And I just want to underscore what Brzezinski said, and I want to take one step further. We’re not going to regain our moral authority until we actually look at the past. This is very hard for people to say, especially in an election year, because everyone likes to say let’s just focus on the future, but the truth is that some monumental mistakes were made and I believe – I come from an institution, I grew up being taught that accountability for mistakes was an essential part of leadership. There needs to be some accountability for the mistakes that are present at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, and I’m not talking about a couple of soldiers being court-martialed for improper behavior. This goes to the very top of organizations in the executive branch, and you know precisely which organizations I’m talking about, and you know precisely who and whose memos should be examined. And I believe that we’re not going to clear the books and really regain our authority until we’ve opened the books and looked at them.

Transcript: Center for American Progress/Century Foundation “America in the World” conference

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But success in this new age of warfare requires winning battles of ideas, holding alliances together, respecting international law and removing the humiliation and outrage many Arabs feel in the face of American occupation, Clark said.

Incidents like Abu Graib only feed recruitment for al-Qaida, and Iraq has become the overriding political issue across America, he said.

Regaining American legitimacy can't be achieved "until we can clear the decks of Iraq and the mistaken idea that the global war on terrorism can be won by military force," Clark said.

Albany Times-Union

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The SAIS Center on Politics & Foreign Relations, the Financial Times, and The JHU Center for the Study of American Government

Invite you to a discussion on “Legitimacy – First Task for America’s Security” featuring Keynote Speaker General Wesley Clark

With Robert Guttman Director, CPFR and Ed Luce, Washington Bureau Chief, Financial Times

Wednesday, May 16th, 2007: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Space is limited. Please RSVP by telephone at 202-587-3237 or by email at cpfr@jhu.edu. If you e-mail please put RSVP May 16,, 2007 in the subject line.

Location: The Paul N. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Kenney Auditorium, 1740 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.

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“The Art of Strategic Leadership”

Leadership Seminar at the University of California – Los Angeles

General Clark will be speaking to the American Council of Young Political Leaders at a Leadership Seminar (University of California – Los Angeles) in conjunction with the UCLA's School of Public Affiars exclusively for ACYPL alumni and supporters. This program has been custom designed to meet the leadership challenges that confront key decision-makers on a daily basis.

The program will include classroom lectures and highly participatory case studies and exercises led by UCLA faculty and distinguished outside speakers. Registration includes all program materials, reception and dinner on Thursday and Friday evenings, breakfast and lunch on Friday and Saturday, and all program-related transportation.

Please see the seminar website (“The Art of Strategic Leadership” for registration, accommodations, and http://www.acypl.org /docs/reg_form.pdf for further details about the schedule.

Date: May 17 2007 - 6:00-10:00pm

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The Peninsula 3/19/07

doha • US General and former presidential candidate Wesley Clark offered a lecture last night to a crowd of around 200 at the Diplomatic Club. The speech, sponsored by the Department of the Faculty at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar, was entitled ‘The Front Lines of International Economics'.

In his speech, Clark used his background in the US military, as well as his experience as an investment banker, to offer his predictions for the future of the global economic markets.

"Qatar is the front line of international economics," Clark said. Having spent time in many of the world's fastest-growing economies, he described how the future global leaders will be resource economies instead of manufacturing economies.

Clark did point out, however, that the growth of economies like Qatar's will require a strong security arrangement. In discussing the war in Iraq, Clark called the invasion unnecessary. When questioned, on the future of Iran, he stressed the importance of diplomacy in resolving the situation. "Ideas are the most powerful thing in the world," he said. "But people have to see that there is a common interest. We have to find a common vision that makes Iran, America and the region better off."

Georgetown University student Yancee Hardy was pleased with Clark's comments. "It was refreshing to hear such optimism for the region and the world. His view of Qatar's chance to be a stakeholder on the world stage generates a lot of hope."

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The Ronald W. Burkle Center for International Relations at UCLA is pleased to present a public conference.

Nuclear Weapons in a New Century: Facing the Emerging Challenges

This conference aims to explore the breadth of the nuclear challenges facing the international order today and to recommend key azimuths for further study. As North Korea and Iran dominate the headlines, we think this is a propitious time to examine both existing threats and those still emerging on the horizon.

Register Now »

**Pre-registration is required and begins online February 6th . There is no charge to register for this event.**

-more

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In UCLA Debut, Wesley Clark Critiques US Torture Policy

From remarks by Gen. Wesley K. Clark

On practical benefits of the Geneva Conventions:

On the one hand, because of who we are and what we represent our soldiers have received a privileged status. On the other hand, all the cruelty in the world doesn't by itself break the spirit, break the will to resist, or end a fight; in fact, it strengthens and hardens resolve.

On effective interrogations:

I don't know where the desire to resort to rough methods comes from.…Look, if you put people under pressure, some will talk. The less disciplined they are, the less cohesive the organization, the more they'll talk; and the less pain you need. The more disciplined, the more cohesive, the less likely it is you'll break them....

If you look at Al Qaeda, although they're getting financial assistance from all over the world, they're not living in mansions. They're not really getting rich. Apparently Osama bin Laden, despite the fact that he has several wives, lives in caves. There's reason to believe they're a pretty tough, hardened organization. So you can't anticipate that they're going to break under pressure easily.

What we have found in our experience in interrogation over centuries in armed forces worldwide is that you have to get people to talk voluntarily....

The Yemenis have gone so far with Al Qaeda as actually having imams come in and doing "deprogramming," and actually arguing with terrorists…[with] some success. Then, of course, they apologize, they blurt out everything you want, and you can believe it.

On torture and U.S. military values:

We thought we were in this uniform because we stood for something. We stood for what was right, what was fair, what was just: we didn't torture people. I certainly wouldn't have stayed in an armed forces or worked with a government that I thought was doing the same skulduggery that the Soviets and the rest of them were doing. That's what we were against. How can it be that we think we can condone that kind of stuff now?

Continue reading "Gen. Wes Clark on torture and Geneva Conventions" »

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