[Pikamax]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2004-01-14-dean-letter_x.htm

Posted 1/14/2004 12:00 AM


Howard Dean letter to President Clinton
Below is the text of Howard Dean's letter to President Clinton on the conflict in Bosnia, dated July 19, 1995.
The Honorable William J. Clinton

President of the United States

The White House

Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

After long and careful thought, and after several years of watching the gross atrocities committed by the Bosnian Serbs, I have reluctantly concluded that the efforts of the United Nations and NATO in Bosnia are a complete failure.

I think your policy up to this date has been absolutely correct. We must give, and have given, this policy with our allies and with the United Nations every opportunity to work. It is evident, however, that the cost in human lives in allowing this policy to continue is too great. In addition, and perhaps more importantly for the United States, we are now in a position of ignoring, as many did in the 1940s, one of the worst crimes committed in history. If we ignore these behaviors, no matter where they occur, our moral fiber as a people becomes weakened. As the Catholic Church and others lost credibility during the Holocaust for not speaking out, so will the United States lose credibility and our people lose confidence in themselves as moral beings if the United States does not take action.

Since it is clearly no longer possible to take action in conjunction with NATO and the United Nations, I have reluctantly concluded that we must take unilateral action. While I completely agree with you that no ground troops should be committed for other than humanitarian purposes in Bosnia, I would ask that you take the following steps in Bosnia. First, lift the arms embargo as it applies to the Bosnian government. Second, enforce a full embargo of the sort that is now in effect in Iraq on the Bosnian Serbs and upon Yugoslavia. Third, break off diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia. Fourth, commit American air power to support the Bosnian government until the situation is stabilized and the civilian murders and atrocities by the Bosnian Serbs have been stopped.

I understand the risks of this policy and their implications for the NATO Alliance and the future success of the United Nations. Surely, however, as you watch and read about the huge amount of unwarranted human suffering, particularly of children, you would agree that our current course must now be changed.

I urge you to make these changes as soon as possible, and I look forward to supporting your policy fully to the best of my ability.

Sincerely,

Howard Dean, M.D.

Governor

[baseballmom]

Unbelievable.

We must give, and have given, this policy with our allies and with the United Nations every opportunity to work

How long was this policy given to work? We gave Iraq 12 years.

Since it is clearly no longer possible to take action in conjunction with NATO and the United Nations, I have reluctantly concluded that we must take unilateral action

I'm really at a loss for words. Dean is a lying hypocrite. He is USING this war in Iraq for purely political purposes. I really thought he was standing on prinicple - even though I thoroughly disagreed with him. He has no principles. He is just another 'Rat slimeball.

[river rat]

You just have to wonder --- HOW did this memo from Dean come to light at the USAToday?

Strange forces are coming to play - against Dr. Dean...

Semper Fi

[tkathy]

If Bush had done exactly the same things as Clinton did in Bosnia, he would be vilified by the dims.

[GulliverSwift]

This is huge news! Further proof that all of the Dims (except for Martian Kucinich) would have attacked Iraq as well. Of course, they'd have botched the job like Clark did, but the point remains.

The only reason Democratic politicians criticize this war is because it wasn't prosecuted by one of their own.

[PJ-Comix]

"If we ignore these behaviors ... our moral fiber as a people becomes weakened. ... We must take unilateral action."

When I saw this headlined on Drudge, I thought it would just be an interpretation of Dean asking for unilateral action. But when I read the story, Dopey Dean actually WROTE "WE MUST TAKE UNILATERAL ACTION." I wonder how Dr. Dean will explain this away? BTW, how did this letter become public? Since the letter was written to Clinton guess, who the source of this news was.

[TheBlueMax]

I see the fingerprints of Bill Clinton all over this and the timing of this release!

[auboy]

The July 19, 1995, letter, obtained by USA TODAY, was written on Dean's official stationery as Vermont governor.

Open up your records, Gov. Dean!

[Larry381]

I wish they would stop picking on my man Howie. Just because he's a lying phony is no reason to keep hammering him like this. If this keeps up he'll lose the nomination and one of the other clowns will win and Bush might only win 47 states.

[evad]

His advisers say his stance has remained consistent over the years

The only thing consistent about this flip flopper is his flip flopping on ever issue.

He has absolutely no basics or core values to fall back on.

Bush "sold the war on the basis of an imminent threat to U.S. security, and that has now been shown to be false," Ben-Ami said.

That statement by Ben-Ami is a bold faced lie.

Bush made it very clear that to wait until the threat becomes imminent is NOT an option.

[dirtboy]

Kudos to USA Today for this article, especially their bitch-slapping of the latest incarnation of the imminence front routine at the end.

[nmh]

Nothing like seeing a politician reveling in slow self destruct mode. Keep talking Dean ... .

[Pietro]

"As the Catholic Church and others lost credibility during the Holocaust for not speaking out..."

Dean is a despicable worm, how dare he criticize the only entity ON THE GROUND in Eur. during those dark days to stand against the wholesale slaughter.

This gratuitous knock on the church gives us a clear idea of how deeply he knows history and religion.

[prairiebreeze]

This letter isn't a good reflection on Weasley Clark either. If one thinks about it. I wonder if Wes will have any reaction to this.

Prairie

[metesky]

When Dean became a doctor he thought he was taking the Hypocritic Oath.

[Aquinasfan]

Ha, ha, ha, ha!

What a maroon.

[demlosers]

Mr. liar liar pants on fire.

[1Old Pro]

The sound you are hearing is the sound of a candidate imploding while being embraced by the liberal media.

[Always Right]

H - Y - P - O - C - R - I - T - ! - !

[m1-lightning]

Bosnia was no threat to us. They were not connected with the 1993 WTC bombing. No blood for trees!