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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: D. Long who wrote (83650)	3/19/2003 3:01:23 AM
From: spiral3	Respond to of 281500

We stepped on our own dick on that account I fear. not exactly, but close. <g> from that article: jpost.com Christmas cheer Do they really think a man of the intelligence and political astuteness of Prime Minister Tony Blair would send Royal Air Force crews to war in order to save an American president from a parliamentary vote? Blair beat Clinton to announcing that Operation Desert Fox was in progress (revealing the campaign name for the first time.) In a characteristically lucid and detailed briefing from the steps of 10 Downing Street, he outlined the history of Saddam's catalog of deception, "this serial breaker of promises." He carefully explained the obvious to the uninformed - that the attack was essential right now, because of the damning Butler Report on Saddam's continuing obstruction of UN arms inspectors, his missing and concealed mountains of dangerous arms, and the "no more warnings" ultimatum the allies gave Saddam in November. A certain poignancy was added to Blair's announcement by a gently blinking Christmas tree on the steps just behind him - this is not a season in which any British leader would lightly send the boys and girls to a remote war. Senator Lott and his ilk had been assured by the security and state sectors of the administration, and especially by the former Republican senator from Maine, Defense Secretary William Cohen, that the decision to attack was objective and essential. Hold your nose Yet Lott continued to whine that "the timing and the policy are subject to question" and Lawrence Eaglebruger, of all people - a former George Bush aide, said "the timing stinks, frankly." So do these attitudes, frankly. Congratulations to Lott and company. They now share a seat on the same conspiracy theory bandwagon as Egypt's terrorist Moslem Brotherhood. The Supreme Guide of the America-hating Brotherhood, Mostafa Mashour, said at about the same time as Lott's statement: "We condemn the arrogant Americans for making their brutal attacks to divert attention from Clinton's impeachment hearings." Republican critics also sounded remarkably like mainstream Arab leaders. These are the ones who roundly detest and fear Saddam Hussein, but who are too gutless to say so, or to give the United States and Britain credit for once again saving their hides. So, in an hour demanding total national unity behind US and allied British servicemen, Republicans were all over the television screens babbling incoherently about "Clinton's attempt to change the subject" in the House from impeachment to Iraq. They backed their theory with juvenile references to Wag the Dog, a silly movie about a president who concocts a war to divert attention from a sexual affair. What they failed to produce was one "for instance" scenario of how exactly Clinton managed to manufacture the crisis and pre-position aircraft carriers so precisely that yesterday's impeachment vote in the House of Representatives might be delayed. Perhaps he's in cahoots with Saddam? Who's the enemy? It did seem unthinkable, in a Republican strategic analysis derived from a cheap movie, that maybe it might have been Saddam Hussein who sought to exploit a window of opportunity while Clinton was caught on Air Force One between the Scylla of the Middle East, and the Charybdis of impeachment. The fact that the Pentagon and State Department were fully prepared for such a ploy, enabling Clinton to call Saddam's bluff instantly, might have merited a word or two of commendation. But no, not from the dogs of the war on Clinton. Let's phrase it in a myopic Republican way. "If Clinton does not react to the Butler Report, he is weak and paralyzed by the impeachment vote; if he does attack Iraq, he is trying to divert attention from the ... yadda yadda." Heads, I win; tails, you wag the dog. "I am prepared to place 30 years of public service on the line," said Cohen, an honorable voice in the Republican wilderness. "The only factor that was important in this decision is what was in the American people's best interest. There were no other factors." Ah, but take Paul Weyrich, a prominent conservative activist. Like many of the canine persuasion, he believes Clinton's decision to bomb Iraq "is more of an impeachable offense than anything he is being charged with in Congress." Do these people ever listen to themselves? Is Saddam now some Republican of unimpeachable character when stood beside the evil, dangerous threat-to-the-world Clinton? Um, yeah; I guess.

To: D. Long who wrote (83650)	3/19/2003 3:08:54 AM
From: paul_philp	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

Derek, One interesting moment shown on the Frontline shows comes from that period of time. Clinton was contemplating war with Iraq so Berger, Albright and Cohen do a Town Hall meeting. The reaction from that Town Hall audience is everybit as vitriolic as the current debate. Berger, Albright and Cohen look like they didn't see it coming and they don't know what to say. It is true that Clinton would have had difficult fighting a war during the dog days of the scandal. However, even without the scandal it looks like it would have been very very difficult to overcome that level on animosity without 9-11 to demonstrate the need to act. Conventional wisdom says that the world's anger is aimed at Bush not America but that Frontline clip reminded me of those days and I think the anger is aimed at American power and will land on whoever sits in the Oval office. Just a the post-9/11 sentiment turned ugly when Bush promised to use American power in Iraq, my guess is that Clinton's popularity in Europe would have fallen off a cliff if he went to war with Iraq in '98. Paul