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American Morning

Interview with Wesley Clark

Aired January 14, 2004 - 08:06   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Later today, Wesley Clark will unveil a three part homeland security strategy. The Democratic presidential candidate is skipping the campaign in Iowa, which will hold its caucuses on Monday. Instead, he is focusing on New Hampshire and he will outline his security plan in Manchester.
He's here this morning to discuss that plan, also, to update us on his campaign.

Nice to see you, General Clark.

Thanks for being with us.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good to see you, Soledad.

Thanks.

O'BRIEN: Before we talk about the security plan and some of the criticism you have about the current plan under the Bush administration, I want to talk about some of the hits you're taking. I know that you have said as you gain in the polls getting hit by your opponents is almost a form of flattery. But today the "Wall Street Journal" says you're a blank slate, you have no discernable ideology.

Do you think that's an unfair description?

CLARK: Well, I mean I've never run for elected office and so I've never voted for any legislation. But if you look at what I stand for, if you look at what I've said, I've taught economics and political philosophy at West Point. I was in the Office of Management and Budget with Paul O'Neill when Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld were in the White House. So I, you know, I understand the American economy. I understand national security. My papers are all laid out. I invite the "Wall Street Journal" to go to my Web site...

O'BRIEN: But I guess...

CLARK: ... clark04.com. They're all laid out.

O'BRIEN: Can't you hear what I'm saying? But I guess the point they're making when they say no discernable ideology -- and the critics, too, say you've, they think you've waffled. You've waffled in your opposition to war, they'd say. They'd say you've waffled on whether you're a Democrat or a Republican. They'd say you've waffled on whether there is a connection between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein.

CLARK: Well, that's not waffling on it.

O'BRIEN: So talk about some of those. OK.

CLARK: On the war, the record's clear and you all on CNN know that I've been against this war from the beginning. But I was even counseled, said, look, you're a military analyst, talk about the military side. I knew from inside the Pentagon early on, right after 9/11, that for whatever reason, the administration was decided not to go after terrorists, but to go after Saddam Hussein. It never made any sense. It was wrong and it was a diversion of resources.

So my stand has been very clear on that.

O'BRIEN: Democrat or Republican?

CLARK: I was never in a party and when I got out -- I did vote for Bill Clinton and Al Gore. But when I got out of the military, I was courted by both parties. And I'm a Democrat by conviction. I'm going to bring a lot of people into this party and I'm the one leader who can do it and pull from the middle. And that's why I'm getting so much strong support, I think, because people appreciate the fact that I'm pragmatic. I'm going to make the right decisions to solve these enormous problems facing America today.

O'BRIEN: Some people say you've contradicted yourself on al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein, that connection.

CLARK: Well, there's no connection on that. There's no contradiction. I was, in New Hampshire they asked me about a "New York Times" front page story on a CIA study that said that there were contacts, low level contacts. I said of course there are. I mean everybody has low level contacts in the intelligence business. If they didn't, they ought to get rid of their intelligence chiefs.

But that's not the same as having been connected with starting 9/11. I said from the beginning there was no connection between Saddam Hussein and 9/11, and the latest documentation shows it. Hey, they're talking today about documents that were uncovered that show that Saddam, even after the Americans were in, warned people not to comport with al Qaeda.

So the CIA and the rest of the administration was hyping the intelligence.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk a little...

CLARK: They tried to make us believe there was an imminent threat. They tried to make us believe that Saddam Hussein was connected to 9/11. Neither one were true.

O'BRIEN: A lot of your new security strategy would take the focus off of Iraq.

CLARK: Exactly.

O'BRIEN: And focus it on terror. CLARK: Right.

O'BRIEN: Tell me a little, first, just list for me what you think are the biggest mistakes the Bush administration has made in that security plan and why yours would be better, what you'd do differently.

CLARK: Well, first of all, you have to bring our allies in. The Bush administration has excluded our allies.

Secondly, you have to use all of the assets in the war against terror. You have to use law, diplomacy, police, law enforcement intelligence and so forth, and only as a last resort military. And when you do it, you need to get everybody in the boat with you.

And then finally, you have to put real leadership in protecting -- into protecting the United States of America. And we really haven't done that yet.

O'BRIEN: So you'd put less -- fewer resources into Iraq?

CLARK: Well, we're going to have to -- we're in Iraq. We have to make a success out of it. I've got a success strategy to succeed in Iraq and reduce our resources there and get our troops back home. We're consuming the United States Army, the Guard and the Reserve, in Iraq, because these people didn't sign up for repetitive tours like this, grinding it out month after month. You can't believe how many families I'm hearing and soldiers and others who are not in inform telling about what their real feelings are.

I mean the Bush administration is running as a very, is trying to use the armed forces as a political weapon in this domestic election. The simple truth is the armed forces exist to protect the United States, to be used as a last resort. That's not the case of Iraq. We've been misusing our armed forces. It was a mistake to get into Iraq.

O'BRIEN: Sorry that you're missing Iowa, that you're not making your case there?

CLARK: In Iowa? Well, I couldn't do Iowa, Soledad. I mean I got in late and -- but, you know, I came into the campaign with what we call the four nos -- no money, so therefore no staff; no staff, therefore no policy papers; and I'd never run for elective office. It was my only faith-based initiative. I just believed that if I went in, people would come, and they have. But it took us about a month to get really a communications staff. It took me two months for a campaign manager. And the result is Iowa just wasn't feasible. I liked Iowa. I had a lot of friends out there. They wanted me to come. But I'm really loving New Hampshire.

O'BRIEN: Well, we'll see how New Hampshire loves you back, I guess, General.

CLARK: Great.

O'BRIEN: Nice to have you.

Thanks for coming in to talk to us.

CLARK: Thanks a lot, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Appreciate it.

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 January 14, 2004 - 08:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Later today, Wesley Clark will unveil a three part homeland security strategy. The Democratic presidential candidate is skipping the campaign in Iowa, which will hold its caucuses on Monday. Instead, he is focusing on New Hampshire and he will outline his security plan in Manchester.
He's here this morning to discuss that plan, also, to update us on his campaign.

Nice to see you, General Clark.

Thanks for being with us.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good to see you, Soledad.

Thanks.

O'BRIEN: Before we talk about the security plan and some of the criticism you have about the current plan under the Bush administration, I want to talk about some of the hits you're taking. I know that you have said as you gain in the polls getting hit by your opponents is almost a form of flattery. But today the "Wall Street Journal" says you're a blank slate, you have no discernable ideology.

Do you think that's an unfair description?

CLARK: Well, I mean I've never run for elected office and so I've never voted for any legislation. But if you look at what I stand for, if you look at what I've said, I've taught economics and political philosophy at West Point. I was in the Office of Management and Budget with Paul O'Neill when Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld were in the White House. So I, you know, I understand the American economy. I understand national security. My papers are all laid out. I invite the "Wall Street Journal" to go to my Web site...

O'BRIEN: But I guess...

CLARK: ... clark04.com. They're all laid out.

O'BRIEN: Can't you hear what I'm saying? But I guess the point they're making when they say no discernable ideology -- and the critics, too, say you've, they think you've waffled. You've waffled in your opposition to war, they'd say. They'd say you've waffled on whether you're a Democrat or a Republican. They'd say you've waffled on whether there is a connection between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein.

CLARK: Well, that's not waffling on it.

O'BRIEN: So talk about some of those. OK.

CLARK: On the war, the record's clear and you all on CNN know that I've been against this war from the beginning. But I was even counseled, said, look, you're a military analyst, talk about the military side. I knew from inside the Pentagon early on, right after 9/11, that for whatever reason, the administration was decided not to go after terrorists, but to go after Saddam Hussein. It never made any sense. It was wrong and it was a diversion of resources.

So my stand has been very clear on that.

O'BRIEN: Democrat or Republican?

CLARK: I was never in a party and when I got out -- I did vote for Bill Clinton and Al Gore. But when I got out of the military, I was courted by both parties. And I'm a Democrat by conviction. I'm going to bring a lot of people into this party and I'm the one leader who can do it and pull from the middle. And that's why I'm getting so much strong support, I think, because people appreciate the fact that I'm pragmatic. I'm going to make the right decisions to solve these enormous problems facing America today.

O'BRIEN: Some people say you've contradicted yourself on al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein, that connection.

CLARK: Well, there's no connection on that. There's no contradiction. I was, in New Hampshire they asked me about a "New York Times" front page story on a CIA study that said that there were contacts, low level contacts. I said of course there are. I mean everybody has low level contacts in the intelligence business. If they didn't, they ought to get rid of their intelligence chiefs.

But that's not the same as having been connected with starting 9/11. I said from the beginning there was no connection between Saddam Hussein and 9/11, and the latest documentation shows it. Hey, they're talking today about documents that were uncovered that show that Saddam, even after the Americans were in, warned people not to comport with al Qaeda.

So the CIA and the rest of the administration was hyping the intelligence.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk a little...

CLARK: They tried to make us believe there was an imminent threat. They tried to make us believe that Saddam Hussein was connected to 9/11. Neither one were true.

O'BRIEN: A lot of your new security strategy would take the focus off of Iraq.

CLARK: Exactly.

O'BRIEN: And focus it on terror. CLARK: Right.

O'BRIEN: Tell me a little, first, just list for me what you think are the biggest mistakes the Bush administration has made in that security plan and why yours would be better, what you'd do differently.

CLARK: Well, first of all, you have to bring our allies in. The Bush administration has excluded our allies.

Secondly, you have to use all of the assets in the war against terror. You have to use law, diplomacy, police, law enforcement intelligence and so forth, and only as a last resort military. And when you do it, you need to get everybody in the boat with you.

And then finally, you have to put real leadership in protecting -- into protecting the United States of America. And we really haven't done that yet.

O'BRIEN: So you'd put less -- fewer resources into Iraq?

CLARK: Well, we're going to have to -- we're in Iraq. We have to make a success out of it. I've got a success strategy to succeed in Iraq and reduce our resources there and get our troops back home. We're consuming the United States Army, the Guard and the Reserve, in Iraq, because these people didn't sign up for repetitive tours like this, grinding it out month after month. You can't believe how many families I'm hearing and soldiers and others who are not in inform telling about what their real feelings are.

I mean the Bush administration is running as a very, is trying to use the armed forces as a political weapon in this domestic election. The simple truth is the armed forces exist to protect the United States, to be used as a last resort. That's not the case of Iraq. We've been misusing our armed forces. It was a mistake to get into Iraq.

O'BRIEN: Sorry that you're missing Iowa, that you're not making your case there?

CLARK: In Iowa? Well, I couldn't do Iowa, Soledad. I mean I got in late and -- but, you know, I came into the campaign with what we call the four nos -- no money, so therefore no staff; no staff, therefore no policy papers; and I'd never run for elective office. It was my only faith-based initiative. I just believed that if I went in, people would come, and they have. But it took us about a month to get really a communications staff. It took me two months for a campaign manager. And the result is Iowa just wasn't feasible. I liked Iowa. I had a lot of friends out there. They wanted me to come. But I'm really loving New Hampshire.

O'BRIEN: Well, we'll see how New Hampshire loves you back, I guess, General.

CLARK: Great.

O'BRIEN: Nice to have you.

Thanks for coming in to talk to us.

CLARK: Thanks a lot, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com