Startling Wes Clark Claim: Seven Countries in Five Years

By: KathyinBlacksburg
Published On: 3/3/2007 11:05:26 AM

In a live-audience interview at the 92nd Street Y Cultural Center New York City, Amy Goodman interviewed Four Star General (Ret.) Wes Clark for Democracy Now. They talked about his presidential aspirations, courageous effort to stop an iran war, and collaborative effort with Stop Iran War and Vote Vets.

Although I am not currently a Clark supporter, I strongly believe Wes Clark is making a powerful contribution to America and the Democratic Party. 

Clark confirmed what many of us have feared, that the Bush administration does have a plan for war without end, a plan to pick off one country after another.  Americans have a right to know what this administration is up to.  And Wes Clark is on a pretty short list of real heroes.  Amazingly, Clark said this:


So I came back to see him a few weeks later, and by that time we were bombing in Afghanistan. I said, "Are we still going to war with Iraq?" And he said, "Oh, it's worse than that." He reached over on his desk. He picked up a piece of paper. And he said, "I just got this down from upstairs" -- meaning the Secretary of Defense's office -- "today." And he said, "This is a memo that describes how we're going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran." I said, "Is it classified?" He said, "Yes, sir." I said, "Well, don't show it to me." And I saw him a year or so ago, and I said, "You remember that?" He said, "Sir, I didn't show you that memo! I didn't show it to you!"


Here's what Clark has said previously about the notion of war as the Bush-preferred method of solving problems:


"... surely we have learned by now that, particularly in this region, force and the threats of force should be the last, last, last resort. ... It is past time to ask our elected officials in the White House and Congress to exercise leadership: recognize the real strategic challenge we face, and start to work now to avoid an escalation and widening of conflict in the Mideast."

Message to the Democratic Congress:  Hello!  Is anyone (besides Jim Webb) out there?" Let the investigations, and resolutions preventing a run-away, perpetual war begin.  NOW!


Comments



WTP (Kindler - 3/3/2007 11:19:36 AM)
I've always thought that the main reason Bush invaded Iraq was so that he could go into the 2004 election calling himself a "war time president" -- words that he clearly loves saying.  I figured that the Afghan war ended too quickly, so they needed to gin another one up quickly.

If this report is true, though, these people are well beyond insane.



Excellent Diary, Kathy! (cycle12 - 3/3/2007 11:43:36 AM)
Wouldn't it be nice to figure out what are those "preconditions" that need to be met in order for Clark to run for President?

Perhaps this "waiting game" of Clark's is better, but I hope we hear something official from him very soon, and I repeat...

Jim Webb for Senate 2006 = Wes Clark for President 2008

Thanks!

Steve



Clark should run! (Rebecca - 3/3/2007 12:18:26 PM)
I was very impressed by the interview. I am very impressed with Clark. I hope he does get on the Democratic ticket. If not, and if we have a Democratic president, I hope is becomes Secretary of Defense.


Last night as a friend and I sat over a beer (Catzmaw - 3/3/2007 1:02:50 PM)
she commented that of course she would vote for whomever the Democratic candidate is, but that none of the current crop excites her.  She called Hillary Clinton an opportunist, Obama inexperienced, and Edwards shallow.  She likes Richardson's bona fides but is afraid he's Clinton the Sequel when it comes to his personal behavior.  This is a conversation I've been having with many people.  There's a void out there in spite of all the media frenzy over the frontrunners.  People are dissatisfied with the choices before them.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - no one else has the depth, the gravitas, or the qualifications of Wesley Clark.  I know he doesn't have the financing.  I know he has never held elective office.  I know if he comes into the campaign he may be too late.  I know the media does not appear to know he exists.  Still and all, this man should be President. 



Agreed, Catzmaw; a leadership vacuum... (cycle12 - 3/3/2007 7:38:43 PM)
...exists in this nation currently and will not be easy to fill.  Only those with the strong content validity of a Jim Webb and/or a Wes Clark will satisfy the voters' need for true leadership.

If it worked in Virginia, a "microcosm of the U. S." (a close approximation of Jim Webb's recent comments), it will work at the national level with Wes Clark.

Jim Webb for Senate 2006 = Wes Clark for President 2008

Where have I seen that before...?

Thanks!

Steve



For What its Worth (JPTERP - 3/3/2007 1:31:18 PM)
Wes Clark talks about this 7 countries brief in his 2004 book "Winning Modern Wars".  The book is a good quick read for those who haven't had a chance to look at it. 

About 3/4 of the book is focused on the events of Iraq/Afghanistan/9-11.

The remaining 1/4 contains Wes's prescriptions for the future. 

The book was written during the late summer of 2003 a few months after the Iraq invasion.



That's what... (KathyinBlacksburg - 3/3/2007 1:48:00 PM)
Hi, JTERP:
That's what I get for not reading Clark's 2004 book!  The interview this week was the first time I'd heard it.  Thanks for letting me know. 


I just finished reading the book. (JPTERP - 3/3/2007 3:29:16 PM)
Otherwise, this would be a first for me too.

I'm a little bit surprised that this bit of information hasn't entered the public consciousness yet either.  I've heard stories about Iran and Syria, and of course N. Korea, but Libya, Sudan, Somalia, and Lebanon?

Talk about bending over backwards to prove Bin Laden's point that the U.S. isn't engaged in a fight against terrorism but a war against Islam (which is exactly how these actions would have been seen throughout the Muslim world).

These NeoCon fantasies too also reveal the type of cartoonish view that they have concerning the efficacy of military force and U.S. power.  It shouldn't have taken the Iraq invasion in 2003 to discover what conventional military power can and cannot do.



Clark said this in 2002, before Iraq (vadem - 3/3/2007 8:26:35 PM)
I was paying close attention at the time since I'd begun to follow Wes Clark as he covered the build up to the Iraqi War with Aaron Brown, every night at 10.  It was while watching this program one night and hearing Clark talk about the war, the strategy, the good and the bad, that I simply said out loud, "He should be running for President instead of the current group".  He explained clearly the PNAC "contract".  This plan has been in place since at least 1996.  Clark told of his conversation with someone in the Pentagon--and a call he got either late on 9-11 or on 9-12.  This crowd has had this plan for years.  Clark knew it, warned about it, spoke about it.  He's never wavered from those claims.  He knows how dangerous this crowd is.

That's why he's urging everying to recognize that stopping a war with Iran is critical.  That's why he isn't in the race yet.  He puts country first, and he's doing so by working with VoteVets on www.stopiranwar.  If you haven't gone there, signed the petition and passed it along to everyone you know, now is the time.



He hasn't ruled out running. (Bernie Quigley - 3/4/2007 8:04:17 AM)
I heard him speak up here in NH night before last. He hasn't ruled out running. He has shown concern about "celebrity" politics these past weeks. If conditions change; that is, if the info-entertainment industry yielded and we entered the normal stream of events in which the best and the brightest among up entered the race out of a sense of duty, he would certainly enter & he is ready to do so. As it is, he is changing the face and the heart of the Democratic party doing now what he is doing. I believe that change will build a new and better party.


There are two books from Clark (vadem - 3/3/2007 8:28:59 PM)
Winning Modern Wars and Waging Modern Wars.  Both very much worth reading to get a measure of the man.  Sort of what I did when I was learning about Jim Webb.  I read his book.  In addition, his third book has been completed and gone to the publisher.  It may be released sometime this Fall.


That's correct, "vadem"... (cycle12 - 3/5/2007 10:42:15 AM)
... and here's the link to an ABC News article about Wes Clark's new book, "American Son", due out this fall:

http://blogs.abcnews...

Thanks!

Steve



Who will stop war with Iran - if not us? (Nick Kelly - 3/3/2007 9:52:43 PM)
Wes Clark has been calling for vastly increased regional diplomacy in the middle-east for years.  Last Tuesday, for the first time, the Bush administration finally agreed to participate in an Iraqi government sponsored forum that includes Iran and Syria.  I don't have great expectations for this, but I suppose it may be better than nothing....unless....

Unless the neo-cons still advising Bush decided it would be good public relations to be able to say that they were engaged in negotiations with Iran when Iran suddenly launched an unprovoked attack on a US warship.  Which, of course justified the launching of multiple cruise missiles in retaliation....

If you think this is just a progressive's worst nightmare, I suggest you read the following two articles:

http://amconmag.com/...

http://amconmag.com/...

Then get to work and help Wes Clark and Vote Vets to prevent another unnecessary war: http://www.stopiranw...