Barack Obama on Iraq, 2002: What I am opposed to is a dumb war.

[ProSense]

Speech by State Senator Barack Obama, October 2002.

<...>

What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in this administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne.

<...>

But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States or to his neighbors, that the Iraqi economy is in shambles, that the Iraqi military a fraction of its former strength, and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history. I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaida. I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars.

So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the president today. You want a fight, President Bush? Let's finish the fight with bin Laden and al-Qaida, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings. You want a fight, President Bush?

Let's fight to make sure that the U.N. inspectors can do their work, and that we vigorously enforce a non-proliferation treaty, and that former enemies and current allies like Russia safeguard and ultimately eliminate their stores of nuclear material, and that nations like Pakistan and India never use the terrible weapons already in their possession, and that the arms merchants in our own country stop feeding the countless wars that rage across the globe. You want a fight, President Bush?

- more -

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99591469

[PoliticAverse]

1. And this is one of the reasons he got elected president over some other, war supporting, candidates.

(primary and general election)

[Dawgs]

2. Why are you reminding us of what he used to be like? n/t

[ProSense]

4. Why not? n/t

[Cha]

5. Can't handle history?

[Dawgs]

11. That's exactly what it is, history. That's one thing I can handle.

The fact that we now have a Democrat that's a war President is what I can't handle.

[denverbill]

3. That's the guy we should have voted for in 2008.

[EOTE]

7. Yeah, or the one who supported medical marijuana and states rights.

If that candidate comes back around, I just might vote for him in 2016.

[Puzzledtraveller]

8. ^^^this^^^

[truebrit71]

10. x2

No clue who the current occupant of the WH is, but it sure as fuck isn't that guy...

[Cha]

6. thanks Pro Sense.. I hadn't read that

October 2, 2002 speech before I decided to support Obama for my primary candidate but after I did I couldn't believe how prescient and judicious it was.

And, he let us know then how he would have done it.. and it came to pass..

So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the president today. You want a fight, President Bush? Let's finish the fight with bin Laden and al-Qaida, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings. You want a fight, President Bush?