What Did The President Know?
November 18, 2005
With people like decorated Vietnam War veteran Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) urging the president to “bring the troops home,” George Bush has come under renewed and intense fire. As is their way, the opposition hasn't been able to win on the merits of their own argument so they besmirch those on the other side. That's not to say that Congressman Murtha is necessarily in that number. Murtha has supported the war heretofore but has had a recent change of heart. And no wonder. The left-wing propaganda machine has been working overtime churning out disinformation and planting doubt in the minds of otherwise staunchly pro-liberation Americans.
President Bush finally decided to fight back and chose Veteran's Day to launch his counter-offensive. However, he has yet to use the secret weapon in his arsenal. It's now time to bring that weapon out. That weapon is Bill Clinton. No, not the Bill Clinton of today. He predictably jumped on the anti-war bandwagon when the political winds began to shift. No, the secret weapon President Bush has not yet unleashed is Bill Clinton of 1998.
What is the contention of those opposed to the war in Iraq? They accuse President Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney of “cooking” the intelligence prior to the invasion of Iraq. They maintain Saddam Hussein never had weapons of mass destruction and Bush knew it. Let's flash back to December of 1998. Then-president Clinton had just ordered a bombing raid on Saddam's military. Why? Here's Bill Clinton in his own words from a speech given the night of December 16, 1998.
“Earlier today, I ordered America's armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons.
“Other countries possess weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. With Saddam, there is one big difference: He has used them. Not only against soldiers, but against civilians, firing Scud missiles at the citizens of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iran. And not only against a foreign enemy, but even against his own people, gassing Kurdish civilians in Northern Iraq.
“The international community had little doubt then, and I have no doubt today, that left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will use these terrible weapons again.”
You see, Clinton knew then that the Gulf War was not over. We were merely in a cease-fire. Conditions of the cease-fire included Saddam allowing unfettered weapons inspections.
“I made it very clear,” Clinton said in that speech, “what unconditional cooperation meant, based on existing UN resolutions and Iraq's own commitments. And along with Prime Minister Blair of Great Britain, I made it equally clear that if Saddam failed to cooperate fully, we would be prepared to act without delay, diplomacy or warning.”
He then went on to detail Saddam's infractions including repeated obstruction of the weapons inspectors, forbidding of photography of chemical bombs, emptying out facilities prior to inspections and more, all violations of the cease-fire.
After several days of bombing, Clinton moved on to something else and the weapons inspectors were kicked out of Iraq. Then came George W. Bush. Building on the knowledge inherited from the Clinton administration, exacerbated by September 11 and Saddam's historic support of terrorists, Bush actually decided to do something about it.
Now the same folks who cheered Bill Clinton after his speech in 1998 are calling for Bush's impeachment for acting on the same evidence. Why? Because Bush has an (R) after his name. This mission is too important for political sniping. It's time to leave George Bush alone and let him finish the job.