Joe Biden

It's a delight to have Joe with us senator Biden I should say Joe welcome to WR KO. English speaker go to -- read the thank you so I apologize that bit of cold will be given every clearly you it is going to come through great to a Boston audience they love some kind of -- particularly if happy. If by the end the interview you indicate get your Red Sox fans they're going to buy you hear it again they're going to go with yup right to the right to the wall look there and and creating anything west of Boston and I root for.

wise man said he appear great to policy new read the middle of the arena down here as the Senate chair of the foreign relations committee. Clearly the situation in Iraq. And you know subsidiary issues such as Iran and Syria Palestine Israel. A right erupt almost in every American citizens mind no difference here -- RKO land tell us tell us what's going on particularly with. What do you up proposing to do vis a vis the 2002 authorization that allowed President Bush are encouraged -- bush to begin a mission over them.

Well mr. speaker what the president was originally given the authority to use force. Give authorities -- reason one was to to deal with weapons of mass destruction. Two was too if need be. Take out Saddam Hussein the third was to make sure that the parade the Iraqis. -- compliance with the commitments it made the UN after the first gulf war well there were no weapons of mass destruction Saddam it did. And Iraqi compliance in now the president. Insisting on having US troops in the middle what I would characterize in many others as a civil war. And most of this including this significant number Republicans think it is serious mistake for the president escalate. This war but stickiness in the middle of that civil war so what do you authorization does this is mr. president. We're going to change in authority you have. We're going to repeal the last authorization union new authority and that authority are allowed to do the following things with American troops. You're about to protect protect the border -- racked. You're allowed to use those troops to train Iraqis. You're allowed to use those troops for forced protection as protector -- troops in your body use those troops to prevent. -- bodies zero qaeda group from occupying large territories like they did in Afghanistan. You're not allowed mr. president stick in the middle of the civil war. And mr. present you have to start to draw -- those troops redeployed in the -- afraid afraid. You have to move into the direction where you are moving in to do those functions. You'll need fewer troops to do that and that's going to put as the baker commission in as the by -- plan proposed that's going to put. More pressure on the Iraqis to come up with a political so to concluded mr. speaker everybody says three things that matter which side you're. One there is no military's solely military solution to. You'd need a political solution. In three. The Iraqis have to be prepared to make some big compromises. Well one of the ways we all the study groups indicate use of force in the make because the compromises to get a political solution. Is to let them though were -- be remainder. In the same numbers and the most we are -- doing the same things were doing they're going to have to make some deals among themselves since we can't sustaining cycle.

Okay if it sounds as if you idea -- sense of that show us senators that. With the you're good -- permanent permanent crutch for the Iraqis who have not stepped forward themselves to take advantage of the opportunity to govern themselves.

Yeah that's exactly true and then there's the second part of this that put out almost a year ago. A play in the event has gotten widespread endorsement from people like Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright -- others and what I've observed from my work in the Balkans in the Balkan wars is that. When you have a country -- in this self sustaining sectarian violence only one of three -- ever works one. You have an occupying force country in imperial part that occupies the country. Camps at all puts another rock to. You end up with -- and other strongly that you bring back and other -- the dictator or three. You give all the parties are killed each other some reading room any setup based federal state. Where in each of the read their own regions say have control of the fabric of their daily lives that's what I've been proposing now. For the better part of a year and that's what an awful lot of the so called experts of both parties think needs to be done in order for the Iraqis to actually. And in this civil war and allow us to begin belief.

Senator sounds and this is what I have been characterizing as the Biden guild plan if rally that has yet listeners who might want to examine the details of this plan because a lot of people sometimes RI KO listen to show what Colin and say. Gee it's and it it's not enough to say it would riposte to the surge where riposte to the continued presence give us specifics of a plan for those -- are addressed and that. Go to WWW dot. Plan for Iraq. Dot com you can examine the deet -- of the by Gelb proposal specifics laid out in a in a plan. -- you mentioned a moment ago the need for compromise and the need to give people an incentive to find the wrong way in this thing. Yesterday yeah news. That the Iraqi cabinet apparently has reached. A an agreement among and between themselves for the sharing of oil proceeds and oil revenues so -- it's -- Sunnis she is. Coming together we read it here at -- act KO to our audience as a positive step don't want to put. You know at.

You're absolutely correct were absolutely positively -- the single most important first step by only. The dilemma is that the administration did not pushes hard. Two years ago we got a first rate ambassador there. Is oracle news but it could be the guy who's running the show in Iraq for the United States is a first rate guy. He's been pushing this very very heartedly and it is a very good news Iraq should be is stuffed with -- oil should be -- the -- Iraq together. Not split to the part in the they get this sort of law passed. Get some guarantees for the Sudanese. And they're going to get assure fuel oil -- this is a big step toward the Sudanese and back it off their opposition. To the Oceania which make up 60% of the population having essentially there -- Regional control of there the fabric of their daily lives and local police forces their laws on marriage and divorce it's ever. And that is some very positive step.

We're happy that interest in news in today's papers as well senator and I'm sure you're aware of it it to the headline of the globe says. In shift US to join Iran Syria and talks about Iraq and apparently some high level talks scheduled for. -- march and April 2 sets of high level talks. Involving -- at the invitation of Iraq the United States Iran Syria members of the UN Security Council and members of the G eight again I don't want to be the you know the Pollyanna here I don't want to be the eternal optimist I would rather be -- hot hot headed realist this is a tough situation I'm still reading this one is good news as well job.

Perhaps you're absolutely correct. Propose that two and a half years ago former secretary of state proposed two two years ago. What this -- to -- army is that Condoleezza Rice is starting to push maybe use it or for -- starting to have greater influence in this administration -- the Vice President of the United States and that is very good there's not a personal basis. On a substantive basis. Because look coming unless you get the neighbors. Having pressure put upon them by the international commune the big powers election get them all signed on the same page is say look. This Iraqi constitution calls for a federal state. You guys in the region have been opposing. Then setting -- federal state federal meaning. State of Massachusetts state of Vermont state of you know Texas state of California. All have slightly different laws all have their own state police forces that's we mean by federal that's -- their constitution calls for. Add up to now this administration has been insisting on a very strong central government. With all control out of Baghdad which is not with the constitution and the reason they were doing there. In my view is our -- friends have been really reluctant. So let there be self federal system. In Iraq. And and now we're due to suggest ideology is adjusting to reality it's a very positive steps so is that -- the four things. That baker in Kissinger invite me in all writing Gelb and others for over a year have been urging the group which is good.

Happy to hear that you know it's interesting you talk about a strong federal system we're reminded about -- history here that tension between Alexander Hamilton then and you know the this this has the southern states the agricultural states. -- and none of which bore the brunt of our carry the burden of the incredible history sectarian violence distrust and the like the slot are. That is so appalling to americanize that. The think that the historic constitutional difficulty that we struggle with -- exacerbated by -- it has to be a multiple a multiple hundred

this tell you what what if we had done and who knows this is Monday morning quarterbacking and I guess what you listeners and other ignore that same web site and they concede that for five years ago by. -- you proposal called. The decade after whenever it was say what Saddam has what what do we do today after I wrote this long report say in the decade after this is going to take decades going to cost hundreds of values et cetera. So I'm not Monday morning quarterback -- say the -- is right about Monday morning quarterback what about to say a little bit more. And had we done. What we're beginning to do they'll. Before the samarra mosque was blown up. By the insurgency and really get this sectarian war going. Full bore we might have been able -- be more the situation we can do what we were looked. When in at the end -- revolutionary war. When you have court Wallace citing his surrender papers. Imagine if three weeks later or six months later we were insisting upon passing the US constitution. There's no possibility that South Carolina Massachusetts with a -- of the same country what we do. We -- things call articles of confederation. Where Massachusetts's South Carolina kept an inordinate amount of their own autonomy. With a very weak central government it took us 13 years to get to -- Philip delicate moment 13 years. And yet this administration insisted upon if you can keep the analogy in essentially the Iraqis had seen constitution. Within months after. Day in fact that you were rid of Saddam they and that constitution of the very strong central government all of that meant was. The guys have been out of power this year for the last 70 years all of us submarine in power without the mechanism of controlling power. And the guys out of power weren't about to let that happen under strong central government and we ended up with this incredible. Sectarian violence cycle of the self sustaining that the civil war. Maybe we can turn back -- I'm really pleased administrations made these two steps in the last three or four days.

Certainly imperative to my -- let me remind folks that we're talking -- senator Joe Biden the Senate chair of the foreign relations committee also presidential candidate in the upcoming caucuses and primaries and specifically for those are interested in deet -- in senator -- his plan for Iraq is the Biden Gelb GLB abide -- planned go to this following site WWW dot. Plan for Iraq dot com. Joe while we heavy on the phone before you have to -- 2. We got to shift topics a little bit it's hosted its Massachusetts its politics its presidential I can't help myself I apologize but I can't help myself

had no it doesn't better.

And -- a big believer in that good good good policy makes good politics good policy makes good candidates this is interesting stuff and a good long history of established a great foundation tell us what Joe Biden sees unfolding in the presidential sweepstakes.

Well look I think we're going to go through appeared here in art and to be honest atomic have thought more about. What I do as president in how to get to be president and try to catch up on that right now but I think I think for that I guess the first point I'd make is in again. -- expression them away that your your -- forgotten were not disciplined though I don't know anybody who's better politician leave and you work. And the fact of the matter is that this is really early in the game. Really really early -- the game. And so all the polling UC out there it's understandable that Democrats yours truly excited and interested in. What is an historic first -- we get. Two very very capable people an African American at a woman who are attractive in India and very interesting. Jerry -- sort of stuck in all the oxygen the year but I think that's totally predictable I think people ago not taken a real hard look. At them and they're going to and then I think things are going to settled out of they're going to start look at that all of us as we ago. Like I'm doing today you know ordered doors storefront storefront restaurant to restaurant in Iowa new venture of bad South Carolina and and I think then that gets down to the question of you know what are we think how they like gates they're going to sort kicked the tires before they -- the car. So I think it's wide open I don't see any polling data out there that indicate that the support for any cases any candidate. Is either firm or overwhelming and so I think it's a wide open race.

In a Joe what I like about you description of it that you concentrated more or what you would do substantive. Things president Joe Biden would do as opposed to the -- you know what I call the insane obsession with the politicking. Who is showed up for the 17 time at -- from a bureau in Iowa who came to New -- we'd love to have people come to New Hampshire cause enough times to stop by here at -- go way up at and we and other but the reality is in the end I agree with you the American people are going to be looking off a substantive candidate. Who has experience judgment. And has thought about what he or she would do as president rather than how to -- put together this cock us in the next time it.

look 'cause I'd been doing the solo -- Q and them. I got elected percent of those 29 years old by the way it's kind of and you felt persuasive she'd given reduces the seniors this second go like that.

You know I don't assisted living -- right around the gonna

no -- next day's work -- I'd never fully appreciated Paul McCartney -- when I'm 64. But -- can decide by the way what you're audience in early -- centers serve longer than they distill 44 old -- that's really important -- Do you have all the joke London experienced the studio that but -- I I I really have never seen. Government Tupelo, Mississippi or I'm in Seattle, Washington her -- venture wherever I am. I've never seen the electorate so sober. Not frighten not angry just real sobered -- They know what is there drive in a bus curtailed bus company. Days ago that the next president states is going to be left with virtually no margin for error.

On on the economic front on the foreign policy on board at.

I can't think of any timing your light to remind politically where they hand off. Of power is still believes the next president with the need to know what you're she's doing immediately. He or she is going to have to extricate us I'm afraid from Iraq I was out. Without -- particular interest in the entire region four grandchildren. Going to have to immediately turned over hotspots in the world that are going to explode if they don't get attention. -- on the economy's going to try to have to figure out immediately the credit if you start to restore the middle class in this country should. What he would do people get so I think it's it is there's not a lot of margin for error but also I can't think of better. Haven't chased be present state should be able literally. Change the world on the more -- to be able really literally. Reinvigorate this country or four we're going to continue to cast to do very deed poll which I think we've found ourselves in.

Joe I think KI QQ could not a finished on a better note I love the idea of the sobriety the seriousness of it and I think it -- wealthy art candidacy you've been great with -- time we encourage you keep up the good work.

They're just secrets and other computer really is.

Joe thanks -- stay in touch with us and I -- anytime a -- in the rest of the Biden team. All right thank you thanks Joe all the best you've been listening to senator Joe Biden here on ignorance forum what a day we have had more more more coming up