Posted on 07/25/2002 12:34:28 PM PDT by ZGuy
Former CIA Director R. James Woolsey told a Washington audience Wednesday, "We are in a world war, we are in World War IV." He said World War IV began on Sept. 11, 2001.
Woolsey, former director of central intelligence (1993-1995) under President Clinton, warned a packed audience at a Washington, D.C., symposium that this current world war will be unlike any other in history. The symposium discussed intelligence requirements in the new century and was hosted by the Institute on World Politics.
Woolsey said that America won the Cold War, which he described as World War III, and he expects America to meet the challenges of the new war.
The former CIA chief did not mince words as he challenged the administration to continue to pound out the message that America is not simply on a mission of self-defense but on a sacred campaign to safeguard the ideals of democracy.
"For the fourth time ... we are on the march, and we are on the side of those they most fear – their own people!" Woolsey exclaimed, pointing his finger at Iraq as the primary opponent of America in the new war.
Woolsey suggested it would be futile to wait for a "[former Soviet President Mikhail] Gorbachev figure to evolve" in Iraq. He said Iraq is ruled by a murderous family that will not give up power.
"Iraq can only be dealt with effectively by military action," Woolsey said. "I like to draw analogies. Iraq is like Hitler's Germany in the mid-1930s. There's no sense waiting, as the situation will only get worse."
Woolsey voiced his strong opinion that it makes sense to wage war against Saddam Hussein even without the "smoking gun" of a clear and provable nexus to 9-11.
"His general support of terrorism is enough," Woolsey concluded, pointing to the dictator's cease-fire violations, the testimony of defectors describing hijack training within Iraq, the meetings of the former Iraqi ambassador to Turkey with al-Qaeda members, and the Czech intelligence service's repeated public reports of meetings with bomber Mohamed Atta in Prague.
"Put all this together with the foiled attempt to assassinate the senior George Bush in Kuwait," Woolsey advised.
And Woolsey made it apparent that he was not impressed with Iraq as a potential battlefield opponent, noting that Saddam's standing army is much depleted from the days of the Gulf War.
He also cited the edge of the "smart bomb," suggesting that only 5 percent of the ordnance dropped on Saddam's forces in the Gulf War were smart weapons.
"Sixty-five percent of the bombs used in Afghanistan have been smart weapons. There will be at least that level in any campaign in Iraq," Woolsey said. "The U.S. is totally capable of success."
Woolsey said the U.S. military needs to deploy only 100,000 to 200,000 troops to successfully invade Iraq.
He noted that the U.S. will likely gain access to one or more countries in the region that could be used as jumping-off points for an invasion. He specifically noted the U.S. will likely get the green light from Turkey, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar to allow U.S. troops.
As to dealing with al-Qaeda, Woolsey suggested the conflict will be protracted.
"We will have to deal with them in their lairs. It will be a long and bloody conflict lasting years, perhaps decades," he said.
"We've got to get busy," Woolsey advised, noting that only an aggressive policy will keep things from going from "bad to catastrophic." He described al-Qaeda as a canny and dangerous enemy.
"For two years the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] was being warned about flimsy cockpit doors." According to Woolsey, al-Qaeda sat back and added up the elements: flimsy cockpit doors, box cutters allowed on board, and a general policy to be passive in hijack situations.
That lesson, said Woolsey, should be extended to potential enemy attacks on the U.S. infrastructure, such as the country's electrical grids. "We need to be asking, 'What are the functional equivalents of a flimsy cockpit door?' "
Woolsey emphasized that the victory in the new world war will be won by echoing themes that led us to success in World War II.
"We won before because we were fighting for freedom," he said.
Compassionate, that's me.
"Put all this together with the foiled attempt to assassinate the senior George Bush in Kuwait...."Missed this one. Anyone got the story?
Yeah, go soak your head..
If you think I am going to serve in an army that won't let me park next to a tree and makes me help women over the obstacle course unless it's absolutely, positively, completely and totally necessary for the survival of this Republic, then you are out of your mind.
Besides, Saddam will fold up like an army cot.. regardless of your paranoia and knee jerk over reactions.
And, the benefits of having a puppe.. er, "America Friendly" administration controlling Iraq could be great indeed.
I say do it, the schmuck brought it on his own head when he made a deal to end the war then broke it over weapons inspections. We shouldn't even need another reason, his tossing those inspectors out is the only justification anyone should need..
The rest of his antics just add insult to injury.
On second thought, maybe it was a war, and we lost.
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.