Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Kerry Adviser Sandy Berger Sees Potential 3 Year Force Presence in Iraq (CHIEF ADVISER berger)
PRNewswire ^ | 7/9/04 | various

Posted on 07/21/2004 11:40:41 AM PDT by GailA

Kerry Adviser Sandy Berger Sees Potential 3 Year Force Presence in Iraq

WASHINGTON, Jul. 09, 04 /PRNewswire/ --

WASHINGTON, July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- In a wide-ranging and exclusive interview with Bisnow on Business released today, former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, now a chief foreign policy adviser to Senator John Kerry, says, in answer to a question about how long a "substantial U.S. force presence" might remain in Iraq: "I can certainly imagine us having a force there in three years. I hope it will be a smaller force."

In answer to a question about whether the U.S. is better off for having invaded Iraq, Berger says: "I don't think we're safer for having invaded Iraq ... I think over the long term Saddam constituted a threat. I think we would have had to deal with him at some point, but Iraq was not a terrorist problem before we invaded. Because of the nature of our invasion, the unilateral invasion and essentially unilateral occupation, Iraq has become a magnet for terrorists from around the world, so I don't think we're safer."

On whether Iraq is winnable or whether the U.S. should just "cut its losses": "I think it would be a huge mistake for us to cut and run, for us to withdraw prematurely even though the situation is messy. If we do that we will say essentially to adversaries around the world that if they can create enough American casualties, we leave ... That would be very bad for us. So we have to see this through, and if that requires more troops, we're going to have to do that."

Berger also discusses what Kerry would do differently from Bush in Iraq; whether the premises for invading were valid; who is to blame for wrong information about the presence of WMD; whether Saddam was really a threat to the U.S.; whether the U.S. is currently making progress; how many additional troops are needed; whether we need a draft; whether he would use the term "incompetence" in describing post-war planning; and whether he thinks John Edwards has adequate national security experience.

The full audio interview, as well as a transcript of excerpts, can be found at http://www.bisnow.com/. Bisnow on Business is one of the Internet's leading providers of exclusive audio interviews with political and business newsmakers. Bisnow's interviews are sent out by The Hill newspaper to Capital Hill readers each Monday morning.

Bisnow on Business CONTACT: Mark Bisnow of Bisnow on Business, +1-202-966-1200, or mark@bisnow.com

Web site: http://www.bisnow.com/


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: berger; hanoijohn; kerry; pants; papers; pocket; sandyberger; sockgate; socks; soxgate; topsecret; wot
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last
Some additional finds

Kerry Adviser Sandy Berger Sees Potential 3 Year Force Presence in Iraq

WASHINGTON, July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- In a wide-ranging and exclusive interview with Bisnow on Business released today, former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, now a chief foreign policy adviser to Senator John Kerry, says, in answer to a question about how long a "substantial U.S. force presence" might remain in Iraq: "I can certainly imagine us having a force there in three years. I hope it will be a smaller force."

In answer to a question about whether the U.S. is better off for having invaded Iraq, Berger says: "I don't think we're safer for having invaded Iraq ... I think over the long term Saddam constituted a threat. I think we would have had to deal with him at some point, but Iraq was not a terrorist problem before we invaded. Because of the nature of our invasion, the unilateral invasion and essentially unilateral occupation, Iraq has become a magnet for terrorists from around the world, so I don't think we're safer."

On whether Iraq is winnable or whether the U.S. should just "cut its losses": "I think it would be a huge mistake for us to cut and run, for us to withdraw prematurely even though the situation is messy. If we do that we will say essentially to adversaries around the world that if they can create enough American casualties, we leave ... That would be very bad for us. So we have to see this through, and if that requires more troops, we're going to have to do that."

Berger also discusses what Kerry would do differently from Bush in Iraq; whether the premises for invading were valid; who is to blame for wrong information about the presence of WMD; whether Saddam was really a threat to the U.S.; whether the U.S. is currently making progress; how many additional troops are needed; whether we need a draft; whether he would use the term "incompetence" in describing post-war planning; and whether he thinks John Edwards has adequate national security experience.

The full audio interview, as well as a transcript of excerpts, can be found at http://www.Bisnow.com. Bisnow on Business is one of the Internet's leading providers of exclusive audio interviews with political and business newsmakers. Bisnow's interviews are sent out by The Hill newspaper to Capital Hill readers each Monday morning.

SF GATE

Seattletimes Berger built his connections with Kerry initially around the senator's work to normalize American relations with Vietnam.

Economist “I PLEDGE to you, on your behalf and on behalf of the other 96% of humanity, that within weeks of being elected I will return to the United Nations, and not only rejoin the community of nations but also turn over a proud new chapter in America's relationship with the world.” That typically tortuous peroration from John Kerry's stump speech concerns one of his most important themes: foreign policy. If Mr Kerry carries it out, this “new chapter” would mark a fundamental break with the Bush administration.

In trying to strike a balance between multilateralism on the one hand and continued assertiveness on the other, Mr Kerry is returning to the hard-headed “progressive internationalism” of Roosevelt and Truman, which dominated American foreign policy throughout the cold war. This is not the peacenik wing of the Democratic Party. His advisers include Richard Holbrooke, the man who ran President Clinton's Bosnia policy, and Sandy Berger, a former national security adviser. His chief foreign-policy adviser, Rand Beers, was once in the Bush team. Capecod online The wording was worked out in negotiations between Kucinich's delegates and Kerry's supporters, who were led by Sandy Berger, who was President Bill Clinton's national security adviser.

1 posted on 07/21/2004 11:40:44 AM PDT by GailA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: GailA

Wonder if they need a Secretary of State at Leavenworth ?


2 posted on 07/21/2004 11:49:48 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (STAGMIRE !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GailA

Why is anyone printing any opinion from this treasonous bastard?


3 posted on 07/21/2004 11:51:08 AM PDT by steplock ( www.spadata.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: steplock

Because Kerry has attempted to minimize Berger's role in his campaign


4 posted on 07/21/2004 11:55:37 AM PDT by NRA1995
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: GailA
Always wondered what a chief foreign policy advisor looked like.


5 posted on 07/21/2004 11:56:17 AM PDT by GalaxieFiveHundred
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GalaxieFiveHundred

I just love it. It's almost as good as the Hillary bucket of chicken...two big thighs etc....


6 posted on 07/21/2004 11:59:39 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: NRA1995

Ahh -- good answer.


7 posted on 07/21/2004 12:00:32 PM PDT by steplock ( www.spadata.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: steplock

Look at the date of the article.

It was printed before Sandy became the key thief in Soxgate!


9 posted on 07/21/2004 12:19:29 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (Berger was an attorney w/o his secretary, and he just re-filed in the wrong drawers! Move On!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: GailA

Great find!

It is obvious that inspite of his FBI sessions, the Sandy Bergular was still working hard for al Kerry!


10 posted on 07/21/2004 12:20:32 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (Berger was an attorney w/o his secretary, and he just re-filed in the wrong drawers! Move On!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; backhoe; Peach; MeekOneGOP; JohnHuang2; Shermy; GailA

Look at this folks.

Gail has uncovered very recent activity of the Sandy Bergular helping his buddy Komrade Kerrorist.


11 posted on 07/21/2004 12:22:24 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (Berger was an attorney w/o his secretary, and he just re-filed in the wrong drawers! Move On!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Grampa Dave; Happy2BMe; devolve
bump !

12 posted on 07/21/2004 12:42:57 PM PDT by MeekOneGOP (There is only one GOOD 'RAT: one that has been voted OUT of POWER !! Straight ticket GOP!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Grampa Dave
You can thank RUSH for it, I was listening to him and just put kerry sandy berger into Google and look what popped up!

The other articles I found interesting for their quotes..especially the kyoto treaty one. We need all the ammo we can get.

It makes one wonder are we missing the boat here? Did berger take the stuff for hanoi john not slick willie...hanoi john's port security speech dove tails into this to neatly.

It's posted somewhere on FR today.

13 posted on 07/21/2004 12:45:29 PM PDT by GailA ( hanoi john, I'm for the death penalty for terrorist, before I impose a moratorium on it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: GailA

Twelve days ago, Berger was "a chief foreign policy advisor" to Kerry04.

Yesterday, Berger was an "informal advisor."




Curious.


14 posted on 07/21/2004 12:45:34 PM PDT by Petronski (Nobody "inadvertently" takes sensitive docs in their pants.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GailA
"This is not the peacenik wing of the Democratic Party."

Priceless!

15 posted on 07/21/2004 12:46:31 PM PDT by Boss_Jim_Gettys ("Hi, Sandy. More highly classified documents or are you just glad to see me?" -- John Kerry)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Petronski

That's easy. He still has the job. It's just not official and he'll probably be paid under the table. Makes sense to me.


16 posted on 07/21/2004 12:49:49 PM PDT by Max7
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: GailA
Well .................. whatever.................. From another thread :

_______________________________________________________________________________

First we had Sexgate with Bubba.

Now we have Soxgate with Bergler.

It all adds up to Suxgate.

Leni

17 posted on 07/21/2004 12:57:41 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (New Linux SUSE Pro 9.1 user here.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Grampa Dave; GailA; Liz; backhoe; Peach; MeekOneGOP; JohnHuang2; Shermy

Thanks for the ping.

I don't think I have seen any major postings this morning from our illustrious NewsPrint Media.....


John likely would have captured them if there were any.......guess I need to check his postings.....


18 posted on 07/21/2004 1:04:53 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (New Linux SUSE Pro 9.1 user here.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: GailA

Great post!


19 posted on 07/21/2004 1:06:51 PM PDT by EternalVigilance
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Trousergate: Theft of Papers Showing Al-Qaeda in US Under Clinton is HUGE Rush Limbaugh ^ | 7-20-04 | Rush Limbaugh

Rescued: Data the Kerry/Edwards Campaign Tried to DELETE from its site! (grandpa dave found cache) Google Cache ^ | 7-21-04

This may be the reason for berger's theft: Securing Our Ports and Preventing Terrorists from Obtaining WMD's (Kerry's 12/17 remarks) Council on Foreign Relations ^ | 7-21-04 | John Kerry

20 posted on 07/21/2004 1:17:01 PM PDT by GailA ( hanoi john, I'm for the death penalty for terrorist, before I impose a moratorium on it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson