Sunday
Mar092003
Two Questions
Sunday, March 9, 2003 at 10:35PM
Q: Who said, "Saddam must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons...Along with Prime Minister Blair of Great Britain, I made it equally clear that if Saddam failed to cooperate fully we would be prepared to act without delay, diplomacy or warning"? A: Bill Clinton (Thanks to Joshua Claybourn for the link) Q: Where did Americans get the idea that they could launch military action without UN authority? A: "The one and only U.S. president of the past 60 years to trouble himself with UN authority for the use of force was George H.W. Bush before the Gulf War of 1991." Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Clinton did not. (David Frum) Two interesting questions and answers, no matter if you're a dove or a hawk.
Reader Comments (3)
Um, Truman in Korea?
Not to mention the omnipresent threat of a Soviet veto...hmm, H.W. and Harry S. only got Security Council approval when the Soviets were either absent in protest or somewhat snowed under. Connection? I only mention this to contradict your apparent assertion that W. is somehow more concerned with int'l law than his predecessors, when the obvious is self-evidently true.
First: I'm not sure that international law and Security Council approval are the same thing. Second: Doesn't your data support my thesis that most U.S. presidents have not found it possible and/or necessary to get U.N. approval for military action?