Putting Kerry to His 'Global Test'

One of the more interesting parts of the Bush-Kerry debate in Coral Gables, Florida, was Senator Kerry?s reference to Papa Bush?s Persian Gulf War decision not to go into Baghdad thirteen years ago because there was no viable exit strategy. Undoubtedly, Kerry was intending to needle George W. Bush with this fatherly reference of caution, and perhaps Kerry is choosing to associate himself with Bush pere?s foreign policy. But like most of Kerry?s arguments, this too contains the flawed seeds of contradiction and equivocation.

Regrettably, President George W. Bush did not seize the moment to remind 55 million television viewers that on January 12, 1991, Sen. Kerry actually voted against S.J.RES.2, the congressional authorization that empowered President Bush 41 to liberate Kuwait after Saddam Hussein?s cruel invasion. This little bit of history sheds much light on Kerry?s past and casts a dark shadow over any of his new promises to successfully execute today?s war in Iraq.

Time and again on the campaign trail Kerry argues for a grand international alliance to win the Iraq war. He repeated this in the debate. But in 1991 the U.S. headed a grand alliance of 36 nations that was fully backed by a United Nations resolution. And Kerry still opposed that war to liberate Kuwait. The U.N.-backed coalition included Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar. All the pieces were there, including the cause of justice. Still he voted against it. How, knowing this, can anyone believe Kerry when he says he will show us a better way to defeat our terrorist enemies today?

If ever there was a military action that passed the ?global test? -- which Kerry argued for in the debate -- the Persian Gulf War was it. It overwhelmingly met Kerry?s dubious standard -- and still he opposed it. This reveals a credibility problem of the first order. Almost defining credulity, Kerry said in a brief statement on the Senate floor, in an accompaniment to his vote against the Persian Gulf War, that ?The president made a mistake to unilaterally increase troops, set a date, and make war so probable.?