by colonel lawrence wilkerson whose service call in powell as chief of staff colin powell secretary of state under george w. bush colonel wilkerson thank you so much for joining me thanks for having me more

than six thousand american servicemen have died in the last decade of war spawned by the nine eleven attack. tragedy worth remembering and knowing no doubt but why in all those speeches delivered by american officials i never hear about hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians dead in the wars waged by the united states and other countries like iraq as a collective entity we seem to think were exceptional and so exceptional that we don't have to think about other people or as i said that's a position you can maintain as long as you are as powerful as we were powerful as rome in its day post world war two but we're no longer that powerful when our powerful recedes even as we speak here today some of the people who were at the helm back then are now writing books saying everything they did was right including guantanamo including everything else i'm talking about dick cheney first of all

president under george w. bush and at the same time they're all blaming each other for something why all this confusion and should one be worried about the general picture that's being created of the last decade of war because they're all trying to blame each other and trying to get out of some of the blame and yes we should be going to. byrne why are they trying to blame each other let's let's face a factor for a moment that most americans don't even think about. nine eleven happened on george w. bush and dick cheney's what. they allowed the greatest killing of americans on american territory since were are but. a lot of their rhetoric and aggressive actions post nine eleven was to hide that fact and also to keep it from happening again because if it had happened again they probably would have been impeached on the spot thrown out of office so we spent four trillion dollars to counter an attack by bin laden's a lhari that cost maybe half a million that's not very cost effective that's really bad it's bad business so you

have to understand that first of all about the bush cheney administration the second thing you have to understand i think is that we have made a cottage industry if not a much more than a cottage industry out of the what my former boss colin powell has called the terrorist industrial complex lots of people are making lots of money off of this so-called global war on terror you're saying that you had lots of doubts about building this case for war in iraq was it possible that some point. to stand up and say no we have doubts we're not writing this speech where we're out of it we all did key points in the preparation of old pals presentation on some of those occasions george tenet and his deputy john mclaughlin said ok ok we'll roll that out of the cia head of the cia and the director of central intelligence at the time . will throw that out and they threw it out the real essence of that presentation they preserve they being george tenet and john mclaughlin and i think under some

strong influence from the vice president's office they preserved and that was the mobile biological laboratories that was the active nuclear program as symbolized by the aluminum tubes and it was the existing chemical stocks and. an action is hard connections between al qaeda and baghdad those were the real faults of the ads in that briefing that george tenet and john mclaughlin the representatives of not just the u.s. intelligence community but of israel finance britain jordan and a host of others who were feeding intelligence into us. that's what they said was sacrosanct they said that is the case that is what saddam hussein is doing only later did we learn that even those elements of his presentation were composed of half truths false woods even and i think today after doing more research outright

lies lies created in the defense department under undersecretary of defense for policy doug feith and his special iraq team why and allies created in the vice president why in your opinion because they wanted for the same reason that in the summer of two thousand and two i have discovered that b. emphasis on enhanced interrogation techniques changed suddenly from being to try and find out if another attack were coming after all a lot of time expired for another attack or a coming it would have come. in the summer of two thousand and two it shifted suddenly to enhanced interrogation in order to find out if baghdad had contacts with al qaida so we were actually torturing people not under the so-called smoking gun argument that we might have another attack so it was justified we were torturing people so we could attack iraq and convince the american people we should do so that's how drastic it got now ask me why they want to go to war with iraq and

i'll give you a half a dozen answers if it's douglas feith as protection of israel if it's paul wolfowitz the deputy secretary of defense it's a little bit of israel it's a little bit of oil and it's a little bit of bringing peace and democracy and freedom to the middle east if it's george bush who i fear the nexus between al qaida and baghdad which cheney had convinced him of i'm sure george tenet had convinced him of it george tenet didn't think there was that big a nexus. with dick cheney i think it was all iraq right now is sitting on probably two hundred billion barrels maybe three hundred billion barrels that's a racks on oil report that surpasses saudi arabia. if iraq is sitting on three hundred billion barrels of oil if that turns out to be true it will be more than saudi arabia now you know why dick cheney went to war in iraq it also was the low hanging fruit north korea was far more dangerous but too difficult one hundred thousand casualties were predicted by the pentagon on both sides seoul would be

destroyed iran was too difficult seventy million people not fractured like the iraqis and the sunni and shia christian and other so the low hanging fruit was a rock just used a moment in the wake of nine eleven they use the moment and in the wake of nine eleven to divert from afghanistan our real target should have been our real target and go to iraq that's exactly what they did you said they would testify if they put someone like dick cheney on trial and out what would you accuse them off i think he's already done it no one needs to accuse him of anything he has admitted publicly it is on videotape that he condoned waterboarding that he would still waterboard then he does not believe waterboarding is torture waterboarding is torture there is a ipso facto case the man's guilty but they're saying they did it in the best interest of their country it seems to be the ultimate reasoning which can't be confronted what would you say to that i say that the in never justifies the means.

and the question is does the lesser evil ever justify itself because it prevents a greater evil there are some real problems with that argument the logical problems as well as philosophical and what i would call value laden problems first is you can never know a hypothetical you never know if your lesser evil action actually prevented the greater evil big cheney spends hours on television and elsewhere and in this book trying to say that his actions prevented a greater evil another attack on the united states and so forth well that's his interpretation my interpretation of the bureaucracy which is probably far better than his because i was buried in it i heard people talking about it every day so bottom line is i know what dick cheney doesn't know because he was in the ivory palace and he can't know horse soldiers surrounded cheney the people who surround cheney are david addington and john hannah and scooter libby and they tell dick cheney what dick cheney wants to hear george tenet told dick cheney what dick

cheney wanted to hear oh yes it's working mr vice president we're getting great information and we're stopping terrorist attacks that is utter bull they didn't stop anything through inherent enhanced interrogation techniques i have that from some of the most respected people in the f.b.i. and the intelligence community so i can't fault big cheney for not knowing the truth because he couldn't know the truth he's trapped he's trapped in his own military but the truth is the methods don't work and they rebound to your discredit and they recruit as you said for your enemy dick cheney is asked what would happen if an american were captured in iran and what would happen if they waterboarding because they thought he was a threat to the state of iran and so forth he just skirted around the question what he really said was if you listen closely americans are better than anybody else in the world. americans shouldn't be waterboarding but anybody else we can waterboard

especially if we're americans doing it that's essentially what dick cheney said now here's the kicker about forty percent of america agrees with. you poll you look at the polls that have been done about forty percent of america at any given time they think that americans have the right to torture other people and other people don't have the rights to torture americans for various reasons most seven think it's that way because we have a bigger gun that's why they think we can get away with it and do it because we have a bigger gun that's why i say the reckoning is coming the reckoning when we are just another country in the world and that they is coming it may not come in my lifetime but unfortunately i think it's coming and my children and my grandchildren's lifetime and this is going to be a hard time for washington because we no longer going to have the money where no are going to have the economic might we're no longer going to have the military might and so forth to say to the world we can torture you but you can't torture us

many say that america's response to nine eleven was one of the most profound overreactions in military history with your grave with that i think initially it was proportional it was rational it was fairly well supported in the international community and it was a sadness that yes the initial reaction what we should have done was gone to afghanistan as we did did what we did about six months later said ok here's your government karzai you've got it go ahead and run your country as best you can we'll give you economic and financial support from a far we're going home oh by the way footnote if you entertain terrorist in this country good will come back and do it again in what way could that overreaction backfire. i think it already has and this is a profound change really that's happened since world war two it's been creeping up

on us and now with libya it's here we have a an executive power that is beyond any check by the people by the congress or by the courts for war we can go to war to drop of a coin it matters not that the obama administration and i have to say i voted for president obama it matters not that they have protested rather futilely and e articulate really that they were involved in hostilities that the war powers act was not relevant and so for that certainly was any time you kill people for state purposes the war powers act is relevant and the constitution is relevant we've reached a point now where the present in the united states can kill people for state purposes any time he or she feels the need james madison said very eloquently when you compare combined the power to initiate war with the power to execute it you have achieved tyranny that is

a very profoundly worrying situation in this that's happened in this country i. believe. if you move from phones to. meet friends don't totty don't comb. days

news and this week's top stories the u.s. commemorates its worst terrorist attack the divide of the world the nine eleven assault ten years ago prompted america to launch a policing mission that manny experts claim is made the globe more dangerous. russian bids farewell to the players of a top national ice hockey team who perished in a plane crash the jet went down shortly after taking off and jaroslav the region killing forty three people on board. and moscow was to send a fact finding mission to syria to get firsthand information about the crisis there this as russia's president may be headed refuses to take sides in the conflict saying talks are the only way to peace. time now it's take a look what's happening in the world of sports tell us here. thanks very much you're watching this board live on our t.v.

had lines. dahlan novel drawbridge advancing to the u.s. open decide that a repeat of the twentieth sound final made while some of the stars are uncertain the williams will do battle for the ladies title after a new russian mother. trampled down the ball skills stumped by merely metres and safety rivals say it will be away from home when one of saturday's games . and last goodbye family friends plans and dignitaries paying their respects to be looking much he buys hockey players who were killed in a plane crash this week. and let's begin with the latest from flushing meadows where syrian a williams knocked out darling of his now came the u.s. open semifinal the american through to the championship decided now with these winning six to six ball over the top seed meanwhile samantha stalls are advance to her second great grand slam final in the early match and beating surprise package angelique it could have been in their range delayed game style so it started

strongly taking the first set six games to three body and see the german pulled back to level the game in emphatic style the decider was one sided though with salsa running away five love and then securing a six three two six six to win to reach the final she is now aiming to become the first australian woman to win a major since. the wimbledon victory. of the french. wasn't i would it take it in you know i now want to give myself another two to be see just go out there and you know use a little bit of that experience from last year really go after it and see what i can do but it would be. a major highlight of month three. all the men's side know what djokovic is defeated or federer in their first meeting of the season the match went to a full five set up with a joke of coming from two sets to love down and saving too much points to eventually get through six seven four six six three six two seven five five time

when a federal law said the same stage and to the same man at last is us open while the top seeded seven is now healthy for his third grand slam title in twenty one and. it's always important to. be calm to stay positive and to believe to believe that you can win i mean since you're already in the fifth set and he's sorry for the match it's only one breaker difference so i make the break. only rafael nadal those downs but we joke of each and the trophy for defeating the full c. then d. sixty two three six six two in the second semi was again denying the scots hopes of a major success the doll versus joker which will be a rematch of last is finally won by the set and a battle between the world's top to play is. on to football and south they sold the top four russian sides next june as the day started with a shock. cross in the mind the first match with national team goalkeeper

in fee for picked up and mean jury a fortnight ago and the absence was a glaring one of the bottle you opened for the visit is thirty six minutes into the game moments where he was then and he. said again you go just full of three minutes late it came in karate the men make me suniel there has defense remained all it seems sensually for the rest of the game this taking advantage of midway through the second hall. and cool and again late substitute that xander cup quarter that would round out the four zero upset on the stroke zero food time. and frozen needs of the day old salt when they had avoided defeat at look it might seem it was a bad day as well but that was beyond them which on a split is men throwing away a two goal lead to lose the fool to. an exam that

a lot of both striking with us off to prison need in the driving seat but local full back in the second hot summer signing big at that. moment you become bagged just after the break another new arrival phillipe because sado tied for savings right on the album all of that and he is one man who's just saw that his time with local monorail décor still is left to make the difference the portuguese begley a brace within thirty minutes to complete one two scoring. in the meantime are being have slipped from fools so if if disappointing three one loss at a snug up. open for the has eight minutes following a handball in the box the army national easily puts in the ball away straight to the second hall now where the head of steam doubled the lead through alexandra i mr lush really as a fraud who baltar a free kick. brought us not just pulled one back from the spot with full minutes to go given this is a hope for

a jewel of being keeper said he had reason to join his team mates up from hoping to score in the dying moments on the hosts managed to deal with that for out and enjoy the new pro player to build the school beyond doubt the injury time getting him out and that's to give the premier league new boys a well deserved three one victory over the four one russian champions. now you look at once if you would have pulled out of a challenge til next season it was expected that all the teams would give players for their great stricken team but local officials say they will take a break now so this is a saw thousands of people come out to pay their last respects to the players coffins laid out in less than the teams who were either following wednesday's crash which occurred just after takeoff at the airports all of the forty five people on board just to survive to play. around seven thousand mourners came to the stadium

on saturday meanwhile the case. has been renamed the local might see in the memory of the dead we will be called tested on monday but with the pending the champion still of what do you live lost is. the law and local coach both of those agreed to return and manage the club. boys have accomplished a lot in the world. and morning is left for us and their families some friends friends trying to leave through town at least in some way. remember them always their last irreplaceable. moving on to other news now england secure their first points at the rugby world cup on saturday but it was far from easy for martin johnson's men in new zealand. putting up a fight this penalty from odds and five minutes out of the break which in the room

was nine three up which they were fully deserving but one moment was to change the course of the game determined work from the english in the scrum allowing ben youngs to be at home in time defense while the saints you for the only choice of the match after sixty seven minutes anglin going on to add points of the boot of the previously out of johnny wilkinson for in the. line when. early in the same pool be scotland got the better off romania thirty four swainson paul. be unfortunate and says when he farben paul de wild for all solving a determined japanese outplayed forty seven twenty one that simple eight helped a dozen different try to score as for the blair this one. form of the wall and defending formula launch an offensive also in the dow has securities down poll of the season ahead of the tally of the grand prix the championships german leader

waiting insulates on the post the boston style moving in front of mcclaren do you lewis hamilton and jenson button twice f one champion from all the alone so we'll start from the second row for ferrari red bull had never before claimed gold nor a podium finish at the story more as a track matelote mate mark webber have now secured polls for each of the thirteen races so far this season renos russia. meanwhile did have a bad day either posting the seven wickets time but it is a tell who's the man to catch a major on sunday because this is very good here the balance this is perfect even though you know for most of the people except those two we don't carry a lot of women around and low downforce is very slippery but still we are quite quick in throughout all the three sectors and that was able to put it together so i'm very happy today. and finally ukraine's victoria to show kwan individual go.

on well championships in moscow while the combined russia women's result may seem bronze medal now on course that of course the latest finals for us. four out of seven russian women qualified for the finals of the modern pentathlon world championship in moscow and judging from their opening performance it seems one of them might even get a place on the podium you have the. start of the second event with the best results from earlier fencing tournaments while her team partner you can see you know who to ask you know wasn't third this woman competition so both women relinquish their leading roles with dropping to fourth and who are asking are all the way down to thirteenth. in the third events which is show jumping. and her horse made only one mistake and climbed up to third place going into the final phase which is running and shooting at that point she was the only russian

left with a chance to claim a podium spots as her other teammates slipped away below thirty. become blind events which is a little similar to the biathlon where athletes run a three thousand meter distance stoppages should it's our gets separated the cool headed from the rest though the russians result wasn't enough to win an individual men's all the fourth place finish still earned it you have the key a good place on russia's olympic team. despite the fact that you've posted to personal best results and fans since women still couldn't win the bronze this shows that women can tough them is very competitive now and to win a tournament an athlete must out to himself the tournaments will continue over the next few days with the men's women's and mixed team relays still to come as well as the men's individual final. ramon cost of artsy moscow. and it's all the latest in sports this hour stay tuned for the weather update

coming up this. hour is when you look for nuclear winter in the street against. human blood is measured in barrels. when your brain is most. when you have no idea.

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stories of the day the divide in the world remembering the terror attack that prompted america to launch a global policing mission that many experts claim has made the world more dangerous . forever young russia bids farewell to the players of a top national ice hockey team who perished in a plane crash that killed forty three. am boss here was to send a fact finding mission to syria's president advocated refuses to take sides in the conflict saying talks are the only way to peace. ninety m. in the russian capital you're watching r t i'm marina joshie it was the day that changed history americans and the world were shocked by the worst terrorist attack ever on u.s. soil.