10 Years Young-- The Clinton "Saddam Has Nukes" Speech (Video)
For Your Weekend Viewing Pleasure...
10 Years Ago today Bill Clinton made this powerful speech to Congress and the American people:
Together, we must confront the new hazards of chemical and biological weapons and the outlaw states, terrorists, and organized criminals seeking to acquire them. Saddam Hussein has spent the better part of this decade and much of his nation's wealth not on providing for the Iraqi people but on developing nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and the missiles to deliver them. The United Nations weapons inspectors have done a truly remarkable job finding and destroying more of Iraq's arsenal than was destroyed during the entire Gulf war. Now Saddam Hussein wants to stop them from completing their mission.President Bill Clinton
I know I speak for everyone in this chamber, Republicans and Democrats, when I say to Saddam Hussein, "You cannot defy the will of the world," and when I say to him, "You have used weapons of mass destruction before. We are determined to deny you the capacity to use them again."
January 27, 1998
(Forwarded to me by pitythefool)
For some odd reason the lines from this speech did not make it into the George Soros report released this week by the Center for Public Integrity on the "false statements" that preceeded the War in Iraq.
Funny how that works.
No less than three times Bill Clinton referred to Iraq's nuclear arms or nuclear program.
In 2004 Bill Clinton said, ""That's why I supported the Iraq thing. There was a lot of stuff unaccounted for."
Bill Clinton said in November, 2007 that he "opposed the Iraq war from the beginning."
UPDATE: The Anchoress has more on Billy Jeff and sends this document on Iraq: Intelligence, Facts, and Fantasies.
And, BG posted some great comments below.
(This post was bumped.)
UPDATE 2: The Anchoress sends the text from "President Clinton's Statement on Iraq."
UPDATE 3: Must read-- Doug Ross lists the Clinton stats.
posted by Gateway Pundit at 1/27/2008 06:48:00 AM
20 Comments:
It is a pity we actually have to care what that idiot 'Bill' has to say. I mean why do we care what 'Bill' has to say?
He was for the Iraq War, before he was against it. Yes, it is a pity, but this fellow and his wife are running as co-Presidents of the US, so we must pay attention to the buffoon.
++
flashbacks:
Quotes and Facts on Iraq
excerpt:
"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members...
It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons. Should he succeed in that endeavor, he could alter the political and security landscape of the Middle East, which as we know all too well, effects American security.
This is a very difficult vote, this is probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make. Any vote that might lead to war should be hard, but I cast it with conviction."
Senator Hillary Clinton (Democrat, New York)
Addressing the US Senate
October 10, 2002
==
++
flashbacks:
Quotes and Facts on Iraq
excerpt:
"In the next century, the community of nations may see more and more the very kind of threat Iraq poses now -- a rogue state with weapons of mass destruction ready to use them or provide them to terrorists, drug traffickers or organized criminals who travel the world among us unnoticed.
If we fail to respond today, Saddam and all those who would follow in his footsteps will be emboldened tomorrow by the knowledge that they can act with impunity, even in the face of a clear message from the United Nations Security Council and clear evidence of a weapons of mass destruction program."
President Clinton
Address to Joint Chiefs of Staff and Pentagon staff
February 17, 1998
==
++
flashbacks:
Quotes and Facts on Iraq
excerpt:
"People can quarrel with whether we should have more troops in Afghanistan or internationalize Iraq or whatever, but it is incontestable that on the day I left office, there were unaccounted for stocks of biological and chemical weapons."
Former President Clinton
During an interview on CNN's "Larry King Live"
July 22, 2003
==
++
Quotes and Facts on Iraq
excerpt:
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Were we right to go to this war alone [sic], basically without the Europeans behind us [sic]? Was that something we had to do?
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS (Democrat, North Carolina): I think that we were right to go. I think we were right to go to the United Nations. I think we couldn't let those who could veto in the Security Council hold us hostage. And I think Saddam Hussein being gone is good. Good for the American people, good for the security of that region of the world, and good for the Iraqi people.
MATTHEWS: If you think the decision, which was made by the president, when basically he saw the French weren't with us and the Germans and the Russians weren't with us, was he right to say, "We're going anyway"?
EDWARDS: I stand behind my support of that, yes.
MATTHEWS: You believe in that?
EDWARDS: Yes.
Senator John Edwards (Democrat, North Carolina)
During an interview on MSNBC's "Hardball"
October 13, 2003
okay, there's much more, but i'l stop there (you must view Harry Reid's video though).. ;)
==
Great comments and links, BG.
Thanks.
BG,
Harry Reid video? Which one is that?
++
you're welcome GP..
RFW @ 9:23 PM..
my apologies, should have said the one about 20 down with Harry Reid's mug on it (it's one that has been posted many a time, but well worth viewing time & again).. he's in there though, he also said the following..
"We stopped the fighting [in 1991] on an agreement that Iraq would take steps to assure the world that it would not engage in further aggression and that it would destroy its weapons of mass destruction. It has refused to take those steps. That refusal constitutes a breach of the armistice which renders it void and justifies resumption of the armed conflict."
Senator Harry Reid (Democrat, Nevada)
Addressing the US Senate
October 9, 2002
Congressional Record, p. S10145
==
Please, like what people say mean anything. Especially Democrats. You just aren't nuanced enough.
Pity?
Ahhh its a pity and so much more...
Good stuff bg... Thanks for the links...
Remember this speech from the Oval Office?
December 16, 1998
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
The Oval Office - 6:00 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: 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 programs, and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors. Their purpose is to protect the national interest of the United States and, indeed, the interest of people throughout the Middle East and around the world. Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas, or biological weapons.
I want to explain why I have decided, with the unanimous recommendation of my national security team, to use force in Iraq, why we have acted now and what we aim to accomplish. (there is more)
I have been looking for a video with no luck for quite a while and hoping somebody can help.
In the buildup to the war, Joe Biden gave a speech in the senate in which he argued for the resolution by noting that the US and Iraq were technically still at war since Iraq had failed to honor the agreement that ended hostilities in the first Gulf War. It was a powerful, convincing and I think still relevant argument (although he's since abandoned that position I guess) and I would love to have a copy.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
eb
Jim, will you be bumping this to the top on the actual 10th anniversary date, as you did today with the Monica thing? I hope you do.
I can't wait until August when we get to celebrate the day he finally admitted to it all.
EB,
I'm not sure if this is what you are thinking about but Joe Biden gave a speech on January 28, 2003 and said, "The President should state clearly tonight, we are not acting on a doctrine of preemption, if we act. We are acting on enforcement of a U.N. resolution that is the equivalent of a peace treaty which is being violated by the signatory of that treaty, and wehave a right to do that and it is the world's problem."
link to Biden speech transcript
Bloody well outstanding post!
AMAZING!! How is it possible that the video of Clinton all of a sudden is AWOL from YOUTUBE?
In all fairness (which is not an indicator of where my support goes) his comments were not really false statements. Nonetheless, you are right to remind us that the Democrats have been supportive of our action until such time as it was no longer convenient.
We must be fair, though. Had it been a Democrat in the White House the Rupublicans would have pulled the same stunt. The President always takes the most heat for foreign policy decisions.
++
Flemish American @ 11:49 AM..
[We must be fair, though. Had it been a Democrat in the White House the Rupublicans would have pulled the same stunt. The President always takes the most heat for foreign policy decisions.]
sorry to be so straight forward, but that's BULLSHIT.. in reality, Bush is actually carrying out Clinton's policy minus preemption (and i'm not even certain about that)..
==
Even though clinton's motives were transparently suspect in his military adventures prior to, and during the impeachment process, the Republicans, and the nation stood by a President waging war (however minor) because the lives of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines were at risk.
Flemish American, you're either too young to remember, too naive to pay attention to actual history, or just another "They do it, too" denial artist for the democrat party. Either way, you're foolishly wrong.
Bill Clinton was wrong too. As we now know from the Iraq Study Group, Saddam had no WMDs after 1996.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home