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Rice Says U.S. Didn't Overthrow Saddam to Spread Democracy
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06/09/08 07:53 AM ET
In a upcoming article in Foreign Affairs, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice writes that the United State did not invade Iraq and topple Saddam Hussein in order to spread Democracy throughout the Middle East but to rid itself of a threat.
"The United States did not overthrow Saddam to democratize the Middle East. It did so to remove a long-standing threat to international security," Rice writes in the July/August edition of Foreign Affairs.
"It is important to remember that we did not overthrow Adolf Hitler to bring democracy to Germany either. But the United States believed that only a democratic Germany could ultimately anchor a lasting peace in Europe," Rice adds.
Rice's claim conflicts with former White House press secretary Scott McClellan's memory of events.
In his much discussed book, McClellan writes that the Bush sold the American public on the war using faulty intelligence because he knew his vision of spreading Democracy throughout the Middle East would not be enough to sway the country.
Rice herself infamously said during the run-up to war in 2003 that she did not want the "smoking gun" on Iraqi WMD to come in the form of to a "mushroom cloud."
McClellan's account puts Bush's vision on Democracy in the Middle East front and center in the President's mind during the push to war, a claim Rice seems to refute.
"The United States did not overthrow Saddam to democratize the Middle East. It did so to remove a long-standing threat to international security," Rice writes in the July/August edition of Foreign Affairs.
"It is important to remember that we did not overthrow Adolf Hitler to bring democracy to Germany either. But the United States believed that only a democratic Germany could ultimately anchor a lasting peace in Europe," Rice adds.
Rice's claim conflicts with former White House press secretary Scott McClellan's memory of events.
In his much discussed book, McClellan writes that the Bush sold the American public on the war using faulty intelligence because he knew his vision of spreading Democracy throughout the Middle East would not be enough to sway the country.
Rice herself infamously said during the run-up to war in 2003 that she did not want the "smoking gun" on Iraqi WMD to come in the form of to a "mushroom cloud."
McClellan's account puts Bush's vision on Democracy in the Middle East front and center in the President's mind during the push to war, a claim Rice seems to refute.
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