Bill Clinton says Bush erred by giving Saddam priority over bin Laden

Boston Globe (AP) ^ | 5/11/2004 | RICHARD PYLE

[wjersey]

NEW YORK -- President Bush wasted international sympathy for the United States after the 2001 terrorist attacks by shifting from the search for Osama bin Laden to the ousting of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, former President Clinton said Tuesday.

The move alienated many U.S. allies and created a false impression among Americans that Saddam had a key role in the al-Qaida-engineered terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Clinton said. "I think the world was really pulling for us after 9-11," he said, but the Bush administration "divided the world ... to pursue our vision _ not because of any imminent threat but because that's what they wanted to do."

[Calvin Locke]

So, the 900...is that longhand pages, or after after somebody typed them in?

[Brimack34]

This guy is completely NUTS Coo Koo. How could anyone have voted for this guy. I am at a loss. A man that put his unit above his Country, Is a man that can not be trusted.

[cyncooper]

Well, let's think this through with some perspective.

God help us, this thing was president. So, YES, it is different for him.

[deport]

The title:
Bill Clinton says Bush erred by giving Saddam priority over bin Laden

---

Question:.....
Did Bill Clinton err when he gave Monica priority?

[Hank Rearden]

Yo! Sh#$head Clinton! STFU. Nobody cares what you "think", you sleaze.

Go hawk your alleged "book" to morons.

[doug from upland]

MIDI - END OF THE INNOCENCE

For several years they sang his song…he was a hero to their cause
In denial many lived…he placed himself up above the laws
He knew all of the right things to say…down through…hell and then back believers would go
In eight long years he's done to us…more damage than you know

For his neglect we would finally pay the price…the count's three thousand dead
We know just where to place the blame…it is on Bill Clinton's head
When the Cole was hit and brave men died…there is no doubt that he hadn't cried
He looked at his polls and sighed
Now this is the end…this is the end…of his legacy

At OKC he saw his chance…he needed to divide us all
He would create the vast right wing…and his mind-numbed fools would pick up the ball
So we'd fight among ourselves…and the…grand scheme had worked, he got his way
With our attention diverted he…would gut the CIA

For his neglect we would pay the price…the count's three thousand dead
We know just where to place the blame…it is on Bill Clinton's head
When the Cole was hit and brave men died…there is no doubt that he hadn't cried
He looked at his polls and sighed
Now this is the end…this is the end…of his legacy

We endured a psychopath…who saw himself as the Rockstar Prez
We had sent the warnings out…watch what this man does, not what he says

For neglect we paid the price…when those great buildings fell with many dead
And we know just where to place the blame…it's on Bill Clinton's head
When the Cole was hit and brave men died…there is no doubt that he hadn't cried
He looked at his polls and sighed
Now this is the end…this is the end…of his legacy

[graf008]

That's a little different than I think of things - I tend to block out the messanger if there may be some truth to the message. If it was vile for someone to say something who I hated - the only person who could speak his mind would be George Will and maybe someone at the Cato Institute - maybe...

[MamaLucci]

Oh, yeah?
Well, MamaLucci says that Bill Clinton erred by paying more attention to a fat, giggly,
intern, than he did to national security.

[nuffsenuff]

I guess Bill Clinton is convinced he actually has something to say. He's also tricked himself into believing the country really gives two sh*ts.

[ldish]

does one really have to answer this one.....is the yes answer as obvious as the reason gorelick is on the 911 panel.....

[cyncooper]

Or to put it simply: He should keep his fat trap SHUT.

Look at the 8 long years of corruption and carryings on and what did George H. W. Bush say? Nothing. He merely threatened to at the Republican convention in 2000 when this thing was talking about GWB and his "daddy" in a disparaging way. And just the threat that 41 would say something critical of Clinton sent the media into spasms of outrage at the thought of a *former president criticizing a sitting president*. Why, it just isn't done! We were told.

We are not informed or aided in any way to hear him put down our president and our country. Vile.

[TommyDale]

Bill Clinton erred when he gave more attention to his pee-wee and Monica instead of Saddam or Osama.

[cyncooper]

He even gave decent reasons for why we should invade Iraq (that were echoed by Tony Blair frequently but less so by President Bush).

And for your information, Clinton met with Blair before the war to try and talk him OUT of supporting us. He also visited France and Germany.

The man keeps an eye on the polls and knows which way the wind blows and that's how he frames his public pronouncements so he can hedge his position.

[swheats]

You made me laugh, I needed that today.

And it was easy to think that once we toppled him, we could build a stable country in Iraq since there was no (or little) 'cult of Saddam'.

Despite what you may believe, their is a cult following. It's not Saddam's people or his Republican Guard, but countries and regimes and people outside of Iraq-270 to be exact [from the last known information] that were propping Saddam up and in turn propping up Al Queada and other terrorists. You do see the bigger picture don't you?

From what I've seen from the beginning of the televised war, Iraq is an ammo dump of all kinds of weapons.

Whether we've killed bin Laden or not Americans are still targets and whether they're killed in his name or Allah's they're still dead. I don't think terrorists really need an excuse. And if they did and that was the reason for Berg's death-prisoner abuses-then we must be dealing with a weaker crop of terrorists. (last statement said purely in jest).

The bottom line is, from my point of view, it's all a war on terrorism. Doesn't matter the next celebrity terrorist to rise. Let's hope Saydr or Al zawari is next.

[Republican Wildcat]

Clinton erred by giving Monica priority over bin Laden and Saddam.

[MN_Mike]

Such a Jack A"s.

There is no dignity in this man. Even in the extreme possibility he was right, recent presidents don't critize the current one. Especially at a time of war.

Is there anyone else that wants to kick the military's teeth in in the interest of self-aggrandizement?

[graf008]

Perhaps...

Though in my mind our government has been and will always be corrupt to its core. There are better messengers at the top (like now and 41, 40), but corruption was still there - we just find it when we want to find it and ignore it when we don't.

But I digress - the message I think was right - even if the messanger is flawed. I also think the message was right when he articulated his justifications for backing Bush in the war in Iraq. I don't think he is putting down Bush by saying what he is saying. He is merely disagreeing. I don't hear him saying Bush is a "stupid doodyhead" or anything. Just saying that he thinks a strategic error was made. This is the stuff of political discourse that we have in this country and makes this country wonderful - people disagreeing on policy.

[cyncooper]

Give me a break.

[fabriclady]

And...clinton, you erred in putting Monica and your sexual interest before Bin Laden.

Though, you are irrelevant.

[Reagan is King]

And Clinton should have gone after Bin Laden instead of Monica.