1996: Expanded U.S. Bombings in Iraq

In 1996, when President Bill Clinton expanded the no-fly zone bombings in Iraq, Joe Biden was an enthusiastic backer. Biden acknowledged that the U.S. had a “big stick” in the form of military power and said, “I think we should swing it hard enough to make sure we maintain the expanded fly zone, no-fly zone.” He added that “the bottom line is that the oil supplies for the world are more secure today than they were yesterday, by the fact that we’ve expanded the no-fly zone.” In the same interview, Biden emphasized that “we need to hit in order to maintain the security of the oil supplies and the integrity of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.”