The attacks on the Kurds were in 87 and 88. Less than accurate once again when it comes to the Bushs Don. The Reagan administration helped bolster Iraq as a counter to Iran. A poor set of choices, but then who would you and your fellow liberals have proposed bolstering to counter Iran and keep it from exporting it's religious extremism. Reagan chose the easy way of using a surrogate and undoubtedly will be ridiculed for it by liberals. Bush chose the hard way and removed a threat directly and is ridiculed by liberals. Clinton ignored the issue of Islamic Extremism and let the problems fester to the point of 911, but gets no blame from liberals.

In reality unlike conservative's and liberal's world views international choices are not black and white. The choice of isolation carries negative consequences. The choice of activism carries negative consequences. Most choices in life do. Focusing only on short term negatives rather than potential long term benefits is no way to run your life, domestic, or foreign policy.

We should never have supported Saddam, but we were not willing to pay the potential price in Arab resentment of confronting Iran more directly just as Clinton was afraid to strongly counter Al-quieda or offend Arab sensibilities. Temerity has a price too.

Mark