Posted on 10/05/2005 5:17:39 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
DUTCH Foreign Minister Bernard Bot today questioned for the first time whether US-led troops should have invaded Iraq and said diplomacy might have achieved more.
The Netherlands backed the US-led invasion of Iraq, but today Mr Bot was asked in parliament if the invasion was sensible. "That is a question you can legitimately ask, looking back, and it's possible that the answer will be that it wasn't sensible and that using diplomatic means we could have achieved more," Mr Bot said.
Mr Bot later extended his remarks, telling Dutch television network NOS that he had been referring to the absence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and a list of questions posed to Iraq.
"If we had had answers to the questions that were on the table, if Saddam Hussein had answered the 200 questions, answered them honestly, then we would have a better insight into the situation and might have had to take another decision," Mr Bot said.
The United States largely justified the invasion by charging that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction and was actively pursuing nuclear arms.
No such weapons have been found in Iraq, and US arms investigators have concluded that Baghdad abandoned its nuclear-development program soon after the 1991 Gulf War.
The Netherlands did not contribute troops to the invasion but sent soldiers in August 2003 to help stabilise the Muthanna province in the relatively peaceful south of Iraq.
The Dutch contingent of 1350 soldiers was withdrawn this year.
I guess 12 years of talking and billions into Saddam and his "special friends" pockets wasn't quite enough.
Wow
2 if's and a then.
If the moon was made of cheese think how much whine you could have!!
re: that using diplomatic means we could have achieved more
Does he mean to say that if we had gone the diplomatic route that Saddam would be in prison facing a trial for his life, a free election would have been held and the people would be voting in less than two weeks to ratify a constitution? That's what has happened under the course of action we took, how much more could they hope to have accomplished by going the diplomatic route?
Diplomacy. Worked with Hitler and Stalin, no reason to expect it not to work with Saddam....LOL. Couldn't even keep a straight face through this post.
The Dutch will stick to date-raping tourists, it's not as dangerous as fighting terrorists (so they think).
I, too, am certain that a more sternly worded communique from Mr. Powell, Mr. Bot and M. de Villepin would have done the trick and convinced President Hussein to order himself arrested and put on trial. Another missed opportunity because of that mad cowboy Bush, tant pis.
Well they do ask some questions that a lot of people wonder about- the fact that there turned out to be no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq when the government said there were. From what I've seen, a lot of people are concerned about that being a motive.
Sir you are an irrelevant twit. Sit down and shut up. When you actually PARTICIAPTE in defending the West from the Barbarians you may have input, until such time you are IRRELEVENT and obnoxious. You are an idiot, studying to be a moron. And failing.......badly.
Not a good post on your first day.
We tried diplomacy for 12 years , It didnt work.
If the Europeans had gone along with the program this world would be a safer place right now. The war would be over.
I suggest the Dutch stick to worrying about things like...dikes and fingers.
Let the adults worry about the rest of the world, ok?
LVM
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
The Dutch have sunk to new depths lately...
Nice try.
Get smart or go back to DU land.
LVM
"...the fact that there turned out to be no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq when the government said there were."
Read the Kay(sic?) report and the 911 report. A lot of people wonder because they are too lazy to learn for themselves and blindly accept what the politically motivated media tells them.
IF the Dutch would stop smoking so much dope they could think straight.
Sure, diplomacy with a mass murdering dictator. Brilliant.
I'm sure if the Dutch PM suddenly siezed total control, shot all his opposition, and murdered everyone he didn't like, started putting together the components to make nuclear bombs to use on the nieghbors he didn't like, he'd want somebody to just "negotiate" with him and allow him to continue killing people his didn't like. Not to mention invite some nasty people into the country who like killing people as well for tea.
What is wrong with people? Maybe we should have negotiated with Hitler as well instead of saving their butts. "Ok Adolph, we will think over these proposals of yours, and set up another meeting in a months time. In the mean time, promise you won't kill too many Dutchmen, and rape too many of their women MMOKAY?"
Saddam had plenty of WMD and as a result of too much diplomacy, he also had plenty of time to get rid of them, bury them who knows where, and send them to syria and wherever else.
We KNOW Saddam had Chemical weapons, because he used them on his own people time and time again. There are over 435 massgraves, entire villages have "dissapeared".
Even the WMD that the UN had tagged and counted, had secured and locked away in sealed buildings have dissapeared. Where did they go?
It's not a question of if he had these things, he did. Where are they? we don't know now. Why are they gone? Because we gave Saddam months and months to get rid of them. If you have the entire would body after you to open up for inspections, and to destroy his stocks, would you just say "No" and do nothing, sit on them? Or would you hide them? After he hids them, he allowed "limited" inspections. Then if the Un people got close to something, they would stop them from inspecting. then everything would go back to the UN, Saddam would kick out the weapons inspectors, then he's move them, let them back in to inspect an empty building, leave a few empty shells about. This happened continuously.
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