John Kerry Addresses Pacific Council on National Security

[kerrygoddess]

John Kerry Addresses Pacific Council on National Security
June 1st, 2006 @ 6:32 pm

Today, Senator John Kerry spoke at the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles. The meeting was chaired by former Secretary of State Warren Christopher, who is Co-Chair of the Pacific Council’s Board of Directors. John Kerry, has served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for 21 years. In April, Kerry called for the redeployment of American combat troops from Iraq by the end of the year.

John Kerry spoke to the Pacific Council on security issues from proliferation in Iran and North Korea, to the need for a change of course in Iraq. I attended the speech today, along with a handful of other Los Angeles area bloggers. After the speech, all of the bloggers had the opportunity to sit and talk with Senator Kerry in an off the record conversation — I’ll share more about that later.

Below are Senator Kerry’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

Senator John Kerry
Speech to Pacific Council on International Policy, Century City, California
As Prepared for Delivery

Thank you all for coming today. I want to especially thank Secretary Christopher for his kind introduction. It’s truly an honor to be here with Secretary Christopher today. He is a distinguished diplomat in the finest tradition, the embodiment of the kind of statesmanship we need more than ever to keep America safe in these challenging times.

From the Middle East peace process to the Dayton Accords for Bosnia, to the Agreed Framework with North Korea and the restoration of civilian leadership in Haiti, Secretary Christopher lived the ideal that that the essence of effective foreign policy is achieving your goals without having to use military force.

Unfortunately, our current diplomacy is not anywhere near as effective as it needs to be – and we are much less safe as a result. In fact, so much of what we used to take for granted in national security policy has now been called into question.

FULL TEXT HERE - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=3166

PHOTOS SOON...

[TayTay]

1. This was another excellent speech.

I was very taken with these paragraphs in particular:

While the Iraqis have made important progress in forming a new government, there is clearly more to be done when, in the middle of an escalating civil war, they still do not have an Interior Minister to run the police or a Defense Minister to run the army. We must not tolerate delays, jockeying for position, and the playing of political games while our troops are putting their lives on the line. All we have heard from the Bush Administration is more platitudes when what we need is more pressure on Iraqi leaders to move forward. It took President Bush three years to admit he was wrong to say ‘bring it on.’ We can’t afford years to go by until he admits the standstill in Iraq today is wrong.

SNIP

That’s why we must agree with the new Iraqi government on a schedule for leaving, withdrawing American combat forces by the end of this year. The only troops that remain should be those critical to finishing the job of standing up Iraqi security forces. This will empower and legitimize the new leadership with the Iraqi people, it will expedite the process of getting Iraqis to assume a larger role in running their country, and it will undermine support for the insurgency among the vast majority of Iraqis who want U.S. troops to leave.

We did have questions recently about what Sen. Kerry's thoughts were about the new Iraqi cabinet. Well, here ya go. It's inadequate. The Iraqis are stalling and doing nothing to control their own civil war and our troops need to be put on a schedule for withdrawal. Period.

I also liked his stance on Iran. (It is very much in line with other Democrats, btw.) Iran is a problem nation that has repressed it's own people and is threatening it's neighbors. The President of Iran is a RW lunatic and religious bigot whose remarks should be taken seriously. However, we do need to use our diplomatic power to persuade other nations, like China and Russia, to get Iran to the table. (I also loved the apt criticism of the NNPT. Dead-on.)

Excellent speech. How was the bloggers coffee?

[karynnj]

2. Great speech - I love this quote

"But it is important to remember that war is the ultimate failure of diplomacy – which is why those who know what war is really like care so much about making sure our diplomacy is as good as it can be. "

Nice defense of diplomacy. His comments on Iran are really good - not making the mistake made in Iraq, Congress needs new intelligence, no bumper sticker policy, no using fear. Clearly not pushing war like some others. The non-proliferation paragraph was nice too. THIS MAKES ME SADDER that he's not President as he should be.

"The simple fact is that while using force always remains an option, bombing Iran is a very poor way of dealing with its nuclear ambitions. So the onus is squarely on the Administration to succeed in reaching a diplomatic resolution. And while the potential threat is dire, our intelligence community’s best estimate is that it will be 5-10 years before Iran could have nuclear weapons. Even being cautious, there is time for diplomacy to work. "

[kerrygoddess]

3. DU Thread from another blogger who was there

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/6/1/215528/0164

[karynnj]

4. Very nice diary - sounds like you guys had a great time

and that the speech was excellent

[JI7]

5. KerryGoddess, is there any way you can hook me up with JK ?

next time he comes to Southern California ?

only thing is that id ont' really want to go as a blogger or anything. i would just like to personally meet him and tell him how much i love him. so you don't have to since i don't want it to appear as if you are just bringing fangirls to him. i should just plan for a regular event where i can try to meet him.

[kerrygoddess]

6. Today was an effort

to have the Senator meet some of the L.A. area bloggers. If I could have invited a bunch more people I would have, but they wanted a small informal meeting with a few bloggers. Luckily we had a good turn out and it appears all that were there were impressed. That's certainly what I was hoping for when I suggested this to him last time here was here.

I'm sure he'll be back in town again in the future speaking at some sort of event where more people can attend and when he is I'll be happy to make sure you meet him!

[karynnj]

10. The Dkos thread you pointed to really showed that

I don't know if that person was impressed before, but he certainly was afterward

[zann725]

20. Next time he's in L.A., & wants bloggers/attendees,I'd also be interested

in going.

I was SO disappointed to hear AFTERWARD that JK was in town yesterday, and I didn't even know. I worked for JK Grasroots local campaign in '04, and would at least like a standing room space/opportunity at next similar meeting, where openings occur and are allowed.

Many thanks.

P.S.-Next time you talk with him, let him know his recent speeches, particularly college speeches lately really are inspirational...reminds me of JK in Iowa when he turned around the primaries.

[Mass]

7. Best part of the Q&A - Why was this NOT in the speech?

Q: Thank you for your comments. My question is--do you see global warming as a national security threat, and where does it fit in to your priorities?

A: It's a gigantic national security threat. It ought to be up there with Islam and non-proliferation. Al Gore and Frank Lautenberg and Chafee went down to Rio in 1990 and my wife was one of the non-governmental delegates appointed by GHW Bush. We set a voluntary goal for reduction of gasses down by 7%. I've followed this for a long time. I led the efforts on the senate floor to deal with it. It is deadly serious. Al has done a wonderful movie. I've met with NASA scientists who have said that at the current melt, the ice sheet over the artic will be gone in 30 years. That will not change sea levels to a large degree because it's sea ice. But Greenland is on rock. And if that melts it's a catastrophe. And scientists will tell you that--what's in the atmosphere has a half-life of 70 years. We'll suffer 70 more years of that. But what you have to avoid is a rise of temperature of 2 to 3 degrees. But you have to reduce 6 or 7 gigatons of carbon dioxide over the next several years to do that. That means nuclear reactors or other sources of energy. But this administration doesn't even call CO2 a pollutant, and if we don't we will be derelict beyond description. And I'm putting a bill up that will help us do that. Brazil declared energy independence. They grow it. We pay our farmers not to grow things, when we could pay them to grow fuel. Then we can get stations built. You could get 500 mpg in a matter of months. You take the biofuel, mix it with gasoline, and you get energy independence. It's a health issue, a national security issue. And the number of jobs that can be created is gigantic, high-level high value jobs.

[ProSense]

9. Isn't that the quote from the NYT article

about the Swift Liars?

[Mass]

11. My post got messed up - Somehow it posted my signature line.

I corrected it.

This said, it was a great speech and I really appreciate the stress on diplomacy. It is just that diplomacy is central to so many issues that are not in this speech and that it frustrates me (Africa and AIDS, global warming, relations with South America, developping Asia).

While I agree 100% with what he says in this speech, the vision he presents is too restrictive and too conventional for me. The world and the challenges do not stop where the neocons wants them to stop.

[karynnj]

12. I can see what you're saying, but it may simply be too much for

one speech to include all those areas in any comprehensive way. I do wonder though if this speech will "grow" as other Kerry speeches have to include at least some of these areas. (I loved the Faneuil Hall speech and it was perfect for its purpose, but love how the key parts of it became part of the Grinnel College speech and finally the American University speech.)

His speech a few months ago on South America was good and stressed the same kind of philosophy this speech did. Both AIDS and global warming are problems where a strong international effort is needed and the Kerrys have both been involved on them. Adding these areas and Asia, would show even more clearly the breath of knowledge Kerry has on international policy. This re-inforces the view people had of him in the first debate and sets him apart from most (if not all) his competitors for 2008.

I think the concentration on Iraq and Iran for a large part of the speech was because he needed to say where he was on Iraq as they sort of have a government, but certainly not an effective one and he needed to state a clear, strong position on Iran. I'm happy that he is pointing out the real time estimate that there are 5 to 10 years.

[Mass]

13. I am not sure - The core of the speech is the power of diplomacy

so I really feel frustrated that he continues to speak along the framelines defined by the neo-cons(Axis of Evil). It is time that the Democrats start seeing this is not a good thing. I am just tired of speeches that only speak of the issues of the day.

Adding these areas and Asia, would show even more clearly the breath of knowledge Kerry has on international policy. This re-inforces the view people had of him in the first debate and sets him apart from most (if not all) his competitors for 2008.

More than that, it would have allowed Kerry to explain what is his vision in foreign policy, not only how he would solve the immediate problems.

Time is largely overdue for a speech in foreign policy that is the equivalent to the speech Kennedy gave a few months ago on the progressive vision in domestic policy. I just hope Kerry is the one who gives it.

For me , it is a good speech, not very surprisingly, but certainly not the seminal speech that has been missing for years now in foreign policy.

[ProSense]

14. Kerry has given quite a few speeches on foreign and domestic policy.

The have been focused and quite detailed:

U.S. Foreign Policy in Latin America
http://kerry.senate.gov/v3/cfm/record.cfm?id=254305


On the domestic side (the competitiveness speech was a broader vision):

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=273&topic_id=89146&mesg_id=89146


I agree with Karyn that these will grow to encompass Kerry's breadth of knowlegde. Still, a broader speeche covering the range of foreign policy issues will come and will be seen a too broad, then people will want to know the specifics. Times are changing, but I see JK building on the broader vision he outlined in the previous campaign.

[karynnj]

16. I agree that a broader more visionary speech

from Kerry could be incredible - and I agree that it's been missing for years. That said, I think Kerry in this speech, the Ireland speech and the CFR speech is speaking on a broader level than any of the others. I would love to hear him give the type of speech you describe. He is one of the few who really have it in them to do it.

I do think this speech was very good and I think he gave a clearer statement on Iraq and Iran than anyone else has.

[TayTay]

15. The announced topic of this speech was the Middle East

The other things about global warming and it's affect on national security came up in a Q&A afterward. I don't see the criticism that other topics didn't come up as valid. It's not like the topic wasn't known in advance. Plus these other topics are not like candy M&Ms that you can just pass out of an envelope at will. They are in-depth subjects that require their own consideration and speeches of some length.

I am glad that the Senator did not include Global Warming in this speech. It would have been too messy and off topic. He needed to be focused and talk about the specifics of a plan that he is advocating in the Senate. Kerry admitted that he doesn't even have the backing of the Dem caucus on this. You mix in a range of other issues and it gets even worse. I am glad that he didn't dilute his speech and make it a dull 'kitchen-sink' event. I want him on-message about his proposals. He is doing really good work on this and it's hard enough to try to get support on the withdrawal without everything else coming in.

One thing at a time. Iraq and Iran are critical issues now. They are the biggest issues before the country now. Sen. Kerry is an acknowledged expert on Foreign policy and I want to hear his thoughts on these topics now. Not Global warming.

[kerrygoddess]

17. The speech was not really directed to the public - but a think tank

The Pacific Council is bi-partisan Internation Foreign Policy think tank. He was speaking to a room filled with scholars, diplomats and members of the business community:

Pacific Council was founded in 1995 as an independent, non-partisan, membership organization. It is headquartered, by a renewable term agreement, on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Our Mission

To promote better understanding and more effective action, by private and public sector leaders from the western United States and around the Pacific Rim, in addressing a rapidly changing world. The Council emphasizes the connection between global and local developments as national borders become more porous, traditional concepts of "public" and "private" blur, and what constitutes "policy" itself is changing.

Our Activities

Through a vigorous program of briefings, workshops and publications, the Pacific Council facilitates an ongoing dialogue among leaders from business, government, the media, labor, non-governmental organizations, education, law, and science and technology to exchange ideas and develop policy recommendations on economic, social and political issues with important regional and international implications. We help our members and Corporate Sponsors analyze international challenges better, so that they are able to operate more effectively when dealing with global problems and opportunities. There is no equivalent organization in the western United States.

Membership meetings are held throughout the year. All Pacific Council members are invited to attend these off-the-record, confidential talks, where invited speakers interact with 30-40 participants. Past meetings covered a wide range of topics, including the prospects for the Japanese economy; North Korea; Russia; women in world politics; terrorism; Taiwan; the narcotics trade; the link between epidemics and national security; US policy towards Iraq; economic and political recovery in Brazil; US-Japanese relations; change in China; global warming; Kosovo; international trade; transitions in Mexico; US interventionism; Colombia; Indonesia; US-India relations; globalization and border control; and the Internet in China.

Our Constituencies

The Pacific Council's prime constituency are its members - decision-makers and opinion-shapers, primarily from the western region of North America, who understand that virtually every aspect of life today is affected by international drivers. The Council's membership includes not only United States leaders who are explicitly focused on international issues but also people from a variety of backgrounds working on domestic questions that are increasingly affected by global forces. About 10% of our members are also non-Americans who are interested in engaging with Americans in exploring questions of shared concern.

The Pacific Council looks to include a diverse cross-section of talented, accomplished young professionals whose career trajectories have either already placed them in prominent leadership roles or are likely to do so in the future. These "Next Generation" members are important to the growth of our organization.

As of February 2004, the Pacific Council has about 1200 members who come from business, academia, non-governmental organizations, the media, law, government, labor, religion, science, the military and the arts. Membership is largely based in the western United States, but about 20% comes from elsewhere in the country and from abroad.
http://www.pacificcouncil.org/public/About/index.asp

[karynnj]

18. Impressive group - what was the reaction like?

[kerrygoddess]

21. The Council members

sat raptly listening - all very intent. Wonderful applause after and Christopher spoke and said he would take questions - I got up to go to the restroom and got to talking with Marvin in the hall and missed the Q&A and reactions to that.

[Mass]

19. KG, thanks.

and congratulation for putting together the bloggers' session. The reports I read on kos and DU were great.

[kerrygoddess]

22. I just posted a thread too

It was a good meeting I think. Raised some opinions.

[ProSense]

8. Terrifc speech! Thanks for posting

I'm glad Kerry reiterated withdrawal from Iraq by the end of the year.