December 16, 2003
OH NO, NOT IN EUROPE
Clark testifies at Milosevic trial (Reuters, 12/15/03)
"It's closure with a man who caused the deaths ... or is alleged to have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands and the homelessness and refugee burden throughout Europe," Clark told reporters.Best of the Web cites this article to take a well-deserved poke at Clark for being so mealy mouthed. It also makes clear that the difference between Kosovo and Iraq, in Clark's mind, is that Kosovo is in Europe and the Kosovars are European. Can't let them be murdered in the thousands. Posted by David Cohen at December 16, 2003 4:46 PM"There were murders and rapes and thousands expelled and people imprisoned and bludgeoned and murdered, including the slaughter at Srebrenica. This is the sense of judicial closure, that the world community cares, that it took action, that it brought to justice the alleged perpetrator," Clark said.
As it turned out there were no good guys in the balkans,just victims and villains.
Posted by: M. at December 16, 2003 5:07 PMSeveral years ago I decided I could never respect or trust anyone who thought closure was a real word.
Posted by: Peter B at December 16, 2003 7:12 PMWhat has hurt Clark the most in his campaign has been watching a 4-star Army general act like an overeducated pollster. He cannot give a straight answer to a question, he rides his resume but disses the army at every turn, and he seems to want victory based solely on the shine of his silver hair.
Other generals we know seem to be a bit more manly than this weasel, don't they?
Posted by: jim hamlen at December 16, 2003 7:27 PMYes, Jim, and they don't like him either.
Posted by: Uncle Bill at December 17, 2003 9:47 AMI have never heard Clark "diss" the army. His opposition to the Iraq War is based on the fact that there was no immediate need to invade, not that he felt Saddam was a swell guy. General Clark thinks the Bush administration has made critical mistakes in the war on terror (no reform of the intelligence community, failure to make effective use of NATO, failure to unite the country for the war effort, failure to make constructive use of the UN).
According to Clark's beliefs, any reckoning with Saddam could be delayed to concentrate fully on Al Qaeda and better engage our allies and UN to win their support later. Now militarily we may not need them, but working together gives us diplomatic cover that would have prevented the morale bruising fights we have had. As someone who supported the Iraq War, I can say I would have preferred not having to engage in the draining fights against the anti-war people, many of whom are not the stereotyped anti-American lefty, but simply very concerned and not assuaged by the President.
Posted by: Chris Durnell at December 17, 2003 11:38 AM