Did Clinton say Iraq was a threat and had WMDs?

Question

YES OR NO?

if no, back it up.

Answer 1

Yes he said it. But the Congress, which was dominated by Republicans at the time, took the terrorist threats too lightly. Then once GWB got in office look what happened. Stop blaming Clinton for GWB mistakes.

Answer 2

Democrats deserve legitimate criticism for their approach to Iraq, but when the Republican Party controlled all branches of government at the time, attacking Dems for conflicting positions and a confused message shouldn't be a catch-all excuse for Republican mistakes and lies.

Saying Democrats are muddled on Iraq is a favorite distraction. But the response is simple: if Bush's policy is to "stay the course," the Democratic policy - whether we accept Murtha's approach or Feingold's or Kerry's - is to "change the course." Simple enough. Changing positions in light of new evidence and new circumstances is the sign of a mature and rational mind. Stubbornly clinging to a failed course of action is not.

It's fascinating how Democrats are always the ones held to account for their Iraq vote, but not Republicans. The question constantly put to Dems, "you voted for it, now you're against it," has a straightforward answer, as phrased by a Democratic senator: "we authorized Bush to put the bullet in the gun, not to shoot us in the foot." We've been shot in the foot by the administration's Iraq policy. Democrats are rightfully reacting to that. The real question - to all Republicans - is this: "You voted for this war based on Saddam's threat to America. The threat never materialized. Was your decision wrong? And does your lockstep allegiance to Bush's failed policy make you personally responsible for further deaths beyond the American troops who have already given their lives?"

Answer 3

Yes, in 1998, when we were bombing them. This pressured Iraq to accept UN weapons inspectors, who destroyed the remaining weapons. The Iraqi weapons programs never recovered.

In 2001, Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice both said Saddam Hussein's weapons programs were defunct and he was not even a threat to his neighbors. In addition, the intelligence the US had in 2003 was reviewed by Russia, France, and Germany, and all said there was no case for WMDs in Iraq.

Answer 4

Yes. In 1998 he and the American gov't tried to convince the public that Saddam was indeed a threat and needed to be dealt with. Also, many other countries like England, Russia and Germany said that he did have weapons of mass destruction. If you recall after 911 we were in a different place. We could not take any chances so after getting all of the intelligence each saying he did have weapons coupled with the fact that he used them earlier and was funding terrorism we had no choice but to go in.

Bill Clinton wanted to but didn't. He also could have gotten Bin Laden from The Sudan in the mid-90's but was afraid to because of the Monica scandal.

Answer 5

Yes...and he took care of it to the extent that the Republican Controlled Congress (under Newt Gingrich leadership) would let him before Bush was ever elected to office.

Answer 6

I could only imagine anyone with an IQ above 100 would have handled the situaion differently. BTW, we won the war in Iraq, we're loosing the Occupation. Why are we nation building? Don't let facist theocrat Sean Hannity frame your questions for you.

Answer 7

Yes. Both Clinton's claimed that he had them. Hillary did, however state that she did not think that there was cause to go in at this time...but then she voted to authorize the use of force.

Doesn't this sound kind of like "I actually did vote for the 87 Billion, before I voted against it."

Answer 8

It is on record that she did, in one of the 1st debates upon the subject. I believe it was shortly after 9-11

Answer 9

Yes, and the WMD's were destroyed at that time. The only thing found after we invaded Iraq after 9-11 was the remnants of what had been destroyed years ago.

Answer 10

(CNN) -- 2004 -- Former President Clinton has revealed that he continues to support President Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq but chastised the administration over the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/06/19/clinton.iraq/index.html


"People can quarrel with whether we should have more troops in Afghanistan or internationalize Iraq or whatever, but it is incontestable that on the day I left office, there were unaccounted for stocks of biological and chemical weapons."

-Bill Clinton on "Larry King Live" 07/23/2003

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/07/23/clinton.iraq.sotu/