Bill Clinton: “the description of the problems that are currently existing in Iraq and in the region by my friend and colleague is not…”

“the description of the problems that are currently existing in Iraq and in the region by my friend and colleague is not only accurate but, unfortunately, an indictment of the policies of this administration. What has been described in terms of the instability in Iraq and the consequences for further conflict are ones I take very seriously. The issue before us now is what is the best approach we as a nation can take which will fulfill our obligations to our men and women in uniform, which will make clear to the Iraqi Government and people that their lives and futures are at stake, and which will strengthen the hand of the United States diplomatically to deal with the consequences of the misguided policies that have brought us to this point. There are no good answers. Anyone who stands here and believes that he or she has the truth, the facts, understands both what is going on and what is likely to flow from whatever decision we take, is most probably to be proven wrong by reality as it unfolds. Many of us have been searching for the best approach to take with respect to our involvement in Iraq for a number of years, but we don't do it with any sense that we know everything that will happen, no matter what decisions are taken. But what we do have is a history of miscalculation and mistakes we are now attempting to deal with. The Levin-Reed amendment attempts to put into law a new direction for Iraq, one that I and others believe is long overdue.”