I’M USING IT AS ANOTHER EXAMPLE
OF THE PRESIDENT AGAIN
CONTINUING HIS STEADY STREAM OF
LIES.
JOHN MEACHAM WHILE WE HAVE
RICHARD HAASS HERE.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING
ELSE THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 30
YEARS AGO.
30 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK, OF
COURSE, WE LAUNCHED THE FIRST
IRAQ WAR, GEORGE H.W. BUSH
LAUNCHED THE FIRST IRAQ WAR AND
HE SAID HE DID SO TO LIBERATE
KUWAIT. AND A REMARKABLE THING HAPPENED
AND A REMARKABLE THING HAPPENED
AFTER GEORGE H.W. BUSH RIBLIBERA
KUWAIT.
HE KEPT HIS WORD.
HE BROUGHT HIS TROOPS HOME.
AND NOW THERE ARE PEOPLE
SQUAWKING SAYING HE SHOULD HAVE
STAYED THERE AND GONE INTO
BAGHDAD.
WE FOUND OUT A DECADE LATER WHAT
A MISTAKE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN.
>> JAEYEAH.
THAT’S ONE OF BAKER’S BETTER
LINES, NOBODY SAYS THAT ANYMORE,
CIRCA 2004, 2005.
TO ME THE HINGE POINT OF THE
BUSH PRESIDENCY WAS ON SUNDAY,
AUGUST 5th, 1990, WHEN HE’S
COMING BACK FROM CAMP DAVID,
TALKING INTO THIS TAPE RECORDER
DIARY AND WORRYING ABOUT WHETHER
THE ARAB WORLD WILL ACTUALLY
STAND UP TO SADDAM. AND HE DECIDES THEY WON’T.
AND HE DECIDES THEY WON’T.
AND IS WORRIED ABOUT THE SADDAM
GOING INTO SAYUDI ARABIA AND
BLOWING UP THE WORLD ORDER.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK OUR
FRIEND, DR. HAASS TO PICK UP THE
STORY THAT NEVER YOU’RE IN THE
WHITE HOUSE AND KNOW THE
HELICOPTER IS COMING.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT HAPPENED?
>> SURE.
I GOT A CALL FROM THE NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER SAYING HE
COULDN’T MEET THE PRESIDENT
WOULD I MEET HIM ON THE SOUTH
LAWN, BRIEF HIM, THERE WAS GOING
TO BE PRESS THERE.
SO I COLLECTED THE INTEL AND IT
WAS CLEAR THE ARAB WORLD WAS
SAYING GIVE SADDAM TIME WE CAN
WORK IT OUT, YOU AMERICANS
SHOULDN’T OVERREACT.
THIS WAS OVER THE BACKDROP OF A
SOMEWHAT DIVIDED ADMINISTRATION.
SO WHEN I BRIEFED THE PRESIDENT,
AND TO SAY HE WAS LESS THAN
HAPPY, CONTENT WITH THE
STATEMENT WAS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
AND THAT’S WHEN HE WENT TO THE
CAMERAS AND SAID THIS AGGRESSION
AGAINST KUWAIT WILL NOT STAND.
I THOUGHT IT WAS EXTRAORDINARILY
COURAGEOUS AND CLEAR.
HE THOUGHT IT WAS A HINGE POINT
NOT JUST FOR HIS PRESIDENCY BUT
FOR HISTORY.
HE THOUGHT THE CHARACTER OF THE
POST COLD WAR WORLD WAS IN THE
BALANCE.
AND IF WE ALLOWED AGGRESSION TO
STAND IN THE MIDDLE EAST IT
WOULD SPREAD AROUND TB WORLD AND
IF WE STOPPED IT, IT WOULDN’T
USHER IN AN ERA OF PEACE BUT AT
LEAST YOU HAVE THINGS GOING IN
THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
THE PRESIDENT WAS AHEAD OF HIS
CONGRESS, THE ADMINISTRATION,
THE WORLD, AND HE DID THE RIGHT
THING.
HE PUSHED BACK AGAINST SADDAM
THERE BUT HE HAD THE DISCIPLINE
NOT TO GO ON TO BAGHDAD.
HE KNEW -- HE WAS DISCIPLINED
ENOUGH TO KEEP THE WAR LIMITED
AND IN THE BACK OF HIS MIND AND
WE TALKED ABOUT IT, AGAIN WITH
TRUMAN COMING BACK TO OUR
EARLIER CONVERSATION.
HE WASN’T GOING TO MAKE THE
MISTAKE OF TRUMAN WHO AFTER
LIBERATEING SOUTH KOREA HE WASN’
GOING TO MARCH UP TO THE BORDER
AND TRY TO UNIFY THE COUNTRY AT
FORCE.
THAT’S WHAT TRUMAN DID, AND
ANOTHER 20,000 AMERICANS DIED.
SO IT SEEMS BUSH GO IT RIGHT ON