Taking Snipergate up a notch

Christopher Hitchens accuses Hillary Clinton of "flagrant, hysterical, repetitive, pathological lying about her visit to Bosnia." And then he gets really harsh!

[H]ere is the historical rather than personal aspect [of the controversy], which is what you should keep your eye on. Note the date of Sen. Clinton's visit to Tuzla. She went there in March 1996. By that time, the critical and tragic phase of the Bosnia war was effectively over, as was the greater part of her husband's first term. What had happened in the interim? In particular, what had happened to the 1992 promise, four years earlier, that genocide in Bosnia would be opposed by a Clinton administration?

In the event, President Bill Clinton had not found it convenient to keep this promise. Let me quote from Sally Bedell Smith's admirable book on the happy couple, For Love of Politics:

Taking the advice of Al Gore and National Security Advisor Tony Lake, Bill agreed to a proposal to bomb Serbian military positions while helping the Muslims acquire weapons to defend themselves—the fulfillment of a pledge he had made during the 1992 campaign. But instead of pushing European leaders, he directed Secretary of State Warren Christopher merely to consult with them. When they balked at the plan, Bill quickly retreated, creating a "perception of drift." The key factor in Bill's policy reversal was Hillary, who was said to have "deep misgivings" and viewed the situation as "a Vietnam that would compromise health-care reform." The United States took no further action in Bosnia, and the "ethnic cleansing" by the Serbs was to continue for four more years, resulting in the deaths of more than 250,000 people.

I can personally witness to the truth of this, too. I can remember, first, one of the Clintons' closest personal advisers—Sidney Blumenthal—referring with acid contempt to Warren Christopher as "a blend of Pontius Pilate with Ichabod Crane." I can remember, second, a meeting with Clinton's then-Secretary of Defense Les Aspin at the British Embassy. When I challenged him on the sellout of the Bosnians, he drew me aside and told me that he had asked the White House for permission to land his own plane at Sarajevo airport, if only as a gesture of reassurance that the United States had not forgotten its commitments. The response from the happy couple was unambiguous: He was to do no such thing, lest it distract attention from the first lady's health care "initiative."

It's hardly necessary for me to point out that the United States did not receive national health care in return for its acquiescence in the murder of tens of thousands of European civilians. But perhaps that is the least of it. Were I to be asked if Sen. Clinton has ever lost any sleep over those heaps of casualties, I have the distinct feeling that I could guess the answer. She has no tears for anyone but herself. In the end, and over her strenuous objections, the United States and its allies did rescue our honor and did put an end to Slobodan Milosevic and his state-supported terrorism. Yet instead of preserving a polite reticence about this, or at least an appropriate reserve, Sen. Clinton now has the obscene urge to claim the raped and slaughtered people of Bosnia as if their misery and death were somehow to be credited to her account! Words begin to fail one at this point. Is there no such thing as shame? Is there no decency at last? Let the memory of the truth, and the exposure of the lie, at least make us resolve that no Clinton ever sees the inside of the White House again.

Michael Crowley has more, including some potentially contradicting evidence. What's his verdict? "Inconclusive--but suspicious! I say the burden's on Hillary to establish that she really was speaking up about these genocides that moved her so [according to her book]. Thus far, she hasn't made much effort to do so, and I'm not sure she's earned the benefit of the doubt recently." (Via Sully.)

P.S. On the topic of Hillary's lies and deceit, somebody sent me this article. Not sure what, if anything, to make of it. We link, you decide.

Comments

[Jim]

Wow. On that last one, what's the deal. Is that true? How could that not be huge news if it is true?

[jalypso]

Thats ok !!!Right Now its just starting!!
But I want you to be right in the mist
when people start waking up and all that
Brainwashing starts fading away. The medias
ablity to feed the beast begin to playout.
Then you will wittness a mass awakening
unlike the world has ever seen.The Difference is that people who had
believed in the system want.The kaos
will be so great that even among those
right now who feel like they are so
secure will begin to see the true
power of Greed and betrayal among
themselves.No one will be able to
contain it because the program of the
mainframe has been destoryed.If
you never been in a war Zone this
would be far worst because there
is no set enemy.Its alway the same
with these World powers.America
had only one major difference
and it was not it military
might.The founding Fathers built America
on the ultimate Cornerstone
that all pledged to believe
and build upon.They all knew
and understood that know
man is above God and
know people above the
law.Having said that
any mans opinions is
as Good as the next
But when you place
the cornerstone back in proper historical
place.Thats the only thing
that will make
a man listen to
and respect
another man.
Right now we
are all unequal
and the result
will look
third world
are worst.

[jalypso]

Lets make some uproar about those other
big lies !!!You know what Im talking
about the pile of lies!!Flat out
lair Mr. faulty tongue!!!!

This is why Bush endorsed Mccain
Mccain is so clean!!!

[Joe Mama]

The account of Hillary's boss on the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate hearings is completely believable, and not at all surprising.