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Kill Saddam! U.S. journalists agree: If you can't beat him, assassinate him. (1997 of course)
Mother Jones.com ^ | 25 November 1997 | Eric Umansky

Posted on 08/29/2005 6:21:35 AM PDT by Grampa Dave

http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/1997/11/kill_saddam.html

Kill Saddam! U.S. journalists agree: If you can't beat him, assassinate him. Eric Umansky November 25 , 1997

The latest saber-rattling with Iraq has an odd twist: As the United States government shows restraint and revives the lost art of diplomacy, this time it's the U.S. press that's howling for blood -- the blood of Saddam Hussein personally. The press, of course, has the distinct advantage that nobody really follows their policy suggestions anyway, so their advice doesn't have to be diplomatic, or even legal:

The law:

Prohibition on Assassination. No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination. -- Executive Order 12333, issued Dec. 4, 1981, by President Ronald Reagan, continuing the policy of his predecessors Ford and Carter. Neither Bush nor Clinton has rescinded it.

The handy (and illegal) tips from the press:

"Conventional Wisdom," Newsweek, Nov. 17: "Take him down." (next to a photo of Hussein and a downward-plunging arrow)

Thomas Friedman, foreign affairs columnist, New York Times, Nov. 6: "Saddam Hussein is the reason God created cruise missiles. ...So if and when Saddam pushes beyond the brink, and we get that one good shot, let's make sure it's a head shot."

George Stephanopolous, former Clintonite and current ABC News analyst, on ABC'S "This Week," Nov. 9: "This is probably one of those rare cases where assassination is the more moral course...we should kill him."

Sam Donaldson, co-host of "This Week," Nov. 9: We should kill Saddam "under cover of law.... We can do business with his successor."

Bill Kristol, ABC News analyst, "This Week," Nov. 9: "It sounds good to me."

Cokie Roberts, co-host of "This Week," Nov. 9: "Well, now that we've come out for murder on this broadcast, let us move on to fast-track..."

Jonathan Alter, Newsweek, Nov. 17: "It won't be easy to take him out. ...But we need to try, because the only language Saddam has ever understood is force."

Newsweek, Dec. 1: "Why We Should Kill Saddam."

Thanks


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: killsaddam1997; motherjones
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Freepers might want to copy this and send it to the editors of local and nation fishwraps to remind them what they wanted to do to Saddam in 1997.
1 posted on 08/29/2005 6:21:36 AM PDT by Grampa Dave
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To: Grampa Dave
Why was it OK to get rid of terrorists the easy way under Clintoon and forbidden under Bush?
2 posted on 08/29/2005 6:23:14 AM PDT by Dallas59 (“You love life, while we love death.” - Al-Qaeda / Democratic Party)
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To: Grampa Dave
Thomas Friedman, foreign affairs columnist, New York Times, Nov. 6: "Saddam Hussein is the reason God created cruise missiles. ...So if and when Saddam pushes beyond the brink, and we get that one good shot, let's make sure it's a head shot."

FRIEDMAN: "I was taken out of context by the neo-cons...What I meant to say was that this is only valid when a Democrat is in the Oval Office."

3 posted on 08/29/2005 6:25:27 AM PDT by frogjerk (LIBERALISM - Being miserable for no good reason)
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To: Dallas59

Anything the Killer Klintoons did was wonderful in the eyes of the left wing lunatics who controlled the MSM.

Anything that GW wants to do to protect Americans in the WOT is terrible in the eyes of thee lunatic lefty mediots in control of the MSM today.


4 posted on 08/29/2005 6:26:01 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The civilized world must win WW IV/the Final Crusade and destroy Jihadism!)
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To: Dallas59
Why was it OK to get rid of terrorists the easy way under Clintoon and forbidden under Bush?

Because Klinton is GOD to the left and could never do any wrong.

5 posted on 08/29/2005 6:26:35 AM PDT by frogjerk (LIBERALISM - Being miserable for no good reason)
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To: frogjerk
Wow, you are good. You could be an editor for the NY Slimes:

"FRIEDMAN: "I was taken out of context by the neo-cons...What I meant to say was that this is only valid when a Democrat is in the Oval Office."

6 posted on 08/29/2005 6:27:30 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The civilized world must win WW IV/the Final Crusade and destroy Jihadism!)
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To: backhoe; Peach; kcvl; Cindy; Ernest_at_the_Beach

FYI and indexing.


7 posted on 08/29/2005 6:29:00 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The civilized world must win WW IV/the Final Crusade and destroy Jihadism!)
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To: frogjerk

"Because Klinton is GOD to the left and could never do any wrong."

Amazing isn't it?


8 posted on 08/29/2005 6:30:05 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The civilized world must win WW IV/the Final Crusade and destroy Jihadism!)
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To: Dallas59

Just like when Clinton ordered the execution of that retarded inmate when he ran for election and the media didn't say nothing but Bush caught hell over his executions (never mind that Ma Richards oversaw more executions than he did)


9 posted on 08/29/2005 6:30:18 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: mhking; nutmeg; King Prout; MeekOneGOP

Fyi and ping lists.


10 posted on 08/29/2005 6:32:08 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (The civilized world must win WW IV/the Final Crusade and destroy Jihadism!)
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To: Grampa Dave

Were there attempts from 1992-2000 to kill Saddam, and, if so , what evidence is there?


11 posted on 08/29/2005 6:32:13 AM PDT by uscabjd ( a)
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To: Grampa Dave

> Executive Order 12333 ...
> Neither Bush nor Clinton has rescinded it.

But the EO notwithstanding, the first bombs of Operation
Iraqi Freedom were aimed at Saddam personally (based on
faulty intel, as it turned out).


12 posted on 08/29/2005 6:32:44 AM PDT by Boundless
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To: Grampa Dave

I wrote a letter to the editor the other day about this. And also JFK's administration trying to kill Castro.


13 posted on 08/29/2005 6:33:33 AM PDT by Peach (South Carolina is praying for our Gulf coast citizens.)
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To: frogjerk
FRIEDMAN: "I was taken out of context by the neo-cons...What I meant to say was that this is only valid when a Democrat is in the Oval Office."

MoonbatLand: Somehow, Karl Rove is behind this.... < /Leftist paranoia>

14 posted on 08/29/2005 6:33:50 AM PDT by Libertarian444
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To: Grampa Dave

Excellent! Thanks for posting this.


15 posted on 08/29/2005 6:34:44 AM PDT by Finny (God continue to Bless President G.W. Bush with wisdom, popularity, safety and success.)
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To: Grampa Dave

Great find!


16 posted on 08/29/2005 6:35:49 AM PDT by TBP
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To: Grampa Dave

Excellent post! Bump for great justice! MSM, make your time!


17 posted on 08/29/2005 6:40:16 AM PDT by GBA
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To: Grampa Dave

I don't think that is true. Clinton got just as much, if not more flack from the press for all the stuff done in his presidency. It just seems like less, because it was from FR, instead of against FR.


18 posted on 08/29/2005 6:40:43 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: Grampa Dave

Thank you Grandpa Dave.


19 posted on 08/29/2005 6:43:01 AM PDT by Plymouth Sentinel (Sooner Rather Than Later)
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To: stuartcr
I don't think that is true. Clinton got just as much, if not more flack from the press for all the stuff done in his presidency. It just seems like less, because it was from FR, instead of against FR.

So you are saying Clinton got more flack from the press than W does?

20 posted on 08/29/2005 6:43:20 AM PDT by frogjerk (LIBERALISM - Being miserable for no good reason)
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