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General Wesley Clark & Steve Clemons on Air America's "The Majority Report" with Sam Seder at 8 p.m.
Share / Recommend - Comment - Print - Wednesday, Aug 31 2005, 7:10PM
Tonight, I will be on "The Majority Report" with Sam Seder talking about the big terrorism conference, the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the National Guard, John Bolton and the U.N. Millennium Summit, and other topics.
I am also pleased to report that General Wesley Clark who is one of the terrorism conference's keynote speakers will be on the program also -- talking about his proposal regarding Iraq as well as our mega-conference on America's "next phase" response to terrorism.
Wesley Clark recently published this op-ed in the Washington Post which makes the important point that military and police means alone will never win the struggle against terrorists nor help the U.S. connect to the peoples around the world that terrorism is trying to appeal to.
An excerpt:
On the military side, the vast effort underway to train an army must be matched by efforts to train police and local justices. Canada, France and Germany should be engaged to assist. Neighboring states should also provide observers and technical assistance. In military terms, striking at insurgents and terrorists is necessary but insufficient.Military and security operations must return primarily to the tried-and-true methods of counterinsurgency: winning the hearts and minds of the populace through civic action, small-scale economic development and positive daily interactions. Ten thousand Arab Americans with full language proficiency should be recruited to assist as interpreters.
A better effort must be made to control jihadist infiltration into the country by a combination of outposts, patrols and reaction forces reinforced by high technology. Over time U.S. forces should be pulled back into reserve roles and phased out.
The growing chorus of voices demanding a pullout should seriously alarm the Bush administration, because President Bush and his team are repeating the failure of Vietnam: failing to craft a realistic and effective policy and instead simply demanding that the American people show resolve. Resolve isn't enough to mend a flawed approach -- or to save the lives of our troops.
If the administration won't adopt a winning strategy, then the American people will be justified in demanding that it bring our troops home.
Makes a lot of sense to me.
I should also mention that General Clark is blogging until September 2nd at "Table for One" at TPM Cafe, my other blog home where I have been AWOL during the planning for this conference.
Start times for the radio show tonight: Steve Clemons on at 8 p.m. Wesley Clark will be on at 8:30 p.m., eastern time.
More later.
-- Steve Clemons
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Non sequitur, but I think I saw John Bolton on the R train last night in Brooklyn. Anyone know where he stays when he's in NYC, and whether he's in NYC now?
Listening now. Break a leg.
What mkes him think that there 10,000 Arab Americans dumb enough to volunteer for Iraq. Hoards of dumb Germans and French?
I doubt any of the states he listed will be willing to deploy troops to Iraq. I find it puzzling that for a person who complained so loudly about European political sensibilities preventing him from carrying out a fully effective airwar in Kosovo, he would then claim that Europeans should be engaged to help out in Iraq. Lets take a loo
Canada-> PM Paul Martin's minority government hangs by a thread of one or two votes. Participation in Iraq is an explosive issue and with an election certain in January, it would be a act of sure stupidity if he pulls the pin on that Political grenade. Futhermore The Canadian forces are streched to the limit due to its constant rotations in Afghanistan. Its not able to provide any additional help to iraq.
German-> Clear public support against such a deployment, and an upcoming election. Merkel will likely form the government but with a weak coalition that would easily fracture if confronted by such a divisive issue as a deployment into iraq. Moreover her aims are clearly domestic and focus on job creation. Expending political capital on a foreign adventure would scupper her chances of making a meaningful attempt at reform.
I'm not too sure, but I also think that there would be constitutinal questions surrounding any intervention as there is no mulitlateral framework presently in place that would enable the German government to send troops.
France - Chirac would never allow a substantial deployment, its gained him significant poltical capital, and it really would go against his values.
apologies for the type. I meant to say
"Lets take a look at the three countries he lists"
Really the US is going to have to do this one alone. They may get some help in other areas like Afghanistan, but thats basically it.
The only way I can stomach any of these 'plans' is to view them as laying the groundwork for advocating withdrawal, as Clark clearly does in the last sentence. It's not a plan in the sense of a set of steps capable of being executed by anyone, much less this administration. It's too late; those many fine ships sailed long ago.
Of the few actions that could be taken, the most important is renunciation of bases, and Bush is not going to do that. I'm glad Clark recommends it. Now I look forward to his moving to the 'out on a timetable' position by next spring. Or else I'll be sailing with another presidential candidate.
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