renata
26th February 2003, 10:09 PM
Link (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/cdh/20030226/lo_cdh/bush__doesn_t_recall__talk_of_assassination)
Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) could be a military target during war, but President Bush (news - web sites) "doesn't recall" whether he told U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald he would order the Iraqi leader's assassination if the opportunity arose, Bush's chief spokesman said Tuesday.
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That debate was sparked after Fitzgerald, an Inverness Republican, recounted to the Daily Herald editorial board Monday how Bush recently told him he would reverse the ban and sign off on Hussein's assassination.
"I have personally talked to the president about this and if we had intelligence on where he was now, and we had a clear shot to assassinate him, we would probably do that," Fitzgerald said, later adding that Bush said he would reverse the ban during a talk the two had aboard Air Force One.
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Assassinating Hussein rapidly became the topic of national and international headlines Tuesday. Fitzgerald's remarks were the subject of the first question Fleischer fielded at the daily White House press briefing.
"The president doesn't recall if he said it or he didn't say it. The staff doesn't recall the president saying it," Fleischer said. "But (the) bottom line remains the same, the executive order is in place, and so it's a hypothetical that doesn't exist."
Fitzgerald refused Tuesday to discuss his conversation with Bush, even after Fleischer said there was "some uncertainty in Sen. Fitzgerald's mind" about when and where the conversation took place.
Now, I do not think assassinating Hussein is a bad idea. It may be a grand idea- I do not know enough to judge. I also do not know whether Senator Fitzgerald is prone to lying, exaggeration or bad memory. But I would hope that the President of the United States would be able to recall whether he discussed assassinating Saddam Hussein. It is not like they are asking him to remember what he had for breakfast! Perhaps it would not be in the interest of national security to reveal this issue, but I would hope the White House would come with a better double-speak.
Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) could be a military target during war, but President Bush (news - web sites) "doesn't recall" whether he told U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald he would order the Iraqi leader's assassination if the opportunity arose, Bush's chief spokesman said Tuesday.
..
That debate was sparked after Fitzgerald, an Inverness Republican, recounted to the Daily Herald editorial board Monday how Bush recently told him he would reverse the ban and sign off on Hussein's assassination.
"I have personally talked to the president about this and if we had intelligence on where he was now, and we had a clear shot to assassinate him, we would probably do that," Fitzgerald said, later adding that Bush said he would reverse the ban during a talk the two had aboard Air Force One.
..
Assassinating Hussein rapidly became the topic of national and international headlines Tuesday. Fitzgerald's remarks were the subject of the first question Fleischer fielded at the daily White House press briefing.
"The president doesn't recall if he said it or he didn't say it. The staff doesn't recall the president saying it," Fleischer said. "But (the) bottom line remains the same, the executive order is in place, and so it's a hypothetical that doesn't exist."
Fitzgerald refused Tuesday to discuss his conversation with Bush, even after Fleischer said there was "some uncertainty in Sen. Fitzgerald's mind" about when and where the conversation took place.
Now, I do not think assassinating Hussein is a bad idea. It may be a grand idea- I do not know enough to judge. I also do not know whether Senator Fitzgerald is prone to lying, exaggeration or bad memory. But I would hope that the President of the United States would be able to recall whether he discussed assassinating Saddam Hussein. It is not like they are asking him to remember what he had for breakfast! Perhaps it would not be in the interest of national security to reveal this issue, but I would hope the White House would come with a better double-speak.