Kerry advocated unilateral action in Iraq

[TitanTiger 20,506]

During a 1997 debate on CNN's "Crossfire," Sen. John Kerry, now the Democratic presidential nominee, made the case for launching a pre-emptive attack against Iraq.

So reveals Rep. Peter King, New York Republican, who appeared with Mr. Kerry on the program.

    

Mr. King says the U.N. Security Council had just adopted a resolution against Iraq that was watered down at the behest of the French and the Russians. Yet the candidate who now criticizes President Bush for ignoring French and Russian objections to the Iraq war blasted the two countries, claiming that they were compromised by their business dealings with Baghdad.

"We know we can't count on the French. We know we can't count on the Russians," said Mr. Kerry. "We know that Iraq is a danger to the United States, and we reserve the right to take pre-emptive action whenever we feel it's in our national interest."

    

While no "Crossfire" transcripts from 1997 are available, Mr. King in recent days produced a tape of the show, sharing it with New York radio host Monica Crowley for broadcast, and this Inside the Beltway column for publication. Stay tuned.

http://www.washtimes.com/national/inbeltway.htm

[CarolinaTiger 0]

i can't believe kerry changed his mind like that.

[TexasTiger 12,969]

i can't believe kerry changed his mind like that. 

104791[/snapback]

You don't have to believe it. Can you believe a Republican congressman lied to the Times, who then put his "recollection" of Kerry's words in quotation marks, and that your hero Matt Drudge spread it to the world, but did not print the correction? Its how the Republican lie machine works. And you guys beg for more.

By John McCaslin

CORRECTION

    Due to erroneous information from Rep. Peter T. King, New York Republican, an item in the Inside the Beltway column in yesterday's editions incorrectly quoted Sen. John Kerry in a 1997 appearance on CNN's "Crossfire" as arguing for a unilateral, pre-emptive war against Iraq.

    In reference to a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding access to Iraqi weapons sites, Mr. Kerry actually said: "I think that's our great concern [-] where's the backbone of Russia, where's the backbone of France, where are they in expressing their condemnation of such clearly illegal activity [-] but in a sense, they're now climbing into a box and they will have enormous difficulty not following up on this if there is not compliance by Iraq."

    Later, referring to French and Russian reservations on the use of force, Mr. Kerry said: "There's absolutely no statement that they have made or that they will make that will prevent the United States of America and this president or any president from acting in what they believe are the best interests of our country."

http://www.washtimes.com/national/inbeltway.htm

[CarolinaTiger 0]

so we DO have a transcript of the interview? i thot CNN didn't have one.

also, didn't the pub congressman have a video? how hard can it be to read/listen to what was actually said?

ct

[CarolinaTiger 0]

yet, kerry's quote as it appears in the correction isn't exactly a ringing endorsement of france & russia.

i wondered about the pub's recollection of kerry's statements too, when he was quoting kerry from memory. how can you remember what someone else said 7 yeas ago well enough to put their words in quotes.

[TexasTiger 12,969]

so we DO have a transcript of the interview?  i thot CNN didn't have one.

also, didn't the pub congressman have a video?  how hard can it be to read/listen to what was actually said?

ct

104985[/snapback]

It appears that they trusted his recollection, ran the "quotes" and THEN watched the tape. Fairly typical half-assed journalism, unfortunately.

[Tigermike 3,044]

It appears that they trusted his recollection, ran the "quotes" and THEN watched the tape. Fairly typical half-assed journalism, unfortunately.

Sounds as if they worked like the CBS wing of the Democrat Party! In Kerryworld, Dan Rather is not a Democrat operative.

[TitanTiger 20,506]

Half-assed indeed. While Kerry did say something similar to what Rep. King quoted, it wasn't worded nearly as forcefully or specifically.