Colin Powell

On the Iraq War

"[I]t strikes me as quite odd that these [aluminum] tubes are manufactured to a tolerance that far exceeds U.S. requirements for comparable rockets. Maybe Iraqis just manufacture their conventional weapons to a higher standard than we do, but I don't think so." (2/5/2003, in U.N. presentation) [1]

Powell received an INR memo two days earlier directing contradicting this statement:

"Our key remaining concern is the claim that the tubes are manufactured to a tolerance that 'far exceeds US requirements for comparable rockets.' In fact, the most comparable US system is a tactical rocket--the US Mark 66 air-launched 70mm rocket--that uses the same, high-grade (7075-T6) aluminum, and that has specifications with similar tolerances. Note that the Mk 66 specifications are unclassified, and the Department is planning to share them with the IAEA." 2/3/2003 [2]