Lawrence Wilkerson

Lawrence B. Wilkerson most recently served as Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell from August 1, 2002, to January 26, 2005. 

The Cheney-Rumsfeld Cabal Deception
Wilkerson has accused a cabal led by Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld of hijacking U.S. foreign policy by circumventing or ignoring formal decision-making channels. He has also charged that, as national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice was part of the problem by not ensuring that the policy-making process was open to all relevant participants. --Jim Lobe Inter Press Service, October 20, 2005.

... More
Wilkerson "revealed the inner struggles of the Bush administration in a speech before the New America Foundation on Oct. 19. A 'Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal' ran U.S. foreign policy for a president 'not versed in international relations and not too much interested.' Wilkerson defined the Bush doctrine as 'cowboyism.' Condoleezza Rice as national security advisor was 'extremely weak' and more interested in 'her intimacy with the president' than in acting as an honest broker. Cleaning up after Bush's tarnishing of America's image in the world was an impossible task. 'It's hard to sell shit,' said Wilkerson." --Sidney Blumenthal, Salon, October 27, 2005.

Profiles
"Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired) Larry Wilkerson joined General Colin L. Powell in March 1989 at the U.S. Army’s Forces Command in Atlanta, Georgia as his Deputy Executive Officer. He followed the General to his next position as Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, serving as his special assistant. Upon Powell's retirement from active service in 1993, Colonel Wilkerson served as the Deputy Director and Director of the U.S. Marine Corps War College at Quantico, Virginia. Upon Wilkerson’s retirement from active service in 1997, he began working for General Powell in a private capacity as a consultant and advisor.

"In December 2000, Secretary of State-designate Powell asked Wilkerson to join him in the Transition Office at the U.S. State Department and, later, upon his confirmation as Secretary of State, Secretary Powell moved Wilkerson to his Policy Planning Staff with responsibilities for East Asia and the Pacific, and legislative and political-military affairs. In June of 2002, the Director for Policy Planning, Ambassador Richard Haass, made Wilkerson the associate director. In August of 2002, Secretary Powell moved Wilkerson to the position of Chief of Staff of the Department.

"Wilkerson is a veteran of the Vietnam war as well as a U.S. Army 'Pacific hand,' having served in Korea, Japan, and Hawaii and participated in military exercises throughout the Pacific. Moreover, Wilkerson was Executive Assistant to US Navy Admiral Stewart A. Ring, Director for Strategy and Policy (J5) USCINCPAC, from 1984-87. Wilkerson also served on the faculty of the U.S. Naval War College at Newport, RI and holds two advanced degrees, one in International Relations and the other in National Security Studies."

Source: Bio: Lawrence B. Wilkerson, Department of State.


 * Academic Board, Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity

SourceWatch Resouces

 * Bush regime
 * Establishing martial law in the United States
 * global detention system
 * police state
 * Republican 'culture of corruption'

By Wilkerson

 * "Weighing the Uniqueness of the Bush Administration's National Security Decision-Making Process: Boon or Danger to American Democracy?" with Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, USA (Ret.), Former Chief of Staff, 2002-2005. Moderated by Steven Clemons, Director, New America Foundation, American Strategy Program, and Publisher, www.thewashingtonnote.com, October 19, 2005. Transcript and Video links.
 * "The White House cabal," Los Angeles Times, October 25, 2005. Also posted on TruthOut.org website.
 * "A secret cabal ruled in Bush's first term. This shadowy process was guided by Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld," San Francisco Chronicle, October 30, 2005.

Articles & Commentary

 * Thomas Blanton and Peter Kornbluh, " Prisoner Abuse: Patterns from the Past. Cheney Warned in 1992 ," CounterPunch, May 11, 2004. (emphasis added)
 * Barry Schweid, "Bolton Criticized by Former Intel Official," Associated Press (Free Republic), May 6, 2005.
 * Transcript: "Dead Wrong," CNN, August 21, 2005.
 * "Former aide: Powell WMD speech 'lowest point in my life'," CNN, August 23, 2005.
 * Edward Alden, "Cheney cabal hijacked US foreign policy," Financial Times, October 20, 2005.
 * Jim Lobe, "Powell Aide Blasts Rice, Cheney-Rumsfeld 'Cabal'," Inter Press Service (Common Dreams), October 20, 2005.
 * Jim Lobe, "US policy and the 'Oval Office cabal'," Asia Times, October 21, 2005.
 * Steven C. Clemons, "Secretive Cabal Running U.S. Foreign Policy is Undermining America's Democracy," TPM Cafe, October 21, 2005.
 * Steven C. Clemons, "Chris Nelson on the Cheney-Rumsfeld Cabal with Comments on Lawrence Wilkerson, Richard Armitage, and Colin Powell," The Washington Note, October 21, 2005.
 * Brian Knowlton, "Ex-Powell aide assails Bush's foreign policy," International Herald Tribune, October 21, 2005. Also posted by New York Times.
 * Timothy Noah, "Bush Abandonment Watch, Part 2. A former State Department bigwig unload," Slate, October 21, 2005.
 * Richard Holbrooke, "The System Worked," Washington Post, October 23, 2005.
 * pessimist, "Ratlines Over the Side," The Left Coaster, October 23, 2005.
 * "End of the Week Political Notes," Just Above Sunset, October 23, 2005. Contains numerous excerpts from Wilkerson's October 19th speech.
 * Fred Kaplan, "Now They Tell Us. Why didn't Bush's foreign-policy critics speak out a year ago?" Slate, October 24, 2005.
 * Editorial: "The colonel's critique," Boston Globe, October 26, 2005.
 * Opinion: "Capable Leaders, Openness Missing," Myrtle Beach Online/The Sun News, October 27, 2005.
 * Sidney Blumenthal, "Shipwrecked. Bush has so thoroughly destroyed the Republican establishment that no one, not even his dad, can rescue him now," Salon, October 27, 2005. Subscription or preview required.
 * Dan Froomkin, "Another Thunderbolt from Wilkerson," Washington Post, November 4, 2005.
 * "Iraq War Questions" with Lawrence B. Wilkerson, PBS Online NewsHour, November 4, 2005.
 * "More Fodder for Press: Wilkerson Charges Cheney Responsible for Prisoner Abuse," Editor & Publisher, November 4, 2005.
 * "Ex-Official Speaks Out on Prison Abuse," Associated Press (San Francisco Chronicle), November 4, 2005.
 * Jerry M. Landay, "Two Wise Men Break Ranks Over Iraq," Providence Journal (Common Dreams), November 18, 2005.
 * Wilkerson's famous speech at the New American Foundation, The Washington Note, October 19, 2005.
 * Wilkerson: The Cabal, The Washington Note, December 18, 2005.
 * Wilkerson: Cabal has stolen my party and I want it back, The Washington Note, March 22, 2006.
 * Gareth Porter. Wilkerson: Cabal blocked 2003 nuclear talks with Iran, Inter Press Service (IPS), March 28, 2006.