Posted 1:18 PM by Paul
Quote Unquote

Allen Josephs, an American university professor of English who corresponds with me and holds very different views from me sent me a list of quotes from leading Democrats. The list points out how radically they have changed their position in their attempt to portray Bush as a man motivated by the desire to secure oil reserves and pay back some of his corporate financiers.

Few of the quotes actually say " OK lets invade now to stop Saddam becoming a threat" but it is a telling list for two reasons.

1. It illustrates how most politicians change their tune over a period of time in order to undermine domestic opponents.
2. It reminds us that we react to the messenger as much as the message. If Clinton had invaded Iraq, would as many Europeans (including me) have opposed the policy? Probably not. This is because we Europeans trusted Clinton's motives more than Bush's. The question of why we trusted ( and still trust) Clinton more than Bush should be the subject of a PhD thesis. My take on it is pretty simple. We believe him when he says that " America can lead the world but cannot rule the world." We're happy with that. Bush & Co ( and Dubya is merely the poster boy for wider interests represented by the Project for a New American Century) on the other hand clearly have a more imperial view of the globe.

But this kind of political tribalism is a worrying phenonemon as it brings political discourse down to the level of team sport. Our guys against your guys. Our guys are tough committed players. Your guys play dirty.

So here is the list of quotes..................

One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to
develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That
is our bottom line."
- President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998

"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We
want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass
destruction program."
- President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal
here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear,
chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest
security threat we face."
- Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998

"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times
since 1983."
- Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

"[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S.
Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate,
air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to
the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction
programs."
- Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John
Kerry, and others Oct. 9, 1998

"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass
destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he
has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998

"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass
destruction and palaces for his cronies."
- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999

"There is no doubt that .. Saddam Hussein has invigorated his weapons
programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs
continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam
continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a
licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten
the United States and our allies."
- Letter to President Bush, Signed by Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL,) and others,
December 5, 2001

"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a
threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the
mandated of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction
and the means of delivering them."
- Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002

"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical
weapons throughout his country."
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to
deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in
power."
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing
weapons of mass destruction."
- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002

"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are
confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and
biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to
build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence
reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..."
- Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002

"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority
to use force-- if necessary-- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe
that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real
and grave threat to our security."
- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002

"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively
to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the
next five years ... We also should remember we have always underestimated
the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction."
- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002

"He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every
significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his
chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has
refused to do" Rep.
- Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002

"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that
Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weap ons
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."
- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002

"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam
Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for
the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction."
- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002

"Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal,
murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a
particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to
miscalculation ... And now he is miscalculating America's response to his
continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction
... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real..."
- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003.............

So it seems that some people, particularly Sen. Kerry will have some explaining to do.
Rather than try to defend the indefensible or go off on another anti-Bush rant I reflected on an interview I had seen on TV a few days earlier. I replied to Allen with these words.......


What will tell against Blair and Bush is not so much whether or not there were or were not WOMDs - that we may or may not have sold Saddam in the first place. For most people Left Right - Centre or just plain bored, the WOMD debate is now right up there with "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?"

What will start to be discussed is - Why we got into a war with no clear idea of how to get out of and who was going to pay for it? If the dollar continues its fall and hits an unacceptable level the debate will revolve around incompetence rather than morality and conspiracy theories surrounding Haliburton and oil. Or to refer to a former general and staunch Republican Norman Swarzkopf (apologies if I have the spelling wrong)

" No I don't think we should have gone on to Baghdad. If we had we would still be there stuck like a dinosaur in a tar pit and paying the full costs of an occupation."

This was a quote direct to camera in an even handed BBC documentary entitled The Gulf War and filmed a couple of years after the hostilities had ended. It is worth keeping in mind that around 90% of the British population were in favour of military action to kick Saddam out of Kuwait. Stormin' Norman went on in the interview to point out that the co-alition (1991 style) had 8 UN resolutions to support kicking Saddam out of Kuwait but nothing to support occupying Iraq. His thesis was that only the UK would have stuck with the US and they would end up with all of the responsibility with little benefit.

Norman is a military historian and an expert on the Punic Wars and how Hannibal outwitted and nearly beat Rome with far smaller forces. His words bear some reflection 10 years on.