Bob Dole said the "thoughts and prayers" of America went with U.S. forces that fired on Iraq early Tuesday, drawing thanks from President Clinton in a mid-morning phone call to Salt Lake City.
Earlier Dole had taken a swipe at the president, commenting that he hoped the cruise missile attack "marks the beginning of decisive action" by the administration to end Saddam Hussein's defiance of the world community.The GOP nominee, who prior to the U.S. air strike had suggested "weak leadership" by Clinton resulted in the need for action against Saddam, closed ranks behind the administration after Clinton ordered the U.S. attack on selected targets in Iraq.
"I want the American people to know that I stand foursquare behind our men and women in uniform," Dole said. "They should know that the thoughts and prayers of every American - for their safety and successful completion of their mission - are with them."
Dole and Clinton talked by phone for about five minutes at about 9:30 a.m. MDT.
"The president expressed appreciation for Senator Dole's statement," said Dole spokesman Nelson War-field.
"The bottom line is Saddam Hussein is an outlaw, he's a tyrant, a butcher," and the United States can't tolerate any further aggression by him, Dole told the American Legion convention Tuesday afternoon.
He said, "I trust this development marks the beginning of decisive action by the United States to curtail the power of Saddam Hussein, and the end of his defiance of the international community and of his atrocities against the Kurdish minority in Iraq."
The U.S. goal in Iraq, Dole added, should be to force withdrawal of Iraqi troops from northern Iraq, the release of Kurdish prisoners and a halt to interference with the Kurds by Iran and Iraq. He also urged re-establishment of U.N. weapons inspections in Iraq and an end toSaddam's support of international ter-ror-ism.
Sen. Orrin Hatch said Clinton was right to launch the attack on Iraq but wondered why he didn't respond earlier.
"The president has known for weeks about the Iraqi movements (against Kurds in the United Nation's safe zone in northern Iraq). Why didn't he do something to prevent that action?" Hatch asked.
According to Hatch, Clinton's "indecisiveness" is being exploited by Saddam and other world tyrants. "He has a tendency to back down after he has made a decision," Hatch said of the president.
The Republican senator also criticized the president for declining an invitation to speak to the American Legion convention in Salt Lake City, calling it "a big mistake."
Hatch, who himself was about to address the convention, speculated that Clinton feared the legionnaires' reaction to his opposition to Hatch's proposed constitutional amendment banning desecration of the American flag.
As thousands of flags were being distributed at the Salt Palace Convention Center, Hatch said he intended to raise the issue in his remarks Tuesday.