Record Shows Clark Cheered Iraq War as "Right Call"

[Selwynn]

MEDIA ADVISORY:
Wesley Clark: The New Anti-War Candidate?
Record Shows Clark Cheered Iraq War as "Right Call"

September 16, 2003

The possibility that former NATO supreme commander Wesley Clark might enter the race for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination has been the subject of furious speculation in the media. But while recent coverage of Clark often claims that he opposed the war with Iraq, the various opinions he has expressed on the issue suggest the media's "anti-war" label is inaccurate.

(snip)

Hearing Clark talking to CNN's Paula Zahn (7/16/03), it would be understandable to think he was an opponent of the war. "From the beginning, I have had my doubts about this mission, Paula," he said. "And I have shared them previously on CNN." But a review of his statements before, during and after the war reveals that Clark has taken a range of positions-- from expressing doubts about diplomatic and military strategies early on, to celebrating the U.S. "victory" in a column declaring that George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair "should be proud of their resolve in the face of so much doubt" (London Times, 4/10/03).

(snip)

As time wore on, Clark's reservations seemed to give way. Clark explained on CNN (1/21/03) that if he had been in charge, "I probably wouldn't have made the moves that got us to this point. But just assuming that we're here at this point, then I think that the president is going to have to move ahead, despite the fact that the allies have reservations." As he later elaborated (CNN, 2/5/03): "The credibility of the United States is on the line, and Saddam Hussein has these weapons and so, you know, we're going to go ahead and do this and the rest of the world's got to get with us.... The U.N. has got to come in and belly up to the bar on this. But the president of the United States has put his credibility on the line, too. And so this is the time that these nations around the world, and the United Nations, are going to have to look at this evidence and decide who they line up with."

http://www.fair.org/press-releases/clark-antiwar.html

I have no comment, I'm not anti-clark. I am pro-truth however.

[GalleryGod]

1. Yeah,SURE!

:puffpiece:

L8r,G8r!
:boring:

[disgruntella]

2. dupe - posted in GD

although it eventually burned out there after a fiery flame war; maybe we can have one here too. :eyes:

[Selwynn]

3. Oh sorry... :(

I'm not for flame wars, I'm just a person desparately trying to make up my mind on candidates, and I'm working really really hard to form my opinion.

Sorry for the dupe, it also occured to me that my definition of latest news may not really count as lastest news.

What can I say I'm a noob. :)

[demdave]

5. It is only a dupe if it has been posted in LBN before.

It can be posted in every group the DU has and until it is posted in here before you, it is not a dupe. I usually see people saying a post is a dupe because it is posted in another forum because they don't like what was posted.

[disgruntella]

11. well...

I didn't know the policy about the same posts in different forums not being dupes. To be frank, I don't think much of the article that was posted, but that's not why I said "dupe" -- I said it because the other post went up in flames, and I thought that might be nice to avoid. But feel free.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

12. Not true...the warning bypassed in order to post it clearly states

it's not LBN if it's more than 12 hours old. This story is from yeserday.

[grytpype]

4. I don't see the words "right call" in there anywhere.

[demdave]

7. Read the entire article, not just the snipped piece

," Clark wrote in a London Times column (4/10/03). "Already the scent of victory is in the air." Though he had been critical of Pentagon tactics, Clark was exuberant about the results of "a lean plan, using only about a third of the ground combat power of the Gulf War. If the alternative to attacking in March with the equivalent of four divisions was to wait until late April to attack with five, they certainly made the right call."

[grytpype]

10. Not what the title says.

Clark did not say the decision to invade Iraq was the right call.

He said it was better to attack in March than in April. Which may very well be true as a matter of military strategy.

[karlschneider]

6. This is interesting. I'm far from decided and FAIR is pretty, well,'fair'

but I wish that article had included some links. Sometimes things really -do- get quoted out of context. We all need to get up to speed with WKC and all the candidates of course. Anyhow, welcome to DU.
:-)

[joeybee12]

8. Face it, Clark will come under a lot of scrutiny now

He's gotten a free pass from all, and many dems already see him as their Messiah.

Calm down, the campaign has yet to begin!

[roguevalley]

9. sure. so did most of the dems that are running and most of the

congress and most of the American people. Considering they were all lied to, then what about it? Its what you think and do now, then that is what counts. If we can forgive the guys running and support them, then we can't get too sanctimonious about Clark.

I sort of am of the opinion that, okay, the troops are there. Let's see how this can work. If all of the guys are human, so then is he. I see this as a none issue. He will try and end it. Of that I am sure. None issue for me.

[lazarus]

13. Not LBN

over 12 hours old.

[Democat]

14. Attacks from the left, attacks from the right

Good thing he's used to fighting. :)