Ten Years Ago, Bill Clinton: "Iraq Has Abused It's Final Chance"

Clinton talked. Bush acted. And now, a nation that was a constant threat to world peace has been transformed into an ally!

What bugs me most about the debate over Iraq is the failure to consider what would have happened had we not taken the action we did. Viewing the 9 minute clip below of the speech President Clinton delivered on December 16, 1998 is a reminder of the constant menace that Saddam Hussein posed to the world and international efforts for peace.

Imagine if Saddam were still in power today. The Oil for Food scandal which robbed his people to pay for Saddam's weapons programs might still be ongoing. Saddam would still be paying the families of Palestinian suicide bombers who killed innocent men, women and children in Israel. And instead of an ally which has done more to fight the war on terror than any other nation save the U.S. we would have an enemy willing to use whatever power it had to work against our efforts to fight the global war on terror.

"Mark my words, he will develop weapons of mass destruction. He will deploy them, and he will use them. Because we're acting today, it is less likely that we will face these dangers in the future." -- Bill Clinton, December 16, 1998

That was then, this is now:

President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki shake hands following the signing of the Strategic Framework Agreement and Security Agreement at a joint news conference Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008, at the Prime Minister's Palace in Baghdad. President Bush said, " The agreements represent a shared vision on the way forward in Iraq." White House photo by Eric Draper

Ten years! It seems like a lifetime. But things have changed for the BETTER all due to the leadership and vision of President Bush!

Thanks for the reminder Johnny Utah!