Randi Rhodes yesterday

[LeftNYC]

Anyone hear Randi yesterday? She was reading a bunch of quotes in praise of Joe Wilson from people like Novak and Bush I. These quotes were attributed back during the Gulf War. Wonder if they are on the internet anywhere. I believe Novak and Bush I called Joe a "hero" in no uncertain terms.

[CottonBear]

1. Mr. Wilson was the Ambassador to Iraq during the first Gulf War.

I believe that he was the last American official to meet face-to-face with Saddam Hussein. This occured just prior to the invasion of the US forces. Mr Wilson donated money to the first Bu$sh campaign.

[LeftNYC]

2. Yeah I know...

Randi was reading quotes from Novak about how Wilson was removing children from the area before the bombing occurred and how he was a hero. I am trying to find the exact quotes.

[CottonBear]

3. I missed Randi yesterday.

Try googling Novak, Wislon, Iraqi children. Good luck.

[DemoTex]

4. What Wilson did ...

In 1991, the acting US ambassador to Iraq, Joe Wilson, sheltered 800 Americans at the embassy in Baghdad during Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/03/07/CNN25.tan.wilson/

It was Joe Wilson's predecessor, Ambassador to Iraq April Gillespie, who putatively knew of - and gave the green light to - Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait.

[CottonBear]

5. Can you explain Gillespie's actions? Why/how did she "greenlight"

the invasion of Kuwait? I did not have TV during that time and was out of the country for some of that time and I wasn't paying attention to politics.

[DemoTex]

8. I'm not sure about the source, but the info jives with my recollections.

Fearing for his future, Saddam looked to stave off anger at home through a popular diversionary foreign adventure, invading Kuwait in August 1990. This allowed Iraq to cancel its debts and seize control of 20% of the world's known oil reserves.

Shortly before the invasion, Saddam called a meeting with then US ambassador April Gillespie, who told Saddam: "We have no opinion on the Arab-Arab conflicts, like your border disagreement with Kuwait." She went on to say: "James Baker has directed our official spokesmen to emphasize this instruction." (San Francisco Examiner, 11/18/02)

The US was prepared to turn a blind eye to Iraq seizing disputed oilfields on the Iraq-Kuwait border. However, Saddam overplayed his hand, occupying all of Kuwait. American big business was totally unwilling to allow Saddam to have such control over global capitalism's oil supply or the ability to push up the price of oil. The US also feared that Iraq could now attack Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil producer.

http://www.socialistalternative.org/justice32/3.html

From Aljazeerah:

Saddam’s intention to invade Kuwait was known to the US ambassador April Gillespie who in fact gave a clear approval by recognising that Iraq’s dispute with Kuwait is an internal matter between the two nation. Many ordinary Americans do not know that Kuwait was part of the southern province of Iraq (Walayah of Basra) for centuries. Iraq has far greater right to claim Kuwait than the US has over the Hispanic territories that it annexed. It was the British colonial designs that created such fault lines in order to keep the Islamic world divided and weak, its gravitas naturally increased after the discovery of oil. The Kuwaiti movement for unification with Iraq in 1950s were ruthlessly hunted down by the Kuwaiti regime with the help of the British.

http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20editorials/2004%20opinions/July/2%20o/Try%20The%20Fanatics%20and%20The%20Real%20War%20Criminals%20By%20Yamin%20Zakaria.htm

Again, FWIW. The general gist is there.

[CottonBear]

11. Thank you very much Demo Tex! n/t

[Maat]

6. Now, I really don't remember where I heard the rumor ..

but ..

I heard that the Kuwaitis were stealing oil - underground - from Saddam.

True or false?

[ticapnews]

7. And WW2 started when Poland invaded Germany

:sarcasm:
But I guess it is possible the Kuwaitis could have been employing the Montgomery Burns method of oil drilling :P

Back then Saddam was an ally, following the "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" method of international diplomacy.

[Javaman]

9. It was widely reported that the Kuwaiti's were slant drilling into Iraq...

Prior to the 1991 gulf war, saddam petitioned the UN to stop Kuwait from doing this. Everyone ignored his demands. At that point, moron* sr. was no longer on good terms with saddam. So he tried calling saddams bluff. But the problem this time, saddam was pissed and was going to follow through with the invasion.

It's been said that the reason he set the oil fields on fire for two reasons. 1) to cause us problems in our invasion and 2) most importantly, try an prevent the Kuwaiti's from stealing anymore of his oil. I don't know the logic behind the last one.

On a different note. The Kuwaiti's tried slant drilling into one of Irans oil fields years ago. This was back in the mid 80's. Apparently, the Iranians took matters into their own hands and detonated several underground charges to rupture the Kuwaiti pipes. I don't know if this last part is true or not.

[Maat]

10. That's exactly what I was referring to.

[FogerRox]

12. Kuwait was drilling on an angle-- sort of into Iraq

[mandomom]

13. Dear Mr. President,

You harbor a suspected felon who gleefully and with cowardice aforethought trashed an innocent female American patriot for no purpose other than personal power. In Bushworld, that makes you just as suspect, just as immoral.

What do you say about a little pre-emption? Resign now to spare yourself and your nation the probability of a long horror show of impeachment.