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Condoleezza Rice Should Have Quit Over Iraq War

November 4, 2011 RSS Feed Print

Believe it or not, something more important than the Herman Cain scandal shook the political world this week. Condoleezza Rice's book about her White House years came out Tuesday. The former secretary of state takes shots at Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld for their conduct of the war in Iraq.

Rice wants us to believe that she opposed the handling of the war in Iraq. If she really felt that way she should have followed the example of former Secretary of State Williams Jennings Bryan. Bryan adamantly opposed the entry of the United States into World War I. Once Bryan realized that President Wilson was hell-bent on war, he resigned in 1916 to protest the president's policy. If Rice did oppose the conduct of the war why didn't she resign? If she had, the backlash would have led Americans to question the wisdom of U.S. intervention as much as she did.

[See a collection of political cartoons on the turmoil in the Middle East.]

In fact, Rice did everything she could to build congressional and public support for the war. In testimony to Congress Rice said, "We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud." One of the best sound bites in history but completely misleading since we never found any evidence that proves Iraq had nuclear weapons.

Rice's book puts a spotlight on President Obama's success in Libya and President Bush's failure in Iraq. Under Barack Obama's leadership, it cost $1 billion and zero American lives to bring down the dictator in Libya. George W. Bush's Iraqi misadventure cost us $2 trillion and the lives of more than 4,000 brave young Americans.

[See photos of unrest in Libya.]

Barack Obama has handled foreign policy and national security adeptly. Six of every 10 Americans approved of the president's performance on Iraq according to a survey conducted by CBS News and the New York Times just before and after the president announced his decision to withdraw American troops from Iraq by the end of the year.

During the administration of the second President Bush, terrorists ran wild here and abroad. Barack Obama was able to do something in less than three years that George W. Bush couldn't do in eight. Under President Obama's leadership we have killed Osana bin Laden and decapitated the rest of Al Qaeda's top leadership.

[See photos of the 10th anniversary of 9/11]

I don't have much sympathy with any politician under siege by the media. If Cain can't handle the media, he will never be able to handle the pressure of dealing with terrorists, North Koreans, or combatants in the Middle East. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the Israeli cabinet is considering a strike on Iran's nuclear weapon facilities. Do you really want Herman Cain to be at the helm to deal with the blowback from a war between Iran and Israel. I don't think so. 

Cain might want to take President Harry Truman's advice on pressure which was "if you can stand the heat get out of the kitchen."

Tags:
foreign policy,
Herman Cain,
politics,
Condoleezza Rice,
Bush administration,
Iraq war (2003-2011),
Obama administration

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"Barack Obama has handled foreign policy and national security adeptly." What? I don't think so.

Larry Poke of AL 2:19PM November 08, 2011

May of AL

Bush got WMD idea from Democrats:

"One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line."

--President Bill Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998

"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program."

--President Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face."

--Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998

"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983."

--Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

"[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."

Letter to President Clinton, signed by:

-- Democratic Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others, Oct. 9, 1998

"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."

-Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998

"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies."

-- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999

"There is no doubt that ... Saddam Hussein has reinvigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies."

Letter to President Bush, Signed by:

-- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), and others, Dec 5, 2001

"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and th! e means of delivering them."

-- Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002

"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country."

-- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power."

-- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."

-- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002

"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..."

-- Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002

"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force -- if necessary -- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security."

-- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002

"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years ... We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction."

-- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002

"He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do"

-- Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002

"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons."

-- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002

"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction."

-- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002

"Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation ... And now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real..."

-- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003

http://www.davidstuff.com/political/wmdquotes.htm

Bill Hedges of MO 1:05AM November 07, 2011

Obama got Osama and Gaddafi. How? By letting Intel do their job an by letting the military do its job

But at least Bush saved us from invisible pink WMD! How'd he do it yuns? by think'un from the GUT!

May of AL 4:52PM November 06, 2011

Brad Bannon

Brad Bannon

Brad Bannon runs Bannon Communications Research, a political polling and consulting firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups, and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. Brad guest hosts Leslie Marshall’s nationally syndicated radio talk show and is a commentator on America’s Radio News Network. Follow him on Twitter @BradBannon.

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