Associated Press report via WaPo online tonight reports on speech by President Clinton today in Dubai:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
The President's remarks drew cheers and a standing ovation from the students at the forum at the American University of Dubai according to reporter Lara Sukhtian.
Clinton told the audience that Saddam's removal was a good thing but he did not agree with what was done and cited several errors made by the US government:
Thinking removal of Saddam would be easy and not realizing how hard it would be to unite the country afterwards.
Dismantling the country's authority structure.
Failing to send enough troops to control or seal the borders.
Clinton has, until now, been largely muted in expressing opinions on the handling of Iraq and his "friendship" with Bush Sr., strengthened in part by their joint efforts to promote public contributions to disaster relief, has to some seemed to make him too much an "ally" of the Administration.
What is equally interesting is the student response. I don't know enough about the relative "politics" of the American University of Dubai in terms of its student makeup and their position on the Middle East political spectrum, but it does seem that there is a silent group of young Muslims who abhor the terrorism and fundamentalism which is spreading through the region and long for leadership and support for democratic principles in their governments from the US....but not from this Administration. They see through the lies, the hypocrisy, the greed, the ties to corrupt Middle Eastern regimes bound heavily by oil, and they want change, and when they hear the truth spoken by an American who seems to get it, they react positively.
We can only hope that before too much damage is done, a Democratic administration can take power and begin renewed promotion of those principles of democracy which have in recent years, been totally compromised and heavily damaged.