Clinton believes Iraq had weapons of mass destruction: Portugal PM

Agence France-Presse | 1/09/04

[kattracks]

Former US president Bill Clinton said in October during a visit to Portugal that he was convinced Iraq had weapons of mass destruction up until the fall of Saddam Hussein, Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso said.

"When Clinton was here recently he told me he was absolutely convinced, given his years in the White House and the access to privileged information which he had, that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction until the end of the Saddam regime," he said in an interview with Portuguese cable news channel SIC Noticias.

Clinton, a Democrat who left office in 2001, met with Durao Barroso on October 21 when he travelled to Lisbon to give a speech on globalization.

The US justified going to war against Iraq last year citing the threat posed by Baghdad's weapons of mass destruction.

Republican President George W. Bush used Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programmes and Saddam Hussein's ties to terrorism as the main case to the United Nations for the US-led war against Iraq.

But since the US occupation of Iraq, American forces have failed to uncover any chemical, biological or nuclear weapons since the war. Hundreds of experts are still scouring Iraq in the hunt.

An influential Washington think-tank said Thursday the Bush administration "systematically" inflated the threat from Iraq's weapons programmes in a bid to strengthen its push for military action against Iraq last year.

In its report, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace also said it was unlikely that Iraq could have destroyed, hidden or moved out of the country hundreds of weapons of mass destruction without Washington detecting some sign of activity.

[MAGEE]

I beg the question: What is Clinton up to with his rhetoric. The man rarely makes statements like this unless he is entertaining an agenda.

Additionally, his remark concerning the movement of WMD could not go unnoticed by Washington is a false claim.

Washington - under his watch - was never looking in case they did find something they would have to pursue.

The man is obviously deluded, lying, or trying to carve out a future role for himself - or perhaps all of the above.

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[BigSkyFreeper]

If Clinton is deluded or lying, then we can safely assume Bush is too. Personally, I believe Clinton is looking to advance himself, the question of "how?" is still up for debate. Three years since his presidency fortunately came to a head and he's still looking for his legacy.

[Truth666]

Portugal's politic class (gov. and socialists alike) are the most repugnant band of child abusers you can think of

Pedophile agenda promoted as mind control operation orchestrated by the political system

- ultimate example - orphans under the custody of the state served to the major "personalities"

[leadpenny]

Can you have a "Barf Alert" on a Breaking News item?

[Aeronaut]

...believes Iraq had weapons of mass destruction: Portugal PM

We KNOW he had them, because he used them more than once!

[kattracks]

It's there.

clinton = automatic Barf Alert. Any clinton.

[leadpenny]

Wel l l l l l l, . . . . ok.

[kingu]

Did Iraq have WMD? Certainly. It's admitted by the Iraqi's, by the UN inspectors, and by the Bush administration, which followed the same line as the Clinton administration and the previous Bush administration.

Did Iraq have, at the start of the war, weapons which violated their agreements with the United States which was later ratified by the United Nations? Yup. Video evidence of missiles inbound to Kuwait, broadcast live around the world, show that they violated at the very least the limitations on missiles able to travel beyond a hundred miles.

The only issue is if there were chemical or biological weapons in Iraq at the start of the war. I have no idea; such items could still be buried somewhere in the desert or even beneath public buildings. They could have been smuggled out of the country. Or they could have been disposed of as detailed in the report Iraq gave to the UN.

To me, this is a non-issue. Iraq did not comply with mandated inspections; as far as I'm concerned, they got what they deserved. I would like the status of chemical weapons and biologics verified, I don't like the idea of those wandering around, or possibly leaking out into a school in twenty years.

Clinton's verification of his already stated position seems like what it was - a world leader talking to a former world leader on what was supposed to be the sly. Hard to imagine my believing the great liar himself, but even a broken watch tells the right time twice a day.

[MAGEE]

Right on - BARF it is.

I need my morning coffee. It's too early to envision Clinton on an empty stomach.

I would love to see M/M Clinton get ambassadorships to some least civilized country in Africa.

Hardly a day goes by without hearing something from that pair of pretenders to the throne.

[dawn53]

I think the solution may be as simple as he knows we're about to uncover them, or uncover where they are.

Therefore, he's got to be on the "right side of the issue" in order to preserve any credibility (I'm talking his idea of credibility, not true credibility).

[jimtorr]

The Bent One has always said that he believed Iraq had WMD, when he was in office, and afterwards. He can't deny his former statements and justifications for bombing Iraq, after all.

[GailA]

btt

[Puddleglum]

I remember an article just after the war started that said that the US had identified high levels of certain checmicals (mustard gas agent? I have forgotten) in the Tigris Tiver. I wouldn't doubt that Saddam tried to flush the evidence once the gig was up.

[codercpc]

I would be the very last person to stick up for Clinton, but let's not be too hard on him.

Please remember, he also called into the Larry King show last year when Bob Dole was on during the "16 word State of the Union" controversy and stuck up for the Bush administration on that also.

Let's see what he says in the next few days. This is a report quoting the Portugal PM, not Clinton. Let's see if he confirms or denies these statements before we jump all over him. (No matter how tempting).

[KevinB]

What is Clinton up to with his rhetoric?

Easy, he wants Bush to win in 2004. The last thing he wants is for Bush to be beaten up on the WMD question, thereby creating the potential for a democratic win in 2004 and making it more difficult for the little lady to run in 2008.

[OXENinFLA]

Hummmmm


How will Hillary spin this?

[keyd]

Someone should post this on DU. Would make great reading.