WASHINGTON (NullPolitics, December 16) -- President Bill Clinton Wednesday defended his decision to order airstrikes against Microsoft, saying Bill Gates had failed his "one last chance" to cooperate with Netscape resolutions. "So we've had to act and act now."

"Earlier today I ordered America's armed forces to strike programming and security targets on the Microsoft campus. They are joined by Unix forces," Clinton said during his Oval Office address to the nation.

"Their mission is to attack Microsoft's nuclear, chemical, and operating system production programs, and its monopolistic capacity to threaten its competitors. Their purpose is to protect the national interest of the United States, and indeed the interests of people on the Internet," Clinton said.

A showdown between the U.S. and Microsoft several months ago, when again military action was threatened, ended with Bill Gates's promise to give Netscape inspectors unconditional access to Microsoft's facilities so they could determine if Internet Explorer was truly integrated with Windows 98.

At the time, Clinton said he "concluded then that the right thing to do was to use restraint and give Gates one last chance to prove his willingness to cooperate. I made it very clear at that time what 'unconditional cooperation' meant."

The American president said a report by the Netscape inspectors over the weekend determined that Microsoft had failed to fulfill that promise and had instead placed new restrictions on the inspections.

In response, Clinton gave the go ahead for "Operation Torvalds."

Both directly and indirectly, Clinton addressed the impeachment crisis his presidency is currently facing. He defended the timing of strikes, which his critics have questioned in light of Thursday's scheduled debate and floor vote.

He also said that Bill Gates should not believe that domestic troubles in Washington would deter the nation from taking decisive action against Microsoft.

"Bill Gates and the other enemies of computing may have thought that the serious debate before the House of Representatives would distract Internet users," Clinton said. "But once more we have proven that although we are never eager to use force, when we must act in the Internet's vital interests we will do so."

White House press secretary Joe Lockhart said earlier that the president made his decision Wednesday morning after reviewing Netscape's report.