For Juice readers who follow the Clinton’s this is a must see program. Larry Gilbert
For Immediate Release
February 21, 2008
Goldie Film Award recipient and preeminent Independent News programming
for the Web; Cutting Edge – a talk show proudly announces the exhibition
of their latest program entitled: “A Clinton Legacy!” with novelist and talk show host; retired Air Force Lt. Col., Robert “Buzz” Patterson, former top secret security aide to President Bill Clinton and responsible for carrying the “Nuclear Football” from 1996 – 1998.US Air force Lt. Col Patterson is a talk show personality and the author of two New York Times best selling books. “Dereliction of Duty” provided “eyewitness account of how Bill Clinton compromised American’s national security” and “Reckless Disregard” which covers “how liberal Democrats undermine our military and endanger our soldiers.” His recently released
third book is entitled “War Crimes” and exposes “the lefts campaign to destroy our military and desire lose our war on terror.”
After appearing as the guest speaker at the February 16th “Principles over Politics” breakfast meeting in Newport Beach, Lt. Col. Patterson graciously sat down for a stimulating hour interview with Cutting Edge – a talk show, to review his many experiences in the Clinton White House, as well as other adventures.
This program covers “Buzz’s” experiences while living in the White House
as one of five close aides to President and Mrs. Clinton from 1996 to 1998.
Patterson shares first hand accounts of being on the golf course with the President Clinton, while NSA Chief Sandy Berger begged three times for him to approve stopping Saddam Hussein from killing the Kurds – that we had pledged our support to! Clinton was either too busy, or not wanting to respond and answer these requests as he was watching[; Tiger Woods!
We invite you to view this one hour program..cost and commercial free… at any
time of your choosing, by simply visiting our web site
www.cuttingedge-atalkshow.com with free access 24/7.
There are no registration requirements or invasive information requests.
While you visit our site don’t forget to go to review our Archive link where
you will find a wide array of other enlightening cost free interviews.
As we strive to provide excellence in programming, your feedback and
comments are encouraged.
Larry Gilbert, Investigative Reporter and Publicity Director,
Cutting edge-a talk show email lgpwr@aol.com
To view the program you may need to download a “free” Real Player.
Or you can also view the program with Windows/AOL media player
with an expanded screen.
There are no perfect presidents and Clinton’s accomplishments outweigh one disgruntled former employee’s complaints.
Do we need to look at just one year of W’s presidency?
I think you need to get Lt. Col. Robert “Buzz” Patterson to clarify which golf tournament he is referencing, the one in which he smears President Clinton for not going after Saddam Hussein or the one where he let’s Osama Bin Laden off the hook [see http://colorado.mediamatters.org]. As I recall Clinton did strike Iraq in Sept. of 1996. If it truly is ‘principles over policy’ that you’re interested in, may I suggest an expose’ of President Reagan’s policies. The GASSING of the Kurds did occur on HIS watch, you know.
anon 12:28 pm
Let me suggest that you pick up a copy of Dereliction of Duty at your local library or at Amazon.com
Go to pages 23 & 25 where it mentions the Presidents Cup golf tournament held on Sept 13, 1996 in VA.
“Buzz” was summoned to take a call from NSA’s Sandy Berger who wanted “Buzz” to contact the president. “He needed a decision quickly.”
“Major we’re poised to launch air strikes on Iraq and I need the president’s nod.” On approaching the president, while Vern Jordan was present, the president asked “What do you need, Buzz?” It goes on to say “Sir, Mr. Berger is on the line and needs a decision about the proposed attack on Iraq.” It than follows “Tell him I’ll get back to him later.” At that time president Clinton was in conversation with his golfing buddy Vernon Jordan.
While there was one attack in 1996, fighting a war is not a one day mission. Apparently it was too important to relax with Vernon Jordan than act as the commander-in-chief and take the call.
As to President Reagan. When did he enter this story? Perhaps we can roll back to General Sherman burning Atlanta in the Civil War if that makes you happy.
Stay focused. This post is about a unique military officer who lived inside the White House with the Clinton’s for two years.
In president Clinton’s 5/16/97 assessment of “Buzz” president Clinton added a hand written sentence which reads: “he is very impressive and professional–I have a high regard for him and his potential.”
anon 11:05 am
This is no disgruntled employee.
You don’t sign up to become one of five service branch aides to live inside the White House and be with the president 24/7.
As a military aide Buzz had the same “top secret” security clearance as the President.
He didn’t apply for the White House duty. He was contacted directly by the Clinton White House.
Unlike the media he had a birds eye view of the Clinton’s for two years. In Buzz’s farewell President Clinton awarded him the Defense Superior Service Medal in the Oval Office.
Perhaps you might consider how the Clinton’s act when not on camera.
I thought your post and interview [and all of ‘Buzz’s books] were about trying to affix blame for 9-11 and Saddam Hussein [or any and all evil in the world, for that matter ] on Bill and Hillary Clinton. It’s hard to start history though in 1993. Let’s just remember who resumed full diplomatic relations with Iraq in the 1980’s, paving the way for arm sales [conventional and chemical] to Saddam. Oh, it was our beloved and doddering Ronald Reagan, [who, by the way was also secretly arming Iran with high tech weapons] all with full knowledge of Saddam’s deeds. To try and list all of Bush’s lies and failings in dealing with Iraq would take all day, suffice it to say that all the dodging and Clinton bashing won’t absolve Bush and the conservatives from having the BLAME for this DISASTROUS WAR laid at their feet!
anon 2:47 pm
Given enough time we can each find illustrations of policy decisions taken by US presidents.
Yes, this post was about our interview with a man who had a unique position INSIDE the White House from 1996 to 1998.
How far back do you wish to go?
We supported Saddam to balance power in the region between Iraq and Iran.
In the 80’s we sent shoulder fired Stingers to freedom fighters in Afghanistan to oppose their Russian invaders.
Perhaps we can debate the 1964Tonkin Gulf validity that led to 58,000 Aemricans KIA in Vietnam and who was at the helm at that time. Let me help the readers. It was LBJ.
Yes, Iran Contra must be thrown into the mix. It was the darkest period in the Reagan years.
Clinton awards Buzz and Buzz turns on Clinton. I’m glad that he is retired.
Strange, how only the Clinton years are ever examined by conservatives [of course, they are the source of all evil]. You do know that Bill Clinton has been OUT of office for SEVEN YEARS! In Larry’s world, anything that tarnishes the Clintons is current news. How about holding Bush’s feet to the fire, Larry?
*Gosh it is hard to compare Ronald
Reagan to Jimmy Carter, LBJ and
Bill Clinton isn’t it? Jimmy and
Billy almost sunk the US Economy
and made us fear the Russians could
be landing in Huntington Beach! LBJ….killed and wounded more American Boys than any other President since WWII. Bill
Clinton was too busy attending
sporting events (Remember Arkansas
in the Suite 16), Golf Tourneys
with Tiger Woods….and invites
to Monica to board Air Force One.
Yep, hard to compare all that to
the Gipper!
As far as Colonel Patterson…this
guy is a rare, sharp and in fact
brilliant guy…..that had his act
together…and was hoping upon hope
that the Clinton’s could do the same! Sadly, they disappointed
him time and time again. We could
have spent five hours beating up
on the Clintons…instead we attempted to cover broader areas
than just how stupid…an American
President can be “losing the nuclear codes”…truly a first for
the First Family!
anon 6:21 p.m.
Perhaps you might check the publication date of “War Crimes” which was just written last fall. “Dereliction of Duty” was written in 2003, after Buzz retired from the Air Force.
The Lt. Col. and I only met briefly last month. He just appeared in Newport Beach last Sat. I would think that this post, and his latest book, was issued rather quickly.
Are we to accept your premise that only your side can write books opposing Republicans but when the tables are turned you get bent out of shape?
I guess you have not heard of or seen Fahrenheit 9/11 with Michael Moore trashing our current administration and country. The DNC rewards him by having Michael seated next to another one of your hero’s Jimmy Carter.
And for those Juice readers who chastize president Reagan for the Iran Contra policy let me remind you that in 1994 the Clinton administration secretly approved shipment of arms to Bosnian Muslims from Iran. That action was in violation of a UN ordered International Arms Embargo against Bosnia.
Your comments are welcome.
I know you Winships like to drink, so one should forgive your idiotic ramblings. Sadly I cannot.
It’s interesting to see that while many things have gone wrong in the past, few of you seem to grasp the importance of this in the context of the future.
While you can find fault in many others, no one seems to want to admit that the Clintons have had many stories, by those who have served them in the past. Like many other celebrities, they have not been the nicest folks around. Further that they can be distracted from duty by their personal priorities. They also have a history of verbally abusing people who work with them.
This glimpse behind the scenes is important because the players are still active and alive. We have first hand witnesses who can speak to their own impressions and observations. To disregard that, is a conscious effort to not know the truth. While you might not believe his version of the experiences, he was there, not you. If you were, please tell us all how you saw it. If Bill Clinton wishes to address the issues discussed by Lt. Col. Patterson, I am very sure he would and could. Then we would get to chose which version to believe. If you have information on that, now there’s something to discuss!
Anyone who fails to see the relevance of the discussions regarding the demeanor and personalities of those running for the Presidency, after all it was the Clintons who said, you get both of us, must surely be daft. While many seem to be stuck on rehashing the past, I think it’s better to look toward the future and not make the same mistakes all over again. That’s the responsibilities of all of us as voters, to move the nation forward, to pass judgment on who it is that should represent us all as a nation. To choose wisely.
Frankly, I am not all that thrilled by any of the possible choices we now have. But I know who I can’t vote for.
Thanks Larry for the interview!
“A Bush Legacy” how Bush’s RECKLESS war mongering and FOOLISH economic policies have brought the country to the BRINK of DISASTER! Did he purposely set out to DESTROY OUR MILITARY by LYING us into an UNNECESSARY WAR and then DISREGARD the advice of GENERALS and the STATE DEPARTMENT! Did he really believe he could CUT TAXES, INCREASE GOVT. SPENDING and PAY for his WARS without WRECKING the economy! WHERE was George the month preceding 9-11? ON VACATION, after only 7 months in office, meanwhile that entire summer of 2001 the TERRORIST CHATTER NETWORKS were BLINKING RED! Was this a DERELICTION OF DUTY? HOW can we BLAME this ENTIRE MESS on the CLINTONS? WHERE does VINCE FOSTER fit into the picture [Larry?]? Can we PROVE that conservatives ALWAYS put POLITICS over PRINCIPLES? YES WE CAN! The REPUBLICAN CONGRESS spent 140 HOURS hearing SWORN testimony on the CLINTON’S CHRISTMAS CARD LIST and just 12 HOURS on the TORTURE at ABU GHRAIB! MONICA, STAINED DRESSES and TIGER WOODS, OH MY! [My kudos to Larry and the Winships]
Thank you Carl.
As the messenger in these matters I always put on my Kevlar vest.
Buzz tolld us that he represented one branch of our military in performing the duties of a presidential aide. They agreed that the first to retire could write about their experiences, staying within the lines. There is no salacious material in Buzz’s books, nor does he divulge any military or White House related secrets.
We are grateful to get a peek inside 1600 Pennsylvania Av
anon 11:34 PM
Before responding perhaps you can tell Juice readers if you watched the 60 minute program or if you are just being an angry person lookng to bash president Bush.
PS: Being a conservative Republican who twice voted for him, I admit that president Bush angers me in some of his policy positions. Therefore you are not alone. If you are a regular reader of my posts you should admit that I do not rubber stamp any elected official, including some of my friends.
As to the July 1993 questionable cause of death of Vince Foster, a partner with Hillary in a law firm, I have no answers. Buzz was not there at the time of Vince’s death but does comment about some of the file boxes in Vince’s office. This will be one of the many open questions for which we will never fully have closure. Just like who shot JFK 45 years ago.
Perhaps you might interview one of the five military aides for president Bush when George W leaves office on Jan 20 2009.
Torture? I hope you were not related to any of the Americans who were beheaded or hung from bridges in Iraq or any of those who died in the Twin Towers, at the Pentagon or in a field in Pennsylvania on 9-11. While there needs to be limits to our interrogation methods, this GWOT will have consequences if we become pacifists.
I do put Principles over Politics. If you can’t see that it’s your problem.
Thanks for voicing your concerns.
I did indeed watch your program [ hence the Vince Foster comment ] and found the same old conservative screed. Why are you and your ilk so outraged by the Clinton years? Whatever mistakes Clinton made, they PALE in comparison to Bush’s. You want mistakes, remember that NONE of the 9-11 hijackers were Iraqis [15 Saudis,1 Egyptian,1 Lebanese and 2 from the Union of Arab Emirates] so anyone who died in the Twin Towers was NOT avenged by our attack on Iraq! If it’s vengeance your after, the U.S. had better be prepared, after all the Iraqis might want some for the 100,000 or more dead from this UNJUSTIFIED and UNNECESSARY WAR. Destroying other countries might have consequences beyond the damage done to our reputation, our economy [ read the The Three Trillion Dollar War;The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict by Joseph Stiglitz and Linda J. Bilmes ] and our military. These are truly pressing and current issues, not some old discredited conspiracy theories, I can just imagine what you would say if Hillary had crashed into and killed her ex-boyfriend like Laura Bush or had been a drug addicted thief like Cindy McCain.
anon 12:11 p.m.
I am glad to learn that you did watch our program. Thank you!
My angst with the Clinton administration is the apparent laissez faire attitude with regards to our military and the foremost obligation of any president as it relates to providing for our national security.
By taking a lame approach to responding to the multiple Al Quadi attacks on the US we had given the impression that we were not committed to hunting down and capturing or killing those who killed American servicemen from Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia to the African Embassies, the USS Cole in Yemen and other attacks.
Let me not overlook the first attack on the Twin Towers in Manhatten on Feb 26,1993 which preceeded 9-11 during the Clinton years in office.
Yes, I know that most of the 9-11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia and am not thrilled with our turning the other cheeck to that wealthy nation that is rumored to be funding terrorists.
If Bill Clinton had pulled the trigger when we had Osama in our sights in Afghanistan we might have avoided some of the later attacks and the costlly war effort that followed. Yes, the current administration has paid a high price in this GWOT. I respectfully lay that fault and cost on one William Jefferson Clinton.
As you have been to the Cutting Edge web site let me suggest two other programs. “Company Business” with Gary Bernsten, a former high level CIA officer and his Jawbreaker team that chased Bin Laden in the Tora Bora mountains of Afghanistan and Ron’s interview “in search of Noam Chomsky” conducted at MIT in Boston. Yes, we are fair and balanced. We have permitted the most dangerous liberal professor in America to voice his thoughts on our show.
anon 12:11 p.m
In your comment you mention Laura Bush. Although she currently resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., and will vacate that House on Jan 20th of next year, you are now beginning to stretch. To the best of my knowledge, while she is a public figure, she is not running for US president or any other elected office. How far back do you wish to go? When she was 17 years old I have read that she crashed into another car killing her boyfriend. I am certain she still lives with that memory. That accident occured before she met and married the president.
Thanks for bringing it up. Perhaps you can find some other unrelated dirt on Laura Bush for our readers.
*All these comments prove one thing: It is hard to change the
hearts and minds of people….any
people….anywhere!
Can you imagine trying to change
the attitude of a Bathist Sunni
who was a big wig when Saddam Hussein was in charge?
Can you imagine training your five
year old daughter to become a
suicide bomber when she turns 17?
Can you imagine Madleline Albright
and Janet Reno back on TV every
Sunday for the next eight years?
Yep….hard to change the hearts
and minds….hard to realize that
our heroes take steroids, lie, cheat and steal…fornicate without
selectivity and fart loudly either
in public or at home?
All we can say about all of it:
We are so glad you now have the
information from Lt. Col. Buzz
Patterson…..now you can decide
and make your own decision with impunity!
March 4th….Obama, Obama, Obama!
If that is “right wing”…you will
have to change your prescription
drug assortment until you find
reality.
Please explain how Clinton let our military down? Yes, he continued the ‘peace dividend’ reductions that BEGAN under Bush senior, but he maintained a strong and focused military that was able to perform it’s post-cold war missions, as evidenced by our military’s performance early on in Afghanistan. It is NOW under Bush Jr. that our military is stretched to the point of breaking. I wonder if you remember that Kerry, back in 2004, proposed increasing the size of our army but Bush, in his infinite wisdom said that that was unnecessary and would make the country “less safe”. Today those additional troops would be trained and deployed and providing relief and flexibility for our soldiers. As to Bin Laden, Clinton regrets not being able to take him out but Bush let him go in Tora Bora and even declared that he really wasn’t all that concerned about him! When it comes to Iraq, the reality WAS that Saddam WAS contained, there WAS no Al Qaeda there and Saddam WAS a counterweight to Iran. There WAS NO NEED for a COSTLY, DESTRUCTIVE WAR! When Hillary bashers accused her of ‘murder’ in connection with Vince Foster’s death, she too was only a First Lady. Thanks for making my earlier point though, about history only being relevant when applied to the Clintons.
Anon 11:26 PM
Let me begin by saying I never accused Hillary Clinton of having any part in the death of Vince Foster.
As an aside let’s compare Laura Bush to Hillary. Laura Bush is not a candidate for elected office and will be moving out of the White House in Jan. Hillary, on the other hand, has boasted of her many years of experience, prior to her becoming a Senator from NY. Therefore she is fair game for Obama today, and our side later should she pull a rabbit out of the hat and defeat Obama in the primary.
At one time Saddam was a “counterweight” to Iran using your terminology. However, when he invaded Kuwait in an attempt to take over their oil fields our national interest was jeopardized.
I won’t debate WMD in this post.
We had limited military authorization from the coalition which explains why he wasn’t taken out in the first Gulf war.
You personally, may not have accused Hillary of murder but then why even bring it up? The Clintons have probably been subjected to more scrutiny than any political couple in history. Obviously, like many right-wingers you can not be RATIONAL when it comes to the Clintons. At ONE TIME Saddam was a counterweight to Iran? Yeah, right up to the time Bush started his IMMORAL WAR. WE have destabilized the region and now we are busy PAYING off every two bit tribal leader in sight. As to Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait that happened in 1990. He HAD been SUCCESSFULLY contained afterwards as evidenced by the LACK of WMD up and until OPERATION PANDORA’S BOX! Face it , Iraq was contained in March of 2003, this whole bloody mess could have and should have been avoided. Unfortunately we had elected an ignorant, immoral, liar President!
anon 8:13 PM
Please re-read th epost. I never mentioned Hillary Clinton and murder in this story nor did Buzzin our interview. Poster number 14 mentions Vince Foster whose death is being questioned.
My Democratic friends will like the following link. On Oct 10, 2002Senator Hillary Clinton addressed the US Senate in which she votes for the war and confirms intelligence reoprts of Saddam having WMD. Please, please don’t believe my words listen to hers. After all they are ONLY WORDS!
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=eab_1201152136
You know as well as I do, that the only reason Vince Fosters name is even mentioned [ some 15 years later ] is to smear the Clintons, with murder. Why else bring it up, you aren’t family are you? The ‘cherry picked’ intelligence that the congress saw, was NOT the same intelligence that Bush was privy to. Bush was determined to attack Iraq pre-9-11 [even before he was elected] according to Richard Clarke [ who, like ‘Buzz’ was inside the White House]. To tell the truth, I think Hillary [ like many other democrats ] thought that the Iraq war was going to be quick and easy and didn’t want to be on the’ wrong’ side of history. Shame on her, for putting political calculations ahead of common sense and the long-suffering Iraqi people. Good riddance to her and Bush.
anon 5:12 pm
If it makes you feel better go ahead and shoot the messenger. I NEVER mentioned Vince Foster. Any reference to him was by the author and an anonymous Juice responder.
You are the one to bring it up instead of letting it die.
And no, I am not family. Neither Clinton or Bush in case that’s your question.
You appear to be well connected. You have hard evidence or personal knowledge that “president Bush was privvy to intelligence” different than shared with our Congress.
Wait a minute. You are saying that Hillary didn’t want to be on the “wrong side of history?”
From day one was she for the war or against it? The issue is her personal belief as to whether or not the war was justified. Are you saying she was an opportunist rather than standing alone if necessary to oppose the GWOT?
We can agree that America would be better off without another Clinton in the White House who would lead based on “political calculations” rather than the public good.
Thanks for shairing that opinion.
Vince Foster was mentioned in the interview [ remember, that was, what the original post was about ] and is a perfect example of anti-Clinton nuttiness. The intelligence that Bush was ‘privy’ to refers to a “President’s Daily Brief” on Sept.,21,2001. Bush was told that the U.S. intelligence community HAD NO EVIDENCE linking Saddam to Al Qaeda. This highly classified CIA assessment was distributed to Bush, Cheney and other senior Bush administration policy makers but NOT disclosed to Congress. I would say that Hillary is an opportunist, bad, but Bush and Cheney ARE WAR CRIMINALS! Why not address that?
Anon 9:37 PM
Let’s get the record straight. My above post was about three books written by Buzz Patterson AFTER Bill Clinton left office and AFTER Buzz’s retirement from the USAF.
Buzz said he would not have written the book when Bill Clinton was still in office.
You keep hammering Vince Foster. Buzz makes a minor comment about Vince Foster just as he had one line about Monica Lewinsky.
Your comeback is to attack a currently sitting president. Perhaps you can find a similar book written by someone inside the White House after president Bush vacates on Jan 20, 2009.
That would enable you to have an opportunity to critique W’s behavior and Domestic and Foreign policy decision making.
The mainstream media has covered all of the issues that you have described above.That was your source of information.
Did the same media ever mention Bill Clinton losing the nuclear codes? Bill was the first and only president to do so. Good thing he didn’t have to take action at that time. Although they scoured the White House they were NEVER found.
Did they ever mention Bill Clinton watching a golf tournament with his buddy Vernon Jordan resulting in the death of hundreds of Iraqi Kurds because he refused to take three urgent phone calls from his own NAS chief who needed a nod from the president. Sandy Berger had to call off a US attack while in the air that was about to bomb Saddam’s forces in the north?
Stay with the program. You can beat up president Bush on a post that relates to him. This one doesn’t!
The premise of ‘Buzz’s’ books are that Bill Clinton and Liberals are to blame for 9-11, Iraq etc., I have merely been pointing out that NO ONE has done MORE DAMAGE than George W. Bush. Bush was asleep at the switch on 9-11 and lion’s share of the blame goes to him and his administration, ditto on Afghanistan and Iraq.
anon 8:17 a.m.
If Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton had been effective commander(s)-in-chief, and took swift and punishing corrective action, we may not have had a 9-11 attack on our soil.
Please read the following article by Daniel Pipes from 2002 which says it all.
Death to America
by Daniel Pipes, New York Post, September 8, 2002
http://www.danielpipes.org/article/460
America’s war on terrorism did not begin in September 2001. It began in November 1979.
That was shortly after Ayatollah Khomeini had seized power in Iran, riding the slogan “Death to America” – and sure enough, the attacks on Americans soon began. In November 1979, a militant Islamic mob took over the U.S. embassy in Tehran, the Iranian capital, and held 52 Americans hostage for the next 444 days.
The rescue team sent to free those hostages in April 1980 suffered eight fatalities, making them the first of militant Islam’s many American casualties. Others included:
April 1983: 17 dead at the U.S. embassy in Beirut.
October 1983: 241 dead at the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut.
December 1983: five dead at the U.S. embassy in Kuwait.
January 1984: the president of the American University of Beirut killed.
April 1984: 18 dead near a U.S. airbase in Spain.
September 1984: 16 dead at the U.S. embassy in Beirut (again).
December 1984: Two dead on a plane hijacked to Tehran.
June 1985: One dead on a plane hijacked to Beirut.
After a let-up, the attacks then restarted: Five and 19 dead in Saudi Arabia in 1995 and 1996, 224 dead at the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in August 1998 and 17 dead on the USS Cole in Yemen in October 2000.
Simultaneously, the murderous assault of militant Islam also took place on U.S. soil:
January 1993: two CIA staff killed outside agency headquarters in Langley, Va.
February 1993: Six people killed at the World Trade Center.
In all, 800 persons lost their lives in the course of attacks by militant Islam on Americans before September 2001 – more than killed by any other enemy since the Vietnam War.
And yet, these murders hardly registered. Only with the events of a year ago did Americans finally realize that “Death to America” truly is the battle cry of this era’s most dangerous foe, militant Islam.
In retrospect, the mistake began when Iranians assaulted the U.S. embassy in Tehran and met with no resistance.
Interestingly, a Marine sergeant present at the embassy that fateful day in November 1979 agrees with this assessment. As the militant Islamic mob invaded the embassy, Rodney V. Sickmann followed orders and protected neither himself nor the embassy. As a result, he was taken hostage and lived to tell the tale. (He now works for Anheuser-Busch.)
In retrospect, he believes that passivity was a mistake. The Marines should have done their assigned duty, even if it cost their lives. “Had we opened fire on them, maybe we would only have lasted an hour.” But had they done that, they “could have changed history.”
Standing their ground would have sent a powerful signal that the United States of America cannot be attacked with impunity. In contrast, the embassy’s surrender sent the opposite signal – that it’s open season on Americans. “If you look back, it started in 1979; it’s just escalated,” Sickmann correctly concludes.
I’m picking up on a theme here, L.B.J., Carter and Clinton, their administrations are the only ones held accountable in Larry’s world. You always seem to ignore the Republicans, do you think that affects your credibility any? Suffice it to say, that the mess in Iraq [ Bush’s mess ] has shown our enemies exactly how weak and impotent we NOW are.
*Vince Foster? Hmmm…you mean
Foster’s Freeze? Like shooting
himself in the top of the head
with a gun that didn’t exist?…
OK, back Iraq! Can you imagine
a world with Quesy and Saddam
and Dr. Nuke or whatever her name
was…..gassing Kurds with impunity
and watching millions of Iraqi people starve to death …every
year..even though they had plenty
of “Food for Oil” …rather Cash
out the back door to France, Germany and Russia for $8 bucks
a barrel? While the rest of the
world paid $200 bucks a barrel.
No dear inquisitor…..President
Bush….did the right thing! He
has done the right thing in almost
every case – with the exception of not closing down the borders. But
tells Darth…do you think that in
a Hillary Administration….they
would close off the borders? Come
on dude, think back to the days of yesteryear..when your hero Bill
Clinton….lost the Nuclear Codes
because of a blue dress! And Hillary by the way..was stuck for
an answer! Or was that… just another Gary Condit and Chandra Levy story?
anon 8:17 p.m.
I am not giving Republicans a pass. Even Ronald Reagan, one of my hero’s, had his share of grief. Perhaps you might go to the Cutting Edge archives and watch our 18 minute interview with “Cap” Weinberger that was conducted at the Nixon Library. I raised the question of our troops in Lebanon where so many GI’s lost their lives as included in the above account.
President’s Jimmy Carter and later Bill Clinton showed how impotent America was by the (above)lengthy list of terrorist actions during their administrations. You cannot argue with the facts. Don’t try to bait me into accepting your argument by fast forwarding to the current war in Iraq that might have been avoided if we had only taken care of business in a timely and efficient manner in the 90’s.
“Weak and impotent.” Our Democratic controlled Congress, led by the likes of John Murtha, contains a majority who are impotent and, based on their speeches, can’t wait to cut and run. Or am I mistaken. Who has the majority in each House of Congress at this time. Republicans?
I’m glad you’re not giving a pass to Reagan, as many of the dates listed above were on his watch. Funny how Clinton gets the blame for 9-11 some 8 months after he left office, but Bush Sr. gets a pass on the 93′ bombing of the WTC, even though Clinton had been President less than a month. The truth is far more complicated than right vs. left, America has a long and ugly history of interfering in other countries affairs. The fact that the CIA staged a coup in 53′ [under Eisenhower ] to overthrow a DEMOCRATICALLY elected and popular Prime Minister [Mossaddeq] has set the stage for much of our troubles in the Mideast. Till Americans start to respect other peoples sovereignty we will never be safe.
email from Oklahoma:
Note: This reply was received from a local Republican friend who sent the original post to a Democrat for a reaction.
Oh piffle. This guy makes his living saying and writing inflammatory stuff about the evil liberal Democrats–just like Ann Coulter. Pandering to the conservative population makes a very good living for both of them–and innumerable others.
What republicans should be wishing right now is that they had had an actual republican in the White House for the past disastrous 8 years–then the years would likely not have been quite as disastrous. Huge deficit, increase in amount of government, decrease in civil liberties, economic shambles, Iraq is disaster, US reputation in most of the world destroyed, and China on the rise. We should be worrying about all that. Or, we could just continue to live in the past and the dreaded liberal Democrats could be bringing up Richard Nixon’s criminal behavior in an attempt to keep voters away from McCain–makes about as much sense.
anon 6:12 a.m.
Let’s see. You state that Bill Clinton was only in office for one month when the first World Trade center bombing occured Vs George W Bush being in office for eight months before the 9-11 attacks.
There is a major difference in your two examples relating to time in office. Under Bill Clinton’s watch we had a series of unanswered attacks on Americans. He followed Bush Sr. who led the multi-nation success in removing Saddam’s troops from Kuwait. At that time the US took decisive action. Sadly, Bill Clinton could not match that effort.
I will not debate our participation in the affairs of other nations in this post and leave that for a clean piece of paper.
You missed my point, Larry. If Bush Sr. was so effective, why was there an attack in Feb. of 93′? I believe he also left Saddam in power, now who’s fault was that? Using your reasoning the BIG MESS we are now in, is Bush Sr.’s fault.
anon 8:13 a.m.
In the first Gulf War we had Saddam and his lame army on the run. Sadly the coalition set very definitive guidelines as to how far our joint forces could wander as we chased them back into Iraq.
In Desert Storm/Desert Shield, the 34 nation coalition that joined with us, including Arab nations of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, agreed to send troops with the understanding that our only task was to drive the Iraqi forces out of Kuwait as we liberated that nation. That was the Mission. In this case we accurately could state “Mission Accomplished.”
Bush Sr. had no options left other than to bring the troops home.