While so many are lauding the career of the late Gen. Colin Powell, I won’t be joining the chorus of those celebrating his (alleged) triumphs. For one, his military credentials were burnished by directing campaigns during the Vietnam War, which included the wholesale destruction of hundreds of villages across the country and the slaughter of literally millions of innocent Vietnamese in a conflict we now know the Pentagon spent years lying to the American public about why we were waging the war, as well as the consequences of our misguided policy of “pacification.”

Powell then helped deceive Americans into supporting the invasion of Iraq post-9-11, standing before the UN Security Council and lying about so-called mobile bio-weapon laboratories he claimed Saddam Hussein was using to develop weapons of mass destruction. He is one of the key people personally responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, destabilization of the Middle East and the ultimate rise of ISIS terrorists responsible for dozens of horrific attacks in the years since we invaded Iraq.

Powell is but one of a long line of American military leaders who play on people’s patriotism to provide cover for wars of choice that devastate entire countries, kill millions of innocent people unnecessarily and end up costing Americans trillions of our tax dollars, not to mention any pretense to the moral high ground.

Dan Murphy

Everett