This transcript is absolutely unbelievable, in light of Kerry's recent
positions. It appears that Kerry believes in pre-emptive strikes in Iraq
without France only in the case of Democratic Presidents, not Republican
Presidents.
And of course, this talk is from someone who voted against the *first* Gulf
War, when we did have strong UN Security Council support....
This document hasn't been checked for its typewriter font, but I have no
reason to believe that it isn't authentic at this time - it was publicized
by the Washington Times and National Review's Kerry Spot.
The Crossfire interview is following a UN Security Council resolution on
Iraq, in which a US draft was substantially watered-down by France, Russia,
and China.
JOHN SUNUNU, CROSSFIRE: Senator Kerry, in fact, in spite of the
administration claiming it has restored unanimity, that has not occurred.
All the strength of this resolution had to be pulled out of it get any
votes at all other than our own. Isn't this exercise actually
counterproductive in sending a signal to Iraq that the coalition still
remains frayed?
SEN. JOHN KERRY, (D), MASSACHUSETTS, FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Well,
John, you're correct that this resolution is less than we would have liked.
I don't think anybody can deny that we would have liked it to have
threatened force and we would have liked it to carry the term serious
consequences
will flow. On the other hand, the coalition is together. I mean the fact is
there is a unanimous statement by the security council and the United
Nations that there has to be immediate, unrestricted, unconditional access
to the sites. That's very strong language. And it also references the
underlying resolution on which the use of force is based. So clearly the
allies may not like it, and I think that's our
great concern � where's the backbone of Russia, where's the backbone of
France, where are they in expressing their condemnation of such clearly
illegal activity, but in a sense, they're now climbing into a box and they
will have
enormous difficulty not following up on this if there is not compliance by
Iraq.
...
SUNUNU: But isn't what [President Clinton] has seen is a loss of U.S.
leadership and an erosion under an administration that has failed to lead?
KERRY: On the contrary. The administration is leading. The administration
is making it clear that they don't believe that they even need the U.N.
Security Council to sign off on a material breach because the finding of
material breach was made by Mr. Butler. So furthermore, I think the United
States has always reserved the right and will reserve the right to act in
its best interests. And clearly it is not just our best interests, it is in
the best interests of the world to
make it clear to Saddam Hussein that he's not going to get away with a
breach of the '91 agreement that he's got to live up to, which is allowing
inspections and dismantling his weapons and allowing us to know that he has
dismantled his
weapons. That's the price he pays for invading Kuwait and starting a war.
...
SUNUNU: Senator Kerry, I think the issue that concerns a lot of us who have
seen the process in the past and have been watching what has been going on
now is that the previous administration, President Bush, Jim Baker worked
to weave the fabric before rolling out the goods and the tough talk. This
administration's got the tough talk now, but it let the fabric get
unraveled and that is the problem. We have to at least understand that
failure if we want to move forward correctly.
KERRY: John, again, I think you're prejudging this. I mean, the fact is
that over a period of time France and Russia have indicated a monetary
interest. They on their own have indicated the desire to do business.
That's what's driving this. I mean, as Tom Freedman (ph) said in a great
article the other day, France, Inc. wants to do business with oil and they
are moving in the exact sort of opposite direction on their own from the
very cause of the initial conflict, which was oil.
SUNUNU: But that's not new, Senator Kerry. You're pretending that this
desire...
KERRY: Correct, but ...
SUNUNU: ...of commercial interest is new. That's always been there. They
were there in 1990, they were there in '91, they were in the tough times
and they stood with us.
KERRY: Correct, absolutely correct, and I believe, and they stood with us
today and I am saying to you that it is my judgment that by standing with
us today and calling for the unrestricted, unconditional, unlimited, you
know, access,
they have now taken a stand that they are duty bound to enforce and if
Saddam Hussein doesn't do that, the president, I think, has begun a process
which you remember very well, John, was not done in one week, in one day,
in one month. It took months to weave together the fabric to lead up to an
understanding of what was at stake. I am convinced that many people have
not yet even focused in full measure on what is at stake.
SUNUNU: All right ...
KERRY: This is not just a minor confrontation. This is a very significant
issue about the balance of power, about the future stability of the Middle
East, about all of what we have thus far invested in the prior war and what
may happen
in the future.
_______________________________________________________
John D. Giorgis - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
"The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the world,
it is God's gift to humanity." - George W. Bush 1/29/03
_______________________________________________
http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
