“CLINTON: Good evening.
Earlier today, I ordered America’s armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces. Their mission is to attack Iraq’s nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors.
The hard fact is that so long as Saddam remains in power, he threatens the well-being of his people, the peace of his region, the security of the world.
The best way to end that threat once and for all is with a new Iraqi government — a government ready to live in peace with its neighbors, a government that respects the rights of its people.”
President Clinton
Oval Office Address to the American People
December 16, 1998
http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1998/12/16/transcripts/clinton.html
You posted that, to imply that even Slick thought Saddam had to be attacked.
One problem: that wasn’t really why Clinton did it then.
... because he knew that three days later would be his impeachment vote, and he needed something to unify and rally support around him, and Iraq was an easy target.
I remember those waning days of ‘98. In the words of former S-O-S Lawrence Eagleburger, the reasons for that attack “stunk to high heaven”.