Bombing Iraq and Impeachment

There may be some debate about the definition of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” but Wednesday we got a better idea of another impeachable offense, “treason.” While American troops are fighting a war, Sen. Trent Lott and Rep. Dick Armey openly oppose the actions of American fighting forces and criticize the commander in chief for taking the only sane option the president could have taken. If he had done nothing, they would have attacked him for being fatally weakened by the scandal and unable to lead the nation. When he acts, they attack him for having ulterior motives.

As for their claim that President Clinton dictated the timing of this round of bombing, they haven’t been studying recent history and Saddam Hussein’s uncanny ability to manipulate American policy and control events to his own advantage. Can’t they see that Saddam chose this week for his move because he knew that the impeachment hearings and the Republican Congress would tie the president’s hands and prevent an American response? When the president does the right thing, you must give him credit.

SAUL J. FAERSTEIN

Beverly Hills

*

The U.S. government seems completely out of control. The power to declare war is the constitutional responsibility of Congress, not the president. Three of the five permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Russia, France and China, oppose the U.S. bombings.

Instead of dealing with a declaration of war, the Congress wants to impeach the president for personal misbehavior. The U.S. government, president and Congress are violating the Constitution and international law. Impeach all of them for the high crime of engaging in illegal mass murder.

JOHN OWEN

Los Angeles

*

Clinton’s newest bombing of Iraq in order to derail or delay the impeachment process is literally laughable it is so transparent. It would be as funny as the movie “Wag the Dog,” if it were not so pathetic and tragic for both the U.S. and Iraq. Remember that lives are lost when bombs drop.

Is it possible that Clinton and his disciples actually believe the public is as ignorant, stupid and amoral as they treat us? Maybe we are. The opinion polls show that a lot of people live in a political dream world, seemingly divorced from morals or ethics, one where the president’s “numbers” go up every time another deceit or corruption is announced. I guess the old adage applies: People get the leaders they deserve.

TERRY NELSON

Huntington Beach

*

I believe President Clinton made the right call in both the decision to bomb Iraq and the timing of the bombing. I believe President Clinton is the wrong person to make this call. It is bad for the country to have a president making such decisions who does not have the trust of the Congress or the public. His motives are justifiably questioned, though in this case I think his motives were good.

President Clinton should resign for the good of the country to remove the cloud of distrust from his decisions.

RYAL HAAKENSON

Covina

*

Lott should be tried for treason. Failing that, he should be censured and impeached.

DOROTHY MELVILLE

San Juan Capistrano

*

I question the timing of the attack on Iraq. I do believe we had to attack sooner or later, but give me a break, not a few hours before Clinton was to be impeached. More than ever, most of us do not trust Clinton. Is he telling us the truth this time?

He lied under oath. Perjury requires action. Impeach Clinton.

ROBERT ACOSTA

Sylmar

*

Seeing and hearing the venom with which the Republican congressmen attack our good president has made some of us wonder just how great this hatred is. We now know--the Republicans hate Bill Clinton more than they hate Saddam Hussein.

AL DIBRELL

Adelanto

*

From a registered Democrat: Hussein has been thumbing his nose at Clinton for six years. Operation Desert Impeachment Delay shows that both these brats are unstable and gotta go!

JIM LAY

Placentia

*

The military action against Iraq did not occur the day before the impeachment vote; it occurred the day after the U.N. arms inspector’s report.

CHARLES CRAWFORD

Los Angeles

*

How easily Republicans forget; if George Bush had finished the job there wouldn’t be any tail wagging any dog, would there?

RUDY PASCUAL

Norwalk

*

To my friends who want Clinton impeached, I said his behavior was dangerous and disgusting, but it did not meet the constitutional definition of an impeachable offense. Now he has killed people to gain political advantage. Now legalistic arguments are irrelevant. Now he must go.

JERRY BRADLEY

Santa Barbara

*

Saddam Hussein may not be a registered Republican, but he is definitely stupid enough to be one.

CLARENCE BERMAN

Redondo Beach

*

The Arab states are tenuous allies, at best. How will these states react to the new bombing of Iraq for the sake of delaying the impeachment proceedings and keeping Clinton in office? If even our Congress and the American public are skeptical as to Clinton’s motive to bomb at this precise time, overseas the bombing will be viewed as just that delaying effort.

What will be the long-term consequences for alliances with Arab states? Will they concur with future efforts of the U.S. or U.N. or NATO? What will be the long-term effect on our ability to persuade developing countries that democracy is a valid form of government to be pursued? Talk about putting personal gain before the interest of the country!

DAVID G. CAVENA

Glendora

*

With regard to the seemingly unusual coincidental timing of the bombing of Iraq, it should be noted that the GOP investigation of the president has been going on continuously, more or less, for four years running. There are bound to be one or two inconveniences to their important work, such as running the government, for example.

MARTIN ELKORT

Los Angeles

*

At a press conference commenting on U.S. military strikes against Iraq, incoming Speaker Bob Livingston stated: “Any question on the president’s timing should be left to the judgment of the American people.”

But, when it comes to the equally important question of impeaching a president, Livingston doesn’t care squat about the judgment of the American people. He has proven himself to be a partisan-driven hypocrite, unqualified to judge the president’s behavior.

DAVID NEAL

Camarillo

*

According to the hateful little Republicans in Congress, the sole obligation of President Clinton is to answer to their manufactured impeachment inquest: Anything else becomes an evasion of responsibility, including his efforts to control an Iraqi nut-job whose initial adventures into mass murder were actively encouraged by a Reagan administration that remains to Republicans a source of nostalgia and pride and to the rest of us an example of profound and embarrassing stupidity.

JACK KLEIN

Tarzana