More Lies From Hillary Clinton About Her Iraq War Vote

Sweetness & Light ^ | February 10, 2007 | N/A

[Sam Hill]

From New Hampshire's Manchester Union Leader:

Hillary: I didn't vote for war

By JOHN DISTASO
February 9, 2007

MANCHESTER – New York Sen. Hillary Clinton said yesterday her 2002 vote for a resolution authorizing the invasion of Iraq was "not a vote for a pre-emptive war," but instead a show of support for further United Nations weapons inspections.

The Democratic Presidential front-runner, who has been criticized by hard-line anti-war groups for not apologizing for the vote, emphasized that distinction in a telephone interview from Washington...

"I will let others speak for themselves," she said. "I have taken responsibility for that vote. It was based on the best assessment that I could make at the time, and it was clearly intended to demonstrate support for going to the United Nations to put inspectors into Iraq."

She said that when she explained her vote four years ago, "I said that it was not a vote for pre-emptive war."

A Clinton campaign spokesman later noted that on the Senate floor on Oct. 10, 2002, Clinton stated that her vote for the resolution "is not, however, a vote for any new doctrine of pre-emption, or for unilateralism, or for the arrogance of American power or purpose -- all of which carry grave dangers for our nation, for the rule of international law and for the peace and security of people the throughout the world."

In the interview, the former first lady said the Bush administration forced an end to the final round of weapons inspections and invaded prematurely. The administration is responsible for the current status of the war, she said, and for being "grossly misinformed" or for having "twisted the intelligence to satisfy a preconceived version of the facts" before the invasion.

"Either interpretation casts grave doubt on their judgment," she said. "If they were so intent on pursuing military action, a pre-emptive action, which I said at the time I opposed, against Saddam Hussein, then why on earth were they not better prepared and more competent in its execution?"

Clinton said Bush and his administration "have performed a great disservice to our men and women in uniform, to our country, to our vital national security interests in the region and to the ongoing struggle against Islamic extremists."

Clinton spoke with the New Hampshire Union Leader on the eve of her first campaign visit to the first-in-the-nation primary state. She is scheduled to talk to voters today in Berlin and Concord and tomorrow in Manchester, Nashua and Keene...

Clinton said she has proposed capping the U.S. military force in Iraq at the Jan. 1 level and has "voted for more than a year and a half to begin redeploying our troops out of Iraq."

She does not "at this time" support a cut in funding for American troops in Iraq. She backs instead a cut in funding for Iraqi troops.

"We have got to get their attention," she said of the Iraqi leadership. She said they "do not fulfill their promises" and make "worthless" assurances.

She predicted that if Congress were to approve a funding cut, Bush would veto it.

"I hate to say that," she said, "but I think that shows the level of stubbornness and rigidity that we are confronting with this President." ...

Clinton said that after the United Nations Security Council supported sending inspectors into Iraq in November 2002, "Saddam Hussein was contained and there was no reason not to let the inspectors finish their job to find answers to the questions many people had."

She said Congress' authorization a month earlier "did not necessarily require the President to short-circuit the process to launch the invasion," adding, "The abrupt conclusion of the inspection process, I think, was a mistake."

She said an earlier Bush mistake came when he "diverted attention from Afghanistan and the war against al-Qaida and the opportunity to build a strong international alliance against extremism and terrorism" and focused on Saddam.

She said had she been President, "I think I would never had asked for" authority to invade Iraq because she would not have begun the war...

"What was not reasonable was manipulating the intelligence, which we now know occurred, and refusing to allow the inspectors under the edict of the United Nations to do their work." ...

Clinton said, "If we had known then what we know now about both the allegations concerning Saddam's intentions and capacity and about our own government's intentions, we would never have had a vote, and if there had been a vote, I certainly would never have voted to give the President authority," she said.

Hillary Clinton is a liar.

Once again, here are excerpts from my transcription of Ms. Clinton's remarks to (a hostile) CodePink, two weeks before the start of the Iraq War, which you can also watch via YouTube:

Hillary Clinton, March 6, 2003

... There is a very easy way to prevent anyone from being put into harm’s way, and that is for Saddam Hussein to disarm. And I have absolutely no belief that he will. I have to say that this is something I have followed for more than a decade...

And the very difficult question for all of us is how does one bring about the disarmament of someone with such a proven track record of a commitment if not an obsession with weapons of mass destruction. And I ended up voting for the resolution after carefully reviewing the information and intelligence that I had available, talking with people whose opinions I trusted, trying to discount political or other factors that I didn’t believe should be in any way a part this decision.

And it is unfortunate that we are at the point of a potential military action to enforce the resolution. That is not my preference, it would be far preferable if we not only had legitimate cooperation from Saddam Hussein and a willingness on his part to disarm and account for his chemical and biological storehouses, but that if we had a much broader alliance and coalition.

But we are in a very difficult position right now...

With respect to whose responsibility it is to disarm Saddam Hussein. I just do not believe that given the attitudes of many people in the world community today that there would be a willingness to take on very difficult problems were it not for the United States leadership.

And I’m talking specifically about what had to be done in Bosnia and Kosovo, where my husband could not get a Security Council Resolution to save the the Kosavar Albanians from ethnic cleansing. And we did it alone as the United States. And we had to do it alone...

I am willing to take a very difficult step for me to say we have to disarm this man...

As we have noted before, once the war was fought and won, the Iraqi regime overthrown and Saddam captured, Hillary Rodham was singing a vastly different tune before the Council On Foreign Relations:

Remarks by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton

December 15, 2003
Council on Foreign Relations

…When we were attacked on September the 11th and when we lost nearly 3,000 men, women and children, for many Americans, that was also a loss of innocence and a sense of invulnerability. I remain absolutely confident in our eventual victory over the forces of terror, but I also believe that we have our work cut out for us and that what we face is a long-term challenge that not only is external but internal, as we define who we are, what our values should be in the face of this new threat...

It is essential that we win this war against these borderless terrorists...

I was one who supported giving President Bush the authority, if necessary, to use force against Saddam Hussein. I believe that that was the right vote. I have had many disputes and disagreements with the administration over how that authority has been used, but I stand by the vote to provide the authority because I think it was a necessary step in order to maximize the outcome that did occur in the Security Council with the unanimous vote to send in inspectors. And I also knew that our military forces would be successful...

Excerpted. Please read the rest of the article at Sweetness & Light...

[Miss Didi]

Who is the DBM going to cover this weekend? Obama Lincoln's announcement, Rudy in California, AN Smith's death, or the Pantsuit in NH???

[faq]

"...it was clearly intended to demonstrate support for going to the United Nations to put inspectors into Iraq."

Here is a short video where Hillary said weapons inspectors could not disarm Iraq and that she supported the President taking action Saddam Hussein:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb4RE7K6czI

[wodinoneeye]

Clinton is already synonymous with 'Liar'......


She will probably attempt to redefine the word 'voted' .....

[ExTexasRedhead]

She needs a mega dose of Prozac.

[IrishRainy]

Is she going to apologize for her husband's administration, and therefore herself as well, for lying to us about the need to invade Kosovo?

We've YET to find the hundreds of thousands of dead bodies that were supposedly killed, but Billy Jeff, with bottom lip quivering, told us that genocide was being committed and we had to stop it...and he wasn't lying, because Dumbocrats don't EVER lie to the American people.

Just one more example of their hypocrisy.

[Piquaboy]

Walking Eagle was taught to lie by a pro.

[LZ_Bayonet]

At General Petraeus's Senate hearing, Hillary stated, "I disapprove of this policy. I think it is a dead end."

General Petraeus is her greatest threat right now, and she knows it. Which is why she made a speech (where she buried the above statement for the benefit of the left wing), instead of putting questions to the General. The General's potential success is also why she cannot call for withdrawing financial support for the troops at this point.

[yoe]

There is evidence that the "inspectors" were not reporting the facts……………Oil for Food comes to mind….cutting Kofi and gang some slack, not just there but in many areas. Hillary Clinton will cut and run as fast as she can leaving America, her allies, Iraq and Afghanistan to the ghouls that will enslave them once again. She will try to nationalize energy, taking profits for “common good while raising taxes to pay for more health entitlements, education entitlements and other ‘social reforms’ that are unconstitutional and remove the Electoral College. The United States Constitution nor the United States have no meaning for Missus Clinton the Marxist and she will rid the country of them. She, George Soros, and the MSM will buy the presidency as she could win in no other way.

SAVE AMERICA BY GETTING RID OF THE CLINTONS – WE ARE NOT SOCIALISTS – WE ARE A REPUBLIC AND AIM TO STAY THAT WAY.

NO TO HILLARY AND NO TO HER DISGRACED SPOUCE!!!

[hsalaw]

Everyone knows she's a liar, but what bugs me is that she thinks we're all so damn stupid that we'll fall for it.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

"For most Americans history begins when they wake up in the morning and listen to the TV.

Hillary and the MSM have over a year to rewrite history.

She knows that help from Hollywood, Academia, and all major media is coming, and is quite comfortable with her lies."

Exactly! The majority of Americans have the attention span of a gnat, and it doesn't matter how many degrees or offices are listed behind their names. They'd rather focus on Anna Nicole Smith (or parts of her, it seems), and will memorize the time, place and what they were doing when they heard the news of her death.

Hillary, on the other hand, will skate. It's good to be a plain-Jane because her opinions, statements, behavior will all fade into the homogeneous ooze of the nebulous. If she were a hot babe with a body to die for, America would remember every convoluted twist and turn in her life and every phase she uttered. Go figure.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Key Vote
Use of Military Force Against Iraq

Bill Number: H J Res 114
Issue: Military Issues
Date: 10/11/2002
Sponsor:Rep Hastert, Dennis [IL-14]

Roll Call Number: 237
Joint Resolution Adopted (Senate)

How members voted:

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton voted YES. (BOOM! THERE IT IS!) *SMIRK*

Official Title of Legislation:

H J Res 114: To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq.

Project Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a joint resolution to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq.

Highlights:

- Authorizes President to use United States Armed Forces against Iraq

- Requires President to report to Congress no later than 48 hours after military action has started with his determination that diplomatic efforts alone could not protect U.S. national security nor enforce United Nations resolutions regarding Iraq

- Requires President to submit a progress report to Congress every 60 days on matters relevant to this resolution

House Passage Vote: 10/10/2002: Passed: 296-133 (Roll No. 455)

Senate Passage Vote: 10/11/2002: Passed: 77-23. Record Vote Number: 237

Presidential Action: 10/16/2002: Signed by President. Became public law #107-243.

Last Updated: 02/03/2005

http://vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?vote_id=3201&can_id=WNY99268

And here's a link to how EVERYONE in the Senate voted on this issue:

http://vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_member.php?vote_id=3201

[Churchillspirit]

All she is doing is giving her brainless followers something to hang their hats on.

[Sam Hill]

BTW, I edited out the last part of the Union Leader article. But it’s also typical of Hillary:

The Washington Post reported yesterday that a Pentagon inspector general had found that intelligence provided by a former undersecretary of defense to buttress the White House case for the invasion included “reporting of dubious quality or reliability” that supported the political views of senior administration officials.

“This unfortunately confirms what we’ve been discovering in the last three years,” Clinton said, “that the administration never intended to let the inspectors complete their work despite assurances to the contrary and that they gilded the lily on the intelligence they had.”

Clinton said, “If we had known then what we know now about both the allegations concerning Saddam’s intentions and capacity and about our own government’s intentions, we would never have had a vote, and if there had been a vote, I certainly would never have voted to give the President authority,” she said.

Never mind that the Washington Post has since admitted its mistake. The reporters of yesterday’s article say this today:

Senators Debate Significance of Pentagon Report On Intelligence

…An article in yesterday’s Washington Post misattributed to the inspector general’s report critical comments about the Pentagon operation made by committee Chairman Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.). In a statement he released Thursday, Levin, not the inspector general, said the Pentagon effort used intelligence reporting of “dubious quality or reliability.” [See correction, A2.]…

http://tinyurl.com/39xtla

But, as usual, Hillary was quick to embrace any lie that would make the US look bad.

[Salvation]

She sarting to

[Salvation]

That should have been:

She's starting to

[RWB Patriot]

"She does not "at this time" support a cut in funding for American troops in Iraq. She backs instead a cut in funding for Iraqi troops."

Like there's a difference. It says the same thing either way; 'I want Iraq to fall to the terrorists'

[beans36]

"FLIP-FLOP! FLIP-FLOP! FLIP-FLOP!"

[Christian4Bush]

(((self ping)))