Wes Clark talks about Iran on Stephanie Miller Show

[Tom Rinaldo]

Stephanie Miller had a live almost 15 minute phone call with General Wes Clark on her radio show this morning. They were in good humor much of the time so it was a lot of fun to listen to (so of course you really should - I'll leave a link to a tape of it below). However there was plenty of serious content also. I think the following exchange is the most important for folks to key in on closely:

Stephanie Miller: General Clark, what would you advise the Democrats to do in terms of i-i-in terms of Iraq?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Elevate the discussion. Get off the troops and tactics, and get into strategies and policies. Look, Stephanie, this administration wanted to remake the Middle Eastern map. They wanted to force regime change in five or six, seven different countries when they invaded Iraq. That was the plan - seven countries in five years, ending with Iran. Now, the administration's never formally acknowledged that was its strategy. So, we don't have any published strategy, and they certainly haven't recanted that strategy. In fact,-

Stephanie Miller: Right.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK:: -my guess would be that guys like Dick Cheney strongly believe that they're going to go after regime change. Now, imagine yourself-

Stephanie Miller: And apparently, apparently-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -in Iran.

Stephanie Miller: Mm hm.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK:: Just imagine yourself-

Stephanie Miller: Mm, hm mm.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK:: -in Iran. Okay? The United States of America has forces on your Eastern border in Afghanistan. It has forces on your Western border in the Persian Gulf. It's on your South in the Arabian Sea. It has air bases on your North. It can fly over. It can send Special Forces. And there's an insurgency that rumor says is being supported by the United States against Iran, and the Secretary of State of the United States has gone to Congress and asked for 75 million dollars to overthrow your government. They call it in Washington 'regime change'.

Stephanie Miller: Mm hm, mm hm.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: And so, would you feel like, if you were in Iran, that you had to sort of take some action, or would you sit there and be a punching bag? So, when people in the United States believe that the Iranians are a threat, I don't disagree. They are a threat, but our actions don't allow us to change the relationship. We've got to change our actions. We've got to re-look at our strategy, and Democrats need to be talking about this.



Democrats do need to be talking about this, and I hope both the netroots and our current Presidential Candidates will do exactly that. Here is a link to both a full written transcript of the phone call and the audio download of it:

http://securingamerica.com/node/2508

[Texas_Kat]

1. Dick Cheney -- the 4th or 5th branch

With Dick Cheney declaring himself the 4th (or 5th) branch of government (and he's got Iran surrounded) I'm not surprised Iran is nervous and bellicose.

I wish more high-profile Democrats would recognize that.

[Captain Hilts]

2. My Clark is a Big Picture Guy. He's my guy. nt

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. Wes Clark has gotten unbeatable at making a complex point simple

During this phone call he absolutely nailed the limitations of trying to pursue U.S. foreign policy and national security priorities by leading with our military. When Stephanie asked him whether the U.S. could use troops redeployed out of Iraq to target Al Qaeda, Clark's reply I think was brilliant. He used humor to drive his point home, but the point was deadly serious:


GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I do think that there's work to be done. I'm not sure that you're going to use these infantry troops that come out to target Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda's in a lot of countries that we're not, I hope, going to invade.

Stephanie Miller: (laughs)

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I don't think we're going to invade Indonesia or West Germ- or Germany or Britain or Morocco, and yet we know there's Al Qaeda in all of those countries. Sudan is another one. Well, we may be around the periphery of Sudan. We're certainly working with the Ethiopians against Somalia. But the point is that you can only do so much with conventional military force. It's the last, last, last resort.

[Cameron27]

14. I hadn't thought of this:

"I don't think we're going to invade Indonesia or West Germ- or Germany or Britain or Morocco, and yet we know there's Al Qaeda in all of those countries. Sudan is another one."

I always learn something when Wes Clark speaks.

I'm still sure he's going to run, but my fingers stay crossed until he declares.

[BootinUp]

4. thanks for the post...

It was interesting how he defined in detail how our actions are directly affecting the Iran situation...and then said the Democrats need to be talking about this.

[Sparkly]

5. Thanks for posting this

I hope The General can 'elevate the discussion' by entering the race for president... And I wish I knew what his "conditions" are and what we could do to bring them about!!!!

[NCarolinawoman]

6. Sometimes I wish he would get in the race solely to get his voice out there.

Other Dems might come around to saying this but it is much more believable coming from him, because of who he is.

He's not saying this because some adviser tells him to-----he is his OWN adviser. These are HIS thoughts based on his military knowledge, experience, and his acquaintance with the movers and shakers in the Middle East.

[Tom Rinaldo]

7. Very true.

I also think that the surest way to get Democrats talking about the big strategic picture in the Middle East would be for Wes Clark to be one of our candidates running for President, who then could use the platform that a Presidential race provides to make sure that discussion took place.

Your other point about advisors is important also. We elect a candiate, but we inherit a team of advisors in a package deal. If one camp of advisors fall out of favor for any reason, perhaps some set back that happens, and a different group gains the President's ear, the policies that end up being pursued can change with changing advisors. With Wes Clark we know exactly the reasoning that would dictate his policies, he knows it by heart, it is his own, and he never hesitates to share it with us.

[Tom Rinaldo]

8. Clark had the guts here to say that...

...the United States needs to change it's approach toward Iran and attempt a softer, not a harder line, toward Iran's current government. That's not saber rattling, that's deliberately presenting an olive branch. On the Presidential Seal, the Eagle that represents the United States grasps arrows in one talon. We still have those arrows, everyone knows it. Our friends know it, our enemies know it. But the Eagle's other talon grasps an olive branch just as firmly, just as prominently as the other holds those arrows.

Maybe it requires a General, a well leaned and thoughtful one like Wes Clark, to remind the American people that the olive branch is just as integral to our nature, and our survival as a nation, as are the arrows.

And Clark effectively offered that lesson here in less than 60 seconds.

[blm]

9. Head and shoulders above what's out there now - I truly hope

he doesn't give up running just because of the inevitability factor that too many Dems and pundits promote out of sheer lazy thinking, imo.

Damn I miss the substantive discussions of these serious issues that we heard regularly from some of the 2004 candidates.

[Texas_Kat]

10. We do seem to be seeing a lot of

"They're picking on me" kinds of discussions going on.

[Cameron27]

16. I never thought I'd see that nonsense

on a political message board. Just because some supporters choose to ignore any negatives associated with their candidate, doesn't mean that the rest of the board has to, but that's exactly what these "picking on me" threads attempt to do.

[NCarolinawoman]

11. Yes, I miss the likes of Clark and Kerry, and would like to see Gore.

I also enjoyed the originality of Howard Dean.

I do not go along with the mem that this is the strongest field of candidates in a long long time. I think Carville started that idea.

[blm]

12. I absolutely agree with every word you said.

This ocuntry would be better served right now if those four voices were key to the debate of this country's future at this time.

What they all did in speaking out to oppose Bush nonstop for the last 5 years is being pushed aside by those who jumped in front of the parade without risking their neck to oppose Bush in any significant way or risk the certain mocking by the counterforces of the GOP controlled media.

[Donna Zen]

13. My fear

From what I'm seeing, no matter that the issues are huge (and growing everyday) the only thing that is important is the money. We sit back and accept: The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.

[slipslidingaway]

15. Thanks K&R....one of the most important topics

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: And so, would you feel like, if you were in Iran, that you had to sort of take some action, or would you sit there and be a punching bag? So, when people in the United States believe that the Iranians are a threat, I don't disagree. They are a threat, but our actions don't allow us to change the relationship. We've got to change our actions. We've got to re-look at our strategy, and Democrats need to be talking about this.



75 million dollar Democracy fund
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3336844&mesg_id=3336844

[Tom Rinaldo]

17. Have you looked at the other thread I have up here now?

The one that includes a poll about whether the U.S. under absolutely no circumstances should allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. Very interesting results so far and depressing on several levels. I am now calling this issue the second inconvenient truth. No one yet has copped to how they think the candidate they support would answer the question, for example, and 27% of DU voters say yes to the polling question. Imagine what the results would be at a less leftist activist anti-war site than this.

[slipslidingaway]

18. Checking it out now, the media and some candidates continue

the tough talk while throwing in a few sentences about starting a dialogue with Iran :(