U.S. missiles pound targets in Afghanistan, Sudan
Strike
The El Shifa Pharmaceutical Industries factory lies in ruins, hit by U.S. cruise missiles
Retaliation for bombing of U.S. embassies in eastern Africa
August 20, 1998
Web posted at: 5:53 p.m. EDT (2153 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Saying "there will be no sanctuary for terrorists," President Clinton on Thursday said the U.S. strikes against terrorist bases in Afghanistan and a facility in Sudan are part of "a long, ongoing struggle between freedom and fanaticism."
His comments were broadcast live from the White House shortly after he arrived in Washington from his vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
American cruise missiles pounded sites in Afghanistan and Sudan Thursday in retaliation for the August 7 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
U.S. officials say the six sites attacked in Afghanistan were part of a network of terrorist compounds near the Pakistani border that housed supporters of Saudi millionaire Osama bin Laden.
American officials say they have "convincing evidence" that bin Laden, who has been given shelter by Afghanistan's Islamic rulers, was involved in the bombings of the east African embassies.
In the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, the El Shifa Pharmaceutical Industries factory -- which U.S. officials say was housing chemical weapons -- was also attacked.
Pentagon sources confirmed to CNN that the attacks were made with cruise missiles, not aircraft. The missiles were fired from ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. The simultaneous attacks took place about 1:30 p.m. EDT (1730 GMT).
In a brief comment made before his departure, the president said, "Today, we have struck back."
The president said he ordered the strike against bin Laden and his compatriots because of "compelling information they were planning additional terrorist attacks against our citizens and others with the inevitable collateral casualties and .. seeking to acquire chemical weapons and other dangerous weapons."
Sudanese television showed piles of rubble at the factory and fire raging in the distance. People were seen walking through the damage, wearing masks.
Sudanese officials reacted angrily to the attacks. Interior Minister Abdul Rahim told CNN in a telephone interview that the privately owned pharmaceutical firm had "nothing to do with chemical weapons."
"We have no chemical weapons factory in our country," he said.
A statement read on Sudanese television about an hour after the attack said, "The wrongful American air force launched air attacks on Sudan tonight which aimed at strategic and vital areas." There was no report as to the number of casualties.
Bin Laden reportedly survives attack
In Afghanistan, a spokesman for the ruling Taliban, Mullah Abdullah, said that "bin Laden is safe and no damage has been done to any of his companions." Bin Laden has been living in Afghanistan with the permission of the Taliban, a fundamentalist Islamic group that controls most of the country.
Abdullah said the U.S. attacks were in Khost, about 90 miles (144 kilometers) south of the capital, Kabul, and on Jalalabad, 60 miles (96 kilometers) east of Kabul.
The supreme leader of the Taliban said they would never hand over bin Laden to the United States. A Pakistan-based Afghan news service quoted Mullah Mohammad Omar as condemning U.S. bombings on Afghan sites Thursday and saying that they showed "enmity" for the Afghan people.
Cohen: 'No sanctuary for terrorists'
U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen said the goal of the strikes was to disrupt and attempt to destroy the suspected training and support facilities used to train "hundreds, if not thousands, of terrorists." (Audio 1.9 MB / 20 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)
"We recognize these strikes will not eliminate the problem," Cohen said. "But our message is clear. There will be no sanctuary for terrorists and no limit to our resolve to defend American citizens and our interests -- our ideals of democracy and law -- against these cowardly attacks."
Cohen said planning for the attack began within the last week.
cnn.com
==========Where are those chemical weapons that you say Iraq was making in Sudan?
Do you think that they will be used on American forces in Iraq?
Shouldn't we get American forces out of Iraq before that happens?
I have bridges to sell.
Unlike the rightwing and Bushy, progressives are not required to defend Clinton's every action or every decision. We also do not have insight into everything he did. We are also not required to agree with him in everything he did as we often do not.
On the balance, we and the American public, agree with him many times more than we agree with Bush. Bush knows that and it causes him to sprout grey hairs and an irritable temper.
If I remember correctly, on the eve of the Republican's attack over sex with Monika, Clinton's approval rating was over 60 percent.
============
Republicans skeptical of Iraq attack on eve of impeachment vote
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, December 16) -- White House officials insist a looming impeachment vote in the House had no bearing on President Clinton's decision to bomb Iraq -- but planes were still in the air as a chorus of critics began voicing skepticism about the timing.
In this story:
* House intelligence chair says not consulted
* Torricelli calls GOP criticism 'unforgivable'
* Eagleburger: 'Timing stinks'
* Impeachment debate delayed
* Rep. Solomon: Attack designed to create 'leverage'
Clinton
Prominent among the skeptics: Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Mississippi) and House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas).
"I cannot support this military action in the Persian Gulf at this time," Lott said in a statement. "Both the timing and the policy are subject to question."
"The suspicion some people have about the president's motives in this attack is itself a powerful argument for impeachment," Armey said in a statement. "After months of lies, the president has given millions of people around the world reason to doubt that he has sent Americans into battle for the right reasons."
Armey renewed his call for the president to resign.
"Whatever happens, it will take years to repair the damage President Clinton has done to his office and his country," Armey said.
House intelligence chair says not consulted
Rep. Porter Goss, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he was unaware that U.S. airstrikes were planned against Iraq until he saw them under way on CNN.
Goss (R-Florida) expressed anger that he was never notified by the White House that a strike was imminent and that no members of the House Intelligence Committee were brought into the loop.
"To be cut out at the eleventh hour is annoying, and it's certainly not helpful," Goss said.
He called the fact he was not contacted "a bad mistake of judgment or an oversight by the White House. ... Today the White House should be looking for friends. It's not a good idea to ambush people."
"It's certainly rather suspicious timing," said Rep. Tillie Fowler (R-Florida). "I think the president is shameless in what he would do to stay in office."
Torricelli calls GOP criticism 'unforgivable'
Some Democrats reacted angrily to the criticism of Clinton's motives by congressional Republicans.
Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-New Jersey) called the GOP reaction "as close to a betrayal of the interests of the United States as I've ever witnessed in the United States Congress. It's unforgivable and reprehensible."
"This is a time for our country to be united, even though we're divided on other matters," said Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota).
He and House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-Missouri) issued a joint statement defending the timing, saying "any delay would have given (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein time to reconstitute his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction and undermine international support for our efforts."
A number of administration officials, including Secretary of Defense William Cohen, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, rejected the charge that the president's political problems were a motivating factor.
Gen. Hugh Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, backed up that assessment.
Eagleburger: 'Timing stinks'
Some Republicans also were supportive of Clinton's actions. Outgoing House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia) said the strikes were an example of "the U.S. leading the world by exercising its military power in an appropriate way."
But some outside Congress wondered about the timing. Lawrence Eagleburger, who served as secretary of state during the Bush years, noted the proximity to the impeachment proceedings, saying, "While I approve the action, I think the timing stinks, frankly."
Paul Weyrich, a leading conservative activist, said Clinton's decision to bomb on the eve of the impeachment vote "is more of an impeachable offense than anything he is being charged with in Congress."
Impeachment debate delayed
Clinton ordered what he called a "strong, sustained" military strike against Iraq on Wednesday in retaliation for its continued failure to cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors.
The decision came one day before the House was to meet to consider four articles of impeachment. charging Clinton with perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of power in the Monica Lewinsky affair. Clinton has admitted the affair, but he has steadfastly denied he committed perjury.
In the days and hours before the strike, the president's political situation deteriorated as a steady stream of undecided House members, most of them Republicans, announced they would support impeachment.
House Speaker-elect Bob Livingston (R-Louisiana) later announced a delay in the impeachment debate, possibly until Friday or Saturday. The decision came after a caucus of House Republicans during which, Livingston indicated, there was a strong debate over whether to delay impeachment.
Republican pollster Neil Newhouse said GOP leaders could lose the momentum for impeachment during a delay if pro-impeachment Republicans get skittish.
"These guys are ready to vote but, truthfully, I don't know how much more pressure they can stand up to," Newhouse said.
Rep. Solomon: Attack designed to create 'leverage'
The public expressions of skepticism accelerated when an angry Rep. Gerald Solomon (R-New York) issued a statement with the headline: "Bombs Away -- Save Impeachment for Another Day?"
"It is obvious that they're (the Clinton White House) doing everything they can to postpone the vote on this impeachment in order to try to get whatever kind of leverage they can, and the American people ought to be as outraged as I am about it," Solomon said in an interview with CNN.
Asked if he was accusing Clinton of playing with American lives for political expediency, Solomon said, "Whether he knows it or not, that's exactly what he's doing. When you put our troops in the air or on the ground, you are risking their lives. This president ought to know better. I don't know if he does or not, because he's so unpredictable."
Solomon complained that key congressmen had not been told of the military strike. He said Clinton should have briefed more members of Congress and delayed the attack until early next week.
"It would still be spontaneous," Solomon said. "He could still launch the attack, but it would not have been political the way it is today."
Upon hearing Solomon's remarks, Democratic Rep. Sam Gejdenson of Connecticut went before CNN's cameras to rip into Solomon for his accusation.
"Gerry Solomon's spent a career here making outrageous statements, but as an ex-Marine, he ought to know better," Gejdenson said. "That was an outrageous, outrageous statement."
Gejdenson said the nation cannot tie a president's hands based on developments on Capitol Hill.
"Think of the message," Gejdenson said. "If we tell every country out there that might want to do harm to America's interests that every time there's a political squabble in Washington, the presidency has to be frozen, that's outrageous."
cnn.com |
