1 GENERAL WESLEY CLARK 8:00 P.M. STEPHEN O'CONNELL CENTER PRESENTED BY ACCENT >>> GOOD EVENING. >> MY NAME IS EVAN TYROLER. >> I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF ACCENT. >> PLEASE STAND FOR THE COLOR GUARD. >> YOU MAY BE SEATED. >> ONCE AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO THANK CLAUDIA DIAZ FOR SINGING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM SO BEAUTIFULLY AT AS THE UNIVERSITY ROTC JOINT COLOR GUARD FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE COLORS. >> SPARKING DEBATE AND EXPANDING THE MIND OF STUDENTS, ACCENT HAS HOSTED PROMINENT AND CONTROVERSIAL SPEAKERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FOR OVER 30 YEARS INCLUDING PAST PRESIDENTS, PRIME MINISTERS, POLITICIANS, MEDIA, BUSINESS AND SPORTS LEGENDS. >> ACCENT'S GOAL IS TO ENGAGE THE STUDENT BODY OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM TO FURTHER ENRICH THEM WITH INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE. >> JUST LAST NIGHT, ACCENT HOSTED MARK STERNER IN A PRESENTATION CALLED DUI A POWERFUL LESSON AND TWO WEEKS AGO SPONSORED AN ASIAN-AMERICAN ACTIVIST FOR THE ASIAN-AMERICAN STUDENT UNION. >> ACCENT'S SUCCESS IS FUELED BY STUDENT INTEREST AND SUPPORT, THEREFORE, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT 2 TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION OR ACCENT IN GENERAL. >> PLEASE TAKE TIME TO LEAVE FEEDBACK AT OUR WEBSITE. >> OR STOP AT THE FEEDBACK TABLE AT GATE ONE AND DROP IT THERE. >> ANYONE WHO LEAVES FEEDBACK WILL RECEIVE SIGNED POSTER BY TONIGHT'S SPEAKER GENERAL WESLEY CLARK. >> AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO THANK THREE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE HELPS US TO MAKE SURE THIS EVENT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL FIRST BETH WALTRIP, THE ADVISOR AND THE FACULTY ADVISOR FOR ACCENT SPEAKERS BUREAU AS WELL AS DARIUS DUNN, THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE O'CONNELL CENTER. >> ACCENT PRESENTS FOUR STAR GENERAL WESLEY CLARK. >> GENERAL CLARK RETIRED AS ONE OF OUR NATION'S MOST HIGHLY DECORATED MILITARY OFFICERS SINCE GENERAL DWIGHT EISENHOWER. >> THROUGHOUT THIS IS 38 YEARS IN THE MILITARY, GENERAL CLARK HAS SERVED ALL OVER THE WORLD INCLUDING BEING THE COMMANDER AND CHIEF OF THE UNITED STATES SOUTHERN COMMAND WHERE HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL MILITARY ACTION IN CARIBBEAN AND LATIN AMERICA. >> IN ADDITION HE WAS HEAD OF THE U.S. EUROPEAN COMMAND WHERE HE WAS IN CHARGE OF OVER 100,000 U.S. TROOPS AND ALL U.S. MILITARY ACTIVITY IN MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND EUROPE. FURTHERMORE, ME SERVE AS NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER WHERE HE COMMANDED NATO FORCES IN EUROPE DURING CONFLICT IN KOSOVO WITHOUT A SINGLE ALLIED CASUALTY. 3 AFTER RETIRING FOR THE ARMY, GENERAL CLARK WORKED FOR CNN AS INTERNATIONAL MILITARY ANALYST. ON SEPTEMBER 17th, 2003, AFTER THE URGING OF DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP GENERAL CLARK ANNOUNCED HE WOULD SEEK THE PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES. AFTER A YEAR OF CAMPAIGNING AND FUND RAISING HE WITHDREW AND ENDORSED JOHN KERRY. FOX NEWS HIRED HIM IN 2005 AS A MILITARY ANALYST. HE HAS WRITTEN TWO BOOKS, BOTH BOOKS ON SALE BY THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA BOOKSTORE, AND HE WILL BE SIGNING THE BOOKS AFTER THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER HIS SPEECH. THERE ARE TWO MICROPHONES LOCATED ON THE FLOOR AS WELL UP THERE BY GATE ONE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE LINE UP AND ASK THEM. AS PER REQUEST FROM GENERAL CLARK WE ASK NO PICTURES OR VIDEO BE TAKEN AFTER THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES OF THE EVENT IN ADDITION, PLEASE TAKE THIS TIME TO TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THANK YOU. >> WITHOUT FURTHER ADIEU, ACCENT SPEAKERS BUREAU AND THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA PROUDLY PRESENT GENERAL WESLEY CLARK. [ APPLAUSE ] >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 4 >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. EVAN, THANKS FOR THAT KIND INTRODUCTION. THANKS FOR THAT WARM WELCOME. >> IT IS GREAT TO BE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA. I SAY THAT EVEN AS AN ARKANSAS RAZORBACK. I HAD ALWAYS HEARD EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA HAS GREAT ATHLETICS. I WAS JUST OVER AT THE SWIMMING TEAM THIS AFTERNOON, WATCHING SOME OF THE REALLY TOP SWIMMERS IN THE WORLD WORK OUT OVER THERE. THEY'RE VERY IMPRESSIVE. >> WHAT MOST AMERICA DOESN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND AND I LEARNED SINCE COMING HERE IS YOU ALL ARE PROBABLY THE TOP PUBLIC UNIVERSITY, ONE OF THE TOP PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN AMERICA. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. >> YOU HAVE 1300 SAT AVERAGE SCORE, HONORS CORNELIUS YOU HAVE TO HAVE A 1450 TO GET INTO SH HONORS DORM YOU HAVE TO HAVE A 1450 TO GET INTO. MERIT SCHOLARS OF ANY PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY. >> IT'S PHENOMENAL. I'M HONORED TO BE HERE AND THANK ACCENT FOR BRINGING ME HERE. [ APPLAUSE ] YOU KNOW, IT IS FOUR YEARS SINCE 9/11. AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN STRUCK BY A TERRORIST EVENT IN THE 5 UNITED STATES, AND YET IT'S TIME TO DO AN ASSESSMENT, TAKE A REPORT CARD, ASK OURSELVES HOW WELL WE'RE DOING, AND LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE GOING IN THIS COUNTRY. AND WITH HORN KATRINA OUT THERE -- WITH HURRY CAIN KATRINA OUT -- WITH HURRICANE KATRINA OUT THERE AND EVERYBODY MESMERIZED WITH DIFFICULTIES, FAILURES, POLITICS, MECHANICS, HUMAN DRAMA AND TRAGEDY OF THAT AWFUL EVENT IT UNDERSCORES THE URGENCY OF REALLY LOOKING AT FOUR YEARS AFTER 9/11. THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO TONIGHT, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN ASSESSMENT. >> I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN ASSESSMENT AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN IN THE FIELD, WORRIED ABOUT THESE THINGS A LOT. I DON'T WANT YOU TO LOOK AT ME AS A POLITICIAN, I'M NOT. I'M SOMEBODY WHO SPENT 34 YEARS IN UNIFORM, WENT TO WEST . AT THE AGE OF 17, NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE IN POLITICS. NOTHING AGAINST PEOPLE WHO -- A YOUNG WOMAN TOLD ME THE OTHER NIGHT SHE WAS IN COLLEGE AND WANTED TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. IT JUST WASN'T MY DREAM. I HAD ALWAYS SEEN STORIES LIKE DOUGLAS McARTHUR, DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER AND GROUP IN A PATRIOTIC ENVIRONMENT IN LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS IN THE 1950s AND THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO, DO SAVE MY COUNTRY. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT FROM THE ASPECT OF LEADERSHIP AND NOT PARTISAN POLITICS. 6 I HOPE YOU'LL FORGIVE ME FOR THAT IF YOU'RE DEMOCRAT OR HOLD IT AGAINST ME IF YOU'RE REPUBLICAN. IT REMINDS ME OF THE STORY OF THE CITY MAN DRIVE GOING THROUGH THE COUNTRY AND HIS CAR BROKE DOWN. HE OPENED THE HOOD, HE WAS PUTTERING AROUND IN THERE. AS HE WAS LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD HE HEARD A DEEP VOICE SAY, IT'S THE CARBURETOR. THE ONLY THING HE SAW WAS A WHITE HORSE STANDING BY A FENCE. HE GASPED, WHAT DID YOU SAY? THE HORSE SAID, I SAID, IT'S THE CARBUERTOR. THE MAN WAS STUNNED AND BACKED AWAY FROM THE CAR AND LOOKED BACK AT THE HORSE AND BEGAN TO RUN. HE STAGGERED DOWN THE COUNTRY GAS STATION A COUPLE MILES DOWN THE ROAD AND RAN INTO TWO OLD-TIMERS PLAYING CHECKERS. HE TOLD THEM THE STORY. AND ONE OF THE MEN SAID, WAIT A MINUTE, SON, WAIT A MINUTE. WAS THIS A COUPLE MILES DOWN THE ROAD AND ON THE SOUTHSIDE OF THE ROAD? THE GUY NODDED. SAID, WAS THIS A BONY OLD WHITE HORSE WITH A BOB TAIL? YEAH, THAT'S THE ONE. THE TWO OLD-TIMERS JUST LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND CHUCKLED. NODDED THEIR HEADS AND SAID, SON, DON'T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO HIM AT ALL. THAT OLD HORSE DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CARBURATORS. 7 SO, I WANT TO TRY TO TELL IT TO YOU LIKE IT IS. I HOPE YOU'LL FEEL LIKE I KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT THAT THAT HORSE DID ABOUT CARBURATORS. LET'S ADD UP THE POSITIVES, LOOK AT THE NEGATIVES AND FIGURE OUT THE BOTTOM LINE ASSESSMENT AND THEN LET ME OFFER SOME IDEAS WHERE WE OUGHT TO BE GOING AND I'LL TAKE YOUR QUESTION. WHAT ARE THE POSITIVES? FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE BROKEN UP A LOT OF TERRORIST PLOTS AGAINST THIS COUNTRY. WE KNOW THAT. WE FOUND ABOUT THEM OVERSEAS, ARRESTED THEM HAVE SOMEBODY STILL IN JAIL. HOW MATURE THEY WERE WHETHER THEY WOULD HAVE EVER COME OFF, NOBODY HAS ANY KNOWLEDGE. THE FBI HAS BEEN PRETTY EFFECTIVE AND BEEN OUT THERE AND WORKING HARD. WE HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE CIA AND HAVE RESULTS TO SHOW FOR IT. WE TOOK CARE OF THAT BASE AREA THAT THE TALIBAN WAS GIVING OSAMA BIN LADEN IN AFGHANISTAN. AL QAEDA DOESN'T HAVE A BASE AREA NOW, THEY DON'T HAVE A COUNTRY THEY CAN GO TO, CONTROL THE GOVERNMENT, HE WAS GIVING DONATIONS TO THE TALIBAN GOVERNMENT AND BUYING THE GOVERNMENT. THAT'S GONE NOW. >> THERE'S NO BASE AREA IN AFGHANISTAN. 8 THERE MAY STILL BE A BASE AREA IN NORTHWEST PAKISTAN, THE IDEA THEY HAVE A COUNTRY THAT SPONSORS THEM, THAT'S OVER. THE TOP LEADERSHIP OF AL QAEDA HAS BEEN DISRUPTED. MOST OF THE TOP 50 OR SO PEOPLE WE KNEW ABOUT, THEY'RE IN JAIL. THE NUMBER THREE GUY SHEIKH MUHAMMAD HAS BEEN PERSONALLY USED TO BREAK UP TWO OR THREE PLOTS. AND LIBYA HAS GIVEN UP ITS NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND CONFESSED AND TOLD US WHERE THEY GOT THEM FROM, THE NUCLEAR MATERIALS, NEVER QUITE HAD NUCLEAR WEAPONS BUT A NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM AND CONFESSED TO THAT, ADMITTED IT AND WANTS TO -- IT WOULD RATHER HAVE WORLD TECHNOLOGY THAN NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. WISE CHOICE BY MR. GUDAFI. WE PUT IN A NEW LAW, THE PATRIOT ACT. THAT DID GIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES A LOT OF POWER THEY REQUESTED. THEY DIDN'T LIKE TO GO THROUGH THE FULL JUDICIAL PROCESS, KNEW THERE WERE MORE EFFICIENT WAYS TO COLLECT INFORMATION THAN WHAT THEY HAD BEEN HAMSTRUNG WITH, AS THEY SAID UNDER THE CLINTON AND PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS SO THE CONGRESS QUICKLY PASSED THE PATRIOT ACT. WE ORGANIZED A NEW DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, PULLED TOGETHER 22 RELATIVELY WEAK CABINET AGENCIES AND PULLED THEM TOGETHER IN WHAT IS THE LARGEST CORPORATE EXERCISE IN MODERN GOVERNMENTAL HISTORY, PUT A POLITICIAN IN CHARGE, FORMER GOVERNOR 9 TOM RIDGE, COMBINED ALL THOSE BUDGETS, DOUBLED THEM AND WE'RE STILL IN THAT PROCESS. WE'VE GIVEN OUT LOT OF MONEY, STRENGTHENED AIRPORT SECURITY, INSPECTED MORE CONTAINERS COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES THAN EVER, PUT NEW TECHNOLOGY IN THE FIELD. THERE'S A LOT OF WORK GOING ON AT STATE AND AIRPORT AND CITIES. LOT OF PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS PROBLEM PRIOR TO 9/11. WE ALSO CREATED A NEW INTELLIGENCE STRUCTURE. IT STARTED WITH A RECOGNITION OF THE NEED WHEN THE FBI AND CIA HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE AND NOW JOHN NEGROPONTE HAS BEEN APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, HE HAS CONTROL AND HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE INTELLIGENCE CZAR. SO, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN GENERAL. THE MOST IMPORTANT, OF COURSE, WE HAVEN'T BEEN STRUCK BY A TERRORIST ATTACK. SO, THEN WHAT'S THE DOWN SIDE, YOU MIGHT ASK? IS IT ALL OVER? STEADY AS YOU GO, GIVE IT TIME TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE TRACTION AND WE'RE OUT OF THE WOODS ON THIS? NOT EXACTLY. YOU SEE, WHILE WE'VE BEEN BUSY, THE FACT IS THE NUMBER OF TERRORIST INCIDENTS WORLD-WIDE HAS ACTUALLY INCREASED. YOU KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THESE. 10 LONDON WAS STRUCK IN JULY ON THE 7th OF JULY AND ALSO ANOTHER EFFORT WAS MADE MADE AFTER THAT. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TALKED INVOLVEMENT THERE WAS BUT WE KNOW THERE WAS TALKED INFLUENCE IN THAT. >> MADRID, THE SUBWAY SYSTEM THERE WAS STRUCK A COUPLE YEARS AGO, SAUDI ARABIA IS UNDER CONTINUING ATTACK BY TERRORISM. YOU OCCASIONALLY WILL READ IN THE NEWSPAPERS WHEN THERE IS A SUCCESS AND TERRORISTS ARE KILLED BUT YOU WON'T READ WHEN THERE'S NOT A SUCCESS. YOU DON'T QUITE GET THE FULL STORY OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SAUDI ARABIA. MY FRIENDS TELL ME IT'S NOT EASY, IT'S NOT PRETTY AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT OVER. OSAMA BIN LADEN AND HIS NUMBER TWO MAN AL-ZAWAHIRI ARE ON THE LOOSE. WE HAVEN'T FOUND THEM YET, DESPITE FOUR YEARS OF EFFORT. THE PRESIDENT USED TO SAY, YOU KNOW, DEAD OR ALIVE, HE USED TO MENTION OSAMA BIN LADEN'S NAME. I HAVEN'T HEARD HIM MUCH RECENTLY BUT I UNDERSTAND WHY. IT'S A VERY HARD THING TO CATCH ONE PERSON BY NAME, EVEN IF IT'S 65 IN THAT AREA WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE AREA. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WORKING IN THE AREA, PAKISTANI PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF ASSURES US HE'S CLAMPING DOWN ON TALKED, BUT TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, HE'S STILL THERE, SOMEWHERE, IN 11 WESTERN, NORTHWESTERN, PAKISTAN, NEXT TO THE HAVING A BORDER, BEING PROTECTED BY A LOT OF FANATICAL PEOPLE. THERE'S STILL COMMUNICATIONS. WE KNOW THEY'RE USING THE INTERNET WITH ALL KINDS OF SPECIAL APPROACHES TO HOW TO USE THE INTERNET EFFECTIVELY AGAINST US, KNOW THERE'S STILL COMMUNICATIONS GOING ON, STILL PLANNING GOING ON, INFLUENCE GOING ON AND A STRONG TERRORIST THREAT. IN FACT, EVEN THE TALIBAN HASN'T BEEN BANISHED. WE'VE LOST 50 SOLDIERS THIS YEAR IN AFGHANISTAN MORE THAN ANY OTHER TIME SINCE WE INVADED AFGHANISTAN AND GOT RID OF THE TALIBAN FOUR YEARS AGO. IT'S COME ROARING BACK DESPITE NATO PRESENCE IN THE AREA, WE STILL HAVE A NATO THREAT IN AFGHANISTAN. >> THEY'RE COMING OUT OF NORTHWEST PAKISTAN BUT SUPPORTED AND ABETTED INSIDE AFGHANISTAN. NOW, THEY HAVE NEW UNIFORMS. CHINA AND RUSSIA HAVE RECENTLY FORMED A NEW ORGANIZATION CALLED A SHANGHAI COOPERATION COUNCIL AND CALLED ON US TO GET OUT OF AFGHANISTAN. SO, IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME, I SUSPECT THAT WE FIND MORE THAN NEW UNIFORMS ON THE TALIBAN. WE'LL FIND SOME NEW WEAPONS. IT WAS ONLY ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO WE GAVE STINGER MISSILES TO THE MUJIHADEEN TO RUN OUT THE RUSSIANS. THEY HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN. 12 THE GUY IN CHARGE OF THE RUSSIAN ARMS FORCES RIGHT NOW FOUGHT IN AFGHANISTAN AGAINST THE MUJAHIDEEN WITH OUR WEAPONS. I KNOW HIM PERSONALLY. HE'S A FINE FELLOW, BUT I'M SURE IT HASN'T ESCAPED HIS NOTICE THAT THE TABLES ARE TURNED TODAY. AND WHATEVER RUSSIA TELLS HIM TO , DO BEING A GOOD SOLDIER HE'LL DO IT. AFGHANISTAN IS STILL IN DIFFICULTY. THEN, THERE'S THE PROBLEM OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. THE PRESIDENT SAID OUR NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY AFTER 9/11, EVERYBODY SAID, THIS WAS BAD, THINK HOW MUCH WORSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF THEY HAD USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS, BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS OR GOD FORBID A NUCLEAR WEAPON. SO, HE SAID THE PRINCIPLE THING WE HAVE TO DO IS KEEP THE WORST WEAPONS AWAY FROM THE WORST PEOPLE. HE NAME NAMED THE "AXIS OF EVIL. IRAQ, NORTH KOREA, AND IRAN. WE INVADED IRAQ TO GET RID OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. OF COURSE, THERE WEREN'T ANY. BUT WE KNEW THAT NORTH KOREA HAD THEM. NORTH KOREA HAS BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS, THEY HAVE CHEMICAL WEAPONS, AND AS THEY TOLD US, THEY HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS. WE'VE BEEN VERY INEFFECTIVE IN DEALING WITH NORTH KOREA. WE DON'T WANT TO TALK TO THEM, WE HAVEN'T DONE SO FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, FOR WHATEVER REASON, IT'S NOT CLEAR BUT IT 13 WASN'T DONE. IRAN HAS BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS WE BELIEVE. THEY CERTAINLY USED THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS, USED THEM 15 YEARS AGO AGAINST THE IRAQIS AND BELIEVE THEY WANT NUCLEAR WEAPONS BUT PROBABLY DON'T HAVE THEM YET. THEY'RE WORKING TO GET THEM AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN AFFECTED YET -- EFFECTIVE YET IN STOPPING THEM FROM MOVING TOWARD NUCLEAR WEAPONS. IN FACT, WE WON'T TALK TO THE IRANIANS ABOUT THIS. WE'VE LET EUROPE NEGOTIATE BUT NOT US. WE MAY HAVE SOME PEOPLE HERE WHO WANT TO BE LAWYERS, BUT THE LAW IS NOT THE FINAL THING TO USE. I WOULD SAY IT IS JUST ONE MEANS THAT SHOULD BE USED INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. SO WE HAVE THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY, WE SIGNED THIS 40 YEARS AGO, ALMOST 40 YEARS AGO, IN AN EFFORT TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. WE USED IT TO PERSUADE A DOZEN COUNTRIES TO GIVE UP THEIR NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAMS, SOUTH AFRICA, BRAZIL, SOUTH KOREA WERE ALL ENCOURAGED TO GIVE UP THEIR NUCLEAR WEAPONS. WE JUST DID A REVIEW CONFERENCE OF THENON PROLIFERATION THE UNITED STATES COULD HAVE LED. WE SENT A JUNIOR DIPLOMAT TO THE CONFERENCE WITH NO INSTRUCTIONS AND NOTHING WAS ACCOMPLISHED. IRAN CONTINUES ITS MARCH TOWARD NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN VIOLATION 14 OF ITS OBLIGATION UNDER THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY AND NORTH KOREA HAS WITHDRAWN FROM THAT TREATY, AND WE LET IT GO. SO WE'VE GOT PROBLEMS WITH WEAPONS PROLIFERATION. TERRORIST RECRUITING IS STILL STRONG, BY THE WAY WHAT'S HAPPENING IN IRAQ, IS THAT IRAQ IS LIKE -- IT'S LIKE A FEED LOT FOR TERRORISTS. YOU RECRUIT THEM WITH THE IMAGES OF AMERICAN STOCKHOLDERS FIGHTING IN AN ISLAMIC LAND, AND THEN YOU SEND THE RECRUITS THERE, SOME OF THEM ARE FANATICAL ENOUGH TO BE TRUSTED WITH GETTING IN A CAR AND DRIVING, BLOWING THEMSELVES UP AND KILL IRAQIS AND AMERICANS. MANY OF THEM ARE SENT THERE TO HAVE YOU THE EXPERIENCE OF FIGHTING AGAINST THE AMERICANS. THEY'LL BE BLOODED IN THE PROCESS, LEARN AMERICAN TACTICS, WEAPONS, GET CHANCE TO KILL A COUPLE OF AMERICANS AND THEN THEY'LL BE DRAWN OUT, GIVEN MORE SCHOOLING AND TRAINING AND SENT ELSEWHERE TO CONTINUE THE TERRORIST EFFORT AGAINST AMERICANS. IT'S A RECRUITING AND A FEED LOT AREA WE'VE ACTUALLY -- IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE WE WERE AFTER 9/11 WHEN 200,000 GERMANS DEMONSTRATED AT THE BRANDENBERG GATE IN BERLIN TO EXPRESS SOLIDARITY WITH AMERICAN, WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE INTERVENING FOUR YEARS, WE'VE LOST THAT SUPPORT FOR AMERICA. WE'VE LOST THE IDEA WE HAVE LEGITIMACY IN THE WORLD. WE'VE LOST THE AUTOMATIC NOD THAT USED TO GO, OH, THE AMERICANS, YOU KNOW, THEY PUSH INTERNATIONAL LAW. 15 THEY ONLY DO THE RIGHT THING. THEY RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF OTHER NATIONS. NOW, IT'S NOT SEEN THAT WAY. BY MAJORITY POPULATIONS THROUGHOUT THE ISLAMIC WORLD AND SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS OF PEOPLE, EVEN AMONGST OUR CLOSEST ALLIES IN EUROPE. MORAL FORCE IN THE WORLD IS A HUGE FORCE. THERE'S NOTHING MORE POWERFUL IN THE WORLD THAN AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME. AND RIGHT NOW, THAT BATTLE OF IDEAS IS NOT GOING IN AMERICA'S FAVOR. SO, IF YOU ADD ALL OF THIS UP AND LOOK AT OUR ARMED FORCES CONTINUING IN IRAQ, TO FIGHT 138,000 TROOPS THERE, PLUS THE 20,000 IN AFGHANISTAN, THE GROUND FORCES ARE STRETCHED. CAN WE KEEP THEM THERE? YEAH, I THINK SO. CAN WE KEEP RECRUITING? PROBABLY. BUT WE'RE FULLY COMMITTED. AND WE'RE FEEDING THE TERRORIST MACHINE BY OUR ACTIONS IN IRAQ. SO IF YOU ADD ALL THAT UP, THE ASSESSMENT IS NOT ROSY. I CAN'T SAY WE'RE WINNING. WHAT I CAN SAY IS THE PRESENT COURSE OF ACTION IS NOT AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY TO SUCCEED IN THE WAR ON TERROR. 16 WE MUST CHANGE OUR NATIONAL STRATEGY. [ APPLAUSE ] THE FIRST THING WE HAVE TO DO TO WIN THE WAR ON TERROR IS CORRECT THE OVERRELIANCE ON THE MILITARY. THE MILITARY IS NOT THE FIRST WEAPON OF CHOICE, IT SHOULD BE -- [ APPLAUSE ] THANK YOU. IT'S THE LAST WEAPON OF CHOICE, LAST, LAST, LAST. NOT FIRST. [ APPLAUSE ] I DON'T SAY THIS OUT OF ANY DISRESPECT FOR THE MILITARY, I WORK WITH THE MILITARY, THEY'RE WONDERFUL. NEVER BET AGAINST THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES, WE HAVE THE GREATEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THERE, THE GREATEST TECHNOLOGY AND WE CAN DO ALMOST ANYTHING. [ APPLAUSE ] BUT WE'RE NOT THE FIRST CHOICE IN WINNING THE WAR ON TERROR. YOU SEE, THE PROBLEM IS THAT TERRORISM IS SPAWNED BY AN IDEA, BY A PASSION, BY A COMMITMENT. IT'S MISTAKEN IDEA BUT IT'S AN IDEA. AND YOU DON'T WIN IT BY KILLING PEOPLE. YOU WIN IT BY CHANGING PEOPLE'S IDEAS. [ APPLAUSE ] I GREW UP AS A FIERCE PATRIOT, I REMEMBER GOING TO SEE JOHN 17 WAYNE IN "SANDS OF HIROJIMA" IN THE '50s. MY PARENTS PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN ME TO IT BUT THEY DID. MY UNCLE FOUGHT IN THE WAR AS A SERGEANT. I LEARNED TO SING THE MARINE HYMN. THE TROUBLE IS THE REST OF THE WORLD DON'T SEE IT LIKE WE DO TO THEM, IT DOESN'T MEAN THE SAME THING IT DOES TO US. THE UNITED STATES ARMY DOESN'T MEAN THE SAME THING IT DOES TO AMERICANS. FIRES WAS ON THE AIRPLANE COMING DOWN HERE TODAY, ONE OF THE GUYS GOT ON IN A DESERT FLIGHT SUIT, HAD HIS UNIT PATCH ON, NAMETAG ON, A COUPLE OTHER TROOPS ON THE PLANE. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT SAID LET'S GIVE OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM A BIG APPLAUSE AND THE PEOPLE ON THE PLANE BROKE OUT IN APPLAUSE, AND MAN NEXT TO ME SAID, BOY, IT'S REALLY CHANGED HASN'T IT? HE WAS A VETERAN LIKE ME. I WAS REALLY HAPPY IT'S CHANGED. I FEEL GREAT ABOUT THE ARMED FORCES. THE REST OF THE WORLD DOESN'T SEE IT THAT WAY. WE'RE NOT GOING TO WIN THE BATTLE OF IDEAS WHEN YOU KILL PEOPLE. WHEN YOU KILL PEOPLE. I'M NOT SAYING YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE MILITARY FORCE BUT I AM SAYING THAT -- UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU USE IT AND YOU KILL PEOPLE, THEIR RELATIVES MOSTLY, THEY DON'T LIKE YOU AFTER THAT. 18 THEY BEAR REAL GRUDGES. THESE PEOPLE HAVE BIG FAMILIES OVER THERE. YOU'RE NOT DOING YOURSELF ANY FAVOR. AS A LAST RESORT, WE MAY HAVE TO USE MILITARY FORCE, BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE THE FIRST WEAPON. IT'S THE FIRST WEAPON IF YOU WANT TO IMPRESS ON THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE SERIOUS ABOUT IT, YOU CALL IT A WAR. YOU GO DOWN TO-FOOT CAMPBELL AND YOU SAY, MEN AND WOMEN OF 101st AIRBORNE DIVISION, GET READY, WE'RE GOING TO NEED YOU. AMERICA SAYS, YEAH, THE PRESIDENT'S SERIOUS. IF YOU WANT TO WIN, YOU START BY GOING ON THE OFFENSIVE WITH IDEAS. NOT WITH MILITARY POWER. WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHO WE'RE FIGHTING, WHAT THEIR MOTIVATIONS ARE, WHAT THEIR AIMS ARE AND HOW THEY RECRUIT. WE HAVE TO GO INTO THE IDEOLOGY, USE THE AMERICAN ISLAMIC COMMUNITY, FIND THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE KORAN, AS THEIR SOURCE OF TRUTH, AND EMPOWER THEM TO SPEAK AGAINST THOSE WHO WOULD TAKE THE LABEL OF RELIGION AND USE IT FOR MURDER. IT CAN BE DONE. LISTEN. IN THE 1930s IN AMERICA, COMMUNISM WAS CONSIDERED A PROGRESSIVE IDEOLOGY, MARXISM, LINIASM WAS TAUGHT AT ALL THE SCHOOLS, PROBABLY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA AND I USED TO TEACH IT AT WESTPOINT. IN THE 1960s. 19 WE KNEW IT WASN'T A GOOD THING. IT WAS A PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT, MARKS ITS PARTY IN-DARK MARXIST PARTY. COMMUNIST PARTY. THERE WAS A MAN WHO WAS A COMMUNIST AND HE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT THE COMMUNIST PARTY CALLED "TRUE BELIEVER." IN IT, HE RIPPED OFF THE CURTAINS OF THE -- THAT THE COMMUNIST PARTY HAD BEEN USING TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND TOLD THE TRUTH. THIS PARTY IS NOT DEMOCRATIC. IT TAKES INSTRUCTIONS FROM A FOREIGN POWER. IT DOESN'T BELIEVE IN HELPING PEOPLE, IT BELIEVES IN USING PEOPLE. A DICTATORSHIP. AND SO OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, WENT AROUND ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND SPOKE. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, HE SPARKED A MOVEMENT THAT KILLED THE APPEAL OF THE AMERICAN COMMUNIST PARTY. HE DID IT BY THE POWER OF HIS CONVICTIONS AND HIS KNOWLEDGE FROM BEING ON THE INSIDE. WE NEED TO FIND THE ARAB COFFERS WHO HAVE BEEN ATTRACTED BY THEIR CONCERNS THAT YOUNG MUSLIM, ESPECIALLY MEN FEEL, THAT THEIR CULTURE IS DISRESPECTED, THAT THEIR LAND IS OCCUPIED, THAT THEIR FAITH IS CHALLENGED, AND UNDER ATTACK. THEY FEEL ANGER AND PASSION AND HUMILIATION. 20 BUT THEY HAVE GOT TO HAVE THE LEADERSHIP FROM SOMEONE TO TELL THEM THAT THE RIGHT RESPONSE IS NOT TO KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE. THAT THERE'S A BETTER WAY TO STAND UP FOR THEIR OWN DIGNITY AND PROMOTE THEIR FAITH. AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO, IS FIND THOSE PEOPLE, RESOURCE THOSE MOVEMENTS, ENCOURAGE THEM TO SPEAK OUT. IN YEMIN, THEY'VE ACTUALLY GOT NOW A FEW OF THE MUSLIM LEADERS WHO HAVE GONE TO THE JAILED TERRORISTS AND SAID, WHY ARE YOU A TERRORIST? PROVE IT. AND THE TERRORISTS WILL QUOTE VERSUS FROM KORAN AND THEY WILL ARGUE WITH THEM ABOUT THE INTERPRETATION, SAY THAT'S THE WRONG INTERPRETATION OF THAT VERSE, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT COMES BEFORE AND AFTERWARDS. THEY'VE ACTUALLY PERSUADED SOME OF THESE TERRORISTS TO RECANT, TO CHANGE THEIR MIND, TO GIVE UP THE IDEA THEY SHOULD KILL PEOPLE. THAT'S THIS KIND OF LEADERSHIP THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE ACTUALLY TO WIN IN THIS IDEOLOGICAL STRUGGLE. WE ALSO HAVE TO AVOID DOING THE THINGS THAT IN SENTVIZE RECRUITING. WE HAVE TO TELL THE RUSSIANS TO KNOCK OFF CHECHNYA, THEY SEND THEM IN THERE, FIGHT THE RUSSIAN, GET TRAINED AND COME OUT AND CAUSE PROBLEMS ELSEWHERE. PUTIN USED CHECHNYA TO GET POWER IN 1999 AND THE REINVADED 21 NOW BEING USED BY THE POWER MINISTRIES OF THE SOVIET UNION AND THEY'RE JOCKEYING FOR POWER. IT'S TIME THAT ALL STOPPED AND A SOLUTION FOUND THAT'S PEACEFUL AND RECOGNIZE PEOPLE'S DIFFERENCES AND RIGHTS. THAT'S TRUE THROUGHOUT THE NORTH CAUCUS. WE NEED TO TELL OUR FRIENDS IN THE REGION THEY'VE GOT TO MOVE AND TRANSFORM THEIR OWN GOVERNMENTS, TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE NEEDS OF THEIR OWN PEOPLE. WE'VE GOT TO LOOK VERY SERIOUSLY AT OUR CONDUCT AND LEADERSHIP. WE SHOULD BE DOING MORE TO HELP THE ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS SORT IT OUT IN THE MIDDLE EAST. [ APPLAUSE ] AND WE SHOULD BE DOING LESS IN THE INTERROGATION OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE DETAINED AT GUANTANAMO AND ABROAD. [ APPLAUSE ] THE UNITED STATES ARMY THAT I GREW UP IN, THE MEN AND WOMEN I LOVE IN UNIFORM, UNDERSTAND THE GENEVA CONVENTION AND THEY WOULD NEVER EVER TORTURE A PRISONER. FOR ANY REASON. [ APPLAUSE ] I THINK THIS COUNTRY SHOULD DEMAND AN EXPLANATION OF WHY THEY HAVE DONE SO AND BELIEVE ME, IT'S NOT THE FAULT EXCLUSIVELY OF A BUNCH OF PRIVATES AND SPECIALISTS AND SERGEANTS OR EVEN LIEUTENANT COLONELS AND COLONELS. 22 I WANT TO SEE THAT INVESTIGATION TAKEN ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP, I MEAN THE POLICY TOP. [ APPLAUSE ] I TOLD YOU WE NEED TO CORRECT THE OVERRELIANCE ON MILITARY, NEED TO WIN THE THE BATTLE I'D DELOGICALLY. THE THIRD THING WE NEED TO DO IS DEAL REALISTIC THEY WITH THE PROBLEM OF IRAQ. WHAT'S HAPPENED IN IRAQ IS THAT WHEN WE WENT INTO IRAQ, FOR A VARIETY OF MOTIVES, IT WAS PART OF AN 8-YEAR-OLD PLAN HATCHED BY DICK CHENEY AND PAUL WOLFOWITZ IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE GULF WAR. I WAS IN PAUL WOLFOWITZ' OFFICE IN 1991, A ONE-STAR GENERAL. I HAD ALL DARK HAIR THEN. AND WOLFOWITZ SAID LET ME TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. WE HAVE A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY. RUSSIA DOESN'T COUNT ANYMORE. WE'RE GOING TO KNOCK OFF THESE OLD SOVIET SURROGATE REGIMES LIKE IRAQ AND SYRIA, THE REST OF THEM THAT GAVE US A HARD TIME IN THE COLD WAR AND DID RUSSIA'S BIDDING. THIS IS A TIME TO CLEAN UP THE MIDDLE EAST AND WE CAN USE OUR MILITARY TO DO IT. THEY CAME TO POWER RIGHT AFTER 9/11. THE DAY AFTER -- THE DAY OF 9/11, THEY WERE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT USING THE TERRORIST ATTACK ON THE PENTAGON IN NEW YORK CITY, AS JUSTIFICATION FOR AN INVASION OF IRAQ. WHETHER OR NOT IRAQ WAS INVOLVED IN 9/11. 23 I WENT THROUGH THE PENTAGON TWO WEEKS AFTER 9/11, ONE OF THE GENERALS CALLED ME, SAID, SIR, YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS, BUT HE SAID, WE'RE GOING TO INVADE IRAQ. I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO INVADE IRAQ? WHY? HE SAID, HE SAID, I DON'T KNOW. HE SAID, I GUESS THE ADMINISTRATION JUST DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH A WAR ON TERROR. IF THE ONLY TOOL YOU'VE GOT IS A HAMMER, EVERY PROBLEM HAS TO LOOK LIKE A NAIL. HE SAID, WE CAN DEFINITELY TAKE DOWN GOVERNMENTS AND WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO FIGHT TERRORISTS YET SO LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO IRAQ. I WAS HORRIFIED, BECAUSE I CAN'T STAND IT WHEN PEOPLE ASK MEN AND WOMEN WHO VOLUNTEER TO SERVE THEIR COUNTRY TO GO TO WAR UNLESS IT'S ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. [ APPLAUSE ] MY SON DIDN'T HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF GOING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, HE WENT TO GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY. HE REFUSED TO GO TO WEST. HE SAID, DAD, I WANT TO GO TO A REAL COLLEGE. HIS IDEA OF COLLEGE IS THE SOCIALIZING STARTS AFTER 11:00 AND ENDS SOMEWHERE BEFORE 6:00 A.M. SO HE WANTED AN URBAN COLLEGE EXPERIENCE. HE DID ROTC. 24 AND HE WAS AN ARMOR OFFICER, AND I WORRIED A LOT ABOUT HIM. AND I KNOW HOW CINDY SHEEHAN MUST HAVE FELT WHEN HER SON WAS LOST, BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE A PARENT, AND YOU ENCOURAGE OR PERMIT YOUR CHILD TO SERVE IN UNIFORM, YOU WORRY. YOU'RE COMPLICIT, YOU'RE PART OF IT. BELIEVE ME THERE, ARE A LOT OF PARENTS OUT THERE WHO WON'T LET THEIR CHILDREN SERVE IN UNIFORM. WHAT ALL OF YOU EXPECT IS THAT YES, IT'S DANGEROUS, BUT THEY WON'T GO TO WAR AND PUT THEIR LIVES ACTUALLY ON THE LINE IN COMBAT UNLESS IT'S ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY ABSOLUTELY UNAVOIDABLE AND NECESSARY FOR THE SURVIVAL OF THE COUNTRY, OR OUR MOST VITAL NATIONAL INTERESTS. YOU KNOW WHAT, IRAQ WASN'T. [ APPLAUSE ] NOW, WE'RE THERE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION DIDN'T PUT ENOUGH TROOPS IN TO BEGIN WITH, DIDN'T HAVE A REALISTIC PLAN TO WORK WITH THE LEADERS, WASTED THE FIRST YEAR, DISESTABLISHED THE ARMY WOULDN'T PERMIT THE BAATHISTS BACK IN AND BASICALLY, FAILED TO CAPTURE THE SPIRIT THAT THEY HAD HOPED TO CAPTURE INSIDE IRAQ. IT WAS A MESS. BUT THEY GOT 40,000 NATIONAL GUARDS MEN IN NEW ORLEANS. HOW DO WE THINK WE CAN HANDLE A COUNTRY THE SIZE OF -- BIGGER THAN THE SIZE OF CALIFORNIA THAT HAS 25 MILLION PEOPLE WITH LESS THAN 150,000 TROOPS? 25 YOU CAN'T. AND YET WE TRIED. WE MADE A MESS OF IT. NOW, WE'RE STILL OVER THERE, STILL FIGHTING, LOST A COUPLE THOUSAND AMERICANS IN THAT CONFLICT, SPENT 200 BILLION, THE CONSTITUTION IS UP THERE TODAY, THE SUNNIS DON'T WANT IT, IT CREATES A FEDERAL LIST DEMOCRACY READY TO SPLIT APART WITH THE SHIA AND KURDS BECOMING INDEPENDENT, AND THE SUNNIS IN THE MIDDLE WOULD HAVE NOTHING. THEY DON'T LIKE IT. THERE'S A DEEPENING CONFLICT, AND A SENSE OF IMMINENT BREAK-UP OF THE CIVIL WAR. CIVIL WAR BEGINS IN IRAQ, NO HOLDS BARRED, THE IRANIANS, SYRIANS, TURKS AND SAUDIS AND KUWAITS, ALL ENGAGED IN THEIR OWN WAY. IT'S GOING TO BE UGLY. THIS ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO START TALKING TO IRAQ'S NEIGHBORS. THEY'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM. WE NEED TO MAKE THEM PART OF THE SOLUTION. WE NEED TO PUT CONTACTS OVER THERE. [ APPLAUSE ] I DON'T KNOW HOW -- SEE, I'M STARTING TO SOUND LIKE A DEMOCRAT, BELIEVE ME, I'M NOT A DEMOCRAT LIKE THIS, I HAD THESE IDEAS LONG BEFORE I DECLARED WHAT MY PARTY WAS, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW 26 WHAT PARTY I WAS, IN THE BALKINS WE NEW MILOSEVIC AND MELOSOVIC WERE MURDERERS IN THE 1990s, WE KNEW THEY WOULD BE INDICTED FOR WAR CRIMES. WE STILL TALKED TO THEM. I EVEN WENT TO MILOSOVICH AND SAID, MR. PRESIDENT, IF YOU DON'T STOP THE ETHNIC CLEANSING IN KOSOVO, NATO'S GOING TO TELL ME TO BOMB YOU AND I'M GOING TO BOMB YOU GOOD. THERE'S NO REASON YOU CAN'T TALK TO PEOPLE FIRST. EVEN IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THEM. AND BEFORE YOU USE FORCE. THIS ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T WANT TO TALK WITH THESE PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST FOR WHATEVER REASON. IT'S DEEPENING THE PROBLEM IN IRAQ. GET A CONTACT GROUP TOGETHER, START WORKING THAT POLITICAL PROBLEM. STOP PUSHING ON ARTIFICIAL DEADLINES. MR. PRESIDENT, YOU'RE THE STRATEGIC LEADER OF THIS COUNTRY, YOU BETTER PUT A STRATEGY IN FOR SUCCESS. I'LL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IS WE'RE GOING DOWN THE ROAD OF RAPID TROOP CONTROL OF IRAQ NO MATTER WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES. WE WON'T LIKE IT. IT WILL BE UGLY. YOU CAN'T PULL OUT, YOU CAN'T STAY THE COURSE IN IRAQ BECAUSE THE COURSE ISN'T WORKING, YOU GOT TO CHANGE THE COURSE IN IRAQ AND 27 DO THE JOB IN A DIPLOMATIC AND LEGAL AND POLITICAL TOOLS AS WELL AS THE BRAVERY AND SKILL AND COURAGE OF MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM. THAT'S REALISTIC POLICY IN IRAQ. IT'S A NOT TOO LATE BUT WE NEED TO DO IT. [ APPLAUSE ] >> STOP OVERUSING THE MILITARY. WIN IT IDEALOGICALLY AND DEAL REALISTICALLY IN IRAQ. HERE'S MY FOURTH . YOU HAVE TO HAVE A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR AMERICAN SECURITY. THE LAST TIME WE PUT A FRAMEWORK TOGETHER IN THIS COUNTRY, WAS IN THE LATE 1940s. AFTER WORLD WAR II,WITHIN 24 MONTHS, IT WAS CLEAR THAT RUSSIA WASN'T GOING TO BE OUR FRIEND, THEY WERE GOING TO BE AN ADVERSARY. THE RED ARMY NEVER DEMOBILIZED, IT STAYED IN EASTERN EUROPE, THE DEMOCRACY OF EASTERN EUROPE WERE OVERTAKEN BY COMMUNIST SUPPORTED CREWS AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND POLAND AND HUNGARY, THE FLAME OF FREEDOM WAS EXTINGUISHED, THE BERLIN BORDER WAS SHUT DOWN AND WE HAD TO AIRLIFT SUPPLIES IN TO SAVE THE PEOPLE OF WEST BERLIN FROM COMMUNIST DOMINATION. THERE WAS A CIVIL WAR IN GREECE, AND STALIN WAS FURMENTING PROBLEMS AROUND THE WORLD. >> WE CREATED A A PROBLEM OF DETERRING SOVIET USE OF MILITARY POWER. WE BUILT ALLIANCES, WE CREATED NATO, CETO, WE FOUGHT WARS IN SOUTH KOREA AND VIETNAM. 28 AT THE END, AFTER LIVING WITH THIS STRATEGY, STRENGTHENING AMERICAN EDUCATION, WORKING TO BUILD ON A NETWORK OF ALLIANCES AND INTERCONNECTED WESTERN ECONOMIES, SPREADING THE IDEA OF FREEDOM LETTING WESTERN EUROPE GO IN, WE WON THE COLD WAR. PEOPLE MY AGE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I GREW UP UNDER THE COLD WAR. I THOUGHT IT WOULD NEVER END. I WAS A SOPHOMORE AT WESTPOINT. WHEN I WENT OVER AND SAW EAST BERLIN AND THE COMMUNIST GUARDS THERE. I WAS A LIEUTENANT WHEN I WENT OVER TO GERMANY AND SAW PEOPLE SERVING THERE ON THE BORDERS, I WAS MAJOR HELPING PREPARE OUR ARMORED BATTALION TO DEFEND THE CITIES OF BANBERG AND NUREMBERG A MAJOR ON THE STAFF AS WE DID OUR NUCLEAR DETERRENCE EXERCISES AT ALLIED COMMAND EUROPE. I WAS A COLONEL PREPARING A BRIGADE IN FORT PIERSON, COLORADO TO PICK UP FORCES IN GERMANY. I WAS ONE STAR GENERAL TRAINING FORCES IN THE NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER TO FALL IN AND FIGHT THE RUSSIANS SUDDENLY IT WAS OVER. THE COLD WAR ENDED JUST LIKE THAT. THE BERLIN WALL CAME DOWN. NATIONS IN EASTERN EUROPE BECAME FREE. THEY THREW OUT THE OTHER RUSSIAN FORCES THERE OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS. 29 AND IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE. WE NEVER FIRED A SHOT AGAINST THE RUSSIANS. WE WON. BUT WE LOST OUR STRATEGY WHEN WE WON. IT WAS THE END OF CONTAINMENT, END OF DETERRENCE. WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF A DECADE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY, GLOBAL OPENING, EXPANSION, TRADE TECHNOLOGY, WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME IN THIS COUNTRY. WE CREATED 22 MILLION JOBS, WE SAW ECONOMIC GROWTH LIKE NOBODY'S EVER SEEN. PEOPLE MADE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON INTERNET IN THE STOCK MARKET. WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE A STRATEGY. I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO WRITE -- I PARTICIPATED WITH THE WHITE HOUSE IN 1994, WE WROTE THE STRATEGY. IT WAS CALLED A NATIONAL STRATEGY OF ENGAGEMENT AND ENLARGEMENT. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HELP YOUR FRIENDS, SUPPORT THE PEOPLE THAT SHARE YOUR VALUES AND GRADUALLY SPREAD DEMOCRACY AROUND THE WORLD, MAINTAIN DETERRENCE, ALL THAT STUFF. ENGAGEMENT AND ENLARGEMENT, IF YOU HEARD THE TITLE OF IT, YOU WOULD THINK IT WAS AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR A MEN'S PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCT. IT NEVER CAUGHT ON. AFTER 9/11, OUR PRESIDENT TOOK US TO WAR. 30 AND WE STILL DON'T HAVE A NATIONAL STRATEGY, A REAL FRAMEWORK TO HELP US WIN THE WAR ON TERROR, OR CONFRONT THE OTHER CHALLENGES FACING THIS NATION. LOOK, YOU'RE YOUNG PEOPLE. IN YOUR LIFETIME, THIS COUNTRY'S GOING TO CHANGE A LOT. THE QUESTION IS, HOW IS IT GOING TO CHANGE? YOU SEE, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AMERICAN HISTORY, YOU, AS YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE BUSINESS SECTOR ARE GOING TO BE FACING COMPETITION FROM TWO COUNTRIES WHOSE MARKET IS FOUR TIMES THE SIZE OF THE AMERICAN MARKET, OR POTENTIAL TO BE THAT LARGE. I'M TALKING ABOUT CHINA AND INDIA. THIS COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON FOREIGN INVESTMENT BECAUSE GERMANS AND FRENCH AND BRITISH PEOPLE BELIEVED THAT AMERICA WAS THE RIGHT PLACE TO INVEST. WE BUILT OUR COAL INDUSTRY, STEEL, RAILROADS ON FOREIGN INVESTMENT. WE HAD NATIVE, YANKEE, AND, WELL, REBEL ENGENUITY. WE INVENTED GREAT THINGS LIKE THE TELEPHONE AND ELECTRIC LIGHTS, THE AIRPLANE. WE DID THAT IN THIS COUNTRY. BY 1900 WE WERE THE WORLD'S GREATEST INDUSTRIAL POWER. I USED TO TEACH ECONOMICS IT'S NOT THE LAW OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND THAT COUNTS, IT'S THE LAW OF SCALE. WHEN YOU'RE FOUR TIMES BIGGER IN THE MARKETPLACE, YOU'RE GOING TO ACCUMULATE FOUR TIMES AS MUCH MONEY, AND THAT MONEY FUNDS 31 GREAT UNIVERSITIES, GREAT RESEARCH, GREAT TECHNOLOGY. THAT TECHNOLOGY FUNDS MILITARY PROCUREMENT AND BUILDS MILITARY SYSTEMS AND THOSE MILITARY SYSTEMS CHALLENGE US. I'M TALKING ABOUT CHINA. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ONE COUNTRY IN THE NEXT 30 OR 40 YEARS THAT CAN SERIOUSLY IMPACT OUR FREEDOM OF RELIGION, OUR STANDARD OF LIVING, OUR FREEDOM OF VALUES AND WAY OF LIVING. WE DON'T HAVE A STRATEGY EITHER TO WIN THE WAR ON TERROR OR DEAL WITH THE LOOMING ECONOMIC CHALLENGES OF COMPETITION IN A GLOBAL MARKETPLACE. WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A DIPLOMATIC LEGAL ECONOMIC AND MILITARY STRATEGY AND WE DON'T HAVE IT. THE WAY I WOULD LOOK AT IT, FIRSTOFF, I'D STRENGTHEN OUR RELATIONS WITH EUROPE. EUROPE IS OUR NATURAL BASE, ABOUT THE SAME ECONOMY WE ARE, THE SAME SIZE OF PEOPLE, WE WORK WITH EUROPE REAL CLOSELY WE CAN CONTROL THE WORLD. YOU CAN GO TO ANY POLITICAL GATHERING IN THIS COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY REPUBLICAN GATHERING AND YOU CAN BASH THE EUROPEANS AND EVERYBODY'S ENJOYING. THEY'RE LAZY, DON'T WORK HARD, DON'T SUPPORT AMERICANS. BLAH BLAH BLAH. THE TRUTH IS THEY'RE THE ONE PART OF THE WORLD THAT MOST CLOSELY SHARES OUR VALUES AND INTERESTS. WE NEED TO TIGHTEN THAT RELATIONSHIP. 32 WE'RE THE LEADER. AMERICAN NEEDS TO LEAD. [ APPLAUSE ] THEN WE NEED TO GET UP TO NEW YORK. AND NOT IN A CONFRONTATIONAL WAY BUT IN AN EFFECTIVE WAY, WE NEED TO REFORM THE UNITED NATIONS AND STRENGTHEN INTERNATIONAL LAW. [ APPLAUSE ] IN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM THE FIRST THING WE SHOULD HAVE DONE WAS HAD A DEFINITION OF TERRORIST AND HARMNIZED LEGAL PROCEDURES, WHAT'S THE DEFINITION OF CRIME, WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF PROOF? WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS OF EVIDENCE? WHAT ARE THE PUNISHMENTS? HOW DO YOU INTERROGATE, SO ALL THE NATIONS IN THE WORLD COULD WORK TOGETHER LEGALLY INSTEAD OF USING FORCE TO CONTROL THE PROBLEM OF TERRORISM. WE DIDN'T DO THAT. >> IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO DO IT NOW. SO I'VE TOLD YOU FOUR THINGS. DEALING REALISTICALLY WITH IRAQ AND SETTING OUT A NEW FRAMEWORK, A NEW STRATEGY FOR AMERICA. FINALLY, WE'VE GOT TO FIX OUR SECURITY AT HOME. IF YOU THINK KATRINA WAS BAD, YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE A SIGNIFICANT TERRORIST EVENT IF WE DON'T FIX WHAT WAS WRONG WITH 33 KATRINA. [ APPLAUSE ] I'M TALKING ABOUT LEADERSHIP. LEADERSHIP. YOU HOLD EXERCISES. YOU PUT YOUR TOP PEOPLE IN THE EXERCISE. LOOK, MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HE MAY BE A GREAT GUY AS SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY. THEY DUMPED ALL OVER MICHAEL BROWN. I'M SORRY. HE MAY BE THE GUY IN FEMA BUT HE WORKS FOR CHERTOFF, CHERTOFF IS THE DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND THAT'S HIS JOB AND IT'S THE PRESIDENT'S JOB. [ APPLAUSE ] THEY ALWAYS SAY IN THE LEADERSHIP BUSINESS, THERE'S THREE KINDS OF PEOPLE. PEOPLE THAT WATCH THINGS HAPPEN, PEOPLE THAT MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED. ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THIS ABOUT KATRINA. THAT IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP IN THIS COUNTRY, WE WILL DO THE EXERCISES, WE WILL SET UP THE FEEDBACK MECHANISM, WE WILL HOLD OUR TEAMS ACCOUNTABLE AND WE WON'T HAVE THE KIND OF FUMBLING INEFFECTIVE DANGEROUS RESPONSE THAT YOU SAW ON THE GULF COAST TWO WEEKS AGO. WE ARE BETTER THAN THAT. 34 I THINK WE'RE A GREAT PEOPLE. I THINK WE'VE GOT THE BEST GOVERNMENT IN THE WORLD. I THINK WE HAVE TREMENDOUS RESOURCES. A FEW YEARS AGO, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I WAS UP IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. A WOMAN ASKED ME AS I WAS LEAVING A BOARD MEETING, SHE SAID, GENERAL, SHE SAID, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY, SHE SAID, I'VE GOT A DAUGHTER, YOUNG DAUGHTER. I JUST CAN'T MANUEL RAISING HER FOR 20 YEARS UNDER CONTINUING FEAR THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE STRUCK, FEAR WHEN YOU GET ON AN AIRPLANE, FEAR WHEN YOU GO TO A CITY, FEAR WHEN YOU'RE ON A SUBWAY, FEAR WHEN YOU TRAVEL ABROAD. I SAID, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE UNDER THAT FEAR. YOU HAVE TO PUT IN PLACE LEADERSHIP IN THIS COUNTRY THAT CAN DEAL WITH THE CHALLENGES OF PROBLEMS THAT FACE US AND ORCHESTRATE THE KIND OF NATIONAL RESPONSE THAT WILL MAKE AMERICANS SAFE AND HELP US FEEL SECURE. [ APPLAUSE ] IT'S LEADERSHIP. IT'S ALSO A VISION FOR THE COUNTRY, YOU KNOW. I GOT OUT OF THE MILITARY FIVE YEARS AGO. I HAD BEEN 34 YEARS IN THE MILITARY. I'D MOVED. I'D BEEN MARRIED 33 OF THOSE YEARS. I GOT MARRIED AFTER MY FIRST YEAR. 35 MY WIFE AND I HAD MOVED IN 31 DIFFERENT HOUSES, APARTMENTS, IN ONE CASE A HOUSE TRAILER. WE HAD HOUSEHOLD GOODS SCATTERED FROM PANAMA THROUGH TEXAS, WASHINGTON D.C. AND BELGIUM. THEY BROUGHT -- BOTH OUR PARENTS HAD DIED, I HAD ALL MY MOMENTOS, KIDDIE BOOKS AND ALL THAT STUFF PACKED IN ONE OF THOSE BOXES, I WAS GOING THROUGH IT AND FOUND MY EIGHTH GRADE ENGLISH NOTEBOOK. NOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU ALL TOOK THE SAME KIND OF EIGHTH GRADE ENGLISH I DID, WE HAD TO READ ABOUT -- WE HAD TO READ A POEM NAMED CARL SANDBERG. EVER HEARD OF HIM? AND I HOPE SO, A GREAT AMERICAN POET. BUT I CAME ACROSS MY NOTES ON ONE OF THESE POEMS, AND I THOUGHT, I MEMORIZED THIS PEOPLE IN THE EIGHTH GRADE. I THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT A CITY. IT WASN'T ABOUT A CITY. IT WAS ABOUT A CITY, IT WAS ABOUT OUR COUNTRY. THE POEM WAS WRITTEN IN THE EARLY 1900's, CALLED CHICAGO. MAYBE SOME OF YOU HAVE READ IT OR MEMORIZED IT. LET ME READ A FEW LINES TO SHOW YOU WHERE WE WERE. IT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION WE HAVE TO DRAW FROM THIS. HERE WAS AMERICA, ACCORDING TO CARL SANDBERG ALMOST 100 YEARS AGO. HE WRITES, IN CHICAGO, HOG BUTCH INFORMATION THE WORLD, 36 TOOLMAKER, STACKER OF -- PLAYER WITH RAILROADS THE NATION'S GREAT -- STORMING, HUSTLING, BRAWLING, CITY OF THE BIG SHOULDERS. SHOW ME ANOTHER CITY WITH LIFTED HEADS SINGING, SO PROUD TO BE ALIVE AND COURSE AND STRONG. UNDER THE TERRIBLE BURDEN OF DESTINY, LAUGH AS A YOUNG MAN LAUGHS, LAUGHING, EVEN AS AN IGNORANT FIGHTER WHO HAS NEVER LOST A BATTLE. THAT WAS AMERICA 100 YEARS AGO. WE'VE COME A LONG WAY. WE USED THAT VISION IN THIS COUNTRY. THOSE INSTINCTS, THAT STRENGTH, THAT BRAWLING CHARACTER TO WIN TWO WORLD WARS, TO BECOME THE LEAD OVER DEMOCRACY, WE USED IT TO PREVAIL DURING THE COLD WAR. BUT WE'RE IN A NEW CENTURY NOW. THIS VISION IS NO LONGER ENOUGH. YOU CAN'T JUST CALL ON THE ARMED FORCES. YOU CAN'T SEND IN THE TROOPS AS THE FIRST CHOICE. NOT TO WIN THE WAR ON TERROR. YOU CAN'T DIVIDE THE WAR INTO TWO CAMPS AS YOU'RE EITHER WITH US OR AGAINST US. IT'S A LOT MORE COMPLICATED A LOT DEEPER, GOT TO HAVE A DIFFERENT VISION FOR AMERICA. THE AMERICA I HOPE WE'LL SEE IN THE 21st CENTURY, THE AMERICA THAT WILL WIN THE WAR ON TERROR, THE AMERICA THAT'S GOING TO MEET THE CHALLENGE OF ECONOMIC COMPETITION WITH CHINA AND WITH 37 INDIA IS AN AMERICA THAT'S NOT ONLY STRONG AND CAGES, IT'S AN AMERICA THAT'S VISIONARY, IT'S GENEROUS, THAT REACHES OUT TO ITS FRIENDS AND HELPS THEM AND SUPPORTS THEM AND RESPECTS THEM. EVEN IF THERE ARE DIFFERENCES. IT'S AN AMERICA THAT'S SELF-CONFIDENT. IT'S AN AMERICA THAT WORKS HARD. IT'S AN AMERICA THAT LOOKS TO THE FUTURE WITHOUT FEAR BECAUSE IT KNOWS THAT IT HAS THE STRENGTH AND THE VISION TO WIN THE HEARTS OF MANKIND. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ] THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO RAISE. I HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WITH MICROPHONES. THERE'S ONE OVER HERE. ONE UP THERE. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO GO ONE HERE, ONE THERE. DOWN HERE FIRST. FIRSTOFF, GENERAL CLARK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TO GAINESVILLE. I'D LOVE TO SEE YOUR NAME ON THAT 2008 BALLOT. [ APPLAUSE ] MY QUESTION IS MORE I'D LIKE TO KNOW YOUR OPINION ON THE 38 UNITED STATES AND WORLD'S REACTION OR LACK THEREOF TO THE MASS MURDER TAKING PLACE IN THE DARFUR REGION OF SUDAN. WE'VE SEEN IT, WE'VE CALLED IT GENOCIDE. WE SHOULD HAVE PUT A STOP IT TO YEARS AGO. THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR TOLERATING IT. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN DARFUR AND WE SHOULD. I WROTE AND OP-ED FOR THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL" CALLING FOR A NATO FORCE LED BY THE UNITED STATES, WELL TO 15,000 PEOPLE TO GET IN THERE. WE NEED THAT. THANK YOU. ON TOP. HEY, GENERAL CLARK. I HAD A QUESTION REGARDING YOUR POSITION ON THE WAR IN IRAQ. IN OCTOBER OF 2002, I THINK THAT WAS THE DATE, YOU SPOKE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN AS AN IMMINENT THREAT, THAT THE U.S. NEEDED A QUICK RESPONSE REGARDLESS OF U.N. ACTION TO A CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE. HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN YOUR CHANGE OF POSITION WHEN YOU RAN FOR PRESIDENT LAST FALL? WELL, YOU MUST BE A FRIEND TO ASK ME A QUESTION LIKE THAT. SO LET ME GIVE YOU THE COMPLETE ANSWER. FIRST, YOU SHOULD READ MY ENTIRE CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT'S BEEN ON THE BLOCK. IT WAS ON DAILY COS. SOMEBODY WROTE THAT QUESTION ON DAILY CROSS. 39 IN FACT, IT WAS ANSWERED. THE TRUTH IS I EXPLAINED TO THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE THAT WE SHOULD BE TAKING THE PROBLEM OF SADDAM'S NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS TO THE UNITED NATIONS. I WARNED THEM NOT TO GIVE GEORGE BUSH A BLANK CHECK TO FIGHT IN IRAQ. I WARNED THEM NOT TO GO INTO IRAQ UNTIL ALL THE PREP RATINGS WERE MADE FOR WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT AND I SAID ALTHOUGH HE MAY HAVE BEEN A THREAT, HE WAS NOT AN IMMINENT THREAT. NOT IN THE -- NOT A THREAT THAT REQUIRED A MILITARY RESPONSE AT THAT . THERE'S NEVER BEEN A CHANGE IN MY POSITION ON THAT, SIR. YOU GO READ THE RECORD AND THE NEXT TIME YOU ASK ME A QUESTION, PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT AND GIVE ME A QUESTION THAT'S A FAIR QUESTION. [ APPLAUSE ] YES. I HATE TO ANSWER LIKE THAT. IT'S JUST THAT -- I GOT ASKED SO MANY QUESTIONS, I'M NOT RUNNING, I'M NOT IN A CAMPAIGN, I'M NOT AN ANNOUNCED CANDIDATE AND I'VE BEEN ASKED SO MANY QUESTIONS. LET ME TELL YOU ONE THING ABOUT POLITICS, I DON'T CARE WHAT PARTY YOU'RE ON. IN POLITICS, YOU OUGHT TO BE GETTING TO THE TRUTH, YOU OUGHT TO BE LAYING OUT THE FACTS, YOU OUGHT TO BE JUDGING PEOPLE ON 40 THEIR POSITIONS, CHARACTER, EXPERIENCE, IT OUGHT TO BE STRAIGHT AND OPEN COMMUNICATIONS. WHAT I LEARNED IN MY BRIEF LIMITED TIME IN POLITICS IS THERE'S A MESSAGE OUT THERE. IT MOSTLY OPERATES ON ONE SIDE, MESSAGE MACHINE. THEY TAKE STATEMENTS OUT OF CONTEXT, THEY REPEAT THEM TWICE, DISTORT THEM THE SECOND TIME AND THE THIRD TIME THEY SAY, HE MUST BE AN IDIOT TO BELIEVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BY THE TIME YOU'RE UP THERE TRYING TO ANSWER IT YOU'VE USED UP YOUR 22 MINUTES OF QUESTIONING FROM BRIT HUME AND THE DISCUSSION'S OVER. [ APPLAUSE ] I JUST WANT TO SAY FOR THE RECORD, THAT I'VE NEVER CHANGED MY POSITION ON IRAQ. I WAS ONE OF THE GUYS THAT DID THE BOMBING OF IRAQ. I BELIEVE IN THE EFFECTIVE USE OF MILITARY POWER I'M NOT ANTI-WAR, NOT ANTI-MILITARY, I AM AGAINST THE USE OF MILITARY POWER WHEN IT'S NOT REQUIRED AND I WAS AGAINST THE INVASION OF IRAQ WHEN IT WAS DONE, HOW IT WAS DONE AND AS IT'S WORKED OUT. [ APPLAUSE ] THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THAT. YES. FIRST GENERAL CLARK, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE BEFORE, NOW, AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO AFTER. YOU'VE SHOWN YOU CAN DISAGREE AND IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU 41 UNPATRIOTIC. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. MY QUESTION IS GOING BACK TO WHAT GENERAL EISENHOWER SAID WHEN HE LEFT OFFICE WITHOUT WARNING US OF THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX AND HOW THAT COULD BE A THREAT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT -- WHEN YOU LOOK AT LIKE 9/11 AND NOW WITH HURRICANE KATRINA AND SOME OF THE FALLOUT WE'RE STILL SEEING FROM THAT, WHEN PEOPLE ARE AFRAID THEY TEND TO TAKE EXTREME MEASURES, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE ROLE OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY IN DOMESTIC ISSUES ON AMERICAN SOIL ITSELF AND SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT? BECAUSE MY FEELING IS WE'RE GOING TO SEE A GROWTH OF THAT LIKE NEVER BEFORE. I WONDER WHAT YOU THOUGHT I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THE USE OF MILITARY. LOOK, AS I TRIED TO SAY, I LOVE THE MILITARY BUT YOU GOT TO UNDERSTAND WHO'S IN THE MILITARY. THE TROOPS THAT YOU'RE CALLING ON ARE NOT -- THEY'RE NOT IN THE HONORS COLLEGE OVER HERE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, MOST OF THEM. THEY'RE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO ANSWERED THE CALL OF DUTY. THEY WENT IN THERE, THEY'RE TRAINED TO USE THEIR WEAPONS AND FIGHT. THEY'RE -- THEY'VE BEEN IN THERE AVERAGE OF A YEAR AND HALF, TWO YEARS. 42 WHEN YOU USE THEM IN DOMESTIC DISTURBANCES, THEY'RE NOT POLICE. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE LAW, HOW TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE THE RIGHT WAY. THEY DON'T KNOW THE SITUATION, THEY DON'T KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY DON'T KNOW ANY OF THE RULES OF THE ROAD OF LAW AND ORDER. THEY'RE THERE AS A LAST RESORT. SO I HEARD ALL THE CALLS AFTER KATRINA. I HEARD CHRIS MATTHEWS, PUT A CZAR IN THERE. GET GENERAL FRANKS IN THERE. >> LOOK, NOTHING AGAINST TOMMY FRANKS, I RESPECT ANYBODY WHO'S MADE FOUR STARS IN THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES. HE'S A FINE FELLOW, I'M SURE. >> BUT HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND RECONSTRUCTION. HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE LAW, FINANCING, FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTIONS, HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE POLITICS OF NEW ORLEANS AND THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, HE DOESN'T KNOW THE SITUATION. THERE'S THIS MINDLESS GRASP FOR AUTHORITY OUT THERE, WHEN IN REALITY WITH WHAT WE NEED IS TEAM WORK IN ADVANCE AND THE PROPER PRIOR PLANNING FOR CIVIL AUTHORITIES. THE PERSON WHO'S IN CHARGE OUT THERE IN NEW ORLEANS SHOULD BE THE MAYOR. HE'S THE PERSON THE PEOPLE ELECTED AND ABOVE HIM, THE GOVERNOR. 43 THE GOVERNOR'S THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE. YOU CAN'T TAKE THAT OVER BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, SHOULDN'T AND CERTAINLY CAN'T PUT THE MILITARY IN. I HAVE GREAT CONCERNS. I'M GOING TO SEE A BUNCH OF RETIRED FOUR STARS TOMORROW AND I'M SURE THEY'LL ALL AGREE WITH ME BECAUSE WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE . AND THE ONE THING THAT SCARED THE BEJESUS OUT OF US IS THAT WE'LL BE CALLED INTO A SITUATION OF CIVIL DISORDER, PLEASE, SEND US TO IRAQ INSTEAD. UNLESS WE'RE NATIONAL GUARD, WHERE WE PRACTICED IT AND TRAINED AND KNOW THE SITUATION. IN THE TOP. GENERAL CLARK, YOU TALKED A LOT ABOUT ISSUES OF NATIONAL SECURITY AND WAR ON TERRORISM. I'D LIKE TO REDIRECT THE FOCUS TO ANOTHER ISSUE OF FOREIGN POLICY, SPECIFICALLY THE ISSUE OF THE GENOCIDE IN SUDAN IN NORTH AFRICA. OUT OF A A FEAR OF MISQUOTING YOU I'LL SAY NPR -- I'LL TRY NOT TO BE HARSH. IN AUGUST, YOU ADVOCATED FOR NATO TROOPS TO BE DEPLOYED TO SUDAN, I BELIEVE. I'M WONDERING FOR THOSE OF US HERE WHO MAY NOT HAVE A SOLID GRASP OF WHAT'S EXACTLY GOING ON THERE, YOU COULD GIVE A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF THE GENOCIDE THAT'S BEEN GOING ON THERE FOR YEARS AND AS A FOLLOW-UP TO THAT, IF YOU COULD SHARE WHY YOU THINK THE 44 INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SO RELUCTANT TO ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING CONCRETE AND REAL IN THAT NORTH AFRICAN COUNTRY. SUDAN IS ONE OF THE COUNTRIES-NEAR THE EAST COAST OF AF CAR, IT'S ARAB IN THE NORTH AND-OF AFRICA. IT'S ARAB IN THE NORTH AND CIVILIAN IN THE SOUTH. IT'S BEEN BESET BY FIGHTING AND CONFLICT FOR 25, 30 YEARS. THE SOVIETS WERE THERE, THERE WERE CUBAN ADVISORS THERE, EAST GERMANS THERE, COO's, COUNTER COO's AND NOTHING BUT CONFLICT FOR A GENERATION ON THE WESTERN PART OF SUDAN, THE PEOPLE ARE OF A DIFFERENT ETHNIC ORIGIN AND THEY'RE NOT MUSLIMS. FOR THE MOST PART. THEY'RE EITHER CHRISTIAN OR ANTI. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WAS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN TRYING TO END THE BLOODSHED IN SOUTHERN SUDAN FOR YEARS AND NEGOTIATING WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN. THEY HAD JUST SIGNED THE AGREEMENT WHEN THE EVENTS IN WESTERN SUDAN CAME TO THE SURFACE. THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN IS ENGAGED IN ETHNIC CLEANSING. IT WANTS TO CONTROL THE STATE DOESN'T LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE COUNTRY. THERE'S SEVERAL MILLION PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE AND THE GOVERNMENT UNDERTOOK TO DO ETHNIC CLEANSING. THERE'S A PATTERN FOR IT, RUN PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR HOMES, TRAMPLE THE CROSS, RUN OFF THE LIVESTOCK, KILL A FEW, RAPE A FEW 45 WOMEN, MAYBE MORE THAN A FEW AND BASICALLY, YOU CAN GET RID OF THEM. IF YOU DO IT THE RIGHT WAY, THE THEORY WAS, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WON'T REACT, BECAUSE YOU'LL GET AWAY WIT, WHAT MILOSEVIC TRIED TO DO IN KOSOVO. HIS MOTTO WAS A VILLAGE A DAY KEEPS NATO AWAY. IF HE DID MORE THAN ONE VILLAGE A DAY, MIGHT NOT GET AWAY WITH IT. THOSE MOUNTED ON HORSEBACK SUPPORTED BY HELICOPTERS IN SUDAN TARGET VILLAGES AND RUN PEOPLE OUT. THEY'RE STILL CHASING THE REFUGEES AND INTERFERING WITH THE DELIVERY OF RELIEF SUPPLIES AND STILL CAUSING A PROBLEM. THAT'S THE BASIS FOR IT. WE SHOULD BE PUTTING TROOPS IN THERE. INSTEAD WE RELIED ON THE AFRICAN UNION TO PUT THEIR OWN TROOPS IN THERE. THEY'RE NOT WELL-TRAINED, NOT SUPPORTABLE, DON'T HAVE RADIO COMMUNICATIONS, TRUCKS LOGISTICS. DARFUR IS LIKE A WEEK TO GET TO THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON. NO AIRPORTS, THE SUDANESE HAD EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE THEY COULD GET AWAY WITH IT. IT'S AN ARAB COUNTRY. EVERYBODY KNOWS THEY'RE SUPPORTED AND CONNECTED BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE OIL. THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL COMPLICATED FACTOR. 46 IT'S DIFFICULT. IT TAKES LEADERSHIP. THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO SHOW. [ APPLAUSE ] GENERAL CLARK, I READ THAT YOU RECEIVED YOUR DEGREE IN PHILOSOPHY. AND MY QUESTION IS, WHAT MORAL THEORY DO YOU SUBSCRIBE TO AND HOW HAS YOUR STUDIES OF THE HUMANITIES INFLUENCED YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND DO YOU THINK THAT A DEEP DISCIPLINE IN ETHICS IS ESSENTIAL FOR A LEADER TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO SHAPE SOCIAL CAUSES? OH, GOD. GREAT QUESTION. FIRST OF ALL, I GREW UP AS A BAPTIST. I READ THE BIBLE AND STUDIED THE BIBLE A LOT. I ALWAYS BELIEVED IN WHAT JESUS SAID, LOVE THAI NEIGHBOR AS THAISELF. IT'S THE FUNDAMENTAL OF ALL HUMAN RELATIONS AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, KIND OF THE FUNDAMENTAL OF LEADERSHIP, TREAT OTHERS WITH RESPECT IN THE WAY YOU'D LIKE TO BE TREATED. I HAVE BEEN THROUGH AND READ MOST OF THE THINGS THAT PROBABLY MANY OF YOU HAVE READ. I FOUND A LOT OF COMFORT IN CS LEWIS. THE SCREW TAPE LETTERS AND THE PROBLEM WITH CHRISTIANITY. I READ G. K. GESTERTON. IN ENGLAND I STUDIED MORAL PHILOSOPHY AND YOU START WITH 47 PLATO AND THE THEORY OF IDEAS. YOU GO UP THROUGH DAVID AND THE IDEA THERE ISN'T ANYTHING ABSOLUTE MORALITY JUST ALL CONVENTION, THEN GO THROUGH TO TALL TEARISM AND YOU END UP WHERE THERE IS ALL A MEANING OF THE WORD. YOU DEBATE WHAT IS THE GOOD. I BELIEVE -- I WENT PAST THAT. I JUST FOUND IN MY LIFE, IF YOU TREAT PEOPLE THE RIGHT WAY, YOU TREAT THEM WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT, IF YOU SHOW TOLERANCE AND SHOW FORGIVENESS, IF YOU HOLD PEOPLE TO HIGH STANDARDS BUT RECOGNIZE THAT EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING CAN FAIL AND WILL AT SOME POINT, YOU CAN BRING FORTH THE BEST IN THE PEOPLE THAT YOU LEAD. AND THAT'S MY BASIC PHILOSOPHY OF LEADERSHIP. I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU'RE A LEADER YOU HAVE TO SHINE YOUR SHOES AND POLISH YOUR BELT BUCKLE EVERYDAY. BUT AND YOU HAVE TO HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH AND SALUTE STRAIGHT. YOU HAVE TO HOLD YOUR SUBORDINATES ACCOUNTABLE. ON THE OTHER HAND, PEOPLE HAVE TO LIVE THEIR LIVES AND PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES IN THEIR LIVES. I ALWAYS TRY TO GET TO THE ESSENCE OF THE PROBLEM. TO ME, IT'S ABOUT WHAT WE USED INTO THE ARMY, OUR MOTTO, BE ALL YOU CAN BE. THE JOB OF A LEADER IS TO HELP EVERYBODY YOU ASSOCIATE YOURSELF WITH, BE ALL THAT THEY CAN BE. THAT'S THE BEST RECIPE FOR LEADERSHIP THAT I KNOW. 48 [ APPLAUSE ] AT THE TOP. GENERAL CLARK, THIS IS KIND OF A OFFICIAL LOW-UP TO THE PREVIOUS QUESTION, WHICH WAS RAISED ABOUT THE ISSUE OF THE GENOCIDE IN SUDAN. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU, IS, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IF I CAN PRACTICE BY SAYING THERE ARE STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY NOW WHICH ARE MOBILIZING TO PROTEST THE UNITED STATES INACTION IN SOLVING THE INACTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND DARFUR, THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IS ONE OF THOSE CENTERS WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE STUDENT ACTIVISTS LIKE US, WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE US TO HELP US CREATE THIS NATIONAL INTEREST WHICH APPARENTLY SEEMS LACKING IN AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY TO INTERVENE IN SUCH CONFLICTS? IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY FOR CNN AND FOX NEWS AND THE REST OF THEM TO SEND TELEVISION NEWS REPORTERS INTO DARFUR. IT'S LIKE MOUNTING AN AFRICAN SAFARI EXPEDITION. MY ADVICE TO YOU IS GET CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR AND THE PEOPLE FROM FOX TO DEMONSTRATE THE PROBLEM TO THE WORLD AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. YOU NEED THE POWER OF THE IMAGE RY BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE ARE BUSY IN THEIR LIVES. THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO GET ON THE INTERNET, READ THE STORIES THAT THE WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN RAPED AND FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED AND VILLAGES BURNED TO THE GROUND. THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO UNDERSTAND THE FINE POINTS OF DARFUR. 49 YOU HAVE THAT. BUT IT'S ONE THING TO MOBILIZE STUDENTS. IF YOU WANT TO MOBILIZE PEOPLE YOU HAVE TO GET IT INTO THE MAINSTREAM NEWS. START WITH CABLE AND THEN GET TO NBC. WHEN KATIE COURIC TALKS ABOUT THE PROBLEM OF DARFUR, WE'LL GET ACTION IN THIS COUNTRY. [ APPLAUSE ] GENERAL CLARK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING THIS EVENING. I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY LAST WEEK TO SEE A DOCUMENTARY FROM THE BBC TITLED THE POWER OF NIGHT, DOCUMENTARY, SUBTITLED THE POLITICS OF FEAR. IT EXPLAINED THE RISE OF ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALLISM AND HOW IT PARALLELED THE RISE OF A NEOCONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY. BASICALLY, ONE OF THE THINGS, POINTS OF THIS DOCUMENTARY WAS THAT AS LONG AS THE NEW CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT CAN UTILIZE INSTILLING FEAR IN THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IT FEEDS THE ISLAMIC MOVEMENT AND VICE-VERSA. NOW, THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION THAT I LEARNED ABOUT CALLED PROJECT FOR THE NEW AMERICAN CENTURY, A NEOCONSERVATIVE THINK TANK FOUNDED BY WOLFOWITZ, CHENEY, RUMSFELD, JEB BUSH IS ON THERE, TOO, OUR GOVERNOR, AND A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER PEOPLE WHOSE NAMES ARE VERY FAMILIAR TO US BECAUSE THEY ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN POWER IN THE PENTAGON AND IN THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY. IN READING THEIR WRITINGINGS AND MEMOS AND POSITION 50 PARTICIPATE E IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THEY HAVE THAT DESIRE TO KEEP THE POLITICS OF FEAR ALIVE AND WELL. THEY-NOT GETTING IN TOO MUCH DETAIL, THEY BASICALLY LIKE THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING AROUND AFRAID TO FLY, THEY'RE AFRAID TO TRAVEL, OR THEY'RE JUST AFRAID THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A TERRORIST ATTACK, BECAUSE THEN THAT FEEDS INTO THEIR ABILITY TO REMAIN IN POLITICAL POWER. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN TO THE NEOCONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT AND THIS POLITICS OF FEAR AFTER 2008, WHEN GEORGE BUSH IS OUT OF OFFICE? WELL, IT'S A -- IT'S AN ACCURATE -- IT'S AN ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF SOME ELEMENTS IN THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SCENE THAT YOU DESCRIBE. BUT YOU'VE GOT SO MANY ASSUMPTIONS IN YOUR -- IN YOUR QUESTION, I'VE GOT TO SORT OF TAKE IT APART. LOOK, THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THEY'RE USING AND HAVE THRIVED ON THE USE OF FEAR. BUT IT'S NOT JUST FEAR OF TERRORISM. ORDINARY AMERICANS ARE AFRAID. THEY'RE AFRAID OF CHANGE. THEY'RE AFRAID OF IMMIGRANTS, PEOPLE THAT DON'T LOOK LIKE THEM, WHO DON'T SPEAK THE SAME LARYNGOLOGY. THEY'RE AFRAID PEOPLE WILL TAKE THEIR JOBS AWAY, AFRAID TO LOSE THEIR JOBS, AFRAID IN SOME CASES FOR KIDS TO GO AWAY TO COLLEGE AND GET A GOOD EDUCATION BECAUSE THEY WON'T COME BACK 51 HOME. THE WORLD IS FULL OF INSECURITY AND FEARS. LIKE MY FRIEND FROM TENNESSEE TOLD ME SOME OF HIS CONSTITUENTS CAME UP TO HIM AND SAID, LINCOLN, YOU GOT TO STOP THIS -- ALL THEM PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE. IT'S GOING TO RUIN YOUR MARRIAGES. OF COURSE, LINCOLN SAID, BOYS, THE ONLY THING THAT'S GOING TO RUIN YOUR MARRIAGE IS RUNNING AROUND WITH SOMEBODY ELSE'S WIFE. I THINK HE WON THAT ARGUMENT BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WILL TELL YOU, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SAID WE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE -- WE DON'T HAVE MUCH MONEY BUT WE HAVE OUR MARRIAGE, WE HAVE OUR FAITH, WE GOT OUR PICKUP TRUCK, OUR GUN AND OUR DOG. YOU LEAVE IT ALONE. YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT IS PART OF THIS POLARIZATION THAT'S OCCURRING IN AMERICA. IT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE PEACE PARTS, NOT BY LABELING, NOT BY NAME-CALLING, WE NEED POLITICAL LEADERS WHO WILL BRING THE COUNTRY TOGETHER. NOT TAKE IT APART. WHEN I WAS DEALING WITH PROBLEMS IN THE BALKINS, I UNDERSTOOD PRETTY QUICKLY THAT ACTUALLY, THE SERB LEADER AND CROATION LEADER HAD A LOT IN COMMON. THEY EVEN HAD A HOTLINE CONNECTED WHERE THEY COULD TALK TO EACH OTHER. THEY CALLED EACH OTHER BY THE FIRST NAME ON THE TELEPHONE 52 CALLS. I CAN JUST IMAGE THE CALLS, WHERE MILOSEVIC CALL UP AND SAY, WE'RE HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE WITH OUR SERBS, ROUGH SOME UP FOR ME, WOULD YOU? AND HE'D SAY, SLOBO, I'LL BE HAPPY TO IF YOU'LL ROUGH UP SOME OF MY CROAS BECAUSE EXTREMISM FEEDS EXTREMISM ON BOTH SIDES. IT'S SO IN POLITICS AS WELL. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT WE NOT LET THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM DISINTEGRATE INTO NAME-CALLING AND LABELING. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT WE TREAT OUR POLITICAL OPPONENTS WITH RESPECT. RESPECT FOR THEIR PATRIOTISM, WE EXPECT FOR THEIR CONVICTIONS, RESPECT FOR THEIR DETERMINATION, RESPECT FOR THEIR IDEAS, EVEN IF WE DON'T AGREE WITH ALL THOSE IDEAS. AND I THINK WE'VE GOT TO -- IF WE DO THAT, WE CAN THEN BEGIN TO PUT IN PLACE THE KIND OF STRATEGY THAT WILL UNDERCUT THOSE WHO WANT TO CREATE FEAR IN THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. BECAUSE CONCERN, YEAH. DETERMINATION, YEAH, RECOGNITION OF CHALLENGES, YEAH. WE SHOULD HAVE ALL THAT IN THIS COUNTRY. WE CAN'T BE COMPLACENT. IT'S A BIG WORLD OUT THERE IT'S PRETTY ROUGH. BUT FEAR, NO WAY. WE'RE THE GREATEST CREDIT IN THE WORLD. 53 GREATEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. THERE'S NO REASON FOR AMERICANS TO LIVE IN FEAR. AND WE'VE GOT TO HAVE POLITICAL LEADERS WHO CAN SHOW US THE WAY NOT TO BE AFRAID. [ APPLAUSE ] WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE QUESTION. I'M SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. I SEE BIG LINES. I'LL BE AROUND AFTERWARDS, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU AND HEAR WHAT YOU THINK AND SHARE MY THOUGHTS. LAST QUESTION. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE REFUGEES IN SUDAN? A LOT OF THEM WILL DIE. SOME OF THEM WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO SOCIETIES THERE, MAYBE THEY'LL FIND ASYLUM SOMEWHERE. I'D BE SURPRISED IF THEY EVER GET HOME. MY HEART GOES OUT TO THEM. IT'S A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY. BUT I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU, AS YOU WORK ON DARFUR RECOGNIZE THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM LIMITED TO DARFUR. IT'S ELSEWHERE IN AFRICA IT'S IN -- IT'S IN THE CONGO. IT'S IN UGANDA. IT'S IN BURUDY, IN ZIMBABWE, IN LIBERIA, IN SIERRA LEON. 54 AFRICA IS AWASH WITH REFUGEES. WITH THE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN BULLIED, SHOVED, CLEANSED, RAPED MURDERED, HUMILIATED FOR GREED, FOR POLITICAL POWER, FOR SELFISHNESS, FOR TRIBAL HATREDS. IT'S A DESPERATE NEED OF LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT. IT'S NOT JUST DARFUR. I DON'T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING TO UNDERCUT THE FOCUS ON THAT PROBLEM BUT IT'S A HUGE PROBLEM. IT'S A PROBLEM THAT WE AS AMERICANS SHOULD HAVE A VITAL INTEREST IN. I THINK, WHEN YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD, YOU SHOULD. AND WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE THERE. [ APPLAUSE ] THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT AUDIENCE. A REAL PLEASURE TO BE HERE. I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERY ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.