Kerry defends pro-war vote

With Election Day a week away and a controversial vote a few weeks under his belt, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry had some questions to answer from angry liberals in the audience.

Many of the attendees at the William Joiner Center’s dinner to celebrate recent research on Vietnam sought answers from Kerry, claiming his recent vote in Congress supporting war with Iraq was a political swivel of values meant to appeal to American middle-voters in a bid for the presidency in 2004.

Amidst the clinking glasses and small talk at the Joiner Center’s posh dinner party to celebrate its 20th year, there was an underlying ambiance of tension. More than 100 veterans and politicians at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum were there not just to celebrate the Center’s research on Vietnam, but to ask for an explanation from Kerry.

Introduced by Center Director Kevin Bowen as “the future president of the United States,” Kerry, whose recent vote was all the more surprising in light of his background as a Vietnam veteran who returned to the States strongly opposed to the war, was the keynote speaker at the event. He took the podium to give the crowd, many of them pacifists, justification for his vote on Iraq two weeks ago.

Despite his vote to give the president the power to wage war on Iraq, Kerry insisted, “Mr. President, I don’t support your doctrine unless there is an imminent threat that requires our action as a matter of survival.”

“If you go at this unilaterally, I and others will oppose you with everything we have, because such action is catastrophic for America,” Kerry said.

Amid applause, Kerry concluded his mock conversation with the president, saying, “There is no question in my mind that the timing of your announcement [about war with Iraqi] in September was inappropriate, crassly cynical and political, and had no business in front of this country at that time.”

Kerry justified his vote by criticizing Saddam Hussein’s past, claiming such analysis should determine future policy toward the Iraqi president.

“After he kicked weapons inspectors out of Iraq in 1998, we made the decision collectively that we can’t trust him or predict what he will do with weapons of mass destruction,” Kerry explained.

As Kerry continued, an angry veteran from the crowd yelled out, “Weapons that we gave him, why don’t you wanna talk about that? Nobody wants to say anything about that!”

“I know, I agree with you, that’s part of the point I’m trying to make,” replied a complacent Kerry. The senator went on to describe that the United States had intercepted more than 40 illegal arms sales to Iraq, claiming countless other sales may have taken place.

Kerry said he believes the United States has two choices on the Iraqi problem.

“We can ask the U.N. for a resolution to the rules already in place [by the U.N.], or we can leave Saddam Hussein to his own devices, let him make more and more weapons,” he said.

Hussein’s past actions did not bode well for future security, Kerry pointed out.

“[Will we] wait for a man who miscalculated in Kuwait, Iran, set up scuds in Israel, and misjudged U.S. involvement in the Gulf?,” Kerry inquired.

The Senator went on to say that he only gave his assent to President’s policy after consulting with Secretary of State Colin Powell. According to Kerry, Powell said the United States will only go to war with the consent of the United Nations and if such action is absolutely necessary. Only by these terms was Kerry willing to submit his assent to the policy, he said.

Daoud Lelmujahid, a Coast Guard veteran from the 1970’s, said he was surprised by Kerry’s speech.

“I thought he broke it down pretty nicely; I was mistaken in thinking he was a war hawk. He’s a patriot. I do hope he is cautious in promoting our involvement unilaterally,” the 52-year-old said.

Following Kerry’s speech, Vietnam veterans Dr. Ernesto Gonzalez, Charles Desmond, Robert Muller, and Sheila Spicer were recognized for recent national and international humanitarian contributions.