Has poppy Bush ever made any comments about the war in Iraq?

[sabra]

I've been curious about that...

[Beaver Tail]

1. Doubt it

Shrub would have him killed. He just seems like that kinda guy to me

[sabra]

2. Shrub have him killed?

interesting...

[dchill]

3. I believe he counseled against it...

before it began. Probably gung-ho FOR it now though.

[Another Bill C.]

4. Sort of....

"Trying to eliminate Saddam, extending the ground war into an occupation of Iraq, would have violated our guideline about not changing objectives in midstream, engaging in "mission creep," and would have incurred incalculable human and political costs. Apprehending him was probably impossible. We had been unable to find Noriega in Panama, which we knew intimately. We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq. The coalition would instantly have collapsed, the Arabs deserting it in anger and other allies pulling out as well. Under the circumstances, there was no viable "exit strategy" we could see, violating another of our principles. Furthermore, we had been self-consciously trying to set a pattern for handling aggression in the post-Cold War world. Going in and occupying Iraq, thus unilaterally exceeding the United Nations' mandate, would have destroyed the precedent of international response to aggression that we hoped to establish. Had we gone the invasion route, the United States could conceivably still be an occupying power in a bitterly hostile land. It would have been a dramatically different — and perhaps barren — outcome." —Bush, George and Brent Scowcroft. A World Transformed. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998. ISBN 0-679-43248-5 (p. 489).

[meganmonkey]

5. There is a great quote from him

from early 90's talking about why he didn't think ousting Saddam was a good idea...He described what would happen if we took him out and guess what? It's happening right now! I'd dig it up but I'm on my way out the door....maybe someone else has it handy?

[Kraklen]

6. I think this one's a bit more relevant.

"I think it is vitally important for a President to know when to use military force. I think it is also very important for him to know when not to commit U.S. military force. And it's my view that the President got it right both times, that it would have been a mistake for us to get bogged down in the quagmire inside Iraq."

-Dick Cheney

[meganmonkey]

11. Here's the quote:

"Trying to eliminate Saddam .. would have incurred incalculable human and political costs. Apprehending him was probably impossible ... We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq ...there was no viable "exit strategy" we could see, violating another of our principles. Furthermore, we had been self-consciously trying to set a pattern for handling aggression in the post-Cold War world. Going in and occupying Iraq, thus unilaterally exceeding the United Nations' mandate, would have destroyed the precedent of international response to aggression that we hoped to establish. Had we gone the invasion route, the United States could conceivably still be an occupying power in a bitterly hostile land."
http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/gulfwar.asp

[Emendator]

7. He thinks it's a bad idea

In GHWB's autobiography (I don't know the title) he wrote about why it would have been a bad idea to occupy Iraq in 1991 - because he warned about the things we are seeing now. Furthermore, Brent Scowcraft is considered to be very much in line with B41's line of thinking. But what can he say? I know it's going against the grain here, but I don't think W listens to his father very much at all. W has been overshadowed by his father for his entire life. Now he has the chance to supplant him. And what a mess he's making out of trying to do so.

[karynnj]

8. Loved how Kerry used a quote from GHWB on this

in the first debate - it really seemed to annoy W.

[Emendator]

10. LOL

That's right. Kerry should have made light about the fact that his father said that. Then he should have made jokes about him perhaps wanting to be his running mate.

If only Kerry had had a better sense of humor and connected with people, he probably would have won. He also should have made ads from that Bush skit where he was looking under the desk for WMD. I don't think he would have made Iraq any better - no one can do that unless they withdraw - but he would been more on top of things.

[jedr]

9. just wondering, what is the rub between 41 and 43;

and how deep does it go? Other than the fact that 41 has a pile of money to be made on this war,why doesn't he reign-in sonny boy and the neocons...or is he with them all the way?