Powell's halo is made of plastic

Colin Powell has come out against Bush's terrorist detainee treatment bill:

“The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism,” said Powell, who served under Bush and is a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “To redefine Common Article 3 would add to those doubts. Furthermore, it would put our own troops at risk.”

When did we decide that our policies must be set in consultation with the vagueries of world opinion. It's all based on allegations of torture which are denied.

And what is he talking about with "the moral basis of our fight against terrorism?" What does that mean? I'll put the 9/11 attacks up against Guantanamo any day. I'd put them up against Devil's Island or the Black Hole of Calcutta. These people don't deserve to be treated like humans, but we do. They saw off the heads of random civilians they kidnap on camera and post it on the internet. Nope, no moral basis for punishment there. They've announced a policy of inciting civil war between Sunnis and Shiites. No matter. We're hamstrung by World Opinion.

If I were Powell, just having been exposed as leaving the White House to be hammered for a leak that his own deputy had let slip, I wouldn't be talking about the moral basis for anything. What was the moral basis for covering for Armitage?