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.
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.
Wonder if they need a Secretary of State at Leavenworth ?
Why is anyone printing any opinion from this treasonous bastard?
Great find!
It is obvious that inspite of his FBI sessions, the Sandy Bergular was still working hard for al Kerry!
Look at this folks.
Gail has uncovered very recent activity of the Sandy Bergular helping his buddy Komrade Kerrorist.
Twelve days ago, Berger was "a chief foreign policy advisor" to Kerry04.
Yesterday, Berger was an "informal advisor."
Curious.
Priceless!
Great post!
Maybe Hill wants his job........ /sarc.
I'd rather have Berger do three years and the troops get to come back earlier.
And just yesterday, prior to his resignation, the MSM was calling him an "informal" and "unpaid" foreign policy adviser to the Kerry campaign. The press demoted him in just 17 days, right before he resigned. Amazing.