It is assumed that only Hillary had a hand in authorizing the war and no one talks about Bill Clinton's contributions.
Hillary's contribution is just a single vote out of 100 in the Senate; without Bill's contributions, the invasion of Iraq would never have happened.
Many believe that the first Gulf War ended with the liberation of Kuwait while the real goals of that contrived war were cutting Saddam to size and eventually, the invasion of Iraq.
Bush Sr. kept Saddam in power for two reasons:
- • If removed, there was no substitute for him that could act as an American surrogate.
- • Saddam's regime was part of a regional equilibrium; a regime that is predictable by its neighbors and the U.S. and no longer paused any direct threat.
With Bush Sr. defeated in the following elections, the torch was passed to Bill Clinton to carry out the American long-term policy in the region. First by finding a substitute for Saddam, second by keeping Saddam from rebuilding his forces.
The embargo was already in place and Bill Clinton, with the help of Blair, enforced that embargo, enforced the no fly zones, constantly tested Iraqi air defenses and gathered military intelligence, and occasionally bombed Iraqi command and control facilities that seemed threatening. But, Bill's most important contribution, with the help of Madeleine Albright who is now foreign policy advisor to Hillary and a staunch supporter, was to find a substitute for Saddam who would also act as an American surrogate; the best choice were the Kurds if they could be rehabilitated.
After the first Gulf War, the Kurds were divided into two camps that were involved in a bloody power struggle. On one side Jalal Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and on the other, Massoud Barzani, the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). It was Madeleine's job to rehabilitate these two warlords, get them to see their future through American eyes, and find a power sharing agreement that satisfies their egos.
In 1998, Jalal Talabani and Massoud Barzani announced their agreement on a timetable for revenue and power sharing during a joint statement to the press at the State Department September 17. Accompanying them was Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
