Why did Clinton approve of Operation Iraqi Freedom?

Question

http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/libera.htm

Renate, click on the link and read it

Answer 1

Although you asked a good question it is doubtful that you will get a good answer. All of the Democrats like the first one are trying to rewrite history. Bill Clinton did support going to war in Iraq, he too knew their were WMD's in Iraq, Mustard Gas is a weapon of mass destruction and truck loads were found in Iraq. Large amounts of WMD were moved to Syria because Saddam thought they would help him fight America. I have no doubt that while he was setting in his RAT HOLE he thought perhaps he could not trust Syria.

Answer 2

False question and straw man argument. Clinton NEVER supported Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The link you put up was the Iraqi Liberation Act, which is completely different from what's being done now, by definition, as well as action.

liberate - 1 : to set at liberty : FREE; specifically : to free (as a country) from domination by a foreign power

subjugation - 1 : to bring under control and governance as a subject : CONQUER

occupation - 3 a : the act or process of taking possession of a place or area : SEIZURE b : the holding and control of an area by a foreign military force c : the military force occupying a country or the policies carried out by it

See the difference?

What Clinton supported was internally initiated regime change. If there were groups in Iraq who could and would move Saddam out, we'd support them with funds and, possibly, intel and logistics.

This is NOTHING like pre-emptive invasion and occupation of a sovereign nation and regime change at the point of a foreign gun.

He supported it because we'd like Saddam out. He ONLY supported what he did because we'd "like" it - it wasn't imperative, and it wasn't "at any cost."

Addendum - Got to respond to Duck JW's fallacious statements here:

Clinton did NOT support invading Iraq. Clinton favored having the option on the table, but wanted to give the inspectors time to do their work before taking any action.

Mustard gas is a WMD. Degraded and useless mustard gas isn't even mustard gas any more. They didn't find "truckloads", they found DECADES OLD shells buried in the desert from the Iran/Iraq wars. That would be pre-Iraq war, the original version - pre-, not post-. The shells were unable to be fired, the chemicals had degraded into being no more dangerous than household cleaning products. The rationale was an active WMD program, active stockpiles, and imminent threats, not old, unusable and impotent abandoned munitions.

If it's degraded, it doesn't cause destruction, let alone mass destruction. If you can't fire it and it's degraded, it's not even a weapon. You're talking about a WMD, minus the "W" the "M" and the "D".

There is zero evidence of movement of anything to Syria, particularly since there was nothing to move to Syria. All the inspectors who went in, confidently claiming they'd uncover the evidence all concluded the same thing - the programs were dismantled and completely dormant, and the munitions were destroyed after the first Gulf War.

The only one trying to rewrite history here is Duck.

Answer 3

Your link doesn't support your question. The Iraqi Liberation Act was signed during Clinton's Administration. Operation Iraqi Freedom is Bush's war. Nowhere in the ILA is mention of war. Diplomacy and support for the effort to effect governmental change in Iraq is, but not war. How did you get these two confused?

Answer 4

Who gives a sh!t about Clinton! He's been out of office for nearly 6 years. Nothing he did or didn't do in any way excuses they fact that Bush and his administration have fu*ked up the war in Iraq. It's time to focus on the here and now rather than looking back 10 years in order to try and score some political points. 145 people died in Iraq today. This is not a game.

Answer 5

Clinton was not president during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
You're thinking of the HR4655 - Iraq Liberation Act of
1998 - signed into law 31Oct 98!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

Don't know, but from the quote below (from the link) shows why Bush went to war and it is for the same exact reasons Bill stated but was too scared to take a stand against the terrorists!!!!!


"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."

Answer 7

His plan didn't work. It needed teeth.

It was a recognition of the serious problem in Iraq. No doubt about it.

Incidentally, Mr. Clinton referred to "the axis of evil," as well.

Answer 8

Bush acted on Clinton's policy because Clinton was to worried about his legacy to do anything himself and after 9-11 we were vulnerable to our enemies. Best defense is an offense.

Answer 9

I am not sure. I think it is because Clinton was believing the lies of the Bush administration (WMDs) as did most people in the US (except me)

Remember the Bush administration was making it seem like Saddam was going to bomb us immanently and there was a huge build up of biological and nuclear weapons in Iraq (even though the UN observers said there were not), so Clinton really thought the President and his cabinet were right, at the time.

Now we all know what they did to us; you cannot blame politicians that believed their lies.

Answer 10

Gosh maybe he liked using his official pen. He approves an operation and he gets to use a pretty swirly pen.