Posted on 05/22/2004 10:37:36 AM PDT by demlosers
Former United States President Bill Clinton today slammed what he called the “unilateral” foreign policy of the Bush administration.
Clinton told an audience of about 1,000 Brazilian business and political leaders that the United States needed more international partners to fight terrorism.
“Rather than taking a unilateral path, we need to strengthen international organisations,” said Clinton. “We need more international partners.”
He was speaking in Sao Paulo at the inauguration of an academic institute founded by former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who led the country from 1995-2003.
“In Iraq, we should have let the United Nations inspectors finish their job,” said Clinton. Any military intervention, he added, should have involved the United Nations and a broad multinational force, rather than the “coalition of the willing” currently on the ground there.
“Iraq is about unilateralism versus internationalism,” Clinton said.
“I have a different world view (from that of the Bush administration). I believe the United States should support the World Criminal Court, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the Kyoto (environmental) Agreement and other international efforts.”
He added: “Promoting health, education and democracy is also part of an anti-terrorism strategy.”
Cardoso echoed Clinton’s theme, saying: “The unilateralism we have seen in the last two or three years is very troubling. It goes against the grain.”
Commenting specifically on US policy in Iraq, Cardoso said: “Freedom brought by force is not freedom. The situation there is very worrisome.”
Clinton said the task of bringing democracy to Iraq will be “very challenging.”
He added: “There is no doubt that the Middle East would be better off with a democratic Iraq. However, democracy cannot be imposed anywhere. The Iraqis have to want it.”
Commenting more broadly on the prospects for democracy in the world, Clinton said: “On balance, I am very optimistic. Compared to 50 years ago or 20 years ago, democracy is advancing in the world.”
He added: “In the 1990s, for the first time in history, more people were living under democracies than under dictatorships.”
He said that, currently, the world boasts some 120 democracies among the nearly 200 countries.
5.56mm
We’d be under investigation 100 times for Iraq if we signed onto the World Criminal Court. Clinton (and Kerry) supports abdication of American severity.
The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty would prevent us from developing bunker busting nukes.
They eat it up too. THIS is more to blame for anti-American sentiment around the world than our policy in Iraq.
The fact that Clinton is out there telling more lies, that we acted unilaterally doesn't help us much either. But then again, what does one expect from the likes of him?
I'm still not convinced that the SOB isn't in fact the Antichrist. He certainly is in love with internationalism and the UN, and by extension, one world government.
Kyoto would require us to pay the rest of the world for being unproductive.
As President Bush has pointed out, it is very bigoted, this point of view, that says those brown people over there can't possibly fathom or desire freedom like we more enlightened types do.
So, did he go bikini shopping for Chelsea again while he was down in Brazil?
Assuming for a minute that we indeed took the unilateral path (which we are not), the question that always comes to my mind is how will going this path make things any different in Iraq? Will this mean other countries (i.e. France, Germany, etc.) send tens of thousands of troops to Iraq? I seriously doubt that. Will going to the UN help? They will certainly be ready to pass resolution after resolution, but that will not change the situation in Iraq one bit. My question would be: How will "internationalizing" the Iraq conflict change anything?
Any military intervention, he added, should have involved the United Nations and a broad multinational force, rather than the “coalition of the willing” currently on the ground there
So, the 30 odd countries that are in Iraq with us don't count as multinational? And just how will the UN help? As we see in Kosovo, they cut and run if someone so much as lights a firecracker. AND, the UN has already cut and run out of Iraq once. The terrorists do not want the USA in Iraq, but they do not want the UN in there either! Nor NATO, nor the Europeans! They want a radical Islamist country with billions in assets (oil).
“I have a different world view (from that of the Bush administration). I believe the United States should support the World Criminal Court, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the Kyoto (environmental) Agreement and other international efforts.”
What a traitor! Turn over our legal sovereignty to Europe? Damage our ability to defend ourselves by joining the Comprehensive Test Ban treaty? And the Kyoto Agreement will destroy our economy. How does it feel to be an ex-POTUS that HATES America?
“Promoting health, education and democracy is also part of an anti-terrorism strategy.”
Yes, I am sure Osama Bin Laden, al-Zawahiri, Hamas and other terrorists would decide everthing is fine if we build schools and hospitals. Osama does not give a damn if we build Bin-Laden High School, or a thousand of them. They hate our WAY OF LIFE!! The only way to convince these terrorists to stop their killing is to kill them first!!
Cardoso said: Freedom brought by force is not freedom.
Tell that to France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Rumania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Japan, South Korea, etc. Truly amazing how little these people know of world history or how the world really works.
He added: “In the 1990s, for the first time in history, more people were living under democracies than under dictatorships.”
A not so subtle attempt to link the expansion of democracy with the Klinton administration. What an absolute waste of human flesh this man is!!
Clinton World Scam Tour ping
One can only hope he'll catch "somethin' fierce" down there. Hope he spends some quality time in the local "Infernos"...
Cardoso is the corrupt idiot whose mal-administration, theft, and incompetence set the stage for the election of the communist agent Lula da Silva as President of Brazil.
Naturally Clinton would find him a kindred spirit. Castro should give them both a medal, if he hasn't already.
What's that? Sticking cuban cigars in some girls snatch and jerkin' off in a sink?
FMCDH
The Two Has-Beens: Clinton and Carduso
Carduso says~~"“Freedom brought by force is not freedom."
He needs to study up on the American Revolutionary War, eh?
Just a little "sidebar". Geo. Soros has BIG holdings and BIG debts in Brazil. Do you think that Billy Boy is carrying a little water for him down there?
It's a toss-up between him and Soros in my book.
Ever hear of a shot heard 'round the world called the American Revolution?
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