FLASHBACK: Clinton Signs Iraq Liberation Act, on Oct. 31, 1998, calling for regime change in Iraq

Today I am signing into law H.R. 4655, the "Iraq Liberation Act of 1998." This Act makes clear that it is the sense of the Congress that the United States should support those elements of the Iraqi opposition that advocate a very different future for Iraq than the bitter reality of internal repression and external aggression that the current regime in Baghdad now offers.

Let me be clear on what the U.S. objectives are: The United States wants Iraq to rejoin the family of nations as a freedom-loving and law-abiding member. This is in our interest and that of our allies within the region.

The United States favors an Iraq that offers its people freedom at home. I categorically reject arguments that this is unattainable due to Iraq's history or its ethnic or sectarian make-up. Iraqis deserve and desire freedom like everyone else. The United States looks forward to a democratically supported regime that would permit us to enter into a dialogue leading to the reintegration of Iraq into normal international life.

My Administration, as required by that statute, has also begun to implement a program to compile information regarding allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes by Iraq's current leaders as a step towards bringing to justice those directly responsible for such acts.

The Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 provides additional, discretionary authorities under which my Administration can act to further the objectives I outlined above. There are, of course, other important elements of U.S. policy. These include the maintenance of U.N. Security Council support efforts to eliminate Iraq's weapons and missile programs and economic sanctions that continue to deny the regime the means to reconstitute those threats to international peace and security.

EXCERPTS FROM THE BILL THAT WAS PASSED BY BOTH THE US SENATE AND HOUSE, AND SIGNED BY PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON IN 1998:

Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate)

It should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime.

Consistent with section 301 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993 (Public Law 102-138), House Concurrent Resolution 137, 105th Congress (approved by the House of Representatives on November 13, 1997), and Senate Concurrent Resolution 78, 105th Congress (approved by the Senate on March 13, 1998), the Congress urges the President to call upon the United Nations to establish an international criminal tribunal for the purpose of indicting, prosecuting, and imprisoning Saddam Hussein and other Iraqi officials who are responsible for crimes against humanity, genocide, and other criminal violations of international law.

It is the sense of the Congress that once the Saddam Hussein regime is removed from power in Iraq, the United States should support Iraq's transition to democracy by providing immediate and substantial humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people, by providing democracy transition assistance to Iraqi parties and movements with democratic goals, and by convening Iraq's foreign creditors to develop a multilateral response to Iraq's foreign debt incurred by Saddam Hussein's regime.

"I cant wait till these baby boomer losers finally end up in the mental hospitals"

As a "boomer" myself, I suggest that your broom is just a bit broad in its sweep.

Believe it or not some of us in the "overtaxed" generation really do work and try to make a contribution to society in what ever way we can.

I just cannot tell if you are an aging hippie, or a newer product of Americas current (cultural Marxist) educational system. Blame America?? Let's see... the Kobar Towers; the U.S.S. Cole... and many others, instigated by, you guessed it, Muslims; nowadays, mostly radical Muslims. What you are obviously unaware of is that Muslims have been trying to eradicate the "unbelievers" for about 5000 years, which for one, is what the Crusades was all about. That's at least one or two election cycles before the first election of President Bush. "Resourceful dominance" should be read "liberators of people." In most all cases, "minimum wage" is more than those people make in a year. As for the American Indians, someone would have taken over this part of North America from Britain; would you rather be speaking French? (you can always move there) .... Blacks; it was America who first freed the blacks, using much blood and treasure in doing so, and today the Muslims still sell Blacks as slaves; ... The Mexicans... they started a war and lost, much like the Palestinians started and lost four wars against Isreal (there are no "occupied lands); China and North Vietnam; you prefer Communism, I gather?; America is still the most free land in the world and, being the worlds only Superpower, it falls upon us to help promote Liberty and Freedon to as many countries as possible, so the people of those countries can decide for themselves how they want to live and be ruled. I dislike the term "Democracy" because America is not a democracy, but a free Republic.. the one and only. Every other nation in the world is Socialist, Marxist or Communist and, most every other nation, especially the recently touted African countries, is awash in natural resources, and could quite easily become players in the world markets; what they lack is Freedom to act upon those resources.

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