Bill Clinton attacks Bush re Iraq, Katrina, & Budget

au1929 wrote:

woiyo wrote

Quote:

Obviously, Bubba has limited memory. Saddam was not letting the inspectors INSPECT!!!!!

It would appear as if the bad memory belongs to you. The Inspections were ongoing when the macho man decided to invade.

BS - Saddam consistantly gave them a hard time, limiting access and actually removing them at one point.

Be honest for a change.

http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/2002/0305straw.htm

Inspection process

Inspections in Iraq resumed on 27 November 2002. In matters relating to process, notably prompt access to sites, we have faced relatively few difficulties and certainly much less than those that were faced by UNSCOM in the period 1991 to 1998. This may well be due to the strong outside pressure.

Some practical matters, which were not settled by the talks, Dr. ElBaradei and I had with the Iraqi side in Vienna prior to inspections or in resolution 1441 (2002), have been resolved at meetings, which we have had in Baghdad. Initial difficulties raised by the Iraqi side about helicopters and aerial surveillance planes operating in the no-fly zones were overcome. This is not to say that the operation of inspections is free from frictions, but at this juncture we are able to perform professional no-notice inspections all over Iraq and to increase aerial surveillance.

American U-2 and French Mirage surveillance aircraft already give us valuable imagery, supplementing satellite pictures and we would expect soon to be able to add night vision capability through an aircraft offered to us by the Russian Federation. We also expect to add low-level, close area surveillance through drones provided by Germany. We are grateful not only to the countries, which place these valuable tools at our disposal, but also to the States, most recently Cyprus, which has agreed to the stationing of aircraft on their territory.

I'll ignore the "snippy" little commentary from one who lives in a part of the world that has no stake in this effort . I'll recall it is from your part of the world that allowed Iraq to continually ignore the terms of surrender from the Kuwait invasion.

This govt had little confidence in the abilities of the Inspection team which I too had ZERO confidence in.

That lack of confidence was "rewarded" when the world found out that some European nations, probably yours, became involved in supporting Iraqs effort to circumvent the terms of surrender as well as the so called "oil for food" program.

This is a tired argument that rational people can agree to disagree. I doubt your objectivity and ability to be rational.

I will leave you with this once again.

When a US President is faced with evidence that points to a clear and present danger to the US, it is his responsibility to remove that threat.

He did.

However, once that threat is removed, it is our obligation to our troops to leave and leave the rebuilding to others.

However, once that threat is removed, it is our obligation to our troops to leave and leave the rebuilding to others.

This govt. had little confidence in the abilities of the Inspection team which I too had ZERO confidence in.

woiyo wrote:

I'll ignore the "snippy" little commentary from one who lives in a part of the world that has no stake in this effort . I'll recall it is from your part of the world that allowed Iraq to continually ignore the terms of surrender from the Kuwait invasion.

How so? I don't think Europe allowed Iraq to ignore the terms more than the US did. Prove me wrong.

woiyo wrote:

This govt had little confidence in the abilities of the Inspection team which I too had ZERO confidence in.

I know. Why trust the UN when you have reliable intelligence from satellite pictures at your hands that is so much better what inspectors on the ground have to tell you, right?

woiyo wrote:

That lack of confidence was "rewarded" when the world found out that some European nations, probably yours, became involved in supporting Iraqs effort to circumvent the terms of surrender as well as the so called "oil for food" program.

Didn't the Committee on the Oil for Food scandal report mention that US oil purchases accounted for 52% of the kickbacks paid to the regime in return for sales of cheap oil - more than the rest of the world put together? You must have forgotten about that one, too.

woiyo wrote:

This is a tired argument that rational people can agree to disagree. I doubt your objectivity and ability to be rational.

I will leave you with this once again.

Yep. Why talk about the facts when they are so easily ignored, right?

woiyo wrote:

When a US President is faced with evidence that points to a clear and present danger to the US, it is his responsibility to remove that threat.

I don't even disagree with you on this point. I just happen to disagree with the assessment of "clear and present danger to the US" that Iraq allegedly posed.

woiyo wrote:

He did.

We know.

woiyo wrote:

However, once that threat is removed, it is our obligation to our troops to leave and leave the rebuilding to others.

Even though I still don't know which threat you are talking about, I'd be interested in your opinion about whose task it should be to do the rebuilding. Europe? The Middle East? The Iraqis?

However, once that threat is removed, it is our obligation to our troops to leave and leave the rebuilding to others

even though I still don't know which threat you are talking about, I'd be interested in your opinion about whose task it should be to do the rebuilding. Europe? The Middle East? The Iraqis?

Your information RE: Oil for Food is wrong. US interest had some, but peruse the attached.
http://www.acepilots.com/unscam/archives/000773.html

"The United States was not only aware of Iraqi oil sales which violated UN sanctions and provided the bulk of the illicit money Saddam Hussein obtained from circumventing UN sanctions," the report said. "On occasion, the United States actually facilitated the illicit oil sales.

4. How about the Iraqi people with the help of the UN???

Meanwhile, a United Nations panel of experts issued a report Monday saying there is no shortage of recruits for terrorism worldwide and that Iraq has provided new training ground for them, replacing al Qaeda bases lost in Afghanistan.

Somehow I hoped woiyo wouldn't have abandoned this thread when faced with facts contrary to his.... Maybe too much to expect, though.