Dean: Brutal Ruler Doesn't Justify Force

[Khephra]

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean said Friday that the use of U.S. military force is not warranted simply because a nation is ruled by a despot.

The front-runner said he supported the war to oust the Taliban in Afghanistan, and backed President Clinton's decision to send troops to Bosnia and Kosovo during the 1990s because force is sometimes necessary to stop genocide.

That was not the case in Iraq, said Dean, a staunch opponent of the war.

"I do not believe force is justified simply because we think someone is a brutal dictator," he told about 1,000 high school students, a reference to former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

more.............

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-dean,0,2633075.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[Melinda]

1. Amen, Dr. Dean, amen.

"All I ask from the president of the United States is they think carefully before sending young people and putting them in harm's way around the world," Dean said.

[blm]

2. Dean on March 17:

"Tonight, for better or worse, America is poised on the brink of war. Tonight, every American, regardless of party, devoutly supports the safety and success of our men and women in the field. Those of us who, over the past six months, have expressed deep concerns about this President's management of the crisis, mistreatment of our allies and misconstruction of international law, have never been in doubt about the evil of Saddam Hussein or the necessity of removing his weapons of mass destruction."

[dave29]

3. In what way does he say it's ok to invade Iraq

here?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

6. In what way does he convince people worried about Saddam

that he actually knew how to deal with him?

[RetroLounge]

7. Pathetic

eom

[NewYorkerfromMass]

9. What an informed and informative response. eom

[tinnypriv]

10. Anybody "worried" about Saddam should be told the "threat" was bullshit

You're the strongest fucking country in the world and Iraq is a shattered third world society, yet you're the only ones with polls saying Saddam should be feared - o-kay. :eyes:

The answer is not to acknowledge the bullshit threat, but to smash the illusions which are causing people to be scared of something that is non-existent.

I'd suggest liberal use of words like "tinpot", but hey, Dean can run his own show, and seems to be running a pretty good one.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

11. It was only a threat in that it could have been a source for weapons

a threat that needed to be confirmed or denied. Inspections could have served that end, and were, but Bush was too "hot" to go after Saddam.
And Dean is certainly running a "show" though it's (and he is) not one I would be proud of.

[tinnypriv]

12. Regardless of what you think of Dean

And I assume you have a :thumbsdown: on him, it doesn't do you any good to pretend his campaign is not spectacularly well run. I'd wager that reduces the effectiveness of your other points on electablity, erroneous statements etc, because it looks like sour grapes. But hey, no need to take my advice, it's your country.

As for the threat, even if Saddam had weapons, he would not be a threat to the population of the United States.

Unless you can give a convincing case that he'd deliberately attack the US resulting in his own incineration, of course.

[blm]

14. 92...Ross Perot

.

[ldf]

17. you wish!

you may be pleasantly surprised.

[denverbill]

4. I wish he'd clarified it better.

IMO, using the the US military to rid the world of oppressive dictators MIGHT be a good thing, but only, ONLY if the rest of the world agrees with us that the dictator needs removal and if they help in the cause.

The Bush family seems to have an irrepressible habit of doing this. Pappa with Noriega, and Junior with Saddam and probably Syria soon.

God forbid Bush ever use force to rid the world of US allied dictators though, like those in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

[blm]

15. Let's see, WHO discovered Bush connection to Noriega

and CIA drugrunning? Oh yeah....John Kerry.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

5. Rove is salivating

however, there is still time to correct course folks.

[ThorsteinVeblen]

8. I suppose you want to nominate Lieberman?

[DJcairo]

13. This is another Dean gaffe.

His opponents will play this up and the Repukes will laugh at it. What he says is basically true, but doesn't anyone get it? It's not what he says but how he says it. Come on, Dean, don't be so stupid.

[Classical_Liberal]

16. Dean is gettng the SEIU endorcement

and probably afscme? He is still raking in the dough, and he is still number one in the polls. How did it hurt him? So what if his opponants want to rant rave and give him publicity? The bigger the stink the raise the more the reporters will give him a chance to clarify his position in the first five minutes of the news without a sound bite. It is a net plus.