Gloves Off, Kerry Slams Bush As Dangerously Incompetent

DrFunkenstein

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Wed Dec-03-03 07:30 PM
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Gloves Off, Kerry Slams Bush As Dangerously Incompetent

Simply put: The Bush Administration has pursued the most arrogant, inept, reckless and ideological foreign policy in modern history. In the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the world rallied to the common cause of fighting terrorism...Now the United Nations is divided and we are fighting an increasingly deadly guerrilla war in Iraq almost singlehandedly. We have lost the good will of the world, overextended our troops, and endangered not enhanced our own security.

President Bush says that the cooperation of other nations, particularly our allies, is critical to our war on terrorism. And he�s right. Yet his administration consistently runs roughshod over the interests of those nations on a broad range or issues � from climate control to the International Court of Justice to the role of the United Nations to trade to rebuilding Iraq. And by acting without international sanction in Iraq, the Administration has in effect invited other nations to invoke the same precedent to attack their adversaries � or to develop nuclear, biological or chemical weapons to deter such an attack.

Triumphalism may make the armchair warriors now in the seats of power feel good, but it does not serve America�s interests.

Those of us who seek the Democratic presidential nomination owe the American people more than just anger or criticism of the Bush foreign policy or even piecemeal solutions. We need to convince America that Democrats are responsible stewards of our national security and America�s role in the world.

The war on terrorism is not just an American cause; it is a global conflict against a hidden and deadly enemy with many faces in many places. No matter how much power we have, we cannot prevail single-handedly.

As President, I will elevate non-proliferation to the top of the global agenda and create a new framework with tough, accountable, enforceable standards.

On this issue, too, the Administration�s unilateralism is profoundly dangerous. Today, George Bush is poised to set off a new nuclear arms race by building bunker-busting tactical nuclear weapons �smaller and, some incredibly believe, more �usable� nuclear bombs. I don�t want a world with usable nuclear bombs. As President, I will engage Iran and renew bilateral negotiations with North Korea on the nuclear issue � and I will seek a new international protocol to track and account for existing nuclear weapons and to deter the development of chemical and biological arsenals.

All this and more � including economic and social progress in the poorest countries so we can drain the swamps where terrorists breed � cannot be achieved if the United States goes it alone, alienates the world, and simply seeks to impose its will.

Finally, we must recognize that America will only be secure if our intelligence is sound. The Bush Administration has stonewalled the 9/11 Commission and resisted Congressional investigations of our intelligence failures. The need here is to fix the problem, not the blame -- and speedy completion of this task is critical to prevent and respond to future terrorist attacks.

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2003_1203.html

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