Florida’s Marco Rubio And Charlie Crist Defend Iraq War

In a debate on CNN for Florida’s Senate seat, only Rep. Kendrick Meek argued that going into Iraq was a bad idea, while Governor Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio defended the action. (via Think Progress)

MODERATOR: Mr. Rubio, is America safer and better off for having gone to war in Iraq?

RUBIO: I think ultimately, yes. First of all, the world is better off because Saddam Hussein is no longer in charge. He is no longer in charge of that country. Let’s understand one thing. Right now we’re worrying about Iran possessing a nuclear weapon. If Saddam Hussein was still there you’d have a full-blown arms war the way you’ve seen between Pakistan and India. So the world is a safer place not to mention the Iraqi people are better off than they were under Saddam Hussein. […]

MODERATOR: Mr. Meek, same question.

MEEK: Well I would tell you this. There was a no-fly zone prior to going to war in Iraq. It was a war based on falsehood and not on fact. And also there are a number of American lives that have been lost. Saying that, those sacrifices that have been made, it’s important to note that the international community needs to continued to be engaged in Iraq. The largest U.S. embassy in the world is in Iraq because of the Bush doctrine. I understand the situation as to the world being safer because we went into Iraq, I couldn’t give you an overall blanket yes on that.

MODERATOR: Do you think we would’ve been better off if we hadn’t gone in?

MEEK: I think we would’ve been better off if we would’ve looked at diplomatic solutions and wouldn’t have been lied to by the Bush administration. I think a number of American lives would’ve been saved and this would be a different world if we would’ve given diplomacy an opportunity.

CRIST: I think the world is a safer place because of the action we took in Iraq.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.