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Wesley Clark Touts Military Career
Aired October 16, 2003 - 15:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: In the Democratic presidential race, retired General Wesley Clark is trying to show he has the right stuff to be commander in chief, including support within the military. Clark has released records detailing his 37-year military career, but with some conspicuous gaps.
We want to bring in our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.
Where are the biggest holes, Jamie?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, the biggest hole is where, during the time that Wes Clark was the NATO commander and he was at odds with the Pentagon.
But you wouldn't expect that he'd be getting any fitness reports at that point in his career. When you're a four-star general, you're either getting the job done or you're replaced. But if you go through the more -- almost 200 pages of Wes Clark's military record, it shows that he was clearly one of the best and the brightest in the U.S. Army at the time and was destined to achieve a very high rank.
In fact, if you read some of these reports, one said, "an officer of impeccable character with a rare blend of personal qualities and professional attributes, which uniquely qualify him as a soldier scholar.: That was General Alexander Haig back in 1978. "Clark has the character and depth to be another Marshall or Eisenhower," gushed Brigadier General William Crouch a decade later. And Colin Powell, when he was Joint Chiefs chairman back in 1992, called Clark -- quote -- "an officer of the rarest potential."
But Clark had his detractors in the Pentagon, especially his civilian and military bosses. Former Defense Secretary William Cohen forced Clark to step down early as NATO commander after what Cohen acknowledges was tension between the two.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: There was friction between General Clark and myself. And, frankly, I think it would be inappropriate for me to comment on his political aspirations. I made a judgment during the time that he was serving as head of NATO, SACEUR. And I felt that the ax, as such, when it fell spoke for itself.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MCINTYRE: The then Joints Chiefs Chairman, General Hugh Shelton, told a California audience last month -- quote -- that the reason Clark came out of Europe early had to do with "integrity and character issues. Wes won't get my vote," Shelton said.
In his book, "Waging Modern War," Clark complained that the Joint Chiefs had a hidden agenda and were overly cautious in restraining commanders in the field. Many of the four stars who worked with him at the time, while feeling that Clark was a brilliant commander, also felt that he needed to be reined in from time to time -- Candy.
CROWLEY: Jamie McIntyre, our senior Pentagon correspondent -- thanks, Jamie.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 16, 2003 - 15:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: In the Democratic presidential race, retired General Wesley Clark is trying to show he has the right stuff to be commander in chief, including support within the military. Clark has released records detailing his 37-year military career, but with some conspicuous gaps.
We want to bring in our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.
Where are the biggest holes, Jamie?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, the biggest hole is where, during the time that Wes Clark was the NATO commander and he was at odds with the Pentagon.
But you wouldn't expect that he'd be getting any fitness reports at that point in his career. When you're a four-star general, you're either getting the job done or you're replaced. But if you go through the more -- almost 200 pages of Wes Clark's military record, it shows that he was clearly one of the best and the brightest in the U.S. Army at the time and was destined to achieve a very high rank.
In fact, if you read some of these reports, one said, "an officer of impeccable character with a rare blend of personal qualities and professional attributes, which uniquely qualify him as a soldier scholar.: That was General Alexander Haig back in 1978. "Clark has the character and depth to be another Marshall or Eisenhower," gushed Brigadier General William Crouch a decade later. And Colin Powell, when he was Joint Chiefs chairman back in 1992, called Clark -- quote -- "an officer of the rarest potential."
But Clark had his detractors in the Pentagon, especially his civilian and military bosses. Former Defense Secretary William Cohen forced Clark to step down early as NATO commander after what Cohen acknowledges was tension between the two.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: There was friction between General Clark and myself. And, frankly, I think it would be inappropriate for me to comment on his political aspirations. I made a judgment during the time that he was serving as head of NATO, SACEUR. And I felt that the ax, as such, when it fell spoke for itself.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MCINTYRE: The then Joints Chiefs Chairman, General Hugh Shelton, told a California audience last month -- quote -- that the reason Clark came out of Europe early had to do with "integrity and character issues. Wes won't get my vote," Shelton said.
In his book, "Waging Modern War," Clark complained that the Joint Chiefs had a hidden agenda and were overly cautious in restraining commanders in the field. Many of the four stars who worked with him at the time, while feeling that Clark was a brilliant commander, also felt that he needed to be reined in from time to time -- Candy.
CROWLEY: Jamie McIntyre, our senior Pentagon correspondent -- thanks, Jamie.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
