Book Bombshell: Iraq Attack Scrubbed for Clinton Golf GameEx-President Bill Clinton kept a squadron of F-117 stealth fighter-bombers and B-52s waiting to launch a critical 1996 airstrike on Iraq while he finished watching a golf tournament - dithering so long that U.S. pilots lost the cover of darkness and the mission had to be scrubbed.That's the explosive charge leveled in a brand new book by Lt. Col. Robert Patterson, a key Clinton military aide from 1996 through 1998 whose primary mission was to carry the president's copy of America's nuclear launch codes."We dispatched eight F-117 stealth fighter-bombers capable of carrying 2,000-pound bombs into the region and sent B-52s to Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, in preparation for action," reveals Lt. Col. Patterson in his bombshell security scandal tell-all, "Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Compromised America's National Security."The Sept. 13, 1996 airstrike was planned as the U.S.'s response to an August 31 tank attack launched by Saddam Hussein on the northern Kurdish city of Irbil, a blatant violation of the 1991 Gulf War surrender accords that had an estimated 300,000 Kurdish refugees fleeing for their lives.At the same time Saddam's Republican Guard had executed an estimated one hundred Iraqi dissidents and arrested fifteen hundred more - extinguishing whatever opposition the Iraqi dictator might have faced from within.Two days before he attended the President's Cup golf tournament, Clinton had warned the world that "action is imminent" and that "the determination of the United States in dealing with the problem of Iraq should not be underestimated," reports the national security whistleblower.With the F-117s and B-52s ready to take off and the cover of darkness in Iraq slipping away, National Security Advisor Sandy Berger placed a series of desperate phone calls to the Manassas, Virginia golf course seeking clearance from Clinton. But the president refused to come to the phone."Sir, Mr. Berger is on the line and needs a decision about the proposed attack on Iraq," Lt. Col. Patterson remembers telling the president. Clinton's response? "Tell him I'll get back with him later."As mission critical minutes evaporated, an anxious Berger called again."This time he was animated, obviously upset," remembers Patterson. "Pilots were in the cockpits waiting to launch, targets were identified, everything was in place, all he needed was the go-ahead."The presidential military aide promised the National Security Advisor that he would do everything he could to get Clinton to pay attention to the mission at hand."This time, the president was engaged in conversations with several people and was less approachable," Patterson reports. "I maneuvered through the crowd and caught his eye. When President Clinton saw me, he seemed disturbed at being interrupted again with something unimportant. He frowned as I neared him." Still Patterson persisted. "'Mr. President, Mr. Berger has called again and needs a decision soon.' I explained in a low tone, 'We have our pilots in cockpits, ready to launch, and we're running out of the protective cover of nighttime over there.'"But Clinton seemed unmoved. "I'll call Berger when I get the chance," he told the aide.Less than fifteen minutes later Berger called back. "This time he was irate," Patterson recalls."Where is the president? What is he doing? Can I talk to him?"The presidential military aide was forced to explain:"Sir, he is watching the golf tournament with several friends. I've approached him twice with your request. I've communicated your concerns about the window of opportunity and about the pilots being prepared and ready to go. "I'm an Air Force pilot myself, sir." Patterson told Berger. "I understand the ramifications. I'll try again."For the third time in an hour, the military aide desperately tried to get Clinton to focus on the mission - hoping he would appreciate that further delay could jeopardize the lives of U.S. pilots now waiting for his order.But Clinton remained oblivious. "Tell Berger that I'll give him a call on my way back to the White House," he said, in what Patterson describes as an "indifferent" tone of voice. "That's all," Clinton added, in words the military man understood to mean the president didn't want to hear any more about the problem. "I called Mr. Berger and explained that the president would contact him from the limo," Patterson recalled. "We both knew what that meant. We'd missed our opportunity."The trusted soldier says he remains haunted by the episode. "Human lives were at stake - the lives of American service members and the lives of our allies who opposed Saddam at our behest and were now under attack. "At a time when America's honor and grander principles were being challenged and the world was watching our every move...the president was watching golf."
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wow, clinton what were you thinking?
- Thread starter farkle84
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Dave Shutter
Registered User
Farkle...I don't know which cable channel it is, but be careful what you flick at in the afternoons. Some channel has been airing College lecturs during the day of a class on the Clinton Presidency. As you can imagine; some flaming liberal prof. carries on for hours on how brilliant and courageous his leadership was, particulary his speeches. Um...don't other people write those things?
Wow, I sometimes wish I could be ignorantly blind and blissfull, life would be so much more pleasant!
Wow, I sometimes wish I could be ignorantly blind and blissfull, life would be so much more pleasant!
wildflyin69
Grad of OCS 187 Charlie Co. 3rd Plt.
While I didn't like Clinton at all, I don't quite believe he was THAT stupid...
"Push the stick foward, the houses get bigger; pull back, the houses get smaller... unless you keep pulling back, then they get bigger again."
"Push the stick foward, the houses get bigger; pull back, the houses get smaller... unless you keep pulling back, then they get bigger again."
I picked Dereliction of Duty up off the shelf at Barnes and Noble a couple of days ago. Definitely recommended reading, although I'm sure every left-winger would be screaming "right-wing conspiracy" after the first 10 pages. Even more amazing is the fact that this idiot actually LOST his card w/ the nuclear authentication codes not once, but two or three times!
Can't remember exactly how many times the book said it happened, but thank God Kim Jong Il didn't get a bug up his ass at that particular moment. It's absolutely hilarious reading about how henpecked the guy was too. Didn't realize how much of an astronomical b***h Hillary was to the troops (not to mention her husband). Definitely worth the read to realize what a sleazeball we had in the White House.
If God isn't a Penn State fan, than why is the sky blue and white?
If God isn't a Penn State fan, than why is the sky blue and white?
what else should we expect from a man who ran on a platform of cutting the military budget as much as possible because of his utter hatred for the military??? (and nittany03, the reason the sky is blue and white is because God is a Villanova fan
you know, the REAL blue and white!)
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