Says Bush 'couldn't responsibly ignore' chance Iraq had WMDs
Saturday, June 19, 2004 Posted: 10:36 PM EDT (0236 GMT)
(CNN) -- Former President Clinton has revealed that he continues to support President Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq but chastised the administration over the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison.
"I have repeatedly defended President Bush against the left on Iraq, even though I think he should have waited until the U.N. inspections were over," Clinton said in a Time magazine interview that will hit newsstands Monday, a day before the publication of his book "My Life."
Clinton, who was interviewed Thursday, said he did not believe that Bush went to war in Iraq over oil or for imperialist reasons but out of a genuine belief that large quantities of weapons of mass destruction remained unaccounted for.
Noting that Bush had to be "reeling" in the wake of the attacks of September 11, 2001, Clinton said Bush's first priority was to keep al Qaeda and other terrorist networks from obtaining "chemical and biological weapons or small amounts of fissile material."
"That's why I supported the Iraq thing. There was a lot of stuff unaccounted for," Clinton said in reference to Iraq and the fact that U.N. weapons inspectors left the country in 1998.
"So I thought the president had an absolute responsibility to go to the U.N. and say, 'Look, guys, after 9/11, you have got to demand that Saddam Hussein lets us finish the inspection process.' You couldn't responsibly ignore [the possibility that] a tyrant had these stocks," Clinton said.
Pressed on whether the Iraq war was worth the cost to the United States, Clinton said he would not have undertaken the war until after U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix "finished his job."
Weapons inspectors led by Blix scoured Iraq for three and a half months before the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003 but left after President Bush issued an ultimatum to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to leave the country.
"I want it to have been worth it, even though I didn't agree with the timing of the attack," Clinton said.
Clinton blamed the Abu Ghraib prison abuses on poorly trained National Guard personnel and higher-ups in the Bush administration.
The former president said he was not surprised by the abuses committed by U.S. forces at Abu Ghraib but that he was surprised by their extent.
"There is no excuse for that," Clinton said.
Clinton blamed the abuses on the higher echelons of the Bush administration.
"The more we learn about it, the more it seems that some people fairly high up, at least, thought that this was the way it ought to be done," he said.
Implying that the United States should lead by example, Clinton said of the abuses, "No. 1, we can't pull stunts like that, and No. 2, when we do, whoever is responsible has to pay."
Akaran of Mistmoore, formerly Akaran of Veeshan I know I'm good at what I do, but I know I'm not the best.
But I guess that on the other hand, I could be like the rest.
That's because Clinton, like him or not, in a very intelligent person and articulates his ideas well in his speeches. Both traits that our present leader lacks.
Clinton is still a politician I see. he says he would have waited until after the UN inspections were over. and once the UN inspections were over, there'd have been no justification for an attack. he just simultaeniously supported and opposed the war on iraq in one sentence.
I don't see where he is backing Bush's push for war though. all I see is him saying that Bush couldn't responsibly ignore Iraq. I don't disagree with that. But not ignoring Iraq does not generally mean to blow it up and occupy it for a year with a massive military force. The misrepresentative spin on the article makes it look like a fox news article, except it makes no mention of clinton lying about getting his knob gobbled, or sacrificing christian babies to allah and bathing in their blood.
kyoukan wrote:Clinton is still a politician I see. he says he would have waited until after the UN inspections were over. and once the UN inspections were over, there'd have been no justification for an attack. he just simultaeniously supported and opposed the war on iraq in one sentence.
I don't see where he is backing Bush's push for war though. all I see is him saying that Bush couldn't responsibly ignore Iraq. I don't disagree with that. But not ignoring Iraq does not generally mean to blow it up and occupy it for a year with a massive military force. The misrepresentative spin on the article makes it look like a fox news article, except it makes no mention of clinton lying about getting his knob gobbled, or sacrificing christian babies to allah and bathing in their blood.
You go ahead and read it whatever way will make you feel good.
I don't see how she is reading into it differently that anyone else should, Midnyte. Clinton said Bush could not ignore Iraq and the possibilities they had WMDs. Ok, still with me? Now, Clinton also said that he would have let weapons inspectors finish their job. Still with me? He, like Kyoukan just said, defended and opposed the war in one sentence. Since there are no WMDs in Iraq, the weapons inspectors would have proven this and there would have been no war. You remember WMDs, the reason we went to war with Iraq? Clinton says we could not ignore Iraq being a possible threat, so he supported removing Saddam. Clinton says we needed to let inspections finish, so he opposed a war against Iraq fought over the issue of WMDs, weapons that are not there.
Kaldaur wrote:I don't see how she is reading into it differently that anyone else should, Midnyte. Clinton said Bush could not ignore Iraq and the possibilities they had WMDs. Ok, still with me? Now, Clinton also said that he would have let weapons inspectors finish their job. Still with me? He, like Kyoukan just said, defended and opposed the war in one sentence. Since there are no WMDs in Iraq, the weapons inspectors would have proven this and there would have been no war. You remember WMDs, the reason we went to war with Iraq? Clinton says we could not ignore Iraq being a possible threat, so he supported removing Saddam. Clinton says we needed to let inspections finish, so he opposed a war against Iraq fought over the issue of WMDs, weapons that are not there.
I read it the exact same way. Clinton took the middle ground in the article. No real revelations here. What president would NOT have tried going through the UN first. Even Bush did, he just got too freakin trigger happy. And like Kyoukan says, nowhere in the article does he say he would have invaded. Midnyte, seriously, take another look at the article. It's kind of subtle but it's there.
Clinton is very skilled with words. In essence what he is saying is that even though he believed Iraq had WMD he would not have gone to war. However He supports Bush for going to war cause he understood that even the thought of the weapons existing posed a threat in post 9/11 . In other words Clinton would not sacrifice his political carear to take out a potential threat to the US.
Arilain wrote:Clinton is very skilled with words. In essence what he is saying is that even though he believed Iraq had WMD he would not have gone to war. However He supports Bush for going to war cause he understood that even the thought of the weapons existing posed a threat in post 9/11 . In other words Clinton would not sacrifice his political carear to take out a potential threat to the US.
I read it as he would have waited for Blix to finish his job, and even IF hsi report came back negative and there was still substantial evidence to support the WMD claim, he would do it.
Akaran of Mistmoore, formerly Akaran of Veeshan I know I'm good at what I do, but I know I'm not the best.
But I guess that on the other hand, I could be like the rest.
well you're reading it wrong. or maybe you can pull out the relevant part of the article where it says he would have invaded after the weapons inspectors said there were no weapons of mass destruction?
i think Krim is right, BUsh was trigger happy. WE invaded in April because we didnt want to fight in the summer. So if we waited until any later, we'd have to wait all the way until like October or November. In my opinion, that doesn't really matter, but the Bush administration probably also had the election time table on their minds as well, and knew that pushing it back 6 months would not give Iraq a chance to settle down before 30 days from the election (the time when the swing voters are actually making up their minds).
Imagine if we push this whole time table up 6 months and events happen just as they have otherwise (obviously a ridiculous hypothetical). The prison abuse scandal would have come out less than 30 days before the election and Bush would have absolutely gotten decimated.
i think there were tactical considerations to not wanting to keep that number of troops deployed in the region for that amount of time, but the truth is, we needed more anyways, so perhaps waiting until the fall/winter would have allowed the true experts like Shinseke (sp.) etc. to make their points and have gotten the proper number of people there, which would have prevented a lot of the post-war turmoil that we have encountered.
Who knows. interesting quote from Clinton. he is on about 20 more shows this week with his book release, so i'm sure he'll be asked to further clarify his point.[/code]
The actual article is pretty revealing. I just more os less summerized it. Clinton does state the going to war was the right thing but the timing was off. After the vague responces we gave the terrorists after the Cole bombing and the embassies in Africa I have seroius doubts he would have taken any relevant action even if Blixt had found a motherload of all stockpiles. He is too smart of a politician to risk pissing off his constituants even in face of a potential threat.
Also I might add in the article Clinton does draw the conclusion that Al Quada had support from the Saddam regime and could have gotten WMD or gotten the know how to build them. Hell I actually might go buy his book.
Last edited by Arilain on June 20, 2004, 4:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The UN is corrupt. Me personally, I am glad Bush didn't wait for the UN to attack. Second Clinton needs to really stay low for once whether or not he is middle ground here. He just can't seem to go to long without having a say so for the press.
I will say I think we have been over there to long. Should have gone in did our job and left, not extend it this long.
Last edited by Taly on June 20, 2004, 11:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I will say I think we have been over there to long. Should have gone in did our job and left, not extend it this long.
No, if you first go in you do the job right. That doesn't take 2 months, it takes years. You are knee-deep in the shit now, and it is your shit to deal with.
Taly wrote:The UN is corrupt. Me personally, I am glad Bush didn't wait for the UN to attack. Second Clinton needs to really stay low for once whether or not he is middle ground here. He just can't seem to go to long without having a say so for the press.
I will say I think we have been over there to long. Should have gone in did our job and left, not extend it this long.
Goddamn, you should be a 5 star general or a military analyst. Invading an innocent country, fucking the shit out of it and just leaving is FUCKING BRILLIANT. Godamn, that would by no means do anything like fuck up our reputation and break any bonds with our past allies, spawn at least 3-500% more terrorist and make american a more dangerous target for terrorist attacks. Hell, by no means would it open up an excuse to start WW3 against the US, or anything of that calibur.
-xzionis human mage on mannoroth
-zeltharath tauren shaman on wildhammer
I think I could stick a rubber glove on the top of a dented can of pea soup and it would rate higher than Taly as far as intelligent life goes. She's here so we can meet our monthly quotas of "LOL"s and "LMAO"s and "Awwwwwww so cute lololz".
No not innocent, by all means was Saddam an evil facioust asshole, but of course invading them for there countless inhumane crimes was not George Bush's objective, if we felt so bad for the Iraqi people we would have invaded them years ago. Well maybe not, as we would have invaded and droped off billions and billions of dollers in countrys in southern africa or southeast asia that are MUCH WORSE off that Iraq ever was, but they have nothing we need, so this administration doesnt even give a shit.
-xzionis human mage on mannoroth
-zeltharath tauren shaman on wildhammer
I don't really understand what his weight has anything to do with what he's saying - I'm your friend Cart, but that's the kind of crap that is making people like Kyou hate you so much
Fesuni Chopsui wrote:I don't really understand what his weight has anything to do with what he's saying - I'm your friend Cart, but that's the kind of crap that is making people like Kyou hate you so much
And Dregors unprovoked attack on Taly should go unchecked?
I really dont care what people like Kooky think of me!!
Fesuni Chopsui wrote:I don't really understand what his weight has anything to do with what he's saying - I'm your friend Cart, but that's the kind of crap that is making people like Kyou hate you so much
And Dregors unprovoked attack on Taly should go unchecked?
I really dont care what people like Kooky think of me!!
Dregor's attack was not necessarily unprovoked - she made a statement that, it's quite clear, a group of people on these boards don't agree with at all...
He and anyone else is free to judge her, admonish her and if so be it make fun of her for the statement she's made (because it was political in nature)
However, trying to attack Dregor in response by claiming that he is just "fat" and that's why you disagree with him is unecessary
ps - this isn't a system of checks and balances...if every attack on these boards had to be checked by another attack in response to the original...I don't think much of anything would be talked about
Last edited by Fesuni Chopsui on June 21, 2004, 12:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Fesuni Chopsui wrote:I don't really understand what his weight has anything to do with what he's saying - I'm your friend Cart, but that's the kind of crap that is making people like Kyou hate you so much
And Dregors unprovoked attack on Taly should go unchecked?
I really dont care what people like Kooky think of me!!
Dregor's attack was not necessarily unprovoked - she made a statement that, it's quite clear, a group of people on these boards don't agree with at all...
He and anyone else is free to judge her, admonish her and if so be it make fun of her for the statement she's made (because it was political in nature)
However, trying to attack Dregor in response by claiming that he is just "fat" and that's why you disagree with him is unecessary
Please, no one try to defend me trashing on Taly. Her stupidity is of bliblical proportions, it's not like I was breaking some shocking news to anyone. She wears it like a badge of honour.
Kylere wrote:Nah Kyoukan is just a hater, I am soooo glad she hates me. The more she hates me the happier I am.
I just dislike you. hatred is an emotion you, as a person, aren't particularly worthy of. I like to save my hatred up for my peers, and not people so far underneath me intellectually and socially that I barely recognize them as a member of the same race.
I regard you probably on the level that one would regard a neighbor's dog who keeps you up all night with it's incessant fucking yap yap yapping. You don't hate the dog. The dog is what it is; A stupid creature that probably needs to be kicked. You are that dog, only your yapping is slightly more annoying and slightly less intelligent.
Umm Racist as in Human Racist or K9 Racist? Or are you talking about the article? Then again I am at a loss to find the Racism? Unless you are considering something with Clinton playing the Sax? Still at a loss.
nazi wrote:
I just dislike you. hatred is an emotion you, as a person, aren't particularly worthy of. I like to save my hatred up for my peers, and not people so far underneath me intellectually and socially that I barely recognize them as a member of the same race.
I regard you probably on the level that one would regard a neighbor's dog who keeps you up all night with it's incessant fucking yap yap yapping. You don't hate the dog. The dog is what it is; A stupid creature that probably needs to be kicked. You are that dog, only your yapping is slightly more annoying and slightly less intelligent.
i will pray for you kyou.
My goal is to live forever. So far so good.
The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. - Benjamin Franklin
Kelshara wrote:Uhm, calling somebody a nazi is sign #1 you lost at teh internet. Sorry nobody, you truly live up to your nickname.
umm? k
i was not throwing out the word nazi just as a random word to insult kooky. my point was she seems to have a few of the same views on humanity. she's self-righteous, hateful, and a sad person all together.
nobody cares about you
My goal is to live forever. So far so good.
The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. - Benjamin Franklin
HAR Kylere I R SMARTER THAN YOU AND YOU ARE A TWAT!1!!
YOU R NOT WORTHY OF MY NOTICE HAR HAR
Standard tripe from the Queen of hypocracy herself. Kyoukan you are a hater funny thing is not one person on your list of hated folks cares. They also could give a shit whether or not they are worthy of your notice.
So fuck off twat!!!1!1!11!!
Atokal
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Fesuni Chopsui wrote:I don't really understand what his weight has anything to do with what he's saying - I'm your friend Cart, but that's the kind of crap that is making people like Kyou hate you so much
And Dregors unprovoked attack on Taly should go unchecked?
I really dont care what people like Kooky think of me!!
Fesuni, Dregor is stating his view of a human condition (intelligence) Cartalas is commenting on another element of the human condition Obesity. Perhaps if Dregor was not such a lard ass his opinion of others would not be so filled with bitterness. If Dregor's comments are valid here then Cart's are as well.
Atokal
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.
Niccolo Machiavelli
, put the comma in wrong place. Ouy
