U.S. must catch Saddam - and soon, Clark says (USA Today Interview)

[VolcanoJen]

This is a bit of a round-up piece concerning General Clark's appearance on "Meet the Press" Sunday, but his comments about our potential difficulties in turning control of Iraq over, absent the capture of Saddam Hussein, are new, and newsworthy

There's also an interesting description of a Chris Lehane note-passing incident, later in the article, as well as a passage about tears welling in the eyes of the candidate as he showed reporters a book of photographs taken in Kosovo, called "Blood and Honey." Click on the "Clark Emotional While Detailing Horrors of Bosnia" Video Link to watch... it's riveting.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2003-11-16-clark-main_x.htm

Clark's comments, at a session with USA TODAY and Gannett News Service reporters and editors, came as the Bush administration was accelerating the turnover of civilian authority to Iraqis. Clark praised the decision as a move "in the right direction" but said no regime was likely to succeed if Saddam stayed on the lam.

"It's going to be very hard for the United States to turn the problem over to the Iraqis if Saddam is still there as the, we might say, illegitimate ruler," said Clark, a Democratic presidential contender. "It's going to make it very hard for an Iraqi government to survive." The Bush administration, under fire for a growing toll of U.S. casualties, agreed this weekend to turn over political control by July 1, regardless of Saddam's whereabouts.

<snip>

Clark said it was important to catch him alive: "I would hate to see us bust into a bunker and not be able to bring him out alive to stand trial. One of the things you really want to establish is rule of law. It's the essence of peacekeeping and stability operations."

For the same reason, he said, the United States should have participated in the International Criminal Court. The Bush administration has refused for fear that U.S. forces would be subject to politically motivated prosecution.


Wesley Clark discusses a photo describing some of the violence he witnessed in Bosnia.

[Spazito]

1. Those two video clips are excellent

Just when I think I couldn't admire the man more, I see something like the clip talking about the ethnic cleansing and his heartfelt anger about it and I am in awe of him all over again.

Thanks for the link!

[dArKeR]

2. In my opinion Clark is playing just like Bush and the rest... It's not

all this talk about turn-over, find Saddam... is a deflection to get the Sheeples minds off what's going on and to 'see' the end when there actually is no end even if Saddam is captured. It's just buying political approval points when Bush says this and a little when Clark says it.

Butchering people in an unprovoked war is wrong and only Dean has said that. Marcos and a host of OUR AMERICAN installed puppet Presidents murdered many more people than Saddam did, just in different ways. I am not condoning murder I'm asking why is it acceptable in other countries who don't have oil and are not Muslim countries. I saw part of the movie about the rise of Hitler. I think Bush and the GOP are doing the same thing. Find someone to mark/hate/blame it on then the Sheeple will follow you.

[coralrf]

5. Clark is doing nothing of the kind...

he is doing something Dean cannot do: describe the anguish and sorrow that comes from BEING THERE.

Dean is a good guy but what exactly is he saying when he says:

Butchering people in an unprovoked war is wrong

I see nothing profound in such an obvious assertion. Clark is describing what he saw not what he thinks.

Enough of this spin. Do me a favor and provide links to quotes from any Democratic candidate that suggest killing innocents is ok. You have implied it so please be honest enough to back it up.

If Dean needs spin like this to win we might as well just keep Bush. Six of one and you know how much of the other.

[FrenchieCat]

7. dARker, Yes you are condoning murder....obviously

Because the 2nd video made me cry!

dARker, you are saying that the war in Kosovo was not justified? Cause that what the article and the videos were about. Clark was saying that it appears that we go into countries that have natural resources for war (which he did not say was ok)....and yet when he participated in a war that stopped the killing of hundreds of thousands of people in Kosovo, the military brass were not for that.
That what he was saying! He quoted Clinton as saying, when you can make a difference, you should!

Did you even read the article?

He also said that Saddam should be captured alive and tried by an international court. Because he sais that America has to join in upholding the rule of law in an international manner....instead of killing Saddam, which is what this administration wants to do.

You are so pro-Dean until you probably don't even read up on other candidates. Why bother, I guess!

You sure didn't read this article!

If that's the case, shame on you!

Go back to your fake Democratic wing of the Democratic party and chant "You've got the power" with Howard Tim Robins Dean and get a shot of hypnotic trance....and close your mind.
Repeat after him, Money and Power, Money and Power, Money and Power!
Sheesh!!!!!

[Catch22Dem]

3. Nevermind

Deleted my last post. I'm dumb....LOL

[Spider Jerusalem]

4. I think that, seriously, Saddam won't be found by the US...

the odds are highly stacked against it. Consider: Wherever Saddam is, he is well-hidden, surrounded by a cadre of diehard loyalists, in an area of the world where anti-US sentiment at this point likely far outweighs any desire to see him captured. Efforts to find him are likely to exacerbate anti-US sentiment, as they will inevitably involve full-scale search of towns, villages, etc; with serious interrogation of any inhabitants deemed likely to be Saddam loyalists...either way it pretty much looks like a no-win situation for the US, since even if Saddam is found, anti-American sentiment in the region ISN'T going to decrease; and Iraq is far more likely to end up with a Shi'ite theocracy than a democratic government upon US withdrawal. This is what happens when your foreign policy analysts and military planners are ideologues and not rationalists....

[coralrf]

6. I think the USA will find him..

but not Bush. Lets see what Clark, Dean or whoever can do. I am sure they will be batter prepared to deal with this than Bush.

Bush conned us into this mess and we now must find a person to lead us out.

[FrenchieCat]

8. The 2nd video had a

profound effect on me. Now I know why this man MUST be President.

Everyone else is a lightweight, IMO!

[VolcanoJen]

11. The 2nd video was amazing.

I was really surprised by Clark... some of his calm, studied sheen came off as he described the atrocities in the Balkans. He was as angry as I've ever seen him... and he made his point.

It's clear from this specially set-up forum with Gannett that he'd like to put the Bosnia/Kosovo stuff behind him, and move on with the issues of the day, I think. He stated his case in that video about as well as anyone could.

It was moving. And that's something you don't see a lot of, from a politician.

[this_side_up]

9. the latter part of July Tommy Franks

said that we'd have Hussein within 60 days.

That would make it no later than the last week in Sept.

Spinspinspin everything's going great.....

[sujan]

10. that wouldn't solve much

[E_Zapata]

12. God, I am just loving this Gen. Clark.......

I have resisted his candidacy ......but he is brilliant (or his handlers are brilliant, and he gives the perfect delivery).

A challenge to Bush to actually catch an 'evil doer'. Brilliant.

Problem is.......there is no Saddam factor anymore. The guy is either dead or living on a deserted island somewhere (in total luxury).

But if the bushistas want to insist that the grim reaper is roaming the streets of Tikrit and causing all these problems, it makes sense to challenge bush to catch him. Which can never happen......which makes bush seem like a loser.

It totally calls Bush on his bullshit and diffuses the 'support' bush gets from the people. The people say...ohhhhhhhh it's so dangerous, the terra-ists are out there......bush will protect us. And clark says...okay, protect us. Go get that bad guy!

LMAO

*******laughing at bush's lies and manipulations getting called onto the carpet is a good way to use my 1000th post! I never thought I'd get this many!~

[PATRICK]

13. What about the doubles?

have they caught any of the Saddam doubles or are they running around and making tapes too?

By the way which came first? When Clark makes strategy suggestions it seems the Pentagon and Bush are doing the same thing, ineefectually of course. So who said or did it first?

This is important if it continues to look like Bush responding to reasonable calls to change tactics(if not policy). For several substantive reasons adopting Clark's suggestions by team Bush is not likely to succeed since they still have underlying elements they will not change and will dumb down and ruin the effort.