Finneran- John Kerry

" Let's go to Senator John Kerry who's on the -- John welcome to generous forum. Are completely Claudette picked a great time to get us. -- thanks very much John it's a great to have you and I'm joined by Wendy Murphy you know Wendy went on our downtown highway in the -- John thanks a million for joining us so many questions that we could explore with you and hopefully we'll have some time to get into to get into some of them. Clearly what's on the mind of an awful lot of people not just here in Massachusetts but to really have a virtually around the world his. What is the appropriate role in hand how to terminate our expand upon the role that the United States has right now in Iraq in the Middle East. For a number of weeks now you've been making reference to the formulation of a specific plan and the like -- wonder if you could share with us some of the some of the the major points of what you John Kerry think the course of action on the right policy should be -- United States of America."

" What the right policy -- two protect American interest in the region and to honor. The sacrifices and commitment of our troops there in the most effective way of the way to do that is get the policy right what's the right policy. The right policy is to be able to have a -- the united. Front of the various neighboring countries against Iran without American forces as the primary. -- of that -- you know this idea that American forces warriors after this war have to be patrolling streets and taking the risk by 80s and knocking down doors putting themselves -- middle of the civil war as a sort. Says have what they -- as long as an American troops that they are doing that been over there many times now and talked with -- all of the parties it is clear to me. The Iraqis will not step up and make the compromises necessary or take responsibility so I think you have to set a deadline yet to be clear with a just as we were clear we're going to have a deadline about transferred to provisional authority. We had a deadline to the elections with a deadline to the constitution. Now you have -- deadline to them to make those compromises and you need to have a summit in the region as a month ago. And that would King Abdullah president Mubarak Prime Minister Norbert with the Prime Minister Iraq -- others. It's it's it is so clear that all of them want a higher level of diplomacy that this administration has putting into those and you can't get the political compromises necessary without the there's nothing our troops could do to provide that political compromise it has to come at the table."

" John if we were if we were two set that very deferment specific deadline and then begin to extricate at troops -- I'm curious what your -- his. Who then other replacements who provides the replacement forces to address the chaos of what you've described as a civil war red in all the sectarian -- violent."

" They are still on the cast is going on every day and it sure and so they'll. Where we're just in the middle that our guys are getting wounded get hurt that there in the middle of the without stopping the chaos that's right now. Some would argue that we're stopping a complete and total implosion. And you know I would acknowledge that there -- some to dampening down to the presence of American troops but that can be kept. By keeping them in garrisons status. Over the horizon they could still chasing Al Qaeda they would still be there -- present emergency buffer against complete total breakdown. But unless you pushed the some 300000 troops which trained. Out into the field they're not to ever gonna assume responsibility."

" Senator says he can't cover your questions what is aegis urban -- and I think -- great 90 spent a lot of time dealing with the troops and supporting them. They say it -- mix things and I do you know -- absolutely it's like at least a good number of them are saying we don't leave. What what it would do here."

" Well -- save it or leave -- there obviously all I don't mean that I mean I understand I didn't mean since -- say is look we believe in the mission that we want to get it accomplished and I sympathetic to that I completely understand. The investment that a troop makes when you apparently when I was in Vietnam we wanted to win but we didn't have a winning strategy. That these guys want to win but they don't ever winning strategy."

" But it doesn't it doesn't seem to me that they have the sense that it that this is it is it you know unwinnable -- unwinnable right thank you"

" some of them don't put a lot of them do -- not give an example I've got a guy I was at landing -- Washington which is the helicopter pad in the green zone in Baghdad. At night about to leave in this this young fellow came up to date he was a West Point graduate the captain. And he took me aside and said look at what you don't know. That that this is just not work that the kind of patrols were going out on -- stupid that by guys Eritreans of the things they're doing we don't have the armor that was supposed to have and the strategy is working there we bumped into on the get out of the Baghdad airport the senator Dodd he's spent some time talking to both of us. He went home to visit with his daughter -- this young you know we have a 14 month old daughter students that daughter about four years old. The two weeks later he -- balcony was killed it was one of those people and that. When that when the checkpoints that penetrated people wore the uniforms they trick their way and and he was killed I talked to his -- the other day California and his wife was telling me as letters home. All of this email is discussions said he did it just was gone crazy --"

" Certain so so it's just like you're hearing mixed things which is."

" Hearing -- lot more soldiers are coming back that they think this strategy is working."

" Just answer when marquis to be sure to go about this potential that failure that I think we're we're hearing you talk meant to destiny what could that mean to us as a country in terms of world power in terms of respect and influence our food -- a Luc Bordeaux looked like big fat losers."

" What did we look like today don't have a strategy that works."

" I don't really like that yeah I think there's a real risk if we leave we're gonna I must admit I."

" withdraw some people or even angry at me that I'm not talking about just automatically cutting up and saying out tomorrow it's over whether people who say that when I don't what would what would not what I'm saying what would just."

" Good -- here I do one year timetable has not. When you consider that we put their locker that it took us to fight and win World War II we've really been there longer than that. The problem with -- with the with the training of the Iraqi forces is not that they're not -- please it's that they don't have the motivation. And the only thing that's been -- more motivated to defend Shiite order depends Sunni. What to defend their tribe or their local community they artist lived up to defend Iraq. Now the only way you're gonna get that changed. Is with a political solution in the only way I know -- to get a political solution tucked under hypnosis when you're negotiating up on the hill. And end and it's been dragging on for months and sometimes need a past that deadline in need that midnight the budget's going to expire deadline."

" I'm just not I'm just I'm hearing the answer and I really feel concerned about it as you know doesn't."

" Answer at the bottom line is yes we have huge interest in the region. And I believe that our current situation. In hurting those interest Hezbollah is stronger today that it was a few months ago or a year ago in Lebanon. How must this stronger in the West Bank the radical islamists are stronger than they've -- and the fact is. Debt on to -- give -- new security arrangement negotiated until you get the SUNY neighbors invested. In leveraging the Sunnis in Iraq to compromise with the -- You're not going to change what's happening there and our young men and women will remain trapped in the middle of this civil strife."

" So John I want to be -- an -- but I want to be clear what they see our expectation is not that we'll get an additional deployment around location of troops from. From the UK are from new Zealander straight Europe Poland know whoever else might be over there with -- is out of the alliance just sense is now is the time to begin to announce with -- this with great specificity. To the Iraq get to the Iraqi people look folks sooner rather than laid out you are going to be you're gonna be on -- around."

" Yes that's part of the leveraged but my plan also assess it allows the president the right to leave troops necessary or critical to the task of finishing the trading. It allows him to leave troops necessary to chase Al Qaeda to protect American interest in allows and to leave those necessary to protect American forces. And facilities so it is not an abandoned that is also requires an over the horizon presence. So it it it to -- specifically states. United States has interest in the region we have to protect those interest but I absolutely guarantee you. The only way to protect America's interest to live up to our. Long term needs of of of fighting the war on -- standing up against -- radicalism. Dealing with -- Al Qaeda. Is to regain legitimacy of the region and the only way you do that is to have a political resolution here if all we do. Is have our troops out there doing what they're doing today. It will rented a disaster John are we going to do we just stay out there as a target."

" Wendy and I have a new factor again within this what we receiving some reports of al -- being spotted in Iran some newspaper reports here back in Boston wondering if that his -- our attention down in DC."

" Under the new reports are that took the early years in around I mean that's that's. Sort of the judgment that's being made that of those have been."

" That's not been confirmed you're saying."

" I don't I mean all I know -- reports that we've heard publicly and and the reports are that he is temporarily in Iran where this family. But you know I think that. That that again the king years of -- that which is not up my daughter also other visitors to meet with the Americans. But I -- is outdoors is our kids who is has big rival who is the head of the as scary party. And these guys -- you know -- paradox of the -- sort of determined each of them to be the major leaders. And and that's on the sheet aside that's before you even get to the people who are fighting on the Soviet side. And -- for years run the country and they believe they were -- to the right to run. They believe they're going to return to power and both sides still believe that they can win. That's not a -- equation. When you got cheered as Sony Open at each other to 13 hundred years who both believe they can win in the United States in the middle of it you're -- our troops to do the apostle."

" Is it likely that outsiders in Iran seeking additional support supply company"

" no I think he's he's he's concerned about the practice these lost control themselves on people. I think he's there basically just protect consultancy others think six in the next days."

" Where you know I I I I guess we it's fair to say we don't know but you know I heard -- say that all of the groups are most concerned about Hamas and so forth. -- have all gained power and strength in the recent past for I don't see how we get around the world wide perception that if we believe in the aftermath of these groups gaining power we look like big fat losers and what does that mean to our security."

" That is -- is very conservative let me ask you haven't what's the alternative. I would hope they -- at our troops just sitting there being much rather that the alleged arms brought."

" No you know I'm not smart enough to answer that question frankly I don't know what the answer is but I do side."

" What the answer is is the same answer is the IRA it's the same answer is as you know the struggles we've added other conflicts around the world you know whether it's been Lebanon in the past or you know just Greek cypriots and -- and so forth you've got to try to resolve the political the."

" I don't think you can have diplomatic resolutions with people who are interested in diplomacy and and --"

" You know -- you know what if that's true then maybe this as a civil war they have to fight. And maybe our guys shouldn't be in the middle of their civil war Johnny managed to cut that brought -- a lot of people of the Middle East -- thicket about."

" Before you -- do that I gotta tell ya I'm I'm not going to comment on the only. Races right now because just -- the peoples of our policy had to pick its. Wrong to step out of the start carpet from the sidelines what I'm going to do is. Push the issues the ones were just talking about -- number of others they'll be very very public involved in the an ominous the other candidates respond to that. And then down the road about a month's conceivably have not true or whether they they could decisions actually sports somebody's really going to let it ride."

" How about this I understand you can support a Democrat but favorite Republican favorite Republican you get McCain you get Giuliani get Romney and a couple --"

" Don't have a -- because they're all in favor of this escalation of the war they're all in favor of the war itself and I think they're dead wrong I think they are part of the problem of what has happened to the United States in the region. Our credibility is at an all time low. We've we've we've lost our ability to leverage that nuclear efforts against ran around -- what's going on in Iraq let me tell you I was and they love it. Down they know it we gave rattle our Saber effectively let alone take -- step and everybody knows it."

" I think the prime minister of Australia recently offered a comment fairly critical of Barack Obama who Barak said to and discount sometimes as you well know it's -- can sometimes be an inadvertent expression that all of a sudden the press pounced upon the start wasted lives. Hot hot hot I've read the -- need a lot of us have any familiarity with that episode. But Barack Obama talked about the 3000 deaths serve in the deaths of servicemen being wasted lives and he seems to be in some some form of retreat on a child what you what you what you sensed their room"

" mistakes obviously that's mistaken I think he knows that he -- acknowledged that he tried. Change that state that I don't think that I've always said people that the if you say the war as a mistake. Then -- saying that somebody's life was was was given up but needlessly wasted I always say. No on the contrary I think there is nothing higher there's nothing more noble. That's serving your country and even if the policy but -- mistaken. Europe patriotism -- individual sacrifice there's never diminished the by that I mean obviously I've talked a lot of families. Who lost their kids. Who are against the war. And it's a very very tough pill for them to swallow but on the other hand they're proud. The -- trials chose to serve there really is no higher form of digital music."

" Great story in today's herald column by Joe Fitzgerald which talked about it Wendy for the last word before we let Senator Kerry."

" Ours is an -- fish you know obviously you're describing -- Bahamas language about the -- being -- as a mistaken that's fine. I think he's getting a pass compared to what happened to you when you'd valued it was make a bad joke and you know it really."

" yeah. But look you took the heat and it really I think hurt your chances now about since beginning a step well he's always you."

" Armstrong but that's for all of you to two stay focused on the issues."

" You know what in what and said when you get the last word but I guess -- haven't I'm going to give myself -- I think going to give myself the last word on this. I continue to think Jon is you've described as a failed strategies that one of the colossal failure as. Was not necessarily Bush's decision because I think probably based upon information evidence of whether it was cherry picked -- not. I do think of a commander in chief pastor on the side of caution in this crazy new age of terrorism and the like that we're engaged in. But to then once she made the decision to try to do it on the cheap the rumsfeld let's do riff at a private basement discount Colin Powell at least had the presence of mind to say I don't think it's the right strategy but if decision a decision mr. president let's get -- with a massive footprint and whether sharpened -- is just a useless little bumper sticker slogan. That type of footprint establish control and then turn it over to the civilian."

" I agree with obviously that the -- part of it that if I could just say one thing -- what is it and it looks. I want success -- I think it is very important for the United States is interest in the long term. To assure a better face and to be more effective I just note to a certainty. That you cannot. Achieve our goals militarily that's been proven that it will be proven more we have to deal. -- the politics and then diplomacy here it is just not happening and they remember Henry Kissinger. Shuttling back and forth remember Jim baker in the in the 91 desert storm Jim -- 15 trips. Justice Syria in order to get -- to agree to be helpful. Cynthia wasn't -- 15 trip that that happened so you know I don't see that kind of concerted effort here to twist arms of Lampard or interest and that's what I think is missing."

" In -- you know what I worry about is that while all the diplomacy is being done everybody who has the capacity because they hate America so much it is building nuclear weaponry that to me is all about the importance of physical might I hear what you're saying but physical might is important when nuclear."

" Of course escalation -- out of -- dispute if you can't use that because you've squandered your. Bureau of good will -- credibility."

" What will explore that issue hopefully with us senate to carry in the in the future John you great did you"