Most likely all three. In any case....
Five years before the present Iraq war, President Clinton along with the British launched Operation Desert Fox Here is the report from By Linda D. Kozaryn, American Forces Press Service, written in December of 1998.
"By Linda D. Kozaryn - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON -- A month ago, the United States called off its war
planes to give Saddam Hussein one last chance to cooperate. When
he failed to do so, the United States took action.
President Clinton ordered air strikes Dec. 16 against Iraq's
nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its
military capacity to threaten its neighbors. Warships and combat
aircraft began bombarding the defiant Gulf state at 5 p.m. EST -
- 1 a.m. in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital.
"The international community gave Saddam one last chance to
resume cooperation with the weapons inspectors," Clinton said.
"Saddam has failed to seize the chance. So we had to act and act
now."
Less than an hour after American and British forces launched
Operation Desert Fox, the president addressed the nation to
explain his decision. He said the attack was designed to protect
the national interests of the United States and the interests of
people throughout the Middle East and around the world.
"Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or
the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons,"
Clinton said. The Iraqi dictator has used these weapons against
his neighbors and his own people, he said, and "left unchecked,
Saddam Hussein will use these terrible weapons again."
The strikes culminated the second showdown with Iraq in the past
month. Clinton turned back U.S. warplanes bound for Iraq Nov. 14
when Hussein backed down in the face of intense diplomatic
pressure backed by overwhelming military force. At the time, the
Iraqi leader agreed to cooperate unconditionally with the U.N.
Special Commission.
"I concluded then that the right thing to do was to use
restraint and give Saddam one last chance to prove his
willingness to cooperate," the president said. The confrontation
wasn't over, but simply on hold -- Clinton said at the time that
the United States would be prepared to act "without delay,
diplomacy or warning" if Saddam failed again.
Over the next three weeks, U.N. weapons inspectors tested Iraq's
willingness to cooperate. UNSCOM Chairman Richard Butler
reported Dec. 15 to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Butler's conclusions, Clinton said, proved to be "stark,
sobering and profoundly disturbing." Instead of living up to its
agreement, he said, "Iraq has abused its final chance."
He said Iraq had placed new restrictions on the inspectors,
further obstructed inspections and failed to turn over all
requested documents. In one instance, the Iraqis removed all
documents, furniture and equipment from a building prior to a
U.N. inspection.
Butler's report concluded Iraq has ensured U.N. inspectors could
make no progress toward disarmament. Even if the inspectors
could stay in Iraq, Clinton said, their work would be a sham.
"Saddam's deception has defeated their effectiveness," he said.
"Instead of the inspectors disarming Saddam, the Iraqi dictator
has disarmed the inspectors."
Clinton said he and his national security advisers agreed that
Hussein presented a clear and present danger to the stability of
the Persian Gulf and the safety of people everywhere. He said he
deemed military action necessary to prove the international
community, led by the United States, had not lost its will.
Failure to act, Clinton said, would have "fatally undercut the
fear of force that stops Saddam from acting to gain domination
in the region."
In a Pentagon briefing immediately following the president's
address to the nation, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen and
Army Gen. Hugh Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
briefed reporters.
Cohen said he was ordering a sharp increase in U.S. Gulf forces
to limit the risk to U.S. and allied troops. Deploying forces
include an air expeditionary wing with about 36 combat aircraft
and the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson battle group, to join
the 201 planes and USS Enterprise battle group already in the
region.
Shelton noted that deploying more elements of the crisis
response force would add flexibility and allow military leaders
to increase the intensity and tempo of strike operations if
necessary.
The chairman also recognized those called upon to enforce the
national defense leaders' decisions -- America's men and women
in uniform. "We can be particularly proud tonight of those that
are answering the call in the skies over Iraq and the Persian
Gulf," he said."
Yeah, "cooked intelligence".....
Capt Ed. points to this article by Norman Podhoretz "Who is lying about Iraq?" Nuff said.
Filed under: judith miller valerie plame karl rove Valerie Plame PlameGate john hannahcheney libby joe wilson jordon terrorismjohn
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