Politifact: Bernie's suggestion that Madeleine Albright supported the Iraq war is mostly false

[Cali_Democrat]

By Linda Qiu

<...>

Bernie Sanders is feuding with a female former secretary of state over foreign policy, but her name isn’t Hillary Clinton.

On NBC’s Meet the Press, host Chuck Todd played Sanders a clip of Madeleine Albright, who supports Clinton and served as President Bill Clinton’s top diplomat, expressing concern over Sanders’ lack of foreign policy knowledge and interest. Sanders dismissed Albright’s suggestion and, in turn, questioned her judgment.


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Our ruling


Sanders said, "Tell me what Madeleine Albright’s position was on the War in Iraq. ... I wouldn’t be surprised if she supported that war."

While Albright has voiced support for the troops and said she understands the rationale behind the war, her comments suggest she would have rather avoided the invasion.

We rate Sanders’ claim Mostly False.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/feb/07/bernie-s/foreign-policy-spat-bernie-sanders-suggests-madele/

[beam me up scottie]

1. Already posted, poutrage is over. Probably not advisable to keep bringing up the Iraq war:

"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members...

It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons. Should he succeed in that endeavor, he could alter the political and security landscape of the Middle East, which as we know all too well, effects American security.

This is a very difficult vote, this is probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make. Any vote that might lead to war should be hard, but I cast it with conviction."

In March 2003 she fully endorsed the invasion:

There is a very easy way to prevent anyone from being put into harm's way, and that is for Saddam Hussein to disarm, and I have absolutely no belief that he will. I have to say that this is something I have followed for more than a decade.

For now nearly 20 years, the principal reason why women and children in Iraq have suffered, is because of Saddam's leadership.

The very difficult question for all of us, is how does one bring about the disarmament of someone with such a proven track record of a commitment, if not an obsession, with weapons of mass destruction.

I ended up voting for the Resolution after carefully reviewing the information and intelligence I had available, talking with people whose opinions I trusted, trying to discount political or other factors that I didn't believe should be in any way a part of this decision, and it is unfortunate that we are at the point of a potential military action to enforce the resolution. That is not my preference, it would be far preferable if we had legitimate cooperation from Saddam Hussein, and a willingness on his part to disarm, and to account for his chemical and biological storehouses.

With respect to whose responsibility it is to disarm Saddam Hussein, I do not believe that given the attitudes of many people in the world community today that there would be a willingness to take on very difficult problems were it not for United States leadership.

She even claimed that what we did to Iraq was a gift:

Hillary Goes Orwellian on Iraq

Hillary Clinton may fancy she opposes the war in Iraq, but she has a funny way of showing it. On Monday night in Austin, she had this to say about what the United States military has done over the past five years:

"We have given them the gift of freedom, the greatest gift you can give someone. Now it is really up to them to determine whether they will take that gift."

There was nothing accidental about this line. She delivered it in response to two Iraq veterans introduced at a town hall meeting at the Austin Convention Center by her friend and campaign surrogate Ted Danson. She liked the line enough that she delivered it again a couple of hours later, at a campaign-closing rally at a basketball arena in south Austin.

"The gift of freedom" is, of course, a curious way to describe an unprovoked invasion and occupation causing hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths and leaving just about every aspect of life chaotic and fraught with daily dangers. To then lay responsibility for the mess on the Iraqis -- we did our bit, now you do yours -- is the worst kind of dishonesty, a complete abdication of moral principles. It's the sort of thing George Bush has said to justify his decision both to launch the invasion in the first place and then stay the course -- a course Hillary Clinton has spent many months telling primary and caucus voters she thinks was misconceived from the start.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-gumbel/hillary-goes-orwellian-on_b_89729.html

[guillaumeb]

3. It is so easy to find information like this. Great response.

[guillaumeb]

2. Albright was a defender of William Clinton's war, called sanctions.

Her record, as well as her opinions, should be filtered through the knowledge that she had no problem waging war against civilians.

[Cali_Democrat]

4. I suppose the relevant question in this case pertains to Bernie's suggestion

that Albright supported the Iraq war launched by GWB.

She did not.

He lied.

[guillaumeb]

10. His suggestion was actually a question

Sanders said, "Tell me what Madeleine Albright’s position was on the War in Iraq. ... I wouldn’t be surprised if she supported that war."

While Albright has voiced support for the troops and said she understands the rationale behind the war, her comments suggest she would have rather avoided the invasion.

And Albright's support for the Clinton-era sanctions that resulted in hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians suggests that her "rather have avoided the invasion" is a tactical avoidance rather than one based on law.

[Cali_Democrat]

11. Nope. The question was separate from the suggestion. Nice try though.

The question:

Tell me what Madeleine Albright’s position was on the War in Iraq," Sanders asked.

The suggestion:

"I wouldn’t be surprised if she supported that war," Sanders said.

----------------------

You really should read a little more carefully before replying next time.

[Vattel]

16. You really should read more carefully.

To say "I wouldn't be surprised if she supported that war" is not to claim that she supported that war." Besides, she mostly objected to the timing of the war and she did say point blank that the war was justified. So politifact is full of shit on this one.

[Motown_Johnny]

5. He asked what it was and said he wouldn't be surprised if she did.

That is not an untrue statement.


It brings to light that even Sec. Albright saw what Hillary could not see, that the IWR should not have been passed.



If you want to complain about a lie, then you should go find someone who was claiming Hillary was "Surging" right before New Hampshire. Now That was one hell of a whopper!

[Bohemianwriter]

6. What does "support the troops" mean in this context?

"she understands the rationale behind the war"...

Right! As if there were any reasonable rationale behind any pre-emptive war.
But perhaps someone can explain that to me?

[NurseJackie]

7. Color me shocked!

[Sheepshank]

8. ahhh I see upthread that Bernie cannot be wrong or lie because of Iraq!!!! that is bullshit n/t

[riversedge]

9. Bernie's Foreign Policy is his no vote--that is all he has for a Foreign policy--and he is too

eager to jump on anyone associated with Hillary--and ASSumes wrong ideas.

[bahrbearian]

13. Hilary's foreign policy, Invade Iraq, Coup in Honduras, Bomb Libya , block ban on Cluster Bombs...

Sell Bombs and Weapons, Bomb Syria, Supply Saudi Arabia bombs to use in Yemen... on and on. But Henry Kissinger approves.

[nichomachus]

14. As opposed to Hillary, whose foreign policy experience

Has been an unmitigated disaster. She was incompetent and left the world a much worse place.

[Vattel]

15. She said it was justified.

Besides Sanders didn't claim that she supported the war. He said he didn't know. So I rate politifact's claims mostly false.

"Now, I don’t really know this. Maybe the answer is different. Tell me what Madeleine Albright’s position was on the War in Iraq," Sanders asked.

"I don’t know," Todd admitted.

"I wouldn’t be surprised if she supported that war," Sanders said. "The issue here is not just experience. The issue here is judgment."