Posted on 01/27/2003 6:45:11 PM PST by chance33_98
Clinton rallies domestic support for strike at Iraq
Iraq, International, 2/17/1998
Even while insisting that the US is exhausting diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution to the current Iraqi crisis, US President Bill Clinton spoke at the Pentagon in an effort to drum up domestic support for possible US military strikes against Iraq.
Clinton said the US stands in opposition to the "reckless acts of outlaw nations" and an "unholy axis" of terrorists, drug dealers, and organized crime. While the US would greatly prefer a diplomatic solution to the crisis, Clinton reiterated that the US is ready to use force.
"There can be no dilution" of "the essence" of the UN resolutions, which call for unfettered access, Clinton said. He said that a solution must meet a "clear, immutable, reasonable, simple standard," which is the "free, full, unfettered access" to disputed "presidential sites" in Iraq, access the US has repeatedly called for. "We seek to finish the job" of the UN weapons inspectors, Clinton said.
Clinton admitted that the potential military strikes, which have met with widespread international opposition, would not destroy Iraq's capacity to create weapons of mass destruction, they would, "seriously reduce his [Saddam Hussein's] capacity to threaten his neighbors." Clinton said the strikes would leave Saddam Hussein "worse off" than he is now.
US Vice-President Al Gore said the US is "working around the clock to pursue a possible diplomatic solution to the crisis," but warned "When it comes to protecting our vital national interests, Americans will stand as one."
Clinton said Iraq had repeatedly submitted evaluations of its weapons that were refused by UNSCOM, including six declarations on biological weapons and four on nuclear weapons. He said that when Iraqi reports of weapons capacities were disproven, the Iraqis simply amended the old reports in light of the new evidence. Clinton also said that UNSCOM was effective, although the Iraqis tried to place "debilitating conditions" on their work.
Iraq has called UNSCOM's impartiality and professionalism into question and has proposed an offer -- which the US rejected -- that special teams be formulated by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to inspect the presidential sites for a period of two months. The teams could include UNSCOM members.
"Force can never be the first answer, but sometimes it's the only answer," Clinton said.
You just wait until the day after we kick Sodom's butt. They will take full credit for everything.
They lost the election and realized they blew it with saddam. As I mentioned in another thread clinton did not want to upset the economy so he let saddam get away with just about everything, all the while more iraqi's languished under sanctions and saddam's evil reign - so why all the sudden are the peaceniks and schools wanting to tell us about the horror of war with iraq and how it will hurt all those people over there? Where were they for 8 years? It's all sick politics.
He said that after the bombing in 1998, Bill Clinton himself declared Iraq free of WMD.
I didn't hear that. Funny though - the leftists would eagerly believe the Iraqi Ambassador over Bush, but then they long for a regime like that here. Sick freaks.
The United States has patiently worked to preserve UNSCOM as Iraq has sought to avoid its obligation to cooperate with the inspectors. On occasion, we've had to threaten military force, and Saddam has backed down.
Faced with Saddam's latest act of defiance in late October, we built intensive diplomatic pressure on Iraq backed by overwhelming military force in the region. The UN Security Council voted 15 to zero to condemn Saddam's actions and to demand that he immediately come into compliance.
Judging by clinton's penchant for blowing up empty tents and aspirin factories, I would say it's likely that the bombings of 1998 did little to halt or even slow Saddam's buildup of WMD. Now, the democrats would have you believe there are none and have been none since the inspectors were tossed out. That great sage, Nancy Pelican, has even told us that he has no WMD and he'll use them on us if we strike him now. What could be clearer? Don't ya just long for democrat control of the military again? Yikes!
Haven't found it, yet...
But isn't that part sweet? Lying about Bill Clinton. On national TV.
Of course, if we were as nasty as the DNC, we could use that -- say, after the war, when we do find all that crap, we could come back and say, "But, Bill, the Iraqi ambassador said you gave them a clean bill of health!"
Great thread!
Well, I'm off to see if I can find the speech that exonerated Iraq RE: WMDs. The Iraqi Ambassador to the UN said that Bill Clinton said he destroyed them all so...voila...Iraq is clean! LOL
What a coincidence that this speech occurred just after the Monica thingy broke. Hmmmm...
That would be too rich!
Of course, the Iraqi Ambassador lied about it. I think there are many who would have remembered that. I know when I heard it, my ears perked up.
But, that's who they are...
Glad to hear you agree with us Bill
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