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Dean attacks military, President Bush - "Should have had Saddam six months earlier"

Posted on 12/15/2003 3:06:24 PM PST by jmcclain19

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3718010/

WASHINGTON - In a major foreign policy address Monday, Democratic presidential contender Howard Dean hailed the capture of Saddam Hussein as “good news for the Iraqi people and for the world,” but also claimed that his capture “could have taken place six months ago.”

Dean foreign policy adviser Susan Rice said after the speech that the former Vermont governor meant that if the Bush administration had done thorough planning for the aftermath of the military conflict, it could have developed better intelligence sources and in turn might have more quickly captured the deposed Iraqi dictator.

“The capture of Saddam has not made America safer,” Dean also said in the speech.

Lieberman: Dean in 'his own spider hole' That remark drew a caustic reply from one of Dean’s rivals for the Democratic nomination, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman.

“Howard Dean has climbed into his own spider hole of denial if he believes that the capture of Saddam Hussein has not made America safer,” Lieberman said. “Saddam Hussein is a homicidal maniac, brutal dictator, supporter of terrorism, and enemy of the United States, and there should be no doubt that America and the world are safer with him captured.”

In a question-and-answer period following the speech, Dean also said, “I have never found the evidence convincing that Iraq was ever a significant threat to the United States.”

Dean’s candidacy has been powered by his attack on what he calls “the president’s unilateral intervention in Iraq.”

The Bush administration disputes the characterization of the removal of Saddam as “unilateral.” Several other nations, most significantly Great Britain, have contributed troops to the Iraq operation and have suffered casualties.

Dean said in Monday’s speech to the Pacific Council in Los Angeles that Bush had “launched the wrong war, at the wrong time, with inadequate planning, insufficient help and at extraordinary cost.”

'Rallying cry for terrorist recruits' The Iraq war, he alleged, “diverted critical intelligence and military resources … and created a new rallying cry for terrorist recruits.”

Dean said he “would not have hesitated” to launch an attack on Iraq “had the United Nations given us permission and asked us to be part of a multilateral force.”

And he emphasized that he would support use of American military force in some cases, noting that he did support the rollback of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1991 and the effort to halt ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Kosovo.

He also said that in Iraq he would have supported U.S. intervention to halt Saddam’s massacres of Shiites in 1991.

Dean, who many polls show is the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, also charged that Bush “is about to be responsible for the fact that North Korea has become a nuclear power.” He said, “There is no disgrace in having the most powerful nation on earth negotiate bilaterally with North Korea, while we also pursue a multilateral track.”

Dean assailed “the hard-liners in the Bush administration” for spurning the possibility of engaging in bilateral negotiations with the regime of Kim Jong Il.

In the speech, Dean blasted what he called Bush’s “go-it-alone approach to every problem,” as well as what he said was its “radical unilateralism” and “brash boastfulness.”

“We find ourselves, too often, isolated and resented,” he declared, charging that Bush administration officials “seem to believe that nothing can be gained from working with nations that have stood by our side as allies for generations.”

He pledged to expand the existing U.S. program to find and control the nuclear, chemical and biological weapons inventory of the former Soviet Union.

Fire from Lieberman, Kucinich Of Dean’s eight rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, his most severe critics have been Lieberman and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

Lieberman told reporters Sunday, “the capture of Saddam Hussein makes clear the choice between Howard Dean and me, which is the clearest choice that the candidates for president in the Democratic Party present.”

Lieberman said, “If Howard Dean has his way, Saddam Hussein would still be in power today, not in prison.”

Kucinich meanwhile has criticized Dean for offering no timeline for withdrawal of American soldiers from Iraq and for not being willing to cut the Defense Department budget – which Kucinich proposes to cut by $60 billion or about 15 percent of current outlays.

“No one else is saying definitively that we must end the (Iraq) occupation and I’m the only one doing it,” Kucinich told MSNBC.com recently. “I see this as a defining issue in this election. We must have a plan to get out. Not maybe. … We must have the Democrats united in ending the occupation.”


TOPICS: Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; bush; dean; hatepoweredhoward; heilhoward; hesabadman; howarddean; lies; poohead; saddam; schmuck; selfimportant; wackjob
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To: jmcclain19; AmericanInTokyo
He said, “There is no disgrace in having the most powerful nation on earth negotiate bilaterally with North Korea, while we also pursue a multilateral track.”

Dean assailed “the hard-liners in the Bush administration” for spurning the possibility of engaging in bilateral negotiations with the regime of Kim Jong Il.

In the speech, Dean blasted what he called Bush’s “go-it-alone approach to every problem,” as well as what he said was its “radical unilateralism” and “brash boastfulness.”

1. Dean supports "go it alone" with North Korea, not multi-lateral as Bush supports...then criticizes Bush for "going it alone."

2. 50-50 Kim Jong-Il's position was must made stronger. He may wait out until the election to see if Dean is elected...and he can get the same deal he got from Clinton, and cheat on it again.

21 posted on 12/15/2003 3:21:08 PM PST by Shermy
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To: jmcclain19

22 posted on 12/15/2003 3:21:14 PM PST by Flashman_at_the_charge
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To: demlosers
Today I saw some expert on dictators suggest that they are all delirious.

Dean fits this definition.

His cocky arrogance and haughty body language displays a perfect comination of Hitler and Mussolini.......just look at the historical films of that time.........it's creepy!!

23 posted on 12/15/2003 3:21:17 PM PST by CROSSHIGHWAYMAN (I don't believe anything a Democrat says. Bill Clinton set the standard!)
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To: jmcclain19
This story reminds me of an old joke.

A woman wakes her husband up in the middle of the night by saying loudly "boy am I thirsty".

Her husband tries to ignore her but again she says "boy am I thirsty".

Finally her husband gets up and gets her a glass of water. She drinks the water, and her husband tries to get back to sleep.

But right as he is nodding off, his was says very loudly "Boy was I thirsty!"
24 posted on 12/15/2003 3:22:37 PM PST by murdoog (i just changed my tag line)
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To: wizardoz
Carl Cameron of FOX just said the Dean has made statements in the past saying Saddam was a threat to the US.....yet today .....Dean states Saddam isn't a threat.

Dean is shooting himself in the foot bigtime.

25 posted on 12/15/2003 3:22:49 PM PST by Dog (First question to Saddam..........Where is Scott Speicher??)
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To: jmcclain19
So, he thinks it could have been done 6 months earlier? What does he know about the whereabouts of Saddam, and when did he know it?
26 posted on 12/15/2003 3:23:31 PM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: jmcclain19
Whatever happened to the "risky scheme" language?

Surely, voting for Howard Dean is a very risky scheme, indeed!

27 posted on 12/15/2003 3:23:42 PM PST by CROSSHIGHWAYMAN (I don't believe anything a Democrat says. Bill Clinton set the standard!)
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To: johnb838
Yeah, I caught that too. To be even more specific, a candidate for the highest office of the United States has just said that he would defer a decision to take military action to a non-elective international body that has a long record of anti-Americanism. He did not say "advice," or "recommendation," or "consultation," he said "permission."
28 posted on 12/15/2003 3:23:47 PM PST by Billthedrill
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To: Howlin
Just did a Google on Susan Rice: former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under Albright. Stanford educated and Rhodes scholar and black - just like Condi Rice but no relation. Personal ties with Albright prior to joining State.
29 posted on 12/15/2003 3:24:53 PM PST by Rummyfan
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To: truth_seeker
the effort to halt ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Kosovo.

This ought to be a perfect reason as to why it is a BAD idea to do things with the united nations. It seems like these dims are counting on W not coming out and telling the truth about what the un is all about. I bet he is awfully tempted to on some days. But he can't of course, cuz it might make the striped-pants commies over at State unhappy.
30 posted on 12/15/2003 3:24:56 PM PST by johnb838 (CHRISTMAS! Jesus is the Reason for the Season. Say it Loud, I'm Christian and Proud!!!)
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To: Dog
Carl Cameron of FOX just said the Dean has made statements in the past saying Saddam was a threat to the US.....

On the record, no less!

yet today .....Dean states Saddam isn't a threat. Dean is shooting himself in the foot bigtime.

Well, let's hope Dubya gives him some more bullets in the next 10 months. ;^)

31 posted on 12/15/2003 3:25:25 PM PST by wizardoz ("Let's roll!" ........................................................ "We got him!")
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To: jmcclain19
I don't care to hear from Howard The Insinuator Dean. If this is how he thinks, and he is the Democrat's crown of creation that party is unfit for consumption. This nation deserves better. The man is a danger to himself and the country as a whole.
32 posted on 12/15/2003 3:27:54 PM PST by oyez (Scratch one mad dog.)
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To: jmcclain19
It's funny how Dean can get away with saying such things. This time it's the military's fault. Bush gets dragged over the coals for citing British intelligence about Saddam's search for uranium in Africa. Contrast this with Dean "hearing" about a rumor cooked up by conspiracy theorists about Bush knew ahead of time about 9/11 and he gets a pass.

Don't let anyone tell you there isn't a liberal filter on the big media. Just give the above example.

33 posted on 12/15/2003 3:28:40 PM PST by rudypoot
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To: jmcclain19
This man is crazy and truly dangerous. I'm all for the demise of the Democratic Party but for the simple good of the country he should not get the nomination.
34 posted on 12/15/2003 3:28:43 PM PST by Rummyfan
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To: wizardoz; Mo1; prairiebreeze; anniegetyourgun; Miss Marple
I found the Dean quote...

Dean: “I never said Saddam was a danger to the United States. Ever.”

Mara Liasson: “In fact in September of 2002, Dean said exactly that. On the CBS program Face The Nation, Dean said “there is no question that Saddam Hussein is a threat to the United States.” [NPR, 12/11/2003]

OUCH!!!

35 posted on 12/15/2003 3:29:34 PM PST by Dog (First question to Saddam..........Where is Scott Speicher??)
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To: jmcclain19
Dean attacks military, President Bush - "Should have had Saddam six months earlier"

OMG give me a break. Since when is Dean a field spook?

36 posted on 12/15/2003 3:29:50 PM PST by Terriergal (Psalm 11: 3 "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?")
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To: jmcclain19
... Howard Dean hailed the capture of Saddam Hussein as “good news for the Iraqi people and for the world,” but also claimed that his capture “could have taken place six months ago.”

Yeah, right! Dean has absolutely no basis to make such a claim. His foreign policy advisor, one Susan Rice said better planning and intelligence, "might have more quickly captured the deposed Iraqi dictator".

Might have! LOL

Susan Rice is NO Condy Rice
and
Howie Dean is NO George W.Bush.

Then comes a whopper from Dean: " “The capture of Saddam has not made America safer,”

Dean simply can not be taken seriously. With statements like these, he continually damages his credibility. Dean is a flake.

37 posted on 12/15/2003 3:30:52 PM PST by Reagan Man (The few, the proud, the conservatives.)
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To: CROSSHIGHWAYMAN
God help us if this man is ever elected POTUS....what a CinC he would be...he just slapped the US military in the face.
38 posted on 12/15/2003 3:30:56 PM PST by mystery-ak (Christmas lights are being put up...but our flag is always flown with pride.)
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To: jmcclain19
Dean foreign policy adviser Susan Rice...

Interesting. Rice worked for the Clinton admin as a diplomat for Africa when Monsoor Ijaz was negotiating Osama's release to US custody. To this day she denies there is anything to the story even though Clinton himself has admitted it.

39 posted on 12/15/2003 3:31:09 PM PST by NEPA
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To: Billthedrill
He did not say "advice," or "recommendation," or "consultation," he said "permission."

He's a doctor, not a leader.

40 posted on 12/15/2003 3:32:18 PM PST by rudypoot
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