Byrd - on the same page as Wes Clark (just like in 2002)

[robbedvoter]

Just  watched Byrd's speech in the Senate (to be repeated at 2:40 AM). he is on the same page with Clark re: exit strategy, dissent is patriotic. But then again, they were on the same page back in 2002 as well.:


 It is time for the President to set aside his pride and to convene an international summit on the future of Iraq, composed of representatives of the Iraqi people, their Arab neighbors, NATO, and the United Nations.  Then and only then will the Iraqi people be in a position to chart their own future with the help of the international community.  Then and only then will the United States be able to relinquish ownership of the tiger it now holds by the tail.
America must alter its course in Iraq to deal with the volatile vacuum left by the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.  America must be prepared to fight terrorism wherever it rears its ugly head, and not be lulled into the false belief that attacking terrorists overseas will stop them from attacking America on its homefront.  And above all, Americans must never be cowed into believing that questions are somehow "unpatriotic" or that presidents, even war-time presidents, are ever above answering them.
http://byrd.senate.gov/byrd_speeches/byrd_speeches_2004_april/byrd_speeches_2004_april_list/byrd_spe eches_2004_april_list_2.html


http://clark04.com/issues/iraqstrategy/
snip

* Re-incorporate our allies. Fixing the Administration's missteps will require skilled diplomacy at the highest levels. General Clark will call a summit of leaders from Europe, the United Nations, Japan and the Arab world to launch a new, internationalized effort in Iraq. They will be more willing to help if America works with them on issues they care about: climate change, the International Criminal Court and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

* Create a new international authority. The Coalition Provisional Authority, which is the American-led de facto government of Iraq, should be replaced. But the United Nations is neither able nor willing to assume the daunting task of governing Iraq. General Clark would create a new international structure to govern Iraq-the Iraqi Reconstruction and Democracy Council-similar to the one formed in Bosnia. The interim government would have representatives from the European Union, the United States, neighboring countries and others who support our efforts to build a democratic Iraq.

* Transform the military operation into a NATO operation. General Abizaid, commander of US forces in the Middle East, would remain in charge of the operation, but he would report to the NATO Council, as General Clark did as commander of NATO forces in Kosovo. If we take these steps, we can expect NATO countries to contribute around 50,000 troops. With NATO support and U.N. endorsement, we can also get Arab countries in the region to step in. Their presence would prove that this is not an American occupation, but an international and regional effort to stabilize Iraq.

What Clark asked Congress in october 2002:
Here's what Clark pleaded for in his September deposition to Congress:
I think it's wise to narrow the resolution that was submitted. I think it will be more effective and more useful and I think it's more in keeping with the checks and balances that are the hallmark of the American government if that resolution is narrowed.
http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/us/hearingspreparedstatements/hasc-092602.htm