Letter: We'll pay for flaws of Clinton later

His illegal and unconstitutional actions have created problems for America that will have negative consequences beyond his administration.

The unintended consequences of the war against Yugoslavia are the increased flow of refugees to Macedonia and Albania, which destabilized both. It increased the rage of the Serb police and pro-military against the Albanians.

The indiscriminate and inept bombing destroyed the Chinese embassy, killing 4 people, allowing the Chinese to demagogue the coverup 1996 illegal election campaign contributions and nuclear and rocket espionage, to the advantage of President Clinton.

The war alienated the Russians and NATO's failed attempt to exclude them from peacekeeping efforts drove them closer to the Chinese. It set a precedent for NATO, the surrogate for a U.N. peacekeeping force since 1995, that if NATO expands into the Baltic states it will involve us in future "humanitarian" wars while the cold war is reborn. The blame for these unintended consequences falls on the commander-in-chief, not the loyal American military.

President Clinton is probably the most accomplished politician in this century, but without a steady moral and ethical base his skills have damaged our social consciousness, weakened the military and his erratic foreign policy has created problems which we will pay dearly for in the future. President Bush said in 1991 that there is a new world order and the Vietnam syndrome was dead. He was wrong and so is President Clinton in his lack of adherence to the rule of law.

FRANK PERNA

archive