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nice read... spotted elsewhere:
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For people with short memories:
1998
October 31 -- Iraq cuts off all work by U.N. monitors. The United
States and Great Britain warn of possible military strikes to force
compliance. A renewed military build-up in the Persian Gulf begins.
November 5 -- The U.N. Security Council condemns Iraq for violating
agreements signed after the end of the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
November 11 -- The United Nations withdraws most of its staff from
Iraq.
November 14 -- With B-52 bombers in the air and within about 20
minutes of attack, Saddam Hussein agrees to allow U.N. monitors back
in. The bombers are recalled before an attack occurs. Weapons
inspectors return to Iraq a few days later.
December 8 -- Chief U.N. weapons inspector Richard Butler reports that
Iraq is still impeding inspections. U.N. teams begin departing Iraq.
December 15 -- A formal U.N. report accuses Iraq of a repeated pattern
of obstructing weapons inspections by not allowing access to records
and inspections sites, and by moving equipment records and equipment
from one to site another.
December 16 -- The United States and Great Britain begin a massive air
campaign against key military targets in Iraq.
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.
Quotes from Clinton:
"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."
Wow, that almost sounds like...GEE DUBYA! on 1441!
He (Clinton) 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.
Preemptively?
"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."
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."
But now (2003), for some reason, Clinton wants to give Saddam another
chance...
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."
"The hard fact is that so long as Saddam remains in power, he
threatens
the well-being of his people, the peace of his region, the security of
the world." --Bill Clinton
"But once more, the United States has proven that although we are
never
eager to use force, when we must act in America's vital interests,
we will do so." --Bill Clinton (man, Bush should HIRE this guy!)
For those who think this was only a small bombing campaign...
*US forces fired 400 cruise missiles and dropped 600 precision-guided
bombs. These munitions alone cost US taxpayers $1.1 billion. The
Pentagon claims 85% hit their targets, which is likely true.
*Main targets: airfields; factories producing permitted short-ranged
tactical missiles; gaudy presidential palaces; TV stations; an oil
refinery; AA defenses; command and control centers; office buildings;
Republican Guard barracks.
*The British, scorned by Iraq as `America's attack poodle,' claimed to
have destroyed a hanger filled with `Saddam's drones of death.'
*Iraq kicked out for good (or at least until Bush wanted to go to war)
vexing US-run arms inspectors.
*The US Joint Chiefs of Staff, the weakest and least competent
collection of political generals seen in many decades, dutifully
seconded the draft-dodging president's victory claims. Shastaman,
however, maintained that nothing was accomplished, and we would face
the same problem again a few years later.
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