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Kill Saddam! U.S. journalists agree: If you can't beat him, assassinate him. (1997 of course)
Mother Jones.com ^ | 25 November 1997 | Eric Umansky

Posted on 08/29/2005 6:21:35 AM PDT by Grampa Dave

http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/1997/11/kill_saddam.html

Kill Saddam! U.S. journalists agree: If you can't beat him, assassinate him. Eric Umansky November 25 , 1997

The latest saber-rattling with Iraq has an odd twist: As the United States government shows restraint and revives the lost art of diplomacy, this time it's the U.S. press that's howling for blood -- the blood of Saddam Hussein personally. The press, of course, has the distinct advantage that nobody really follows their policy suggestions anyway, so their advice doesn't have to be diplomatic, or even legal:

The law:

Prohibition on Assassination. No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination. -- Executive Order 12333, issued Dec. 4, 1981, by President Ronald Reagan, continuing the policy of his predecessors Ford and Carter. Neither Bush nor Clinton has rescinded it.

The handy (and illegal) tips from the press:

"Conventional Wisdom," Newsweek, Nov. 17: "Take him down." (next to a photo of Hussein and a downward-plunging arrow)

Thomas Friedman, foreign affairs columnist, New York Times, Nov. 6: "Saddam Hussein is the reason God created cruise missiles. ...So if and when Saddam pushes beyond the brink, and we get that one good shot, let's make sure it's a head shot."

George Stephanopolous, former Clintonite and current ABC News analyst, on ABC'S "This Week," Nov. 9: "This is probably one of those rare cases where assassination is the more moral course...we should kill him."

Sam Donaldson, co-host of "This Week," Nov. 9: We should kill Saddam "under cover of law.... We can do business with his successor."

Bill Kristol, ABC News analyst, "This Week," Nov. 9: "It sounds good to me."

Cokie Roberts, co-host of "This Week," Nov. 9: "Well, now that we've come out for murder on this broadcast, let us move on to fast-track..."

Jonathan Alter, Newsweek, Nov. 17: "It won't be easy to take him out. ...But we need to try, because the only language Saddam has ever understood is force."

Newsweek, Dec. 1: "Why We Should Kill Saddam."

Thanks


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: killsaddam1997; motherjones
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To: stuartcr
"Clinton got just as much, if not more flack from the press for all the stuff done in his presidency."

You're simply wrong. And any flack Clinton got, he more than deserved. Actually, he deserved MUCH more than he got and he still does.

9/11: The real Clinton legacy.

21 posted on 08/29/2005 6:44:41 AM PDT by GBA
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To: stuartcr

"I don't think that is true. Clinton got just as much, if not more flack from the press for all the stuff done in his presidency. It just seems like less, because it was from FR, instead of against FR."

Post the flack that Clintoon and these mediots got. Then we can compare them.


22 posted on 08/29/2005 6:45:31 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The civilized world must win WW IV/the Final Crusade and destroy Jihadism!)
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To: uscabjd

I don't know if there were any. If they failed, would we have been told.

Actually, threats like this by the Clintoons were probably extortion tools to get some of that "Oil for Food" money from Saddam.


23 posted on 08/29/2005 6:48:42 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The civilized world must win WW IV/the Final Crusade and destroy Jihadism!)
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To: frogjerk

I'd say it was about the same, but it's easy to forget stuff....when we want to.


24 posted on 08/29/2005 6:50:31 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: Finny; TBP; GBA

Thanks.

This will be going out on my conservative email list and my list to drive lefties into a deeper insanity.


25 posted on 08/29/2005 6:51:10 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The civilized world must win WW IV/the Final Crusade and destroy Jihadism!)
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To: Grampa Dave

No, just go back and do your own research...there's simply too much to look up.


26 posted on 08/29/2005 6:52:13 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: stuartcr

"I'd say it was about the same, but it's easy to forget stuff....when we want to."

Research the flak and post it.


27 posted on 08/29/2005 6:52:17 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The civilized world must win WW IV/the Final Crusade and destroy Jihadism!)
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To: stuartcr

I'm not the one who brought up this diversion attempt. You did. Now back it up with data.


28 posted on 08/29/2005 6:53:08 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The civilized world must win WW IV/the Final Crusade and destroy Jihadism!)
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To: stuartcr
Clinton got just as much, if not more flack from the press for all the stuff done in his presidency. It just seems like less, because it was from FR,

News flash for stuart! FR is not "the press". And just in case you don't remember -- the press might have well been clinton's public relations firm the way it carried water for him during his presidency.

29 posted on 08/29/2005 6:53:18 AM PDT by VRWCmember
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To: Grampa Dave

As I just said, no, I don't have enough time. Just go over to a liberal forum and ask the same question, I'm sure someone there will be more than happy to accomodate you.


30 posted on 08/29/2005 6:54:03 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: stuartcr
I'd say it was about the same, but it's easy to forget stuff....when we want to

And its easy to make contrary assertions without data to back up your claim when you want to.

31 posted on 08/29/2005 6:55:24 AM PDT by frogjerk (LIBERALISM - Being miserable for no good reason)
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To: stuartcr

Keep replying with your refusal to find data to back up your claim. You have time to reply but no time to back up your claim.


32 posted on 08/29/2005 6:56:03 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The civilized world must win WW IV/the Final Crusade and destroy Jihadism!)
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To: VRWCmember

If you were to use the entire sentence when quoting, you would see what I was talking about....I did not say FR was the press.


33 posted on 08/29/2005 6:56:23 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: Grampa Dave

This is quite amusing. I told a colleague of mine that this would be the response I would get, and that no one would remember, and everyone would demand back-up data. Thanks.


34 posted on 08/29/2005 6:58:55 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: Dallas59

Because, um, er, just because.


35 posted on 08/29/2005 7:00:07 AM PDT by Tulane
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To: pookie18; All

Poolie18's Toons Today has a copy of an article by one of these liberals re killing Saddam.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1472647/posts


36 posted on 08/29/2005 7:22:40 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The civilized world must win WW IV/the Final Crusade and destroy Jihadism!)
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To: JohnHuang2

John, good morning.

This might be worth 2 cents.


37 posted on 08/29/2005 7:23:30 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The civilized world must win WW IV/the Final Crusade and destroy Jihadism!)
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To: crushkerry

FYI and creative mind.


38 posted on 08/29/2005 7:24:58 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The civilized world must win WW IV/the Final Crusade and destroy Jihadism!)
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To: Dallas59

"Why was it OK to get rid of terrorists the easy way under Clintoon and forbidden under Bush?"

Because the MSM are DNC shills.


39 posted on 08/29/2005 7:45:38 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Liberal Talking Point - Bush = Hitler ... Republican Talking Point - Let the Liberals Talk)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist; Dallas59
Just like when Clinton ordered the execution of that retarded inmate when he ran for election

That inmate was not retarded because he had been so from birth, but because he had tried to commit suicide after the police had cornered him after he committed the murder that put him on death row. The bullet instead of killing him gave him a lobotomy.

40 posted on 08/29/2005 7:50:37 AM PDT by Paleo Conservative (France is an example of retrograde chordate evolution.)
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