Posted on 04/25/2005 9:12:56 AM PDT by areafiftyone
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, April 25 (UPI) -- Former NATO Supreme Commander Gen. Wesley Clark said Iraq won't be a Vietnam for the United States and counseled Washington should start negotiations with countries around Iraq to put an end to growing violence in the region.
"Iraq won't be another Vietnam," Clark said over the weekend at the fourth Eurasian Media Forum in Almaty. "The U.S. military had no high-tech dominance that it has today."
Clark, who sought the Democratic nomination for U.S. president in the 2004 race, said Washington should convince nations neighboring Iraq that a stable Baghdad is in their interest.
"I think we should now work through the United Nations," he said. "Enough is enough."
A veteran of several wars and operations, including Vietnam, Clark said he did not anticipate the Iraq war would have gone on this long.
"It was clear to me that we would get Saddam (Hussein) maybe in two to three weeks," he said. "I didn't anticipate the violence that is now following."
Clark and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Perle answered questions from more than 300 journalists, academicians, diplomats and politicians at the Media Forum.
Perle, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, also said Iraq won't be another Vietnam, saying the situation in Baghdad was unfolding and people of there had shown courage by voting in January's election.
Responding to questions on the U.S. rationale for war on Iraq, criticized by many in the international community, Perle defended Washington's position.
"We went into Iraq because we felt Saddam was a threat," he said. "We went to liberate the people of Iraq from a brutal dictator who has killed millions of people."
He added: " Whether we were able to find weapons of mass destruction or no but we did the right thing by intervening in Iraq."
Clark echoed those views.
"We in the USA feel that people are created equals and they should have their say in there governments," he said.
Replying to a question on U.S. foreign policy, Perle said Washington was increasingly engaged with many Muslim countries to improve the American image "but we are completely uncomfortable with dictatorships."
Perle also ruled out the possibility of military action against Iran, which the Bush administration accuses of secretly building nuclear weapons.
" I do not see any such preparation but we do want people of Iran to have their own governments instead of some mullahs running the nation," he said.
The fourth Eurasian Media Forum aims to promote East-West cooperation and international understanding of Eurasian issues through dialogue between the media, the business community, politicians and academicians.
Oh sure RIIIIIGHT! We'll send in U.N. peacekeepers in there they can monitor the oil and line their pockets, while they molesting every little Iraqi child!
It's a quagmire I tell you
Who are you, and what have you done with Wesley Clark?
Firstly Westy better get on the same page with RAT talking points. Last I saw Ted "Scotch" Kennedy said it was GWB's Vietnam and a quagmire. Srecondly, Michael Moore says were there for the oil so having other nation involved just reduces our take. Lastly, Mr. UN a/k/a JFing Kerry already staked out the UN axis. Westy ought to get a new schitck or risk obscurity like Kerry
[["I think we should now work through the United Nations," he said. "Enough is enough." ]]
The little sissyfied pipsqueak is at it again I see.
Here is what we think of his corrupt, pedophile infested UN:
If you have not already done so, please sign the petition to get the stinking, corrupt to the core UN out of the USA. Let's help relocate these anti-American thugs to some 3rd world shithole where they belong.
http://moveamericaforward.org/?Page=Petition
"I think we should now work through the United Nations..."
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Okay, this is where he lost me. |
"Mr. Irrelevant" isn't just the last NFL draft pick.
"I think we should now work through the United Nations," he said. "Enough is enough."
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If this does not convince EVERYONE with an IQ over 65, what a pandering idiot Clark is, nothing will. Keep in mind this moron was actually a commissioned General in our Armed Forces! Scary, isn't it? Yes, pandering to the far-left, internationalist, appeaser crowd...never stops...thought we killed it with defeating Kerry, but no...
Heard Clark Bar is going to run for president in 2008. Oh this is going to be fun. Kerry, Clark, Hillary, Biden and Maybe Edwards.
I thought the Party Line of "his" candidate was "wrong war, wrong place, wrong time."
Naaaaa. THIS is a quagmire!
http://media2.big-boys.com/files/frenchtroops.wmv
The fact that Richard Perle and Wesley Clark are in agreement on 95% of the issues related to the war in Iraq only further reinforces my utter loathing of both @ssholes.
The 'Supreme Being' has spoken
Moving toward the center for his Presidential bid in '08. (He's been watching Hill.)
Just what is Clark smoking?
The US military had a huge technology edge in Vietnam! Vietnam was nothing more than a backward agrarian society (still is). What the US military DIDN'T have then was a decisive commander and chief. And, this was the apex of the liberal, anti-American movement. These liberals, such as John Kerry, Walter Cronkite, the MSM, Jane Fonda, et. al. Sapped the will of the political establishment. Politicians ran for cover, cowering. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Vietnam war, right up until the end, had a majority of support in the polls. Nonetheless, the peacnicks, weak-kneed politicians, and the MSM gloried in their effort to take America down a few notches.That is the gap. That is how and why we didn't persevere in Vietnam.
""Clark, who sought the Democratic nomination for U.S. president in the 2004 race, said Washington should convince nations neighboring Iraq that a stable Baghdad is in their interest.""
Wes Clark is delusional. A stable Iraq is not in Iran's, Saudi's or Syria's interest, though it is for Kuwait and Turkey. Kuwait and turkey aren't causing the problems.
Getting pretty scary out there for the Utra Leftists. Who is going to run for them? At least last time they had Kucinich and Dean.
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