wars waged under the flag of ridding the world from terrorists lawrence wilkerson a former u.s. official in the administration of george w. bush told r.t. that america thinks it's exceptional and abuses the power it no longer has. i. after nine eleven america did not just go after those who perpetrated that tragic vicious attack it only the campaign donations 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 collin 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 were as i said that's a position you can maintain as long as you are as powerful as we were powerful as roman in its day post world war two but we're no longer that powerful in 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 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. and 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 cold piles 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 and they preserved 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. next in this hard connections between al qaida 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 hoods 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 i 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 this 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 a while 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 the. the record 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 a 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 him 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 no horse holders surround dick cheney the people who surround cheney or 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 order book 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 day is coming it may not come in my lifetime but unfortunately i think it's coming in 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 were 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 but 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 afar we're going home oh by the way footnote if you entertain terrorists in this country again will come back and do it again in what way could that over we actually 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 toward the 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 idiotically really that they weren't involved in hostilities that the war powers act was not relevant and so forth it 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 president the united states can kill people for state purposes any time he or she would 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. when you look for a nuclear winter against. barrels . when you brain is most.

today's news in the week's top stories the u.s. commemorates its worst terrorist attack that divided the world the nine eleven assault ten years ago prompted america to launch a policing mission. has made the globe more dangerous. russia bid farewell to the players of a top national team. the jet went down shortly after taking off and. killing forty three people on board. to send a fact finding mission to syria to get firsthand information about the prices there as russia's president refuses to take sides in the. are the only way to peace. next the talk is here with all the latest from the world of sports.

thank you very they are watching this for it live on our t.v. how lions this hour rafael nadal and novak djokovic should dance and to be here is open decide to a repeat of the sway and waddle meanwhile samantha sponsor answering a williams will do battle for the ladies title at train he lost in meadows. premier league leaders and say to skull for new away from home and second seasons a neat also lose on the day. and the last goodbye family friends fans and dignitaries paying their respects to be looking much he buys hockey players in a way killed in a plane crash this week. and let's begin with the latest from flushing meadows where serena williams knocked out carly that was knocking the u.s. open semifinal the american through to the championship decider with these winning six to six fall over the top seed meanwhile samantha styles are advance to her second career grand slam final in the early a clash the australian beating surprise package on going to cook in the rain

delayed match style sort of started strongly taking the games to three bobby instead of germany pulled back to level the game in fact sextile the decider was one sided though with stossel running away five love and then securing a six three two six six two victory to reach the final she's now aiming to become the first australian woman to win a major since evolved gongs nine hundred eighty wimbledon success. chance of the french. noise and i wouldn't take it in you know now one is happy i'm giving myself another to do the same 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 you know it was a major highlight of much. the men's side no joke of its defeat at all just federer in the first meeting of the season the much went to a full five settle with a joker coming from two cents to knock down and saving too much ones to eventually get through six seven four six six three six seven five of the final set five time

when a federal lost at the same stage and to the same man at last is us open while the top seeded survey is hoping for his grand slam title point in the end though. 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 me sorry for the marriage it's only one breaker difference so if i make a break from the marriages we're not. so old later i'll fall adult towns but when joke of each show fear all for defeating the full c. then d. mari six four six two three six six in the second semi once again denying the scots hopes of a major success the dull vs djokovic show will be a rematch of last year's cannot be won by the battle between the world's top two players. of football alan saunders a full russian sides in action as the day started with

a shock. hosted cross say to rivals did not buy their first match without national team girl. who picked up and in a serious the tree a fortnight ago and the absence was a glaring one and they are all in open for the visitors thirty six minutes and now more misery was that he was deputy goalie said a gay chip to go just three minutes late say kevin chorion even make it to nil. the house defense remained all its essentially for the rest of the game this taking advantage of it made way for the second hole vandalising who want to kick and late subsidy that examined the court and were drowned out the four nil upsets on the stroke of full time. about devas in the. as well with the and the day on top they had to void the defeated look i might see but that was beyond them which on a spoil it is amounts rowing a way to go a ball and to lose pool to. the legs of the book lot of both striking in the first

opticals and in the driving seat but loco for back in the second hope some assigning big launching become by just after the break and now the new arrival fully because say the time proceedings are right on the all ball there and yet one more man who's just saw that he was stunned with local money well done for still was left to make the difference that bushie is bagging a brace within thirty minutes to complete the fool to scoring a look at mighty. rubin meanwhile have slipped from foles to fifth after a disappointing three one loss that the. open field has eight minutes in following a handball in the box they are means national easily putting the ball away now straight to the second half where the head is seeing double the lead through an exam that i know slushy as a fine after a free kick not sure then pulled one back from the spot with four minutes to go even if there's a hope for

a jewel box or be the pursuit of the loser go vote and join his team mates up front hoping to score in the dying moments and a host managed to deal with that threat while joy them broke up with the school beyond doubt in the injury time heating and them to nets to give the prime a league new boys a well deserved a free one victory over the russian champions. meanwhile they have pulled out of ice hockey till next season it was expected that all the teams would give players to the great stricken team but local officials say they will take a break now saturday saw thousands of people come out to pay their last respects to the players coffins laid out and look at what seems to follow in wednesday's crash which occurred just after takeoff at the polls. of the forty five people on board just to survive to play as the crew member there in the critical condition in

hospital around thirty five thousand dollars came to the stadium meanwhile the. has been renamed the memory of the dead joe if he will be called tested on monday it will lead. to a lot of lost is a lot from a local coach both of what are your was agreed to return and manage the club gave his own. boys have accomplished a lot in the world. and mourning is left friends and family friends friends trying to live through. at least in some way. remember them always. irreplaceable. on to new zealand where australia has started strongly of a rugby world cup beating heavy on the dogs in sunday's early kalash the game will start at six six and help sunday for the wall of a school so went to six announced of points in the second period for the final

result of thirty two six the great kickoff one of the two of them and they were installed in pool see the other games today include a lot of against the usa and south africa versus wales. meanwhile england secure the first points of the world cup on sounds easy although not without a five four margin see that penalty from monks in order to get five minutes after the break was nine three zero votes one moment was the change the course of the game determined work from the english into the scrum allowing ben youngs to pick a hole in the defense for the only choice of the match up to sixty seven minutes england going on to add points following a tune i tree. over to box in no way of it. founded his w.b.c. have you wait title by defeating polish content it almost sounds a nice. old ukrainian edging his opponent with a technical not counting the town with the wind has extended his record to fourteen

for. fourteen of those with just two defeats school each goal claiming off to the valves and that he's next goal will be fighting breaking david hate the last of italy's elder brother. here. in formula one defending champion sebastian vettel has security staff of the season ahead of the italian grand prix championships german leader waiting until late on to pose the fastest five moving in front of mcclaren dulu is hamilton and jenson button twice f one champion for nadal also will start the second row for karate red bull have never before claimed gold nor a podium finish at the historic mourns the track but tell it so you made mark webber have now secured goals for each of the thirteen races so far this season reno's russian be it off meanwhile didn't have a bad day either with this quick us time but it is a tell who is the man to catch later on sunday. because this is very good here the

bones 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 lowdown forces 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 quality individual gold more than pentathlon the world championships in moscow while the combined russian women's result bronze medal and one quarter reports. 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 it placed on the podium you have a good fish nico must start of the second event with the best results from earlier fencing tournaments while her team partner you could ask you know wasn't third this

woman competition so both women relinquish their leading roles with dropping to fourth and her asking are all the way down to thirteenth. in the thirty 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 stopping to shoot 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 and that you have. a place on russia's olympic team. despite the fact that you've become a poster to personal best results in

a sense since women still can win the bronze this shows that we miss printout from is very competitive now and to win a tournament an athlete must to himself that certain mental will continue over the next few days with the men's women's and make steam relays still to come as well as the men's individual final. cost for of r.t. moscow and jernigan in two hours for sports now it's time to check the weather way .

well the british sign the sun it's time to. market and. find out what's really happening to the global economy for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune into cars a report on our. day's

news and this week's top stories today the divide of the world from members of the terror attack the problem with america to launch a global policing mission that manny experts claim has made the world more dangerous. for every young russian bids farewell to the players of a top national ice hockey team who perished in a plane crash that killed forty three. moscow is to send a fact finding mission to syria's president medvedev refuses to take sides in the conflict saying talks are the only way to peace. you're watching r t coming to you live from moscow i'm marina joshie well it was the day the change history americans and the world were shocked by the worst terrorist attack ever on u.s. soil in the decade.