I would’ve written this up last night, but the Washington Post was undergoing some online upgrades that prevented me from reading the thing.
Anyway.
George Schultz, retired admiral, Secretary of State under Ronald Reagan, and 1992 Bill Clinton supporter (we all have our weak moments, even VodkaPundit), calls for War NOW! against Saddam:
Iraq by its own actions has, in effect, terminated the cease-fire established in 1991 at the end of the Gulf War and reactivated the “suspended” authorization to use military force against Iraq. No longer can anyone plausibly claim that Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction can be eliminated by an inspection program. The Security Council’s judgment still stands: A Saddam Hussein armed with weapons of mass destruction is not acceptable. Military force against Hussein is both necessary and authorized to rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction.
The full range of reasonable legal, diplomatic and other alternatives has been exhausted. All conceivable forms of leverage have been employed: sanctions; embargoes; massive military buildups to threaten him into compliance; limited military operations in the form of air and cruise missile strikes; the encouragement of internal opposition; positive inducement through the “oil for peace” program; and diplomacy in all forms — unilateral, multilateral, private, public, direct and through intermediaries. Nothing has worked. Any further steps will only provide him with more time and heighten the danger.
Why did I bother quoting this? It’s nothing you haven’t been reading here for weeks and months. Oh, yeah — because, oddly enough, Schultz carries just a little tiny bit more weight.
UPDATE: Reader Steve is right. I did confuse Schultz with Admiral Bill Crowe, who endorsed Clinton in ’92. I really regret that error, George!
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