Wesley Clark: The Guy Who Almost Started World War III

[durutti]

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/jatras12.html

General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and Friend of Bill's (FOB) is considering a run for President of these United States. In an AP report of 29 June, former-President William Jefferson Clinton stated that Wesley Clark would make a fine president, if he ran. After all, what are friends for? There is also a grassroots campaign effort to "draft Wesley Clark" for president which states, "We believe America needs a new president. One who can be a voice for common sense and moderation in these dangerous, uncertain times. One with the unquestionable leadership and foreign policy credentials necessary to win in 2004. We believe that General Wesley Clark might just be – the one. That is why we are trying to convince him to seek the Democratic nomination for president."

Let us look at what kind of a president Wesley Clark would make according to CounterPunch of November 12, 1999, "The poster child for everything that is wrong with the GO (general officer) corps," exclaims one colonel, who has had occasion to observe Clark in action, citing, among other examples, his command of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood from 1992 to 1994.

"At the beginning of the Kosovo conflict, CounterPunch delved into the military career of General Wesley Clark and discovered that his meteoric rise through the ranks derived from the successful manipulation of appearances: faking the results of combat exercises, greasing to superiors and other practices common to the general officer corps. We correctly predicted that the unspinnable realities of a real war would cause him to become unhinged. Given that Clark attempted to bomb the CNN bureau in Belgrade and ordered the British General Michael Jackson to engage Russian troops in combat at the end of the war, we feel events amply vindicated our forecast.

[Cush]

1. been debunked

eom

[rfranklin]

2. Most of what you quote...

is unsubtantiated and sounds a lot like typical office politics.

In what way did Clark order Jackson to engage the Russians? Bayonets, small arms, RPGs or tactial nukes? Is that what you're referring to when you say he almost started WWIII?

I think you are tempesting in your teapot.

[Rick Myers]

3. That is NOT true

He ordered a runway blocked to prevent the landing of a plane load of Spetznatz troops at an airport. End of story...

[Redleg]

4. If it was apparent that Clark was using impression management

techniques such as faking the results of exercises, why was he not cashiered by his superiors? I don't buy it.

[Lefty48197]

5. The war in Kosovo was efficiently fought

and there is peace there today. I can only imagine what the people who started the WWIII story, would have started if Clark HADN'T moved to keep the Russians out of the airport.

[TacticalPeek]

6. It's an inherent problem with the baby killer perspective. n/t

[Jr_Samples]

7. Clinton Endorses Him & I Think He Could Win

Problems with the citation:

(1) "exclaims one colonel"

- No name? That's convenient.
- A Lieutenant Colonel or Colonel, both of which are called "colonels" (e.g., Oliver North) are so far removed from the providence of a Flag Officer's responsibilities that to ask one to evaluate a four star General's professional performance is a lot like asking a benched midget to evaluate a 7-foot tall basketball player's dunking techniques.

(2) Counterpunch says "one Pentagon official" calls him "a horse's ass"
- Aside from this brilliantly impermeable delineation of Clark's persona...
- it's another conveniently "anonymous" source.

(3) According to Counterpunch, Clark "attempted to bomb the CNN bureau in Belgrade"
- Of course that's false.
- The same EXACT group of right wingnut/FRetards gave us the "Clinton bombed an aspirin factory" myth

(4) Yes, the same EXACT group of right wingnut/FRetards also gave Bill Clinton and his administration, during Kosovo, the following nickname:

"the war party in the White House and State Department"

Think about that - how wild is the spin factor when the only way FRETARDS can bash Clinton is to call his administration "The War Party"?

Incidentally, the slander of Wesley Clark was inititiated by a couple of junior grade officers (one of which was an Air Force Lt Col who published a book about how Clinton almost destroyed the world!) who couldn't stand a moderately liberal general.

I like a lot of what I hear from the Democratic candidates (Sharpton and Dean are my favorites), but I seriously doubt any of them can make the public cast the necessary glance of skepticism at the GOP's fear-generating propaganda. Wesley Clark could.

As far as Bush propaganda goes, we haven't seen anything yet, and this time next year I suspect the fear factor - albeit a Karl Rove-fabricated fairie tale - will be only "trumpable" by Wesley Clark.

[VolcanoJen]

8. I haven't seen anything about Clinton endorsing him

I've actually been wondering if he will, and have reached a personal conclusion that Big Dog will endorse the Democratic nominee and the Democratic nominee only.

Who knows... but that would seem to be the prudent thing to do.

I'm watching the Clark story unfold with great interest, and I'm very intrigued, and even a little excited, about his potential candidacy. But I haven't seen or read anywhere where Bill Clinton has endorsed him.

- Jennifer

[kaitykaity]

10. Big Dog didn't endorse him necessarily, but

Clinton says Clark would make a good president
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/1-06282003-115695.html
"He has always exceeded in every endeavor," said Clinton.

Dawn

[acerbic]

9. Dangit, now I have to defend Clark...

This "anti"war.com is mostly a pro-Serb propaganda site perpetually pissed at anyone who played a part in the loss of their little empire: credibility = 0.

[thebigidea]

11. phew

I'm kind of creeped out by Clark's zombie look (and Jeebus - that scary sig line with the pointing bit, right out of INVASION OF THE MILITANT INVESTMENT BANKSNATCHERS or something...) - and there's this August Anticipation/Coy Product Placement strategy going that irritates, but.... The Man who ALMOST Started WWIII?

What, as opposed to the man who DID start World Warm-Enough-For-You-Yet-Just-Wait-Till-They-Get-Started War III, already in progress, Mr. George Monkeyface Bush?

[maha]

12. Let's not do Karl Rove's work for him, OK?

Gen. Clark may end up on the ticket. I hope he does.