Stephanopoulos Urged Foreign Assassination

Pat Robertson recently caused a storm of controversy by suggesting that the U.S. should consider conducting a covert assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. But Newsmax points out that former Clinton advisor George Stephanopoulos called for a similar policy in a Newsweek column in 1997, and no outrage was expressed. Who did he say should be assassinated? Saddam Hussein. Here is the article:

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/8/24/122804.shtml?et=y

Let's look at a few of the quotes. Stephanopoulos said:

"We've exhausted other efforts to stop him, and killing him certainly seems more proportionate to his crimes and discriminate in its effect than massive bombing raids that will inevitably kill innocent civilians."

We now know that getting Saddam was easier said than done. The real world is not like a James Bond movie. Our troops were unable to find him until about six months after invasion and occupation of Iraq. When he was captured, he was found in a "spiderhole" in a little shack. He didn't exactly fight to the death, like his two sons did. Which brings me to my next point: if we had been able to take out Saddam cleanly and neatly, it would probably have put his son Uday in power. And he was even more barbaric than his father. Next quote:

"What's unlawful - and unpopular with the allies - is not necessarily immoral."

Really? What is unpopular with the allies is not necessarily immoral? He should explain this to Iraq war critics. And, finally, Stephanopoulos is quoted as saying that killing Saddam would make Clinton "a huge winner if it succeeded." Aha! The real motivation comes out. In fact, I believe that was Clinton's motivation when he bombed Iraq in December 1998, the same month that he was impeached by the House of Representatives. Clinton needed to prove that he was still The Man.