".......the United States should support those elements of the Iraqi opposition that advocate a very different futureIn that same address, CNN notes President Clinton also stated that, while other countries also had weapons of mass destruction, Hussein is in a different category because he has used such weapons against his own people and against his neighbors.
for Iraq than the bitter reality of internal repression and external aggression that the current regime
in Baghdad now offers.
Let me be clear on what the U.S. objectives are:
The United States wants Iraq to rejoin the family of nations as a freedom-loving and law-abiding member.
This is in our interest and that of our allies within the region.
The United States favors an Iraq that offers its people freedom at home. I categorically reject arguments
that this is unattainable due to Iraq's history or its ethnic or sectarian make-up. Iraqis deserve and desire
freedom like everyone else.
The United States looks forward to a democratically supported regime that would permit us to enter into
a dialogue leading to the reintegration of Iraq into normal international life.
My Administration has pursued, and will continue to pursue, these objectives through active application
of all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. The evidence is overwhelming that such changes
will not happen under the current Iraq leadership.
In the meantime, while the United States continues to look to the Security Council's efforts to keep the
current regime's behavior in check, we look forward to new leadership in Iraq that has the support of the
Iraqi people. The United States is providing support to opposition groups from all sectors of the Iraqi
community that could lead to a popularly supported government."
President Bill Clinton, October 31, 1998, in signing the "Iraq Liberation Act of 1998."
How about....
"Saddam (Hussein) must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas
or biological weapons."
President Bill Clinton, in an Oval Office address to the nation, December 16, 1998, detailing his reasons for
ordering a missle strike on Iraq.
Further quoting from that same address, "Their mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons
programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors."
WMD's? I thought WMD's were a lie, made up by President Bush.After all, Iraq was just sitting over there quietly minding their own business for all the President Clinton years, right?
Seems pretty clear to me that the Clinton Administration was pretty sure Iraq had WMD's. Also pretty sure that "regime change" was needed in Iraq. Uninamous, in fact, I believe the story read.
But wasn't overthrowing Saddam Hussein was all President Bush's idea? Some sort of vendetta for trying to assassinate his dad?
Oh, you silly liberal wackos. How quickly we forget.