(Hillary) Clinton: I will end Iraq war

[sabra]

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/02/clinton-i-will-end-iraq-war.html

Clinton: I will end Iraq war

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In perhaps her strongest statement to date, Sen. Hillary Clinton told Democratic National Committee members Friday that she would never have invaded Iraq in the first place and, if elected president, would end U.S. involvement.

"If I had been president in October of 2002, I would not have started this war," Clinton told the party faithful, some of them concerned about her 2003 vote to authorize the invasion of Iraq -- a vote she has not directly called a mistake.

"If we in Congress don't end this war before January 2009, as president I will," added the New York Democrat, who announced late last month she is seeking the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

As she discussed Iraq, the New York Democrat was forced to speak over shouts for more definitive action from the anti-war group Code Pink, some of whose members were arrested earlier this week outside Clinton's Senate office.

[leveymg]

1. And start one in Iran.

Forward march!

[obnoxiousdrunk]

2. Did she say that ?

[leveymg]

6. You missed it while you were in the men's room.

:beer:

[obnoxiousdrunk]

9. Thanks

smarty pants. So you were the one next to me, got it.

[nosmokes]

19. HAR! beautiful

now that's funny.

[Jacobin]

21. Beat me to it

[ohio2007]

67. If she was prez in '02 she would have nuked

Pakistan after dropping one in Kabul.
- not to even meant to start the 9/11 conspirecy can-O-worms

[bigdarryl]

3. Don't believe her she's lying throug her teeth.

[Taverner]

20. I don't care

If she can end the war, then so be it.

Any Democrat is better than Bush.

'Sides, theres absolutely no reason to hate Hillary

[Kelvin Mace]

28. I don't "hate" Sen. Clinton

I dislike her. Bush, sad to say, I hate.

Until she stops playing games and owns up to her own responsibility in this war, she will not get my vote, unless the race looks like a repeat of 2000. Then I will hold my nose and vote.

She is guilty of political grandstanding on issues like Iraq, flag burning, and video games.

Personally, I would prefer to have her on the Supreme Court where she is free from the need to play politics and could be a real liberal, instead of a Vichy Democrat.

[Taverner]

29. I'll take Vichy Democrats any day over Republicans

At least Vichy go back to their base when in the majority

[Sterling]

63. Vichy Democrats any day over Republicans

Neither of these will do. Sorry it's too late for half ass leadership, regardless of party affiliation. We have big problems that require real leaders. I just don't see any, in either party right now. Hillary had her chance t be right about Iraq. Overall I am disappointed in the Dem's on Iraq. They should have never let the war get started. Now that it is we should be trying to win it because what happens in the ME determines a hell of a lot of what happens in the rest of the world.

[Orsino]

66. So far, she can't, and I'm not seeing any urgency on her part.

Any Dem is better than * automatically, sure--which means she doesn't have to try to be any better than Bush.

[rinsd]

36. Ahhh yes familiarity breeds clarity in these matters (nt)

[redqueen]

4. And what's she doing now to stop the coming war in Iran?

Sorry, but I just don't trust her.

[Megahurtz]

90. She's just Egging It On.

That's what she's doing.

[kenny blankenship]

5. in how many years, Hillary?

I recently learned that Nixon's pledge to end the Vietnam War was delivered in nearly identical language.

[wakeme2008]

7. She, Holy Joe and bush all lie..

:shrug:

[samfishX]

8. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Oooooh, MY...that's too funny.

wait until her AIPAC handlers hear she said that. Between them and the Military Industrial complex, she'll change her tune quick.

[mike_c]

10. how and when, HRC?-- the devil is ALWAYS in the details....

eom

[BrokenBeyondRepair]

11. liar

[Just-plain-Kathy]

12. AP..."Hillary Clinton calls Iran a threat to U.S., Israel"

Check out this article:

Hillary Clinton calls Iran a threat to U.S., Israel
The Associated Press Published: February 1, 2007


http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/02/america/NA-GEN-US-Clinton-Iran.php

snip>>>>

"U.S. policy must be clear and unequivocal: We cannot, we should not, we must not permit Iran to build or acquire nuclear weapons," the Democrat told a crowd of Israel supporters. "In dealing with this threat ... no option can be taken off the table."

snip<<<



...here's the thread that first posted this article

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x108338

[samfishX]

14. What scares me is that

Almost ALL of the Democrats, since 2004 until recently, were hopping on the "Iran is an impending threat to America!" bandwagon.

And talk like that really doesn't do much to convince me that the Dems have ACTUALLY learned anything from the Iraq war.
Just more pandering.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

22. I had a very enlighting exchange with DUer named Gloria about Clinton

I don't think she'll mind my reposting her comment.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x79921#87608

Gloria (1000+ posts) Tue Jan-30-07 11:14 PM



#71. To get a real good rundown of the last 50 years of America's foreign and economic policies, read "The Bush Agenda: Invading the World, One Economy at a Time" by Antonia Juhasz.

Pages 176-179 will bring you up to speed on the Clinton years and PNAC and the Center for Peace and Security (chaired by Richard Perle) which demanded the overthrow of Saddam.

Eventually, under "intense lobbying by PNAC, CSPG, and others Congress and Clinton enacted the Iraq Liberation Act" which authorized the president to provide $2 million in support of radio and TV broadcasting for the opposition and $97 million in military and other defense support. Ahmed Chalabi was the most recognized leader of the Iraqi National Congress, which was the group that received the money.

#58. *ILA--which states, "It should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime."

Bill Clinton signed Iraq Liberation Act.

[humbled_opinion]

80. Hillary is the Quintessential NEOCON

Speculative arguments for agression known as the Harry Truman approach are inbred in many politicians surprisingly so; more on the left then the right.. believe it or not.

[Chimichurri]

17. This is like the Girls Gone Wild approach. Act like you're raunchy so the boys

will like you and let you get on TV. She may be turning on her warmongering money men but she's not looking so hot to the rest of us.

[antiimperialist]

40. Iran is a threat to US and Israel

Though not a short-term one. Let's not forget he said he wanted to wipe Israel off the map.

[antiimperialist]

43. Hillary is to Iraq what Lincoln was to slavery

Lincoln pretended not to have intentions of endings slavery. But his convictions were such that we all know he despised slavery and wanted to put an end to it ASAP. Clinton did the same thing. She was opportunistic, playing politics when Americans supported the Iraq war. She went with the flow. Great politicians occasionally do this. Like Abraham Lincoln, for example.

[surfermaw]

78. Lincoln, ended slavery in the south but not in the north

When he gave is great speech and freed the slaves in the south, he failed to do the same in the north.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

51. I remember watching Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's United Nations speech,

he said he wanted peace....though looking for the text of the speech, I couldn't back up what I'm sure I heard the translator say.

[Zhade]

59. No, he said Israel should fade from history.

You've been lied to.

[meldroc]

13. I'd admire this stance she was taking if...

if she wasn't such a weathervane.

But as far as I'm concerned, she's just another sleazy politician.

[Colobo]

15. Hillary

She is pandering to everyone; she wants to be labeled a "centrist" so bad that she is willing to take contradictory positions... (like most intelligent people wouldn't even notice...)

[DinahMoeHum]

16. (snicker)(snicker)

:evilfrown:

[northernsoul]

18. Refresh my memory, but didn't Nixon say the same in '68?

I'm not comparing HRC to Nixon in any way shape or form - but didn't Nixon allege that he had a "secret plan" to end the war in 'Nam in order to win the 1968 election? I wasn't alive at the time, so I could use a history refresher from some of you veterans out there.

[shirlden]

47. I was alive at the time

and, yes, Hill sounds a lot like Nixon. And not just on the issue of the Iraq occupation.

[Tom Joad]

23. She supported Bush's war from the beginning. how 1984 of her.

Liars don't deserve nominations.

[Miss Chybil]

24. Good. I'm glad to hear her say it. nt

[David Dunham]

25. The anti-Hillary misogynists at DU are out in force today.

[Chulanowa]

37. You're a little off, there...

Hillary is lying out her piehole. She supported this war wholeheartedly, and is rattling sabers for more of it with Iran, and now she' telling us "if elected, I'll put an end to it"?

Is saying that Nixon was a bald-faced liar when he made the same promise for Veitnam being misandrist? No, it's being marginally intelligent.

You may support a candidate purely on basis of genital arrangement, but personally I'm more concerned with pat record and current ideas, thanks.

[Miss Chybil]

41. I wonder why John Edwards doesn't evoke so much vitriol for his IWR vote?

Seems the only Dem candidate we have who voted against the IWR is Kucinich. Personally, I don't think he can win. I don't have anything against him, but I don't feel he's presidential material. I'm not too excited about John Edwards, either. I can guarantee you, though, I won't be running either of them, or any of the other Dem candidates into the ground with vicious attacks. The Republicans don't need me to write their talking points for them. Whoever the nominee is, they will have a good chance for my vote. I can't imagine a Republican I'd vote for and I really don't want to put one in office accidentally by casting a protest vote. I stand behind all the Democratic candidates - may the best one win.

[Chulanowa]

74. I'm giving Edwards the hairy eyeball, too

...After his podium-pounding about how much we need to dick Iran around.

I'm personally pining for a Gore / Clark ticket... But like you, I'll support whoever winds up taking hte primaries. Even Hillary is better than whatever beast the Republicans will drag out of their cave.

[Miss Chybil]

76. Gore would be nice...

I like Clark a lot, too. It's going to be an exciting - and long - two years!

[Zhade]

60. Disapproval of Clinton's stances does not equal misogyny.

Stop with the bullshit smears already.

[catgirl]

82. There are plenty of women who don't like her too.

We don't need a Jump on the bandwagon candidate.
We need someone who cares about the issues for the
good of the country, and world. The last thing we need
is a selfish person who wants glory for the sake of glory.

Why hasn't she mentioned Korea or China as threats?
If Al Gore doesn't run, I'm with Obama or Clark.

[Kelvin Mace]

26. You can't stop it

until you admit you helped start it.

[Warren Stupidity]

27. Senator Clinton's own list of her positions on the war.

http://clinton.senate.gov/issues/nationalsecurity/iraq/

An interesting read. Having read most of her carefully nuanced collection of official statements, I'll be damned if I can figure out where she really stands on this war. I know where I stand: get out.

[fjc]

71. Thanks for posting that. Some folks should read what she said.

On attacking Iraq at the time, she said...

This view has appeal to some, because it would assure disarmament; because it would right old wrongs after our abandonment of the Shiites and Kurds in 1991, and our support for Saddam Hussein in the 1980's when he was using chemical weapons and terrorizing his people; and because it would give the Iraqi people a chance to build a future in freedom.

However, this course is fraught with danger. We and our NATO allies did not depose Mr. Milosevic, who was responsible for more than a quarter of a million people being killed in the 1990s. Instead, by stopping his aggression in Bosnia and Kosovo, and keeping on the tough sanctions, we created the conditions in which his own people threw him out and led to his being in the dock being tried for war crimes as we speak.

If we were to attack Iraq now, alone or with few allies, it would set a precedent that could come back to haunt us.

[SaveAmerica]

30. There's no "If" - 'If we in Congress don't end this war before January '09'

END IT BEFORE JANUARY 08!!

[derby378]

31. God bless CODEPINK

Good for them, holding her feet to the fire.

[Malva Zebrina]

32. I have had enough of Senator Clinton

She voted to invade Iraq, claimed she was duped, which only admits that she was not doing her job, or which also admits that she actually wanted the war, and now says she will end it. Excuse me? Geezus, this woman had my admiration when she became a Senator and now she has my contempt and disgust. Haven't we had enough of these lies, these manipulations over the past five years, while innoc ent people were killed, where troops were sent to die, to kill the innocent people and to be killed themselves. Haven't we had enough of this type of politics from a woman who seems to think that the more money she can rev up, and she has been doing so since she was first elected senator, means she can be president. and NOW she tells us she can end the war? I seldom use profanity but all I can think of at this moment is to say to this sleezy, marketed politician--f**k you, Senator Clinton. You are a disgrace, you are a manipulator, and you are a conivving greedy person both for money and for power.

flippity floopity--does she think her vote and her avoidance of taking responisiblity for that and also her continued support, even at one point recommending escalation of the troops, will just be "forgotten" in the

[Zynx]

33. So she'll vote for military action she doesn't personally believe in?

Next.

[goforit]

34. What is up with these tyrrannists..."I".... what happenned to ..."We"

[Senator]

35. Got it, 1/20/09 ... popped in the filofax... that's taken care of

Now Hill, any thoughts on when to pencil in relief for the ongoing torture of detainees?

No pressure. Just looking for a "heads up" (or at least unhooded).

Just let my machine know if there's any Geneva-ish buzz.

OK, back to sucking on the 08HorseRace pacifier.

--

[ima_sinnic]

38. so how will she vote on *'s latest funding request?

--my my, won't she be in a little dilemma then! let's she if she puts her blood money where her mouth is. . . .

If she were REALLY sincere about ending the war, she could be a co-sponsor of Russ Feingold's S.448, A bill to prohibit the use of funds to continue deployment of the United States Armed Forces in Iraq beyond six months . . . -- but that would take guts and being principled and leaderly, and HRC seems to have been short-changed in all of those departments.

I can't get the Thomas site to give me a URL for the page of bills intro'd by HRC so far in 2007, and those intro'd by Feingold, but the difference is like day and night. If you go to the Thomas home page at http://thomas.loc.gov/ and select the various senators and representatives in the search box, it is quite interesting to see who's been busy with what.

[darkstar7646]

39. Bought and paid for by PNAC...

She's just sucking up to the constituency so that she might get some votes.

Somebody got to her in 1998 and told her what was going to happen to her if the trial vote against Clinton went down as expected. She'd have been ruined, and, hence, was bought and paid for to keep it down.

[superconnected]

42. Awe f*, she's serious about running.

[sweetheart]

44. but will she end the drugs war?

Hillary, ...ooh she makes me wonder.
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And its whispered that soon
If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason. -stairway

[usregimechange]

45. She would say anything to get elected.

[ckramer]

46. "If I had been president in October of 2002, I would not have started this war,"

I believe her on this.

[Sterling]

64. AS a senator it would have been great for her to "not started this war"

It's is infuriating to see her pretend she did not helped make this happen. Not just her but all of our Dem's except a small heroic handful gave a helping hand in making Iraq possible. I am not sure why people on this site who are/were against this war would pretend that the "mainstream"of our party is innocent when it comes to Iraq. Equally sad is the Dem's who were actually against it like McKinney get shat on by a great number of Dem's living in denial telling themselves they don't support the war while supporting Dem's who voted too make it possible.

[ckramer]

70. Most of the senators are not thinkers, they are sheeps of their party whip

They just followed the flow. They think about themselves first before they think of the country.

It's a shame.

I'd like to see them speak up for their mind on important issues like war.

[Martin Eden]

48. She voted to give chimpy the authority to invade.

If SHE "never would have invaded" then WHY cast a vote that was certain to result in invasion?

[Zorra]

49. Good. I'm definitely voting for her if she is nominated. n/t

[Critters2]

50. I should. I helped start it. It's only fair. nt

[PSPS]

52. If she can't stop it as a senator, she has no business in the white house

She's implying that we'll have to wait until 2009 to stop the bush murder machine. Some leadership, huh?

Worthless and disgusting.

[midnight armadillo]

69. Amen

Why doesn't she file some sort of legislation aimed at ending the war NOW?

[Irreverend IX]

53. Hillary is opposing the war for the same reason she supported it.

Political expedience. I'll fight tooth and nail to keep her off the presidential ballot, and if she gets on there I will pull the D lever, but I'll have to wear a gas mask and then take a 3-hour shower to scrub the stink off.

[Az_lefty]

68. Exactly...

[struggle4progress]

54. But first we're gonna spend another $500 billion, lose another 3000 Americans, and kill

a few hundred thousand more Iraqis?

I'm not seein the upside to waitin a while to show some spine ...

[IndianaGreen]

55. Hillary is going Nixonian on us!

Hillary is opposed to an immediate and unconditional withdrawal from Iraq. For her to say that she will end the war if she takes the Presidential oath in January 2009 is a blatant lie. The only way she can end the war in Iraq, assuming that we are not at war against Iran as well by then, is by ordering the troops home at once. She won't do that, now or then!

[Porcupine]

79. Jesus- Hillary's channeling Nixon is right.

My personal take is that Hillary has no actual internal agenda except a pathetic need to seek power and control. I can't recall a position she has been public on and held fast too that wasn't pure demagoguery.

What the hell does she think she's doing pulling this shit. Why the hell isn't she making a stand on stopping the Iraq war NOW!!!

Oh, yeah she needs the war for political cannon fodder during the election.

Never mind.

[cyr330]

56. IT's the least she could do. . .

after voting to start it in the first place. . . .

[tinfoilinfor2005]

57. I would be more impressed if these "anti war" candidates

would work harder at stopping the war NOW, and let the future take care of itself.

[Zhade]

61. This almost feels like extortion on her part.

"Vote for me, or the war won't end."

FUCK Clinton. Not getting my vote, period.

[here_is_to_hope]

58. I need someone to end

this war now and it sickens me when I hear some candidate say, as Biden did that the Iraq Occupation will be dealt with by the next president. So we have two sitting senators running for prez who dont have the balls to do something collectively. End this war now.

[crickets]

62. Why not end it NOW, Hillary? You're a Senator. Congress has war powers. Do your duty NOW. nt

[Orsino]

65. If you don't work to end it NOW, Hill, don't expect much support from me.

I hate the foregone conclusion that she is the next president. It means that she doesn't have to try to serve us.

[NDN_Liberal]

72. Let's Hope

that she's not president.
She's too much of a wuss, which was proven when she chastised Kerry for his joke just so she could cover her butt for '08.

[darkstar7646]

73. I'll repeat: She's been compromised by PNAC...

I do believe that the Republicans had the votes with the DINO's to remove Clinton from office.

I think PNAC got to Hillary and used her megalomania against her, telling her to keep quiet and give political capital and cover to them (in 1998) in exchange for calling off the dogs.

[USA No. 1]

75. I want it to be over before the 2008 election. Troops home for Easter.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

77. Perhaps, but what will she do to help prevent the IRAN war?

Not much, I'm guessing... :shrug:

[catgirl]

81. She needed to say this after her non-answer

When asked in an interview how she'd deal with Iraq,
she angrily stated that Bush better fix it before the
elections. Right Hillary, Iraq is going to be all better
in two years. Even with the troops pulled out it will be
a disaster site, and the Iraqi people will need help.

So, she didn't answer the question. She obviously
hasn't given the situation too much thought. Then the
backlash and questions regarding a lack of an answer.
Solution: Announce that you will end the war...period.

Not good enough.

[Name removed]

83. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[entanglement]

84. ...and I have ocean front property for sale in Nevada

:eyes:

[Lilith Velkor]

85. bollocks n/t

[Javaman]

86. er, she could have helped end it before it started..

by NOT voting for the iraqi resolution.

so many Dem's go on and on about that resolution stating that the vote wasn't about giving moron* the right to invade iraq, but that it was a vote to "have that OPTION". Oh please. A war vote by any other name still smells like shit. They can parse their words all they want but in the end, they still voted to give the idiot* power to do as he pleases. Only a no vote would have done otherwise.

And to this day she continues to support the war, only now when it's turning into a political time bomb, she states that she will end the war if elected. How about this? Hillary, do your job, listen to the people, shut the fuck up with your own little private tet a tet with moron* and go on record as saying we need to be out now!!!

All this blustering regarding what you will do when you are elected it total and complete bullshit. If you can show you can walk the walk as well as you talk the talk, then there is no reason to wait, start the process now!! then see how the votes go in 08.

She's just another political tool. If you believe other than that, I have a bridge to sell you.

[ozone_man]

88. 23 could see through it.

Or rather 23 had the guts to stand up for what was right. Anyone with intelligence and a touch of healthy skepticism could see through it, fabricated WMD evidence and all. Both of my senators voted against it (VT) along with Hawaii, Maryland, Rhode Island, Michigan and Minnesota. This vote should be a litmus test for any 2008 candidates.

Members of the Senate who voted against:

* Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
* Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
* Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
* Robert Byrd (D-WV)
* Lincoln Chafee (R-RI)
* Jon Corzine (D-NJ)
* Kent Conrad (D-ND)
* Mark Dayton (D-MN)
* Dick Durbin (D-IL)
* Russ Feingold (D-WI)
* Bob Graham (D-FL)
* Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
* Jim Jeffords (I-VT)
* Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
* Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
* Carl Levin (D-MI)
* Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
* Patty Murray (D-WA)
* Jack Reed (D-RI)
* Paul Sarbanes (D-MD)
* Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
* Paul Wellstone (D-MN)
* Ron Wyden (D-OR)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Resolution_to_Authorize_the_Use_of_United_States_Armed_Forces_Against_Iraq

[BigDDem]

87. For all the Hillary haters who foam at the mouth...

she helped start this war!! I suppose you guys didnt support Kerry/Edwards since they helped start the war....

Nader voters perhaps?

[nolabels]

92. Many did not have as many clues about how MSM was selling the war and.....

helping to place Kerry as the front runner. The Dean fake sound bite more than helps illustrate that point. The 06 elections were a little different thank goodness

[wholetruth]

89. Sen. Clinton Calls Iran Threat to United States and Israel

http://www.aipac.org/1680.asp#2522

Sen. Clinton Calls Iran Threat to United States and Israel

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Senator and presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) told a crowd of more than 1,700 AIPAC supporters that Iran is a danger to the United States and one of Israel's greatest threats.

The senator's remarks took place during AIPAC's Annual New York Dinner, which included an address by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY). Other guests included presidential candidate John Edwards, former Gov. George Pataki, several House members and at least two dozen state and local officials.

Sen. Clinton called the Iranian administration "pro-terrorist," and said Iran's Holocaust denial places its leadership in company with the most despicable bigots and historical revisionists.

Karnit Goldwasser, wife of kidnapped Israeli soldier Ehud Goldwasser, also addressed the dinner guests, thanking America's pro-Israel community for standing by Israel. Her husband is one of two Israeli soldiers being held captive by Hizballah.

[Megahurtz]

91. The Only Reason she would want to End the Iraq War

is so she could "redeploy" the troops against Iran.

How convenient. :eyes: