Former defense secretary: Oil isn't chief reason to attack Iraq

Bonita ^ | February 8, 2003 | STEVE SCHMADEKE

[pkpjamestown]

Not only is war with Iraq almost unavoidable, the United States needs to divert more money toward military spending, former U.S. Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci said Friday during a speech in Bonita Springs.

Beyond his proposal to raise defense spending by $80-to-$90 billion, the chairman emeritus of an international private-equity investment firm — with large holdings in the defense industry — spoke to the audience about going to war with Iraq. After a brief analysis of the Middle East, Carlucci discussed North Korea and addressed some of the common objections to sending troops into Iraq — such as whether the country is really a threat.

"This nexus between renegade states . . . and terrorists is perhaps the scariest problem of our time and that is the immediate threat," he said. "So if people wonder if there is an immediate threat — yes there is."

Carlucci also discounted oil as the chief reason the United States would attack Iraq, saying if that were the case it would be much easier to lift the oil embargo.

Part of the reason for the record turnout of about 325 at the Bonita Springs Assembly luncheon was the speaker's status as Washington insider.

Carlucci, who wrestled with current Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at Princeton and helped launch Secretary of State Colin Powell's career, spent more than 30 years in government service. He rose from foreign service officer to ambassador to Portugal to CIA deputy director before becoming defense secretary in 1987.

He left government in 1989, joining a Washington investment house called The Carlyle Group. Over the next decade, he helped the firm raise more than $14 billion. Others involved in that effort were the likes of former President George Bush, former Secretary of State James Baker, and former SEC chief Arthur Levitt.

Carlucci was displaced as chairman by outgoing IBM head Louis Gerstner Jr. last month.

While he said he doesn't see Saddam Hussein doing what it would take to avoid war, Carlucci was less certain about what effects the war would have on the Middle East or America.

"Public support is growing and once there is a war, I think the public will rally behind it," he said afterward. "If it's a protracted war — who knows? Obviously the difficulty the president has is keeping public support. But he has shown himself a master of doing that."

[Waco]

Might as well get enough arab oil to give the troops big bonus. What the hell, get enough to pay for everything 10 times over.