General Wesley Clark on Your World with Neil Cavuto
December 28, 2006
Transcript by RegNYC
Stuart Varney: Hundreds of Iraqis applying for that job. It could happen any time within the next 28 days. In fact, it could be happening at this very moment. Saddam will reportedly be led to the gallows in an orange prison uniform, his head covered in a cone-shaped black hood.
But General Wesley Clark says when it does happen, get ready for more violence, and he's the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, and he testified at the mass murder trial of another dictator, Slobodan Milosevic.
General, it's not our call whether or not we hang this man, execute him or not, but if it was, if it was your call, strategically would you execute him or put him in prison for life?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I think it's, the decision's been made on that. I think it's too late to go back and review that kind of decision. He's been brought to trial. The Constitution calls for the death penalty. He's going to be executed, and there's nothing at this point that could be done or should be done-
Stuart Varney: Would you do it real soon?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -to derail it.
Stuart Varney: You, you'd do it real soon?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I always like to see the full outcome of justice. There are a lot of other people who were injured by Milosevic, and there's another trial underway. But apparently the, the customary procedure in Iraq is this trial, this sentence, carry it out and I guess it's going to get carried out. And I, I think, you know, it's important for us not to be seen as the people behind this. This is the Iraqi people themselves. This is their sense of justice.
Stuart Varney: If the exe- the execution presumably perhaps would increase the power and influence of the Shia, and there could therefore be perhaps a resur- a counteraction by the Sunnis. Saddam is a Sunni. He led essentially a Sunni government. The Sunnis are now have seen their guy executed. Will they try for some kind of comeback? Will the violence increase because of this?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I think you're certainly raising some important risks, Stuart, because I think when you see something like this happen, it does confirm the power of the Shias. This is the punctuation mark at the end of the sentence. This shows Shia dominance of the government, and that can't help but excite concern and fear, animosity and a desire to compensate among that part of the Iraqi populace which fears Shia domination.
Stuart Varney: Does it divide yet further Iraqi society?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I think it may, at least for a while, intensify the feelings, but on the other hand, I think that given everything that's transpired, it also clears off the chessboard, so to speak, and lets the Sunnis face the future with a- in a different way. So, I think that somehow our diplomats on the ground, our people who are working these policy issues have got to take advantage of the moment and try to forge a new political- set of political understandings in, in Baghdad to move this forward.
Stuart Varney: Is it, is it possible that America's interests have in fact been well served by the war in Iraq? Let me explain that. We have taken the fight to the enemy. The enemy is divided completely, and the enemy is now killing itself, fighting each other. Is that not long-term, in a way, in America's strategic interests?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, actually, I don't think so. The enemy, so to speak, were the people that attacked us on 9/11. Saddam had, really, nothing to do directly with those people. He didn't encourage the attack. He didn't aid it. He wasn't part of it. In fact, they viewed Saddam as part of the enemy camp. So, we attacked Afghanistan. We took out the government that supported the people that attacked us, and then in my view, in a strategic blunder, moved against Saddam Hussein. He was contained. Yes, he was an unpleasant person. Yes, he was a potential danger like every, every tyrant I guess is, but he couldn't directly strike the United States, and he was performing the function of a cork in the bottle in the-
Stuart Varney: Ah.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -Persian Gulf, containing the power of Iran.
Stuart Varney: General, I'm sorry-
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: We removed him.
Stuart Varney: I'm sorry to interrupt. In the interest of time, I do want to just switch gears completely for just one second. John Edwards announced his candidacy for the Presidency on '08 as of today, made the announcement in New Orleans. Any comment from you as a former Democrat Presidential candidate?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I like John Edwards. I think he has to be taken in as a very serious contender for the Presidency in 2008. He's a man who is clearly shown his motivation and his determination and, and one of the things that I think all Americans want and I think people all over the world want is they want the American President to be fully committed, his whole life, being and essence to the job and the public responsibilities that come with the office of the Presidency.
Stuart Varney:: Are you going to run again?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I haven't said I won't.
Stuart Varney: Would you ever consider a Vice-Presidential spot?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I'm not going to speculate on that. Right now, I'm in the business community, and I'm really working the strategic issues, and I think that just way too much to talk about.
Stuart Varney:: What would get you in?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, there are a lot of different personal factors that have to be weighed on this as well as the, the issues of where the country is and what the country needs and-
Stuart Varney: Could you get the money?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: So- I, you know, those are issues that I'm have, I've had some discussions about. Maybe there'll be some more discussions. I haven't got a timeline. I haven't made a decision, and I think, you know, in the interest of good decision-making and protecting people's privacy, I just have to, (laughs) I just have to beg off. (laughs)
Stuart Varney: Okay, General. (laughs) Got it. Thank you, sir.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Thank you.
