> Notice that Bush's reasoning basically seems to rest on the fact that,
> since other NATO countries wanted to intervene, we ought to go along for
> the ride.
.
That's not exactly what Bush said. He said he supported the bombing because
it was important for U.S. relations with NATO. That's exactly the same
reason that Clinton supported the bombing. As one of his foreign policy
advisors told the Washington Post the day the bombing started...
["there are massive bloodbaths all over the world and we're not intervening in them." The difference, the adviser said, is that "this one's in the heart of Europe. I'd argue that the alliance itself is at risk because if it's unable to address a major threat within Europe, it really loses its reason for being."]
And it goes without saying that the only way a military body like NATO can "address" a problem like Kosovo is with cruise missiles. Otherwise it "loses its reason for being."
Are we forgetting the many *enthusiastic* supporters of the war on the Right? Jeanne Kirkpatrick, Bob Dole, William Kristol, Robert Bartley, Caspar Weinberger... These people are all humanitarians, I gather?
Seth
> Once the bombing commenced, Kissinger, McCain, and others who were
> initially not big proponents of the intervention decided that the US and
> NATO should go to any lengths to ensure success and demonstrate the
> continued viability of NATO. Given Bush's (time-worn Republican
> isolationist) rhetoric about the US's need to step back from its foolish
> role as the world's police man and instead focus on protecting our
> national interests, I doubt he would've been any more than a reluctant
> warrior in NATO's campaign if he'd been in Clinton's shoes.
>
> > Kissinger opposed it precisely because he thought it was > an
> *unbrilliant* piece of imperialism. He's believed since the early > 1960's
> that NATO is ultimately doomed.
>
> What do you know? As regards the former claim, Kissinger was absolutely
> correct. The intervention was so very inept if viewed as imperialism that
> it's a continuing wonder to me that a great many people insist on doing
> so.
>
> -- Luke
>
>