Le Monde interviews Gen. Clark
Submitted by Stan4Clark on March 24, 2008 - 9:32am.
Current Events | Democratic politics | International | Iran | Iraq | Middle East | Wesley Clark
France's Le Monde published an interview with Gen. Clark last Thursday. Here's my translation:
Five years after the beginning of the military intervention in Iraq, Democrats propose a gradual troop withdrawal. What form might that take?
Wesley Clark: We’re not talking about a pure and simple withdrawal, but a redeployment. The strategic details much be the focus of the people responsible on the ground. Hillary Clinton has said three things: she will plan the process as soon as she is inaugurated; she will begin within the first 60 days; it will be conducted responsibly. It’s not a question of just pulling the plug.
The Bush administration has made the mistake of considering Iraq a purely military problem, while its [the problem’s] foundations are also [could also imply equally] political and economical. We can’t wait until the leaders of the country [Iraq] hang George Washington’s portrait in their offices or until they apply to become the 51st American state. Instead we must work to develop the country.
While having discussions with Syria and Iran?
Wesley Clark: Yes. I would recommend shuttle diplomacy, like we did in the Balkans, relying on strong international support. We must tell Iran that having nuclear arms is inadmissible. The risk of proliferation is too great. We must listen to the AIEA, work with our Russian and Chinese friends, since the stability of the region is also in their interests. On Syria, as Bernard Kouchner [French Foreign Minister] recently said, United Nations investigations must go forward inescapably.
What position should NATO take, at the Bucarest summit from April 2-4, on the applications of Georgia and Ukraine?
Wesley Clark: We must leave the door open. The two countries have the right to claim their place. We have established conditions for membership, notably border security and recognizing minorities. These two countries must not be discriminated against because of their geographic proximity to Russia.
Many people in power in Moscow still see the map of the world like a chessboard, on which one must occupy the most squares. But this geostrategic vision is out of date, it comes from the 19th century. Countries become strong by the power of the appeal of their ideas, of their principles.
Do you fear a contagious effect in the Balkans after Kosovo’s independence and the confrontation in Mitrovica [a city in Northern Kosovo]?
Wesley Clark: Not if the West stays firm. Not if Kosovo is universally recognized, if economic development is promoted, if it is integrated in the European network of highways, pipelines, offering possibilities for commerce and growth.
What happened in Mitrovica has all the earmarks of a premeditated plan to destabilize northern Kosovo, to give it a name. There is no randomness in events of this magnitude. From my experience in the Balkans, I would say that this kind of happening doesn’t happen spontaneously. It wasn’t the case in Croatia in 1991-1992, nor in Kosovo in 1998-1999. It can’t be tolerated today.
You were opposed to the war in Irak at the outset, why did you rally to Hillary Clinton’s candidacy, who changed her mind on this subject?
Wesley Clark: Most people who spoke up like she did at the time thought that they were voting for diplomacy, that the United Nations would take the problem on. I’ve known Hillary for years. She has an extraordinary character and amount of experience, good judgment. I think she will be a great president.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
... Texas's Camille Hedrick. She found it (she knows one of the paper's reporters) and posted it in one of the Yahoo! groups. She planned to translate it (she lived in Paris for 20 years or so), but she's swamped preparing for her county convention. So I took it on.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr
Five yeears after the beginning of the military intervention in Iraq, the democrats propose a progressive withdrawal of the troops. Which form could it take?
Wesley Clark: We do not speak about a pure and simple withdrawal, but about a redeployment. The strategic details will have developed with the persons in charge on the ground. Hillary Clinton said three things: it will plan this process as of its arrival in function; it will start in the first 60 days; it will be led in a responsible way. It is not a question to withdraw the catch of the current.
The Bush administration made the error to regard Iraq as a purely military problem, whereas its bases are also political and economic. One does not have to expect that the leaders of this country hang the portrait of George Washington in their offices or so that they postulate to become the 51e American State. But it is necessary to work with rise country.
While discussing with Syria and Iran?
Wesley Clark: Yes. I would recommend a diplomacy of the "shuttle" in the area (Shuttle diplomacy), as we did in Balkans, while being based on a strong international support. It should be said to Iran which it is not acceptable that this country has the nuclear weapon. The risk of proliferation would be too great. It is necessary to listen to what the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) says, to work with our Russian and Chinese friends because the stability of this area is also in their interests. About Syria, like said it recently Bernard Kouchner, the investigations of the United Nations advance in an inescapable way. The authors of the assassination of Rafik Hariri will be found. Justice will have then to be returned.
Which position NATO does it have to adopt, at the Summit of Bucharest between the 2 and the 4avril, about the candidatures of Georgia and the Ukraine?
Wesley Clark: Should be left them the open door. The two countries have the right to claim there. We fixed, there is that of the years, the conditions of a candidature, in particular safety at the borders and the recognition of the minorities. These two countries should not be discriminated because of their geographical proximity with Russia.
Many people to the capacity in Moscow still see the chart of the world like a chess-board, on which it is necessary to occupy the most boxes possible. But this geostrategic vision is exceeded, it dates from the XIXe century. The countries become strong by the capacity of attraction of their ideas, their principles.
Do you fear an effect of contagion in Balkans after the independence of Kosovo and the confrontations of Mitrovica?
Wesley Clark: Not if the Occident remains firm. Not if Kosovo is recognized universally, that the economic development there is promoted, that one integrates it in a European network of motorways, pipelines, offering possibilities of trade and enrichment.
What occurred to Mitrovica has all appearances of a premeditated plan of destabilization of the North of Kosovo, for which it is necessary to put a term. There is no chance in events of this kind. Of my experiment in Balkans, I would say that this kind of event does not arrive in a spontaneous way. It was the case neither in Croatia in 1991-1992, nor in Kosovo in 1998-1999. It should not be tolerated today.
You who were opposed to the war in Iraq since the beginning, why to have rejoined the candidature of Hillary Clinton, which changed opinion on the subject?
Wesley Clark: Majority of people who had expressed themselves as it at the time thought that they voted for the diplomacy, that the United Nations would seize the problem. I know Hillary since years. It is extraordinary, experiment, a good judgement. I believe that it will be large a président.
http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr
http://www.lemonde.fr/elections-americaines/article/2008/03/20/wesley-clark-l-irak-n-est-pas-un-probleme-purement-militaire_1025383_829254.html
Wesley Clark : "L'Irak n'est pas un problème purement militaire"
ENTRETIEN AVEC LE GÉNÉRAL WESLEY CLARK, POSSIBLE CO-LISTIER DE HILLARY CLINTON
They Volunteered Heh! Dick Cheney
I hope you realize, early-bird, what a terrible translation that is.
That's what happens when a language is translated literally. No English speaker would write this way.
My French Club has been translating from French to English for several weeks, now. It's very difficult to do. I first translate somewhat literally, and then throw the French away. Then I try to polish the English to make it sound "native," maintaining the tone and style of the original.
Just take the English that says "withdraw the catch of the current." The French is "retirer la prise du courant." Retirer can mean withdraw, pull back. Prise can mean catch. But prise du courant is a phrase that means an electrical outlet or plug. Withdrawing from the outlet in English becomes "pulling the plug."
You have to take liberties in translating if the English is to sound natural, smooth, and like it was originally written in English. And in this case, Clark's answers were in English in the first place, so I tried to use words and phraseology that he might have used in English.
Like I said, translating for more than literal meaning is "hard work." I worked several hours on a two-paragraph excerpt of a DeGaulle speech, for example, to try to get it to keep the meaning but make the English have the rhetorical and literary power of the French.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
Thanks, Stan, for providing the translation. It's always good to get Wes Clark's opinions and insights. Having the questions coming from a European source adds another welcome perspective.
Your human translation is definitely better than the machine's. How do you say in good French: "I think she will be a great president"?
Je crois qu'elle sera un grand président.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
LOL! The French language has yet to become fully politically correct. Some titles and professions have yet to adopt a feminine form. There is no feminine form for professeur or médecin [doctor, in the physician sense], for example. The same thing with président. So you have to get aound it, such as by saying something like "Mon médecin, une femme, s'appelle le Dr. Manning."
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
about Segolene Royal, and it did not come true.....
Sorry, this should have been a response to Stan's translation of the last sentence into French.
I think lots of French people would swap Royal for Sarkozy right about now.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
Thanks, Stan!
The General gets it right.
Competence--What a concept!