Posted on 09/29/2004 3:47:34 PM PDT by Veto!
Cheney changed his view on Iraq
He said in '92 Saddam not worth U.S. casualties
WASHINGTON -- In an assessment that differs sharply with his view today, Dick Cheney more than a decade ago defended the decision to leave Saddam Hussein in power after the first Gulf War, telling a Seattle audience that capturing Saddam wouldn't be worth additional U.S. casualties or the risk of getting "bogged down in the problems of trying to take over and govern Iraq."
Cheney, who was secretary of defense at the time, made the observations answering audience questions after a speech to the Discovery Institute in August 1992, nearly 18 months after U.S. forces routed the Iraqi army and liberated Kuwait.
(SNIP)
The comments Cheney made more than a decade ago in a little-publicized appearance have acquired new relevance as he and Bush run for a second term. A central theme of their campaign has been their unflinching, unchanging approach toward Iraq and the shifting positions offered by Democratic nominee John Kerry.
A transcript of the 1992 appearance was tracked down by P-I columnist Joel Connelly, as reported in today's In the Northwest column.
(snip)
Last week, Cheney attacked Kerry for his alleged inconsistencies.
(SNIP)
Despite his reservations 12 years ago, Cheney was one of this administration's vocal and unrelenting supporters of invading Iraq.
Throughout the campaign, Bush and especially Cheney have ridiculed Kerry for changing positions on the war in Iraq and presenting a confusing and distorted picture of the future of that country.
(snip)
P-I Washington correspondent Charles Pope can be reached at 202-263-6461 or charliepope@seattlepi.com
(Excerpt) Read more at seattlepi.nwsource.com ...
This blatant attempt to skew the news merely reflects the Dim's desperation. And deceit. And distortion.
What they will NEVER report is that:
1. In 1997 Kerry was on CNN. He endorsed unilateral, pre-emptive attacks on Iraq to force regime change REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE UN said!!!! He also had harsh words for France and Germany.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1087918/posts
2. In 1998 Kerry was on ABC endorsing American boots on the ground to force regime change. (The RNC has a better link they released recently but I can't find it)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1087875/posts?page=1
One of my sayings is "you can't argue with a liberal". You never win and the wasted energy on gathering facts . . . I had a family full of them so I consider my experience superior.
GWHB should have removed Saddam then, but...the UN resolution that was in effect did not provide for that.
The Seattle Post is trying to make an issue. It won't stick. So what if Cheney didn't want Saddam removed then; that was the President's decision, based on the UN resolution.
[Nice try, Seattle Post, but no cigar.]
The left was adamant in 1991 that we NOT go to Baghdad. There were those aligned with Kerry (who voted against 91 Gulf War) that claimed Bush # 41 should be impeached because of the pincer move Schwarzkoff & Powell made across Iraq when - they claimed - the US should not have gone into Iraq but stayed in Kuwait. The arabs who participated said they'd leave the coalition if we went to Baghdad. This was all pre 9/11, of course, and we didn't know the extent of Saddam's WMD programs for another couple years, then, still.
This was, of course, pre-9/11. No one in their right mind would refuse to update their view of the world after that event.
My thought, exactly. Cheney, back in 1991, was backing up the boss (GHWB), and that was a decade before Sept. 11th, and our whole perspective on Middle Eastern thugs changed.
Which is precisely why most on the left have never updated their view of the world.
Well, at least they've made it to 1992, and they're not still in 1968.
our friends at kos are playing this item up today... go figure. They are also pushing as much as possible for people to spread the "Bush will draft you" story to college kids. Even though many know Rangel is behind the draft bill and they agree with it! But they still want to scare college kids with something bush said he would not do! Go figure...
Exactly. No one in their right mind refused. We're talking about the leftmost edge of what purports to be "mainstream" newspapers in the USA. They are beyond comprehension and far beyond redemption. One might forgive them if they clearly labeled an editorial as an editorial, but time and time again,, this newspaper prints its opinions at the top of the front page under blaring headlines, masquerading as news. Where will it end?
Three factors. One, we were at the time still suffering from Viet Nam syndrome. We went into the war terrified that it would be a bloodbath on our side and in no way were we interested in ruining a perfectly good victory by taking on an occupation.
And this reminds us of the limits of coalitions and UN approvals. We were determined to stay within the limits of our UN authorization, and our coalition would have melted away had we gone any further. At the time, all that seemed rather important.
And, finally, we saw the need to keep the vaunted Republican Guard intact as a buffer between Iran and the Persian Gulf. There was great fear that Iran would move into southern Iraq and perhaps even further south if the Iraqi military were completely destroyed.
We assumed Hussein would not survive and would be dealt with by the Iraqis themselves. We were wrong about that last item but it wouldn't have changed the others.
It was not just the UN Resolution, but the Congressional Authority which said stop with liberating Kuwait. BTW John Kerry voted against this 1991 authority. I think it passed the Senate 51-49, or something like that,
A lot of minds were changed after 9/11.
Condolences on the loss of your family's minds. I have one adult child who's gone over to the dork side too. (Candlelight service at dusk.)
The Seattle P-I is the largest newspaper in the city, with their ridiculous headlines blaring forth from newspaper boxes on every corner. Most people don't read more than headlines. Infuriating!
President George H. W. Bush did exactly what he said he would do.
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