Bill Clinton Is Now Anti War Like Dean

About war policy, a few guidelines can be suggested.

1. The military is there for a reason. It can be put to use.
2. But it should only be put to use as the weapon of very last resort after all other political, diplomatic and economic options have been exhausted to the hilt. Because war is always a nasty business. Lives are lost.
   
3. Study the enemy, understand the enemy, measure the stakes, and go in with a very clear goal and strategy.
   
4. Have a clear exit strategy before you go in.
5. Build a coalition. Don't go in alone.
   
6. Go in with full force, wage a decisive victory, and come out swiftly. Do not invent new missions while on ground.
   
7. America is not an empire. Do not make attempts to pretend otherwise. Respect local sentiments against foreign military occupations. In the worst case scenarios, you can be an intervening force, but never an occupying force.
   

I think Bush lost Dean on point (2). Dean was offended that the country got misled into this war. Dean is no pacifist. (Howard Dean Is No Pacifist) It is just that he thinks a president needs to make an honest case for war, and only use it as a weapon of last not first resort.

Now Bill Clinton has gone public against the war, in Dubai. He has broken precedence.

Republican Senators are losing patience. It is not a good feeling that you might have been duped.

Upto two thirds of Americans now oppose the war. That is a lot of confused, angry people out there.

Clinton: Mistakes made in Iraq Newsday, NY
Iraq invasion big mistake: Clinton Trade Arabia
Invading Iraq a big mistake: Clinton Times of India
Bill Clinton Says Iraq War "Was a Big Mistake" About - News & Issues
Hillary Clinton Attacks Cheney on 'Torture' NewsMax.com
Clinton is the world's most powerful agent of change' Economic Times, India
Esquire: Clinton is world's "most influential man" Reuters
I won’t have invaded Iraq the way Bush did: Clinton Peninsula On-line
Iraq Criticism: Fool us once ... Seattle Post Intelligencer
Bubba blasts war New York Daily News, NY
Former President Clinton Says Iraq War 'Big Mistake' Voice of America
Clinton attacks Iraq invasion The Age (subscription), Australia
Clinton: Mistakes made in Iraq invasion Aljazeera.net, Qatar
Clinton says US made 'big mistake' in Iraq MSNBC
Iraq invasion big mistake: Clinton Trade Arabia, Bahrain
Clinton calls invasion ‘big mistake’ Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN