Kerry uses Libya as an example of how diplomacy can work

[cindyw]

Statement of John Kerry on Libya’s Dismantling Weapons of Mass Destruction
December 20,  2003

“If the President can put aside his go it alone unilateralism to engage with a longtime enemy like Qaddafi, why are the ideologues in this Administration so hesitant to negotiate with North Korea to end their nuclear weapons programs?”

"Libya's agreement to terminate their weapons of mass destructions program is an important step forward in addressing the great security challenge of our time, proliferation.  It is particularly important that it will be done within the international non-proliferation treaty regime and using the IAEA, the bases of international law and multilateral cooperation and verification. After all, if anyone has any illusions about the true character of Qaddafi and the importance of vigilance in holding him to his word, they need only remember the victims of Pan Am 103 and their families who have paid the price for Qaddafi's past brutality.

Ironically, this significant advance represents a complete U-turn in the Bush Administration's overall foreign policy. An Administration that scorns multilateralism and boasts about a rigid doctrine of military preemption has almost in spite of itself demonstrated the enormous potential for improving our national security through diplomacy. If the President can put aside his go it alone unilateralism to engage with a longtime enemy like Qaddafi, why are the ideologues in this Administration so hesitant to negotiate with North Korea to end their nuclear weapons programs?  Why not rally the United Nations and NATO to forge a new cooperative effort to combat proliferation around the globe?"

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2003_1220.html

[Rose Siding]

1. Guess we don't need a new pres after all

GO......bbbu..bush? :eyes:

[sandnsea]

4. You'd prefer the negotiations fail???

Kerry is making the point that Bush's unilateralism and military preemption are bad policies and wrong. He's been saying this for well over a year now. I guess it's now wrong for a Presidential candidate to advocate multilateral negotiations with N Korea. :eyes: is right.

[Gloria]

2. Clark's brief response to a question in NH today....This happened as

a result of a policy that was put in place 10 years ago. It's the type of policy that the Bush Admin. has thrown away.

He was not impressed, to say the least. I want to hear him say more on this subject....

[oasis]

3. Democrats can thank Sen. Kerry for speaking out on this. Every American

that I know wants the world to be a safer place. Voters need Democrats to reassure them that national security is a primary concern with our party.

[Rose Siding]

5. But WHY is he conceding Bush points for Lybia?

Of all the ways to address Bush's failure re NK, WHY compare it with what he's framing as a Bush success?!

It's great to go after the admin for its ENDLESS faults but how does it make sense to hold up Lybia?

[sandnsea]

6. Because we live in ONE country

And this new situation with Libya is a GOOD thing. It makes us look petty and partisan if we tried to pretend it was a bad thing. The general electorate out there does not want that. We certainly can't ignore Libya either. So Kerry uses it to show that diplomatic measures can work and if we had a President who wasn't hell bent on unilateralism and preemptive war, we'd be alot further down the path with alot of countries by now. And weapons proliferation is probably the most serious issue the world faces.

[Rose Siding]

8. Praising Bush

is no way to beat him. The praise will be the headline, if there is one.

Do you really think the general public is aware of what is going on in Lybia? And for those that are, why connect it with Bush at all?

[cindyw]

13. If my neighbors dog takes a dump on my lawn for a year straight and

the neighbor never picks it up and then I see him picking up the doo doo in his own lawn and then I say, "gee, cleaning up your lawn really took care of the stink in your yard now why can you not clean up what your dog does in my lawn?" Am I really praising my neighbor?

No and neither is Kerry. In fact he is pointing out that Bush is a hypocrite and that his only real successes have been when he acts like a democrat would.

[sandnsea]

14. I don't see it as praise

I see it as criticism of Bush because he has refused to use diplomatic methods of resolving problems in more serious situations. I don't understand how other people see it as glowing praise. It's just not.

[oasis]

9. Kerry's not going to let the press make it appear like he is against

disarming Lybia of WMD's. We have seen how the media will go out of their way to distort the comments of Democratic candidates whenever it relates to a positive event for Bush. The capture of Saddam Hussien being one example.

The media will be hard pressed to twist Kerry's comments on Lybia to make it appear as though he would be lax on national security if he were to become president.

[Rose Siding]

11. But how does he beat Bush

by pointing out that he thinks Bush did something right? Why change? Kerry doesn't allow himself to sound like an *opponent* when he cedes ANY success at all to Bush.

[oasis]

18. Statements such as "the capture of Saddam Hussien doesn't make

America any safer" can be used to put a presidential candidate on the defensive.

[sandnsea]

21. By pointing out the BIGGER wrong

Get it???

[cindyw]

10. No points ceded.

"Ironically, this significant advance represents a complete U-turn in the Bush Administration's overall foreign policy."

Now if he has said that this was a great day for the administration and that we should let them have their day, like Dean did with Iraq, I might see your point.

Kerry was simply pointing out that a small handful of diplomacy goes a long way. In this case Qadaffi wanted to do this for a long time. Kerry is pointing out that for once, it appears that Bush did something that didn't require us to bomb the hell out some country. Ergo, Kerry is asking why, if Bush can get out of his war machine long enough to use diplomacy here, why can he not do it in North korea.

[Rose Siding]

15. He opens by implying Bush has set aside

his "go it alone" policies. Why wouldn't the general public hear "one down- looks like bush is getting the hang of this!"?

A more finessed, nuanced explanation is fine but this cedes success to bush unnecessarily.

[cindyw]

22. If the people of this country read into this statement what you just said

then not only are they idiots, but they have no sense of a put down when they see it. Haven't you ever praised something done by some idiot in your life to point out to them the irony of their other actions? Read my other responses to understand.

Also, if people think that Bush "finally getting the hand of things" after starting an unjust war and three years of screw-ups and decide he deserves another term, then they deserve Bush for another 4 years.

[Egnever]

7. Is kerry even paying attention?

the more I hear from this guy the more I think he has his head up his.....

The libya Deal had little or nothing to do with the bush administration.
Libya has been trying to get thier relationship with the world normalized for quite some time. Libyas decision had way more to do with Brittain and the EU than it had anything at all to do with Bush. And the fact that Kerry lays the credit at bushes feet is completely disgusting and yet another reason why this man will never get elected.

I also find it amazing that he would bring into the argument the victems of 103 without crediting the sealing of this deal being based on reparations over that exact flight. Instead of giving libya credit for trying to adress a past wrong in its efforts to rejoin the world comunity Kerry chooses instead to continue in bushes line of Demonizing libya. Stupid and useless attack on linya IMHO and unworthy of someone claiming to want to work through diplomacy.

Whats next from this "foreign policy expert".

[oasis]

17. The public does not have the patience to sort through the nuts and bolts

of how Libya evolved to this present stage of deciding to disarm. America will read USA Today and give credit to the Bush administration.

Any Democrat who appears to diminish the importance of this event or criticizes Bush will be accused of being against disarming Libya of WMD's. In other words, they'll get the Rove treatment.

[Egnever]

23. You just nailed Kerry's whole MO!

God forbid he ever stands up for the truth cause he is too worried about how it will be portrayed by the media!

[oasis]

27. I just nailed lazy "journalists" who make a living writing "hit pieces"

to a dumbed down readership. Kerry is a statesman and doesn't make a habit of spouting off irresponsibly. That is very much to his credit.

Please show me a situation where Kerry hasn't stood up for the truth.

[sandnsea]

19. This is what disarmament looks like

From someone with the past of Gadhafi and the cooperation of the international community and IAEA. At least so far. Being petty on this issue, at this point in time, would just be politically foolish. I know Howard doesn't think about the embarrassing gaffes he's piling up, but smarter candidates do. You don't give someone ammunition to shoot you with.

"After some initial visits to Tripoli, a team of CIA and British intelligence personnel went to Libya in October to inspect weapons sites. The team included technical experts on weapons programs.

At some point, the CIA presented the Libyans with its intelligence about the programs. The Libyans were surprised at how much the agency knew, the officials said, then provided much more information.

The second inspection visit, in December, was more fruitful, the officials said.

During the visits, the team went to 10 sites related to Libya's nuclear effort, chemical stockpile and missile program."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=535&e=1&u=/ap/20031221/ap_on_re_af/libya_weapons

[Egnever]

24. You don't give someone ammunition to shoot you with.

Like the IWR vote?

And whats the rest of that post about?

in libyas efforts to get out from under the condemnation and sanctions they have been enduring they open thier country up to inspectors and somehow because they were american inspectors that constitutes negotiating?

Poop comes to mind

[sandnsea]

28. You feel bad for Libya?

They've been persecuted, is that what you're saying? Along with Iraq? Containment and sanctions weren't necessary there either?

[cindyw]

20. Did you even read what he said?

Kerry clearly did not say that the Bush Administration singlehandedly accomplished this. he was merely pointing out that making even a pathetically small attempt at diplomacy works a whole let better than force.

As far as your second paragraph, you need to clarify the part that indicated that.

I for one am glad that those people got some compensation, but shouldn't that man be in a jail cell right now rather than getting credit for his efforts. Let the people elect someone new to head the country and then talk to me about how the country is trying to join the world community. We as a country will have no chance in rejoining the world community until we elect someone new and if we re-elect Bush, we do not deserve to be part of it.

[madrchsod]

12. this whole thing about

qaddafi maybe bullshit-maybe the guy who was a cia informant may have lied to the cia about the libyians who were tried on the bombing. there`s a post and thread on this earlier tonight. democrats had better keep their mouths shut untill they learn the facts.. could this be why clark isn`t cheerleading bush`s great breakthru? remember clark does know alot of secrets

[cindyw]

16. Who's cheerleading. Kerry was pointing out Bush hypocricy.

And pointing out to the poor school boy Bush that "using your words" (as my kids preschool teachers say) works a whole lot better than your fists.

[arewethereyet]

25. its a carbon copy of what he did regarding Iraq

he gave threat to Hussein, Hussein cared not. Coward that he is he believed that he could survive the attack and so he has.

He gives threat to Gadaffi and Gadaffi recalls ow his family was blown up as they lay speeping in their tents and thinks better of it. Had he ignored the warning there owuld have been reprisals. Gadaffi does not trust his chances and for good reason.

[cindyw]

26. Yeah accept in this case we found the WMD in the inspections.

That changes the comparison mightily.

This why it was not wrong to demand Saddam be held accountable. What was wrong was the way Bush ignored the lack of and lied about the presence of evidence of WMD's in order to undermine the inspectors.

Right to hold dictators accountable.
Wrong to invade their countries without evidence of imminent threat.