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

Samaritan
8 Jan 202001:47

Summary

TLDRIn 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

  • πŸ•’ The speaker visited the Pentagon about ten days after 9/11.
  • πŸ—£οΈ He spoke with Secretary Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz during the visit.
  • πŸ‘‹ He went downstairs to greet people on the Joint Staff who had previously worked for him.
  • βš”οΈ 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.
  • πŸ›‘ The general replied that no new evidence linked Iraq to al-Qaeda, and the decision was made regardless.
  • πŸ”¨ 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.'
  • πŸ“„ 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.
  • πŸ”’ 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.

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Related Tags
Pentagon9/11Iraq WarRumsfeldWolfowitzMilitary StrategyTerrorismMiddle EastWar DecisionsHammer and Nail