General Wesley Clark on CNBC Kudlow & Company, 7.06.07
Larry Kudlow: -do you have any particular disagreements with Joe Liebermen’s approach?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: (Laughs) Many, with Joe. First of all, I wasn’t a supporter of the war on Iraq. Secondly, I think we need to find a responsible way out of Iraq. Third, I think we need to be putting a full-court diplomatic effort on Iran to persuade them that they’re much safer and much better off without a nuclear weapon. We’re on a countdown to war, and the kinds of saber-rattling that Joe Lieberman does accentuate the countdown rather than-
Larry Kudlow: General-
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -finding a way to a solution.
Larry Kudlow: General, with all due respect, do you, how can you disagree? Isn’t the evidence overwhelming that Iran is operating to finance and arm terrorists in Iraq who are killing American troops? Do you disagree with that?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: No, I, I fully agree with that. They- you know, from the beginning, Larry, when we went in there, there were those in the administration that said, ‘Well first, we’re going to handle Iraq. Then we’re going to take care of Syria and Lebanon and we’re going to end up-
Jed Babbin: (sigh)
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -going after and getting regime change in Iran. Their first line of defense against the United States is what they’re doing in Iraq. If we want to change that dynamic, we’ve got all the cards. We have them surrounded. We have the military dominance. Why won’t we talk to Iran?
(snip)
Larry Kudlow: Well, General Clark, Joe Lieberman basically says if the United States withdraws precipitously from Iraq, as many Democrats in Congress are proposing that this would amount to a victory for Iran AND for the Iranian-linked terrorists in Iraq, including Al Qaeda.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Larry, the-
Larry Kudlow: You disagree?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Larry, the invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein done by the Bush administration was a victory for Iran. HE was their big enemy. We got rid of him. We did the Iranians a huge favor. Now, the truth is that Iran came, has come to us at least three times since 2002 looking for an opening and a way to talk, and we’ve rebuffed them. So, we haven’t tried diplomacy. This administration’s not trying. This administration is-
Jed Babbin: (sigh)
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -on a countdown, and here’s what’s waiting at the end of the road: a nice air strike, 14 days or so of air strikes, Special Forces operations. We’ve already got SF going in there. We’ve got over-flights, at least that’s what I’m told. So, we’re, as far as the Iranians are concerned, we’re doing to them what they’re-
Jed Babbin: (sigh)
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: doing to us. And at the end of it, if we are able to execute this strike and we’ve really got Iran then up in arms against us, what is accomplished other than a five year or so delay in the nuclear.
Jed Babbin: Well-
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: We don’t have the capacity to occupy Iran. We don’t have to capacity to calm down the Islamic world after the strike.
Larry Kudlow: Yeah but Jed Babbin
Jed Babbin: Can I get back in here.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: It’s more (inaudible) We’re playing into Al Qaeda’s hands.
(snip)
Larry Kudlow: General Clark, just let, real quick, General Clark, how, w-why don’t we turn the financial screws on Iran. We could take them out of their misery, not the country, but the Mullahs running the country, right now – as Condi Rice suggested to our Maria Bartiromo – turn the financial screws. The Mullahs can fold.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I’m all in favor of using financial screws, but I think you have to couple it with some direct dialog with Iran.
Larry Kudlow: Alright.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: You’ve got to change their approach.
