History lessons

From “Why the U.S. bombed,” The Washington Times, Oct. 16, 1998, by National Security Adviser Samuel R. Berger:

“Following the Aug. 7 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the United States launched a missile strike against a factory in Khartoum, Sudan, as well as against terrorist camps in Afghanistan. Since then, some critics have suggested that we acted precipitously when we struck the Sudanese Al Shifa plant. But, given what we knew, to not have acted against that facility would have been the height of irresponsibility.

“First, we knew that the Osama bin Laden terrorist organization was bent on large-scale violence against Americans… And we had information that bin Laden has been seeking chemical weapons to use in his terrorist acts.

“Second, we had physical evidence indicating that Al Shifa was the state of chemical weapons activity… We found the presence of EMPTA, a chemical essential for making deadly VX nerve gas…

“Other products were made at Al Shifa. But we have seen such dual-use plants before — in Iraq. And, indeed, we have information that Iraq has assisted in chemical weapons activity in Sudan.

“Third, we had information linking bin Laden to the Sudanese regime and the Al Shifa plant. Bin Laden lived in Sudan … until he was expelled under international pressure. He left behind associates and facilities and has maintained a close relationship with the government…

“To those who assert we did not act appropriately, I would ask: With information that bin Laden had attacked Americans before and planned to do so again, that he was seeking chemical weapons to use in future attacks, that he was cooperating with the government of Sudan in those efforts, and that Sudan’s Al Shifa plant was linked both to bin Laden and chemical weapons, didn’t the United States government have a responsibility to the American people to counter this threat? I believe the unequivocal answer is yes.”