In his new best seller “Decision Points” George W. Bush gives the Decision Points Rationale for attacking Iraq. Predictably the New York Times trashed the book; as the elitists in the rare air they breathe must do in their attempt to revise History.
The Los Angeles Times, on the other hand, gave the book its just due and reviewed it as a relevant piece of U.S. History.
The President said, “First, without a strong inspection system, Iraq would be free to retain and begin to rebuild its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs in months, not years.
Second, if Saddam can cripple the weapons inspection system and get away with it, he would conclude that the international community led by the United States has simply lost its will. He will surmise that he has free rein to rebuild his arsenal of destruction, and someday make no mistake he will use it again as he has in the past.
Third, in halting our air strikes in November, I gave Saddam a chance, not a license. If we turn our backs on his defiance, the credibility of U.S. power as a check against Saddam will be destroyed. We will not only have allowed Saddam to shatter the inspection system that controls his weapons of mass destruction program; we also will have fatally undercut the fear of force that stops Saddam from acting to gain domination in the region.
That is why, on the unanimous recommendation of my national security team including the vice president, the secretary of defense, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the secretary of state and the national security adviser I have ordered a strong, sustained series of air strikes against Iraq.
They are designed to degrade Saddam’s capacity to develop and deliver weapons of mass destruction, and to degrade his ability to threaten his neighbors.”
The book is a no nonsense explanation of the thinking behind the need to use force in Iraq. To be sure his comment’s brought fourth criticism from congressional members of the left and the right, as well as, the “anit-war movement,” arguing against a preemptive strike.
Many will recall the mantra chanted by the left “ Bush lied people died, Bush lied people died.”
There is only one problem with such assertions; the remarks were made by then President William Jefferson Clinton as his explanation for unleashing the attack on Iraq, “Operation Desert Fox,” on December 16, 1998.How quickly the media allows the reader to forget, this Examiner Reporter won’t.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it, I’m J.C.
Jim Campbell runs Charging Elephants.
