General Wes Clark on KKZN-AM 760 Progressive Talk Radio in Colorado with Jay Marvin
July 19, 2006
KKZN-AM Radio
Transcript by Reg NYC
We encourage you to listen to the clip
Transcript below ...
Jay Marvin: ...Former Presidential candidate and we're very proud to have him, General Wesley Clark, very prominent Democrat. And General Clark, welcome to AM 760. It's nice to have you on.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Thanks a lot, Jay. I'm really happy to be out here.
Jay Marvin: It's good to have you here, Sir. I hope it doesn't get too hot for you.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I'm coming from Arkansas. It was 103 there yesterday. It's going to be 103 today.
Jay Marvin: So, no it'll going to be about 98. So, you're pretty, you're pretty doggone safe. Well, let me ask you- get a thumbnail sketch from you.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I'm safe out here with Jay Fawcett.
Jay Marvin: Yeah.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: And if we can get him in Congress, we'll all be a lot (drop out).
Jay Marvin: I, well, I agree with you 100%. We'll all be a lot safer. Jay's a great man. Let me get a thumbnail sketch from you on what you believe is happening in the Middle East right now with Israel and Hizbullah.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Essentially, Hizbullah took advantage of Israel's distraction to attack. They did it to gain credibility, gain more (drop-out) funding, and, and raise their prestige. They probably did it in coordination with Iran to distract the attention of the world from the Iranian nuclear programs. And so, Israel was attacked. Israel's not occupying any of Lebanon. There's no cause for this. It's simply a unprovoked attack. So, Israel's fighting back, and Israel has a right to defend itself. It's running an air campaign, going after Hizbullah. It's going to try to take a significant bite out of Hizbullah and try to get the Lebanese government and the international community to force Hizbullah out of Southern Lebanon. That's what's happening.
Jay Marvin: And, and how much, how satisfied are you with the US response?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, the United States doesn't have the, the, the basis for, for an adequate response, because over the last four or five years we have cut off relations and refused to (drop-out) people that we should have been talking to, like Syria and Iran. The result of that is that now when we could go back and try to bring all this together, we can't talk to Syria. Also, we haven't been effective really in assisting the government of Lebanon. You know, the Bush administration took a lot of credit for Democracy in Lebanon, but they never followed through after the UN Security Council resolution was passed saying that Hizbullah had to disarm and, and so forth. They didn't help the government of Lebanon, and right now this administration should be streaming supplies in there, not just to get our people out, but to help the government of Lebanon.
Jay Marvin: Do you think this administration is incompetent?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I think there's certainly reason to question its competence. I mean, we've got a record of, of poor performance in the major areas. Katrina certainly brought it to the American people, but we've been saying, people like me have been saying from the beginning that not only was the invasion of Iraq a mistake, but it was poorly done, poorly planned. They didn't really link the military planning to the political objectives at the end, and they didn't have any plan for what happened after (drop out) took down the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad. The planning was poor. The resourcing was poor. The whole conception of the war on terror has been, has been out of whack for a long time. So, competence? They don't have it, at least not in the major areas that are affecting America today.
Jay Marvin: Do you think that our going into Iraq has anything to do with what's going on between Israel and Hizbullah, because one, one guest told me that Hizbullah sees what the resistance in Iraq is doing to, to American forces and decides, 'Why can't we do it to Israel?'
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, you know, the tragic irony of, of Iraq is that these neo-cons - and people call them "chicken-hawks" for a reason, because most of them never fought - but they wanted us to look tough by going into Iraq, Iraq and, and kicking a government out. And they thought this would make America look stronger, but in fact, the fact that we're there has diminished our, our power and influence in the world. And so, I have no doubt that Hizbullah has taken advantage of America's engagement in Iraq to, to, to whack Israel a little bit here. And they do understand that it's very difficult for Western armies and Western cultures to deal with this resistance movement.
Jay Marvin: Because we're tied up. We're stuck in Iraq. Therefore, we can't do anything about Iran. We can't do anything about Hizbullah in Lebanon and in reality, out of the area, we can't do anything about North Korea.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, but, but, Jay, I wouldn't say we can't do anything. I think with the right leadership in America, we could do an awful lot to improve America's security, keep America safe and, and, and reestablish our leadership in the world.
Jay Marvin: Give me, give us-
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: It's this administration that doesn't seem to be able to put it together.
Jay Marvin: Give us three things you would do immediately. If I, if you were, if you were sitting at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue right now, what would you do?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, with respect to the specific crises at hand, I'd tell ambassador Chris Hill to have a one-on-one talk with North Korea. That's the first thing I'd do there. Secondly, I'd, I'd send a high level emissary to talk to the Iranian leadership and have direct dialog with Iran. And third, I'd be working with the President of Lebanon to strengthen his government and bring together an international coalition of support to, to help him deal with the needs of his people, at the same time, helping him build up the strength he needs to force Hizbullah out. So, those, those are three quick things that, that I would do.
Jay Marvin: Do you plan to run again in 08?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I haven't said I won't, but right now I'm, I, I'm not even working and, and considering it. I'm really trying to help people in, who are running in, in 2006, and especially our veterans. You know, we've got so many great men and women-
Jay Marvin: Right.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -who served in the United States Armed Forces, and they're not Republicans.
Jay Marvin: Yeah.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: FLASH, FLASH! They're not Republicans. Look, if you believe in what we stood for in the United States Armed Forces, you believe in people, you know that it's all about people. And if you believe in people, you know, you got to help them be all they can be and that's what the essence of the Democratic Party is. So, Jay Fawcett is running in the 5th Congressional district here in Colorado. It's an area I know well. I lived twice in Colorado Springs, and, and I knew, I know Joel Hefley, who's the Congressman there. But the Republican Party, they've gone way off what they used to stand for. There are so many moderates out there who for them it's not about party labels. It's about competence. It's about pragmatism. It's about good leadership and what you stand for, and I think Jay Fawcett has a great shot at winning. I think he's going to be our next Congressman from the 5th District, and I think he'll make a great contribution to the country and to Colorado Springs and the area.
Jay Marvin: Ad you also support Bill Winter, too, who is running against Tom Tancredo.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Yes, I do.
Jay Marvin: Because he's also another veteran. Now you're headed off to a breakfast with the General and Jay. This is going to be a, it's going to be like a buffet breakfast, and it runs between 8:30 in the morning and 10 this morning at the Spice of Life event center, located at the Flatirons Golf Course 5706 Arapahoe Road in Boulder, and the cost is only $25. You're going to arrive. You're going to speak shortly after 9 AM, and you're also going to take questions after speaking. Seating is limited. So, if people want to see you, they need to, need to get out there.
I got to ask one more thing before I let you go. Isn't it ironic that in the year 2006, here you are out on the road helping people like Jay Fawcett, helping other Democrats to get elected when Joseph Lieberman, at one point, challenged your Democratic credentials, and now he is saying that if he loses the Democratic primary in Connecticut, he intends to run as an Independent. You got a comment on that?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, you know, I'm sorry that, that we've got this problem inside our party. I think parties are essential to help articulate the, the, the voters' interests and concerns and, and help shape (drop-out) When, when somebody (drop-out) larger than the party, I, I think, I think he's doing a disservice to himself, really. So, I'll support whoever wins that, that primary in Connecticut. But I think the real issue for America is: Let's get some competent leadership. You know, when George Bush was running, He talked about being a compassionate conservative. He talked about having a humble foreign policy. When you, when you look at America today, we're not being lead by a compassionate conservative, and the foreign policy certainly doesn't have much humility in it.
Jay Marvin: No, it sure doesn't.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: But we do need Americans in office who are compassionate and who do have a sense of humility about them, because all of us are just, we're just out there doing the best we can do. We're all human. We all make mistakes and errors and misjudgments and so forth, and, and what we need are people who can represent us who, who understand who we are as Americans.
Jay Marvin: Well, people like Jay Fawcett. General, thank you so much for your time. Thank you for your service to your country, and thank you for being on this show, and thank you for being a Democrat.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Great to be with you, Jay. Thank you for that.
Jay Marvin: Alright, there's General Wesley Clark on the way to the affair with Jay Fawcett and he's got numerous other events planned throughout the area today.
