Reply #41: I love Wes Clark [View All]

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

I was one of the first people in California working on his campaign in the Draft movement, well before he declared his candidacy. I maxed out on my donations to him. But one point I would raise here is that no solution anywhere in the Arab world will ever work until you resolve the Palestinian issue with regard to the creation of a peaceful sovereign Palestinian state that is fully integrated, that is not a collection of lorded-over bantustans, that has sovereignty over its air space and terrority, and where the settlements have been withdrawn from the West Bank. Of course, in exchange, the Israelis will have to be given peace and respect of their own sovereignty and right to exist. Until we are able to broker that or bring it about, Hamas, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah or any other radical Islamic groups will continue receiving wide support resulting from all of the anger in the Arab world over the treatment of Palestine.

I know Wes Clark has been very even-handed on this. In the past, during his campaign, he was interviewed by Arabic News saying "We must understand the Islamic perspective". He was the only candidate in the Democratic Party to my recollection who actually said that part of our problem is that we are not willing to listen to the long-festering grievances of the Arabs that, I think, are making Hezbollah, Hamas, and Al Qaeda stronger and more influential than they otherwise would be.