Jacob's Politics

Testimony before the House Armed Servces Committee

I just listened to the full three and a half hours testimony by neo-con Richard Perle and Retired General Wes Clark to the House Armed Services Committee.

General Clark was right before the war when he said that going in was foolhardy as America was unprepared to handle the situation and it was the wrong war.

However, in this testimony he says that America has to be prepared for a long stay.

I strongly disagree with him and have sent this email to Catherine Grunden, WesPAC Executive Director as follows:

Dear Catherine,

I just listened to the full 3 plus hours on the appearance of General Clark with Richard Perle before the House Armed Services Committee.

General Clark is making several fundamental mistakes.

He said he believed that things are moving in the right direction.

That is wrong. Maybe you should draw his attention to the protest that took place in Baghdad today where the only chant was for the US forces to go home and statues of Bush and Blair were toppled..

1. The Iraqi elections were a total failure, however much the spin is put on it being a success.
2. The Bush Administration has no intention of leaving Iraq - why would anyone build 13 to 15 major bases in Iraq?
3. General Clark should stop trying to be diplomatic when it is clear that the neo-cons have no intention of doing anything diplomatically!!

However distasteful it may sound:

1. US has lost this war.
2. US should put its tail between its legs and run.
3. US should let the Iraqi people put their own house in order but be made to pay for the chaos it had caused.
4. All war criminals belonging to occupation forces, from the pResident to the lowliest soldiers, should be put on trial before an impartial international court.

Then people will start to begin to believe in American democracy.

Otherwise, everyone knows the American Democratic model is a great sham.

Jacob Matthan
Oulu, Finland

posted by Jacob Matthan @ 02:45