General Wes Clark on Fox News

July 18, 2006
Transcript by Reg NYC

Jane Skinner: More countries are urging, at this point, the deployment of international troops to this region. Would that help? Is it too early for Diplomatic effort, efforts, and this idea of an international peacekeeping force, could it help to at least ease the tensions at this point? Joining us now is former NATO Supreme Allied Commander and Fox News analyst, General Wesley Clark. General Clark, thanks for being here.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Thank you.

Jane Skinner: International peacekeeping force - there is one that's already at the border there, the Southern border of Lebanon - by most accounts, hasn't been very effective. What do you think?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: No. Well, it's not going to be effective unless it has the right mandate and goes in and works hand in hand, glove with the Lebanese government to force Hizbullah out. To do that, it can't be just a military peacekeeping force. It's got to have the ability to bring the government schools and clinics in to provide education and healthcare for local villagers. That's what Hizbullah is doing now. Hizbullah is, is a full-service organization, and it, it controls Southern Lebanon. They've got to be displaced and taken out. Hizbullah is also a terrorist organization. So, there can't be any diplomacy with, with Hizbullah. This is about the Lebanese government. The people who are leading Hizbullah in the Lebanese government are criminals. They've violated an international border to do this. They should be held to international standards. They should be tried for provoking a military conflict in the region, and Hizbullah should be forced out of this region. It's not too early to start talking about this, but it's got to go in with the right mandate.

Jane Skinner: How much longer do you think we're going to see what we're seeing? You know, it's been reported in the media that Israel has this four-point plan, and that ground troops, at least some sort of incursions, not necessarily a full ground invasion, that that would be the fourth step. Do you think we're close to that?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I don't think we're close to that, but I think that it's a, really a function of the effectiveness of the Israeli military targeting apparatus. You're showing the pictures of the 155 Howitzers. What are they shooting at? How are they getting the targets, and how many unmanned aerial vehicles are up there? How effective is it? What are the results of that, that artillery fire? That's what we don't know as observers. If it's effective, you'll see the number of attacks by the Hizbullah go down dramatically, and Hizbullah will be pushed back on the defensive. If it continues another five or six days and they're still firing rockets in, then you'll have to judge that there are some limits to it, and that's when the Israelis will have to have the ground incursions to go in there and clean these forces out on the ground. But regardless of whether the Israel goes in on the ground or not, it doesn't want to occupy Southern Lebanon. That's where an international force that brings the Lebanese government back in is required.

Jane Skinner: I mean, General Clark, Clark, real quickly, you know, some have said, but don't have- don't be in the position of dangerously underestimating Hizbullah. They're not some ragtag group, with not significant funding.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I think that's true. I think they're a very powerful group, but they're connected to Iran and Syria, and that's where the diplomacy has to be pointed, and that's where the blame has to be laid.

Jane Skinner: Alright, General Wesley Clark, Fox News political analyst, we thank you very much.