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Condoleezza Rice; Saddam = Hitler?

Secretary of State Rice is catching some static for an implication that Saddam Hussein was a despot equal to Adolph Hitler. Well, that’s not quite what she was getting at. Maybe her point was more along the line that Iraq needs a Marshall Plan to stabilize it like Europe was stabilized after WWII. OK, maybe that point’s a bit shaky too.

Here’s what she said: Chris, it would be like saying that after Adolf Hitler was overthrown, we needed to change, then, the resolution that allowed the United States to do that so that we could deal with creating a stable environment in Europe after he was overthrown. It’s a part of a continuum of what we’re trying to do in Iraq.

I think the key point is that we had a declaration of war against Nazi Germany. Today we have a fuzzy authorization to use force against Iraq. The conclusion of a declared war is either victory or defeat, and we achieved a clear state of victory against Germany.

Here’s what was authorized relative to Iraq:

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

(a) AUTHORIZATION. The President is authorized to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to

  1. defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and
  2. enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions regarding Iraq.

It seems that we have achieved the objectives as stated, and that the Congress is perfectly within its rights to question the ongoing conduct of military actions in Iraq. To somehow paint, as Vice President Cheney did, those who question the administration as validating Al Qaeda, is unfounded. It’s an inflammatory polarization of a legitimate debate.

Michael


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