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06-12-2008

McCAIN IS UNTESTED AND UNTRIED ON NATIONAL SECURITY

Gen. Wesley Clark commanded Operation Allied Force in the Kosovo War during his term as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO from 1997 to 2000. The retired general spoke with Seth Colter Walls of The Huffington Post this week. Clark is reportedly on the "short list" of candidates for Barack Obama's vice-presidential running mate.

By Wesley Clark

Q: What do you make of Sen. John McCain's recent allegation that Sen. Barack Obama represents a return to former President Jimmy Carter's foreign policy, implying weakness with respect to Israel and Iran?

A: Sen. Obama has been very clear. As he said in his recent appearance before AIPAC  (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee), he is strongly committed to America's allies. It would be a mistake for anyone to assume he won't use force when it's necessary and appropriate. It's clear he's going to lead a diplomatic effort that re-establishes America's pre-eminence as a global leader.

McCain's weakness is that he's always been for the use of force, force and more force. In my experience, the only time to use force is as a last resort.

Q: What do you think motivates McCain's focus on force?

A: McCain is a candidate who hasn't aroused much excitement in Republican Party circles. He's a potentially formidable candidate. But the lack of his emotional appeal among the GOP faithful has certainly been a striking element thus far. He's trying to get traction by seeking to play to what he thinks is his strong suit -- national security.

The truth is that, in national security terms, he's largely untested and untried. He's never been responsible for policy formulation. He's never had leadership in a crisis, or in anything larger than his own element on an aircraft carrier or (in managing) his own congressional staff. It's not clear that this is going to be the strong suit that he thinks it is. When he talks about throwing Russia out of the G8 and makes ditties about bombing Iran, he betrays a disrespect for the office of the presidency.

Q: Given the unpopularity of the Iraq war, do you think Democrats can reach parity with Republicans on the issue of national security?

A: I think it's possible. The Democratic Party is moving to become more of a full-service party -- one able to talk not only about heath care and education, but national security issues. But still, as Democrats, we are concerned about fairness and justice. Those are the elements that cause the passions to burn the brightest.

Republicans like to focus on threats, on fear, on insecurities. It's what motivates their base. As Democrats, we focus on hope and possibilities in the future. So the two parties are asymmetrical. And because the two parties are different, it makes the national security (issue) play differently to both parties.

But I think we have to point out the failures and shortcomings of the current approach. In the foreign policy arena, John McCain has pretty much bought the central thrust of the Bush administration's foreign policies: relying on threat and bluster (and) isolating people we don't agree with instead of engaging them.

Q: Is Iran stronger now than it was when President Bush took office?

A: Iran has come out of the Bush administration as a much stronger power. First of all, we eliminated the primary blocking force on their western flank in Iraq. Secondly, we have been ineffective in using the broader tools of U.S. diplomacy and moral suasion in the region -- and that's allowed Iran to capture Hamas, displace Fatah and strengthen (its) grip on Hezbollah.

Without effective diplomatic engagement of Iran, we've allowed them to pursue a nuclear program that is likely aimed at achieving nuclear weapons. But we've refused to sit down and talk to them about it. I still favor an effort to engage Iran, but the clock is ticking on their probable nuclear program. This makes everything much more complicated and difficult now.

There was a window (for diplomacy), maybe two or three windows of opportunity. They might or might not have been fruitful. There are never any guarantees with diplomacy. But there are never any guarantees with force, either. John McCain should know that. He and I, along with many others, were caught up in an inconclusive war in Southeast Asia.

(C) 2008, GLOBAL VIEWPOINT
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC. (June 12, 2008)