What Hillary Really Said ...
Hillary absorbs sooo much flak, sooo much of it undeserved ... They especially won't let loose of the indictment of her QUOTE vote to go to war UNQUOTE so I decided to read the speech she made on the floor of the Senate on October 10, 2002 before the vote. It is a good, coherent, down-to-earth speech -- as are all of her speeches -- but the important thing about this one is what she really said (bolding mine):
"Today we are asked whether to give the President of the United States authority to use force in Iraq should diplomatic efforts fail to dismantle Sadam Hussein's chemical and biological weapons and his nuclear program ...
Some people favor attacking Saddam Hussein now, with any allies we can muster, in the belief that one more round of weapons inspections would not produce the required disarmament, and that deposing Saddam would be a positive good for the Iraqi people and would create the possibility of a secular democratic state in the Middle East ...
However, this course is fraught with danger ... If we were to attack Iraq now, alone or with few allies, it would set a precedent that could come back to haunt us ...
So, Mr. President, for all its appeal, a unilateral attack ... on the present facts is not a good option ...
So, Mr. President, the question is how do we do our best to both defuse the real threat that Saddam Hussein poses to his people, to the region, including Israel, to the United States, to the world, and at the same time, work to maximize our international support and strengthen the United Nations? ...
... Even though the resolution before the Senate is not as strong as I would like requiring the diplomatic route first and placing highest priority on a simple, clear requirement for unlimited inspections, I will take the President at his word that he will try hard to pass a UN resolution and will seek to avoid war ...
This is a very difficult vote ... My vote is not a vote for any new doctrine of pre-emption ... or for the arrogance of American power or purpose ... which carry grave dangers fror our nation, for the rule of international law and for the peace and security of people throughout the world ...
A vote for ... is not a vote to rush to war; it is a vote that puts awesome responsibility in the hands of our President and we say to him -- use these powers wisely and as a last resort ..."
Read it all: http://clinton.senate.gov/speeches/iraq_101002.html
Positively,
Carolan
"Today we are asked whether to give the President of the United States authority to use force in Iraq should diplomatic efforts fail to dismantle Sadam Hussein's chemical and biological weapons and his nuclear program ...
Some people favor attacking Saddam Hussein now, with any allies we can muster, in the belief that one more round of weapons inspections would not produce the required disarmament, and that deposing Saddam would be a positive good for the Iraqi people and would create the possibility of a secular democratic state in the Middle East ...
However, this course is fraught with danger ... If we were to attack Iraq now, alone or with few allies, it would set a precedent that could come back to haunt us ...
So, Mr. President, for all its appeal, a unilateral attack ... on the present facts is not a good option ...
So, Mr. President, the question is how do we do our best to both defuse the real threat that Saddam Hussein poses to his people, to the region, including Israel, to the United States, to the world, and at the same time, work to maximize our international support and strengthen the United Nations? ...
... Even though the resolution before the Senate is not as strong as I would like requiring the diplomatic route first and placing highest priority on a simple, clear requirement for unlimited inspections, I will take the President at his word that he will try hard to pass a UN resolution and will seek to avoid war ...
This is a very difficult vote ... My vote is not a vote for any new doctrine of pre-emption ... or for the arrogance of American power or purpose ... which carry grave dangers fror our nation, for the rule of international law and for the peace and security of people throughout the world ...
A vote for ... is not a vote to rush to war; it is a vote that puts awesome responsibility in the hands of our President and we say to him -- use these powers wisely and as a last resort ..."
Read it all: http://clinton.senate.gov/speeches/iraq_101002.html
Positively,
Carolan
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