AUMF was the only option the democrats had to stop and derail Bush from preemptive unilateral strike on Baghdad (a strike without a war declaration, without congressional approval and without much noise) and push the crisis to the U.N. where there was a chance and time to allow diplomacy to prevent war. AUMF and U.N. resolution 1441 weighed heavily on diplomacy and U.N. inspectors first, not war. A.U.M.F. was meant to send a strong message to Saddam "you better comply" and he did.
When Barack Obama makes statements like "She voted for a war that never should have been authorized", and "she voted for the war" I wonder if he really understands the Iraq AUMF debate and vote or is just playing politics.
Obama 10-26-02: "I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda"
Obama 10-26-02: "You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure that the UN inspectors can do their work, and that we vigorously enforce a non-proliferation treaty, and that former enemies and current allies like Russia safeguard and ultimately eliminate their stores of nuclear material, and that nations like Pakistan and India never use the terrible weapons already in their possession, and that the arms merchants in our own country stop feeding the countless wars that rage across the globe
Scott Ritter: Facts needed before Iraq attack
17 July 2002
Scott Ritter: I believe Washington D.C. is using the concept of inspections as a political foil to justify war. America doesn't want the inspectors to return. The best way to stop war is to get the inspectors back in. I believe it should be the policy of the United Nations to get the inspectors back in.
Former U.N. Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter address the Iraqi Parliament
September 8, 2002
The only way that Iraq can achieve this (prevent war) is with the unconditional return of UN weapons inspectors, allowing such inspectors unfettered access to sites inside Iraq in order to complete the disarmament tasks as set forth in Security Council resolutions...
Sen Hillary Clinton 10-10-02: "While there is no perfect approach to this thorny dilemma, and while people of good faith and high intelligence can reach diametrically opposed conclusions, I believe the best course is to go to the UN for a strong resolution that scraps the 1998 restrictions on inspections and calls for complete, unlimited inspections with cooperation expected and demanded from Iraq.
Even though the resolution before the Senate is not as strong as I would like in requiring the diplomatic route first and placing highest priority on a simple, clear requirement for unlimited inspections, I will take the President at his word that he will try hard to pass a UN resolution and will seek to avoid war, if at all possible.
If we get the resolution and Saddam does not comply, then we can attack him with far more support and legitimacy than we would have otherwise".
Why would any democratic senator hand a victory to Bush on a silver platter that would be used to push through a republican agenda. If the Bush Iraq doctrine and Iraq economic plan were enacted and successful it would of set forth Carl Rove's "Permanent Republican Majority" for forty years. Defusing the crisis by divirting Bush to the U.N. is a lot better then Bush fast-tracked to war and (at the time) most likely victory.
"He was thinking about invading Iraq in 1999," said author and journalist Mickey Herskowitz. "It was on his mind. He said to me:
George Bush: "My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it.’ He said, ‘If I have a chance to invade....if I had that much capital, I’m not going to waste it. I’m going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I’m going to have a successful presidency."
Bush Wanted To Invade Iraq If Elected in 2000
Karl Rove Permanent Republican Majority
Whatever the immediate objective, Mr. Rove seems focused on one overarching goal: creating a permanent Republican majority, even if that means politicizing every aspect of the White House and subverting the governmental functions of the executive branch..
Al Gore IRAQ AND THE WAR ON TERRORISM
September 23, 2002
I believe that we are perfectly capable of staying the course in our war against Osama Bin Laden and his terrorist network, while simultaneously taking those steps necessary to build an international coalition to join us in taking on Saddam Hussein in a timely fashion. If you're going after Jesse James, you ought to organize the posse first. Especially if you're in the middle of a gunfight with somebody who's out after you
Event Archive: Al Gore - Commonwealth Club
Liberal magazine The Nation: "Antiwar forces in the United States and around the world can claim the recent UN resolution as a partial victory. The resolution does not endorse the use of force; it redefines the Iraq crisis, at least in the international arena, as one of disarmament, not regime change; and it will at least delay a US attack"
Does Bush Need Congressional Okay to Invade Iraq?
Aug. 26 2002
On Aug. 26, White House lawyers issued an opinion that President Bush could order a preemptive attack against Iraq without a vote of approval from Congress. The lawyers based their opinion on two factors:
1- The president's constitutional authority as commander in chief of the military (Article II, Sec. 2)·
2- Terms of the 1991 Gulf War resolution they content remains in effect today
3 Terms of the Sept. 14, 2001 congressional resolution approving military action against terrorism (S.J. Res 23)
4- War Powers Act
The evidence is clear what the senate debate was about. The debate was focused on U.N. diplomacy and the process and building an international coalition. The fact that the United Nation Security Counsel passed Resolution 1441 and the fact that Saddam complied and the fact that the U..N. weapons inspectors were allowed to re-enter Iraq makes Obama claim that AUMF was a vote for war wrong. AUMF and U.N. resolution 1441 weighed heavily on diplomacy and U.N. inspectors first, not war. A.U.M.F. was meant to send a strong message to Saddam "you better comply" and he did.
Iraq pre war time line and AUMF debate and links