Fact check

[Yakk]

"The world must learn that what we say, goes"
- George Bush, Sr (sometime around the Iraq-Kuwait war)

Does anyone know of a way I can confirm or deny that the above was said? (or a variation on same)

For some odd reason, I figured someone, somewhere, would have a large public archive of presidential public statements (including both verbal and written ones). No luck finding it...

[raveneye]

Yakk, your wish is my command:

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v27/n03/wein01_.html

This isn't quotes of presidents per se, but all manner of quotes about Iraq, since 1992. Don't know if your specific Bush quote is in there, but you might find something worthwhile.

What I Heard about Iraq
Eliot Weinberger

In 1992, a year after the first Gulf War, I heard Dick Cheney, then secretary of defense, say that the US had been wise not to invade Baghdad and get ‘bogged down in the problems of trying to take over and govern Iraq’. I heard him say: ‘The question in my mind is how many additional American casualties is Saddam worth? And the answer is: not that damned many.’

In February 2001, I heard Colin Powell say that Saddam Hussein ‘has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbours.’

That same month, I heard that a CIA report stated: ‘We do not have any direct evidence that Iraq has used the period since Desert Fox to reconstitute its weapons of mass destruction programmes.’

In July 2001, I heard Condoleezza Rice say: ‘We are able to keep his arms from him. His military forces have not been rebuilt.’

On 11 September 2001, six hours after the attacks, I heard that Donald Rumsfeld said that it might be an opportunity to ‘hit’ Iraq. I heard that he said: ‘Go massive. Sweep it all up. Things related and not.’

I heard that Condoleezza Rice asked: ‘How do you capitalise on these opportunities?’

[and so on . . . . . ]

[raveneye]

... I couldn't find it in that article unfortunately.

I do have access to Lexis/Nexis, so if you could narrow down that quote, I might be able to find it.

[raveneye]

Actually, it wasn't hard to find a reference to it:

Copyright 1991 Globe Newspaper Company
The Boston Globe

March 31, 1991, Sunday, City Edition

SECTION: MAGAZINE; Pg. 12

LENGTH: 4015 words

HEADLINE: George Bush, War, and the spirit of American exceptionalism;For years the invisible man in the Doonesbury strip clumsily tried to explain what made him tick, but it has taken a war to show us who he really is. Now there is a new question: Where is he leading us?

BYLINE: By John Aloysius Farrell, Globe Staff; JOHN ALOYSIUS FARRELL IS A REPORTER IN THE GLOBE'S WASHINGTON BUREAU.

...

On a Friday in February, Bush traveled to Fort Stewart, Georgia, the home of the 24th Infantry Division. Buoyed by the exuberant support he found there among the families of servicemen and women in the gulf, Bush told them, "When we win - and we will - we will have taught a dangerous dictator and any tyrant tempted to follow in his footsteps that the US has a new credibility, and that what we say goes."
...

http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research.../91020102.html

[Yakk]

1991ish. My source isn't very well written nor reliable. =/
"during the first gulf war"
There was also an implication elsewhere that it was before the bombing of the water purification plants?

[Hardknock]

Like father like son....

[Yakk]

Thank you. I should reload my browser faster. =)

Looks like a misquote, possibly. Thanks.