General Wesley Clark: War in 7 Countries, in 5 Years Speech

Summary

In this transcript, a military figure recounts a conversation from shortly after the 9/11 attacks. He describes how a general informed him that the U.S. had decided to go to war with Iraq, even though there was no clear link between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda. The rationale seemed to be that, with a strong military, they could remove governments. Later, the general revealed a secret memo outlining plans to target seven countries over five years, including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Iran, starting with Iraq.

Takeaways

• 🕒 The speaker visited the Pentagon about ten days after 9/11.
• 🗣️ He spoke with Secretary Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz during the visit.
• 👋 He went downstairs to greet people on the Joint Staff who had previously worked for him.
• ⚔️ A general informed him that a decision had been made to go to war with Iraq around September 20th.
• ❓ The speaker questioned the rationale behind going to war with Iraq, asking if there was a connection to al-Qaeda.
• 🛑 The general replied that no new evidence linked Iraq to al-Qaeda, and the decision was made regardless.
• 🔨 The general commented that the military was powerful and could take down governments, leading to the decision, likening the situation to 'if the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.'
• 📄 The speaker returned weeks later, learning that a memo outlined a plan to take down seven countries in five years.
• 🌍 The countries listed were Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Iran.
• 🔒 The memo was classified, and the speaker was advised not to look at it.

Q & A

What was the speaker's role in the Pentagon after 9/11?

The speaker visited the Pentagon about ten days after 9/11 to greet people on the Joint Staff who used to work for him.

Who did the speaker meet during the visit to the Pentagon?

The speaker saw Secretary Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz.

What surprising information did a general share with the speaker during the Pentagon visit?

A general informed the speaker that a decision had been made to go to war with Iraq, even though there was no new intelligence linking Saddam Hussein to al-Qaeda.

What reasoning did the general give for the decision to go to war with Iraq?

The general implied that the decision was based on the idea that since they had a strong military, they could use it to take down governments. He compared the situation to using a hammer on every problem that appears to be a nail.

Did the speaker ask for more specific reasons for going to war with Iraq?

Yes, the speaker asked if there was any new information connecting Saddam Hussein to al-Qaeda, but the general confirmed there was nothing new.

What additional information did the speaker learn during a later visit?

The speaker learned that the plan was even broader, with a memo outlining how the U.S. would take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq and followed by Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and ending with Iran.

What countries were mentioned in the memo as targets for military action?

The countries mentioned were Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Iran.

Was the memo that the general shared classified?

Yes, the general confirmed that the memo was classified.

Did the speaker ask to see the classified memo?

No, the speaker did not ask to see the memo after being told it was classified.

What does the speaker suggest about U.S. military strategy in response to terrorism?

The speaker suggests that the U.S. might have decided to go to war because they didn't know what else to do about terrorism, and they had a powerful military capable of toppling governments.