Kerry CNN transcript

[sandnsea]

Exactly what he's been saying since July 2002. Saddam must be held accountable to the disarmament agreement, but the way Bush did it was wrong. Like what Howard Dean said today.

"COOPER: Let me ask you, yesterday you said, quote, "The administration can and must launch a major effort to gain international support and win peace." You said they have a unique opportunity to do that right now.

By all reports, Colin Powell was on the phone with 16 of his counterparts on Sunday, with the German, the French, Japanese and others. What more does the administration need to do?

KERRY: Well, that is the kind of thing they need to do, but they haven't been doing that. I mean, that's exactly the point.

You know, I think this is a great thing, obviously. Everybody in America is elated. We congratulate the troops. They've done an extraordinary job. We're blessed to have the best military we've ever had.

But the fact remains that many of us who said we ought to hold Saddam Hussein accountable -- and we are -- have felt very strongly there's a better way to do it that reduces the risk to our troops and reduces the cost to the American taxpayer. That way is not to do it unilaterally, not to have a sense of American occupation, but to have other countries participating.

This is now a golden opportunity. It's a huge opportunity. I hope the president will fully seize it. We can bring other countries to the table, reduce the burden and, frankly, turn our attention to the real war on terror, which is the effort to capture Osama bin Laden and to focus on al Qaeda around the world."



http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0312/15/ltm.01.html

[flpoljunkie]

1. Thanks, sandnsea.

Well worth reading in its entirety.

As Kerry has repeatedly said, we must internationalize the effort in Iraq so that the entire cost of rebuilding and securing Iraq is not on the backs of United States troops and taxpayers.

Edited to include my favorite part of this interview:

COOPER: Finally, Senator Kerry, this morning, you and the other Democratic candidates have run on the war, have run on the economy. Both seem to be going pretty well for President Bush right now. How can the Democrats win?

KERRY: Listen, you guys are incredible in the way in which you take the capture of one person and suggest that that represents a full foreign policy or somehow ends and election.

We are in deficit an enormous degree. This is a jobless recovery for most Americans. If you're in the stock market it's pretty good for people, but if you're a worker out in Iowa or New Hampshire or places, you're still hurting. We've lost manufacturing jobs. We're losing them. And the fact is that our foreign policy still remains deeply, deeply troubled.

The capture of Saddam Hussein does not change the way in which this administration chose to go to war. It doesn't change our ignoring North Korea. It doesn't change the problem of terror around the world, and how you, in fact, conduct a better war on terror.

I think what this does is, it says that we need an experienced hand as the nominee of our party and we need an experienced person as president who really knows how to fight the war on terror more effectively, knows how to build alliances more effectively, strengthen America's hand in the world.

I know how to do that. And I'm very confident that the next days are going to prove this election is only starting.

[Monte Carlo]

2. Iraq cannot be the GOP's trophy.

All though it already is, it still shouldn't be. Bush said it himself; American troops died so GOP contributors can get their no-bid contracts. Kerry recognizes and acknowledges that, Bush has other plans. Go, Kerry, Go!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. Saddam surrender proves Kerry was right (and Bush was wrong)

Negotiations would have proved effective and war could have been avoided.
Saddam is obviously persuadable.

[sandnsea]

4. Very true

Should have tried more negotiations back in 1991.

[Monte Carlo]

5. Saddam is a survivor, not a fighter.

I thought for sure that Saddam would not allow himself to be captured alive, that there would be some big stand-off or he would suicide. I was wrong. Saddam is a rat, whatever keeps him alive is his choice.

Kerry made a good choice to keep the pressure on Saddam with the threat of force. Bush is an idiot because he wanted war from day one.