The Iraqi freedom Act of 1998

[coloradodem2005]

Reviewing some of the material that has come across the underground over the last 24 hours:

PNAC sent President Clinton a letter in early 1998, urging him to change the regime in Iraq.

The Iraqi Liberation Act of 1998 was passed through Congress and signed by President Clinton on October 31 1998.

Operation Desert Fox began on December 16 1998. The bombing went on for four days, and skirmishes between USAF/RAF airplanes and Iraqi planes continued for nearly 3 months until NATO went into Kosovo.

Iraq had been on the backburner for the remainder of Clinton's Presidency.

Bush becomes President and first on his agenda is to go to Iraq and do whatever it takes to justify this action.

We all know where the story goes from there so I won't bore you over the details. The act was a symbolic act. When Clinton launched Desert Fox, he could have turned it into an invasion instead of simply dabbling. My friend sent me this email about the act, which I responded with the PNAC letter. While I'm sure Clinton wanted Saddam out of power, he was not hellbent to start a war the way Bush was who said, find me a way to go to war with Iraq. Could somebody give me some more evidence to substantiate my claims.

FYI, my friend is not a Freeper, he's a Libertarian.

[DuctapeFatwa]

1. Clinton made only half-hearted gestures toward PNAC

And he was punished for it.

But punishing Clinton did nothing to make up for the money lost by waiting around 3 or 4 more years to implement the strategy, and the decision was made not to take any chances in 2000.

I have seen no indication that there is a greater willingness to take any in 2004.

[Oilwellian]

2. Please note...

the last section of the Iraqi Liberation Act of 1998:

SEC. 8. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize or otherwise speak to the use of United States Armed Forces (except as provided in section 4(a)(2)) in carrying out this Act.


That alone makes it quite clear that Clinton wasn't intent on using U.S. forces to "liberate" Iraq.

http://www.fcnl.org/issues/int/sup/iraq_liberation.htm

[coloradodem2005]

3. Thanks

[Oilwellian]

6. You may want to use the actual PDF

of the Iraqi Liberation Act.

http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/iraq/libact103198.pdf

I just used the first link after googling and a Quaker site may not be considered "legitimate" by the wingnuts. (Although I have the utmost respect for Quakers and their anti-war views.)

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. Dennis Kucinich voted for it

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1998/roll482.xml

So it must not be that right wing of a bill.

[underpants]

5. Since when does the right think the Clintons are the messengers of truth?

Everytime I see them (or even my local stations) mention that Bill said the intelligence he got (WHEN??) pointed to WMD being present and Hillary saying basically the same I wonder when this change in the right's opinion of them occurred.