"Clinton willing to risk global war in desperate attempt to redefine legacy"

By DOUG THOMPSON

Bill Clinton's failing Kosovo war is part of a desperate, dangerous and fatally flawed plan by a scandal-ridden President to salvage a legacy for the history books, White House and Pentagon insiders say.

In fact, the President is willing to risk a global military conflict to shift the emphasis on his Presidency away from the many sex and money scandals that have dogged his administration, interviews with present and past White House and Pentagon staff members reveal.

Interviews conducted over the past two weeks show an increasingly isolated President whose obsession with his place in the history books has led him to ignore the recommendations not only of career military officers, but also of many close aides.

"The President is standing alone on a lot of this," says one White House aide. "He's finder fewer and fewer people who are willing to stick with him over Kosovo. He's backed himself, his administration and his country into a corner."

Two who are sticking with Clinton are National Security Advisor Sandy Berger and Secretary of State Madeline Albright, who aides say would follow Clinton anywhere.

"Berger and Albright put their loyalty to Clinton above their oaths to serve the constitution," says military analyst Sander Owen. "It's pathetic to watch."

At the Pentagon, senior officers now call the President the "draft dodger in chief," and sneer at his inability to grasp simple military tactics.

"The man is an ass," says one career officer. "He has no concept of a military operation. To him, it's just a video game. What we don't know is how many body bags it will take to make this jerk face reality."

Arnold Crittendon, a retired intelligence analyst, says Clinton has become a "laughing stock" in both the military and intelligence communities.

"His political motives are so blatant that they would be farcical if we weren't talking about the lives of American soldiers," Crittendon says. "There wasn't that much respect for the man to begin with. What little there was is long gone now."

Clinton, who often turns to history to justify his actions, has told aides that Richard Nixon, who resigned from office in the Watergate scandal, will be remembered more for his foreign policy accomplishments than the scandal that ended his Presidency.

"There's a real irony here," says one White House staffer. "The President's troubles have often been compared with those of Nixon. Now he's using Nixon as a model to justify his actions in Kosovo."

Aides say that Clinton started focusing more on foreign policy when it became clear he would not be convicted in the Senate impeachment trial.

"He wanted to find some foreign policy arena where a bold stroke would showcase his administration as a world leader," one former aide says. "When it became clear that he was focusing on Kosovo, a lot of people tried to talk him out of it. But Bill Clinton is a man who won't let go of something once he focuses on it. He was sure that defeating a tyrant would restore his place in history."

But military planners told Clinton he could not win a limited air war in Kosovo.

"The President was advised that his strategy was flawed and did not serve the national interest," says one Pentagon planner, "but he wasn't interested in hearing the facts."

Now, with the air war turning into a global fiasco and some calling for sending in ground troops, Clinton is faced with either a full commitment or a pullout that will be seen worldwide as a defeat.

"The President is really facing only two choices," says one White House aide. "He can get out before American lives are lost or he can increase the commitment and plunge the country into a prolonged war that will undoubtedly lead to American casualties."

Former Navy Capt. Al Simonson says he knows several career military professionals who are willing to resign their commissions rather than continue to serve under Clinton.

"I've been around the military for more than 30 years and I have never seen morale this low," Simonson says. "Bill Clinton has destroyed the soul of our armed forces."

At this point, few at either the White House or the Pentagon are willing to guess which direction the President will go.

"There's a real feeling at the Pentagon that the President may have gone off the deep end on this one," says retired Air Force officer Matthew Higgins. "He has become very unpredictable on this one."

"A few weeks ago, we all would have said that Clinton would give up as soon as the going got tough," says a high-ranking Pentagon officer. "But no one is really sure what he will do now. He's obsessed with this thing and that makes him both unpredictable and dangerous."

A psychologist who treats obsessions says Clinton's preoccupation with his legacy could be viewed by mental health professionals as a warning sign over the President's stability.

"There are enough outward signs that the President is so driven by his obsession with his legacy that it could be affecting his mental judgments," says Dr. Stephanie Crossfield. "If I were consulting on the President's case, I would recommend further evaluation of his condition."

The White House did not return phone calls seeking comment on this report. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

why am I NOT surprised.

Your tax dollars at work folks...

Home

Capitol Hill Blue is published daily on the web. Some material is )The Associated Press and ) Reuters NewMedia.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 06, 1999

Answers

Huh? Are you kidding?

"Capitol Hill Blue" is just another third-rate right-wing rag which passes off its lame-ass opinions as "news."

Do you really think we're that stupid, Andy?

-- Give me a break! (Duh!@please.com), April 06, 1999.

Duh,

"Do you really think we're that stupid, Andy?" of course not, moron, this forum is not very not stupid.

Duh.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 06, 1999.

Gee Andy,

I think that "Duh" was in reference to you! And how your conservative thinking is insulting to intelligents.

Do you need help, Andy? Er, I mean "Kandy"? You're not yourself lately.

Do you need help getting back to Britain?

Maybe you just need some sleep, Kandy. Try to sleeeeeep, Kandy.

-- Want to help Andy (Needshelp@britain.coo), April 06, 1999.

FWIW, seeing things from here inside the beltway (and being one of those conservative "right wing" types myself), Capitol Hill Blue *does* tend to represent their readership fairly accurately...and their readership *does* include a lot of military and former/retired military personnel.

...and also FWIW, Andy, none of us 'right wing' former military types were surprised by this either....

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), April 06, 1999.

hmmmmphhff.... hmmmppphhhhhffff... rrrrrggghhhh (can't hold it anymore) HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!! Andy, my man, youre priceless. Keep it coming, chief!

-- Beyond Amused (chortling@snickering.edu), April 06, 1999.

Why do we flame the messenger? He didn't write the news,he's just bringing it to us. We have the choice then to believe it, not believe it, research it, or whatever.

-- sue (deco100@aol.com), April 06, 1999.

Andy, your critics are using their typical Democratic logical thought processes. The numerical equivalent of 1+2 = 5. A lot of people have acquired the skill of reading and writing but their trained brains (like a monkey) cannot handle the bigger picture. Continue to post your articles and opinions.

-- Joe-CAPof36years (Watching@Crooks2.com), April 06, 1999.

I personally think we shouldn't have jumped into this Kosovo tragedy. But......it seems to me that no matter how bad Clinton wanted to "protect his legacy," as you claim, by going to Yugoslavia, it would have been impossible without the backing of the Joint Chiefs, Cohen and a good portion of Republicans, many of whom have spoken out publicly in favor of the action. This was not a one man decision. And to blame it all on one person is just another example of how far the right wing will go to villify anyone that doesn't march lockstep in the direction of their agenda.

-- gilda jessie (jess@listbot.com), April 06, 1999.

Gilda,

The Capitol Hill blue is NOT the only source for this side of the story. The more main stream press is and has reported that this is a Presidentially Controled Effort. He really doesn't need the JCS to support what he asks (orders *cringe*) the military to do. He *does* have the authority (titular) to say "Go thou and do thusly" and fully expect that the people who have been told, will go and do thusly, without regard to what "thusly" might be, or their views on "thusly".

Once again, we are being treated to the concept of "not inhaling". For the first time, we are doing a war without inhaling. The original falacy (trust me, I'm old enough to know about "not inhaling") may never be exposed, but the current one will be, as we either open up a ground offensive in about 12 weeks (assuming that we aren't simply sending 20,000 or so troops to inspect the abatoir, from the inside), or pull out and declare "Victory", having succeeded in NOTHING beyond getting some experience in mountain fighting from the air.

I am intensely concerned that, at this point, in search of a quick fix, he will order the (mis)use of the soon to be 2 MEU's in the region, on the ground. this will be truly an abatoir inspection, from the inside, or business end. Not a good prospect.

As always, JMNTBHO, and YMMV.

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (reinzoo@en.com), April 06, 1999.

Gilda et al,

I am NOT a right wing, or left wing for that matter whacko. Or is it waco or wacko, we hear so much about folks like myself in the "news" these days (wonder why...), just keep your eyes peeled and your ears to the tundra.

Tthe beauty of this forum is that people are NOT stupid and do NOT obey the usual blind propa.. part.. line...

I hope you GUYS and GALS prove the whole world wrong by showing an interest and understanding of this for a change... confuse the n'erdowells... the mandarins (hey, they never read this crap, the read "Executive" reports eh Flint, Mutha F and co. ,,, )

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 06, 1999.

Exactly what does this have to do with Y2K??? I believe political bullshit is two doors that way. ---->

Most everyone on this forum agrees that Herr Klinton is an ass, and that Kosovo is a mistake. What exactly does all this relate to Y2K??? Survivalism has lots of forums too, FOUR doors that way. ---->

Am I the only one that thinks there is a great buildup of a lot of events that are going to come to a head around 01/01/00?

Coincidence?

The Dog

-- Dog (desert dog @-sand.com), April 06, 1999.

Kosovo is an expensive distraction. No more Chinagate, no more Y2K coverage, no more Monica, no more rape charges, no more Whitewater, no more marriage breakup stories, no more Ken Starr, ONLY KOSOVO. WJC wants to be a tough guy now kick some ass with American war toys. Save the drug dealing KLA and those poor refugees. Anything to wag the dog. Y2K will hit the world economy like a ton of bricks, and WJC will have an excuse, "We are at war, sorry we did not finish in time, but we are at war......"

-- Bill (y2khippo@yahoo.com), April 06, 1999.

Bill at hippo, as ever, is spot on.

"Am I the only one that thinks there is a great buildup of a lot of events that are going to come to a head around 01/01/00?"

No of course not you bleedin' newbi :)

Good luck!

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 06, 1999.

No offense Andy, but I got your "newbie" hanging. ;)

If Billy boy isn't careful he will get much more than he bargained for...

The Dog

-- Dog (desert dog @-sand.com), April 06, 1999.

Nope, dont' buy it. This is a smoke screen. Clinton is only taking orders. The Kosovo war has been orchestrated from the get-go, and will be until the whole mess is over.

-- Orwelliator (orwelliator@biosys.net), April 06, 1999.

Clinton thinks he's JFK reincarnated, didn't he start Vietnam

but at least JFK was a "real" ladies man (much to the annoyance of J Edgar)

quaint expression I know

-- dick of the dale (rdale@coynet.com), April 06, 1999.

Dog wrote: "Exactly what does this have to do with Y2K???... Am I the only one that thinks there is a great buildup of a lot of events that are going to come to a head around 01/01/00?"

You answered your own question, Dog. And no, I think several of us expect many different events to coincide around the century date change.

-- Nabi Davidson (nabi7@yahoo.com), April 06, 1999.

As I said before....Clinton will prove out to be America's Hitler.

Hitler didn't listen to HIS advisors either.

He was obsessed with HIS agenda.....just as Clinton is with his.

All heil the king!

-- INVAR (gundark@sw.net), April 06, 1999.

And of course all the NATO chiefs just follow around after Clinton as they are just his little puppy dogs. And no one will break silence with anything but the worst of the right wing rags. Look, Andy, if the Staff was that upset with Clinton they would resign from the Staff, or even retire. And then talk to the Post or the Times. Get a grip.

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), April 06, 1999.

Paul,

I see your grasp of political reality is on a par with your understanding of Y2K.

-- Nabi Davidson (nabi7@yahoo.com), April 06, 1999.

Its always money, just follow the money stupid. Every newspaper would like to print articles like this. They can't afford to and neither can the reporters who would be black listed. Just follow the money.

-- thinkIcan (thinkIcan@make.it), April 06, 1999.

Here's how it looks to the outside world, according to PNG :

"The international media version of the NATO/Serbian War and the U.S. media version are at odds. The international version is that President Clinton has once again shown his deceitful nature. This man respects no law or charter. He has made a mockery of international law, sovereign nation status, NATO and the UN.

The Secretary of State is operating with an emotional conflict of interest from her childhood memories. Diplomacy is the attempt to cooperate or diffuse without emotion.

The current administration is viewed as completely unworthy of trust. Real diplomacy occurs behind closed doors with a modicum of trust at your word required. The words "arrogant, manipulative and unreliable" are on the foreign policy report card for this administration.

Long-term damage to international relations has ocurred. How much more will be done in the remaining 21 months of this administration? Predicting the actions of China and North Korea may easier than predicting the future foreign and trade policies of this administration."

BTW, have any of you noticed how much the Secretary of State resembles the puppet with the wide brimmed black hat in the Puppet Master horror movies?

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), April 06, 1999.

Doesn't work like that Paul...

Keep trying - life is short...

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 07, 1999.