Presidential Candidate Bill Richardson on the War; soon Cable and Streaming
Update: the full fifteen minute interview with Presidential Candidate Bill Richardson can now be watched here.
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Jeff Berkowitz:... Would you say there has been a success in Al Anbar Province, which may spread across the country. Would you concede that there has been a new strategy in terms of counterinsurgency? ...
Governor Bill Richardson: ...One, the transition for the Iraqis to take over the security is not happening and secondly, the ability of the Iraqi government to simply have reconciliation among all the groups—it is not happening...
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Governor Bill Richardson is in his 5th year as the Democratic Governor of New Mexico, having been re-elected to a second term last year. He was previously a Congressman from New Mexico, and an Ambassador to the UN and Secretary of the Department of Labor in the Clinton Administration.
Richardson, one of eight candidates for President of the United States in the Democratic Primary, is now running third in a poll in New Hampshire, edging John Edwards out of the top tier in that state.
Some may refer to Richardson as the Hispanic Barack Obama, as he was born in Pasadena, California but grew up in Mexico City with a Mexican mother and a white banker father from Boston, Massachusetts.
Governor Richardson generously agreed to a fifteen minute sit-down interview with Public Affairs after he attended the Association for American Justice [aka Trial Lawyers] Democratic Presidential candidate forum this past Sunday at the Hyatt Regency in the Chicago Loop, along with Clinton, Obama, Edwards and Biden. A partial transcript of the interview is included, below, and the full interview will be cablecast later this month and it now can be watched here.
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Jeff Berkowitz: Let’s go right to the War. You say you want all the troops out. No residual force. You know there are some people who think—you would agree—there are Al Qaeda in Iraq now; if we leave, will Iraq become a safe haven for [Al Qaeda] —even as Afghanistan was a safe haven for Al Qaeda.
Governor Bill Richardson [D-NM]: Well, the problem now, Jeff, is that our troops have become targets. And, not until all our troops leave, including residual forces, and I would do this over a six-month period. Let the military determine that. But, I would have a diplomatic plan, at the same time using the leverage of a withdrawal to set up a diplomatic structure. One, a reconciliation among the three groups in Iraq where they divide oil revenue, divide territory, a coalition government- what this government should be doing it isn’t doing. Secondly, an all-Muslim peace keeping force and I would have Iran and Syria participate, not as a peace-keeping force but I believe they have a special interest in doing this. They don’t want refugees and chaos. And, lastly a donor conference where other countries take over the reconstruction of Iraq. That is a plan that I believe gives Iraq a chance. Is it perfect? No. But, our policy now is a disaster. It’s a civil war now. It’s a sectarian conflict, now. We need to disengage.
Jeff Berkowitz: …although some say—certainly all the Democrats who are running for President have criticized the President and said the surge is not a strategy; it’s a tactic—no new strategy [they assert]. But, those who defend the President argue it is a counterinsurgency strategy, which is something new in the last year. The troops have only been in place about a month, although the surge started four or five months ago. Al Anbar Province, which was given up as lost, now seems to have changed. It is now in the American column. Or, the Iraq column. Would you say there has been a success in Al Anbar Province, which may spread across the country. Would you concede that there has been a new strategy in terms of counterinsurgency? Would you concede that General David Petraeus is the right person for that position?
Governor Bill Richardson: Well, I believe General Petraeus is a very distinguished military leader, but the President himself has declared that the benchmarks by the Iraqi government and the progress are not being met. Some were, but the two principal ones are not. One, the transition for the Iraqis to take over the security is not happening and secondly, the ability of the Iraqi government to simply have reconciliation among all the groups—it is not happening. And then you have the Prime Minister Maliki saying he doesn’t need American troops anymore. 62%, Jeff, of the Iraqi people are saying it is okay to shoot an American soldier. 70% of the Iraqis, Sunni and the Shia, want us out. This is not working. The best thing to do is to protect our interest. And, by the way, Al Qaeda is getting stronger. That intelligence report, since 9/11, they have a beachhead in Iraq. The best thing to do is find ways to protect our interest, but start disengaging because our troops have become targets and 3600 have perished and what is this going to be? Another five-six months? Men and women are dying. And, the policy is not working. So, you shift. And, this President doesn’t see this at all and the American people do.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Obama, McCain, Giuliani and Cox and many other pols at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
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Jeff Berkowitz:... Would you say there has been a success in Al Anbar Province, which may spread across the country. Would you concede that there has been a new strategy in terms of counterinsurgency? ...
Governor Bill Richardson: ...One, the transition for the Iraqis to take over the security is not happening and secondly, the ability of the Iraqi government to simply have reconciliation among all the groups—it is not happening...
**************************************
Governor Bill Richardson is in his 5th year as the Democratic Governor of New Mexico, having been re-elected to a second term last year. He was previously a Congressman from New Mexico, and an Ambassador to the UN and Secretary of the Department of Labor in the Clinton Administration.
Richardson, one of eight candidates for President of the United States in the Democratic Primary, is now running third in a poll in New Hampshire, edging John Edwards out of the top tier in that state.
Some may refer to Richardson as the Hispanic Barack Obama, as he was born in Pasadena, California but grew up in Mexico City with a Mexican mother and a white banker father from Boston, Massachusetts.
Governor Richardson generously agreed to a fifteen minute sit-down interview with Public Affairs after he attended the Association for American Justice [aka Trial Lawyers] Democratic Presidential candidate forum this past Sunday at the Hyatt Regency in the Chicago Loop, along with Clinton, Obama, Edwards and Biden. A partial transcript of the interview is included, below, and the full interview will be cablecast later this month and it now can be watched here.
***********************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Let’s go right to the War. You say you want all the troops out. No residual force. You know there are some people who think—you would agree—there are Al Qaeda in Iraq now; if we leave, will Iraq become a safe haven for [Al Qaeda] —even as Afghanistan was a safe haven for Al Qaeda.
Governor Bill Richardson [D-NM]: Well, the problem now, Jeff, is that our troops have become targets. And, not until all our troops leave, including residual forces, and I would do this over a six-month period. Let the military determine that. But, I would have a diplomatic plan, at the same time using the leverage of a withdrawal to set up a diplomatic structure. One, a reconciliation among the three groups in Iraq where they divide oil revenue, divide territory, a coalition government- what this government should be doing it isn’t doing. Secondly, an all-Muslim peace keeping force and I would have Iran and Syria participate, not as a peace-keeping force but I believe they have a special interest in doing this. They don’t want refugees and chaos. And, lastly a donor conference where other countries take over the reconstruction of Iraq. That is a plan that I believe gives Iraq a chance. Is it perfect? No. But, our policy now is a disaster. It’s a civil war now. It’s a sectarian conflict, now. We need to disengage.
Jeff Berkowitz: …although some say—certainly all the Democrats who are running for President have criticized the President and said the surge is not a strategy; it’s a tactic—no new strategy [they assert]. But, those who defend the President argue it is a counterinsurgency strategy, which is something new in the last year. The troops have only been in place about a month, although the surge started four or five months ago. Al Anbar Province, which was given up as lost, now seems to have changed. It is now in the American column. Or, the Iraq column. Would you say there has been a success in Al Anbar Province, which may spread across the country. Would you concede that there has been a new strategy in terms of counterinsurgency? Would you concede that General David Petraeus is the right person for that position?
Governor Bill Richardson: Well, I believe General Petraeus is a very distinguished military leader, but the President himself has declared that the benchmarks by the Iraqi government and the progress are not being met. Some were, but the two principal ones are not. One, the transition for the Iraqis to take over the security is not happening and secondly, the ability of the Iraqi government to simply have reconciliation among all the groups—it is not happening. And then you have the Prime Minister Maliki saying he doesn’t need American troops anymore. 62%, Jeff, of the Iraqi people are saying it is okay to shoot an American soldier. 70% of the Iraqis, Sunni and the Shia, want us out. This is not working. The best thing to do is to protect our interest. And, by the way, Al Qaeda is getting stronger. That intelligence report, since 9/11, they have a beachhead in Iraq. The best thing to do is find ways to protect our interest, but start disengaging because our troops have become targets and 3600 have perished and what is this going to be? Another five-six months? Men and women are dying. And, the policy is not working. So, you shift. And, this President doesn’t see this at all and the American people do.
**************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Obama, McCain, Giuliani and Cox and many other pols at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
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