Wesley Clark famous quotes

We're going to take out seven countries in 5 years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran
-- Wesley Clark

#Country #Iran #Years

It doesn't take any more energy to create a big dream than it does to create a little one.
-- Wesley Clark

#Dream #Goal #Littles

Let's not forget what the origin of the problem is. There is no place in modern Europe for ethnically pure states. That's a 19th century idea and we are trying to transition into the 21st century, and we are going to do it with multi-ethnic states.
-- Wesley Clark

#Europe #Ideas #Trying

I think there are some mass destruction capabilities that are still inside Iraq. I think there's some weapons that have been shipped over the border to Syria. But I don't think we're going to find that their capabilities provided the imminent threat that many feared in this country. So I think it's going to be a tough search, but I think there's stuff there.
-- Wesley Clark

#Country #Thinking #Iraq

I don't think it's patriotic to put on a flight suit and prance around on the deck of an aircraft carrier looking for a photo op. We have a president of the United States who did not do his duty to take care of America. If you're patriotic, you do your duty.
-- Wesley Clark

#Patriotic #Thinking #America

I don't think it was a patriotic war. I think it was a mistake, a strategic mistake, and I think that the president of the United States wasn't patriotic in going after Saddam Hussein. He simply misled America and cost us casualties and killed and injured America's reputation around the world without valid reason for doing so. It's not patriotic; it's wrong.
-- Wesley Clark

#War #Mistake #Patriotic

Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president,
-- Wesley Clark

#Thinking #President #Riding

Nothing is going to hurt this country - not bioweapons, not a nuclear weapon, not a terrorist strike - there is nothing that can hurt us if we stay united and move together and have a vision for moving to the future the right way.
-- Wesley Clark

#Country #Hurt #Moving

Well, it came from the White House, it came from people around the White House. It came from all over. I got a call on 9/11. I was on CNN, and I got a call at my home saying, 'You got to say this is connected. This is state-sponsored terrorism. This has to be connected to Saddam Hussein.
-- Wesley Clark

#Home #White #Cnn

Nothing could be a more serious violation of public trust than to consciously make a war based on false claims.
-- Wesley Clark

#War #Serious #Claims

I've forgotten more about national security than George W. Bush will ever learn.
-- Wesley Clark

#Forgotten #National Security #Security

War creates its own intensity of hatred... You don't want to use force except as an absolute last resort.
-- Wesley Clark

#War #Hatred #Use

The time has passed in America when this party can be the party of compassion and let the executive branch run foreign policy. It won't work. We have to be the party that can stand toe to toe with George W. Bush on national security, as well as the party of compassion.
-- Wesley Clark

#Running #Party #Compassion

The safety of our country demands an end to the doctrinaire, ineffective policies that currently grip Washington. Enough is enough! A safe America - a just America - that's what we want, that's what we need.
-- Wesley Clark

#Country #America #Safety

You have to be true to what you believe in and do your duty.
-- Wesley Clark

#Believe #Duty #Being True

What I learned in the military is that gossip starts early and it stays forever.
-- Wesley Clark

#Military #Gossip #Forever

Veterans have had a long record of leaning towards the Republican Party. I think that's changing. I think that President Obama has the strongest record with veterans among any president in my lifetime.
-- Wesley Clark

#Party #Thinking #Long

I like Hilary Clinton. I think she's - she's a fantastic leader.
-- Wesley Clark

#Thinking #Leader #Fantastic

Everybody in the military has a reputation, and usually it doesn't come out to the public.
-- Wesley Clark

#Military #Reputation

The campaign in Iraq illustrates the continuing progress of military technology and tactics, but if there is a single overriding lesson it must be this: American military power, especially when buttressed by Britain's, is virtually unchallengeable today. Take us on? Don't try! And that's not hubris, it's just plain fact.
-- Wesley Clark

#Military #Technology #Iraq

We've proven to be quite flexible and adept in the way that we've changed what was the original pattern of air activities into something that's now very focused on the battlefield.
-- Wesley Clark

#Air #Patterns #Way

Serious research and development efforts are required to produce technologies, strategies, organizations, and trained personnel who can go into failed states, work with our allies and friends, and promote the political and economic reforms that will meet popular needs and reduce the sources of terrorism and conflict.
-- Wesley Clark

#Technology #Organization #Effort

Imagine a world in which we saw beyond the lines that divide us, and celebrated our differences, instead of hiding from them. Imagine a world in which we finally recognized that, fundamentally, we are all the same. And imagine if we allowed that new understanding to build relations between people and between nations.
-- Wesley Clark

#Differences #People #Understanding

Maybe it's because I've never been in politics, but I don't believe that America is run by politicians in Washington. I believe it's run by people like us, in places like this.
-- Wesley Clark

#Running #Believe #America

The truth is, about the Middle East is, had there been no oil there, it would be like Africa. Nobody is threatening to intervene in Africa.
-- Wesley Clark

#Oil #Would Be #East

Slobodan Milosevic was just as smart as a five-year-old. Five-year-olds have an uncanny way of getting into your psyche, your self-esteem.
-- Wesley Clark

#Smart #Self Esteem #Years

I want to make one thing clear: I'm pro-choice, I'm pro-affirmative action, I'm pro- environment, pro-health care, and pro-labor. And if that ain't a Democrat, then I must be at the wrong meeting.
-- Wesley Clark

#Choices #Care #Want

I have grown up with guns all my life, but people who like assault weapons they should join the United States Army, we have them.
-- Wesley Clark

#Army #Gun #People

Already the scent of victory is in the air.
-- Wesley Clark

#Air #Victory #Scent

You need people with the courage to stand up and voice their opposition without being labeled unpatriotic.
-- Wesley Clark

#Voice #People #Patriotism

I would have been a Republican if Karl Rove had returned my phone calls.
-- Wesley Clark

#Phones #Phone Calls #Republican

As president of the United States, my top priority will be to keep America safe. We're going to go after the terrorist networks. We're going to go after Osama bin Laden. We are not going to live in fear in this country.
-- Wesley Clark

#Country #America #Priorities

Europe and America must act together in the face of evil. It's high time for Americans and Europeans to restore that unity and be able to take actions collectively together.
-- Wesley Clark

#Europe #America #Evil

The more Marines I have around, the better I like it.
-- Wesley Clark

#Marine

I think there's no question that, even though we may not have the evidence as Richard (Perle) says, that there have been such contacts (between Iraq and al Qaeda). It' s normal. It's natural. These are a lot of bad actors in the same region together. They are going to bump into each other. They are going to exchange information. They're going to feel each other out and see whether there are opportunities to cooperate. That's inevitable in this region, and I think it's clear that regardless of whether or not such evidence is produced of these connections that Saddam Hussein is a threat.
-- Wesley Clark

#Opportunity #Thinking #Iraq

Certainly there’s a connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda. It doesn’t surprise me at all that they would be talking to Al Qaeda, that there would be some Al Qaeda there or that Saddam Hussein might even be, you know, discussing gee, I wonder since I don’t have any scuds and since the Americans are coming at me, I wonder if I could take advantage of Al Qaeda? How would I do it? Is it worth the risk? What could they do for me?
-- Wesley Clark

#Talking #Iraq #Risk

We were really helped when President Ronald Reagan came in. I remember non-commissioned officers who were going to retire and they re-enlisted because they believed in President Reagan. That's the kind of President Ronald Reagan was. He helped our country win the Cold War. He put it behind us in a way no one ever believed would be possible. He was truly a great American leader. And those of us in the Armed Forces loved him, respected him, and tremendously admired him for his great leadership.
-- Wesley Clark

#Country #War #Winning

President George Bush had the courage and the vision and we will always be grateful to President George Bush for that tremendous leadership and statesmanship.
-- Wesley Clark

#Grateful #Vision #President

I think we should be very clear on this… this country was founded on the principles of the Enlightenment… It was the idea that people could talk, reason, have dialogue, discuss the issues. It wasn’t founded on the idea that someone would get struck by a divine inspiration and know everything right from wrong. I mean, people who founded this country had religion, they had strong beliefs, but they believed in reason, in dialogue, in civil discourse. We can’t lose that in this country. We’ve got to get it back.
-- Wesley Clark

#Country #Strong #Inspiration

Working together, we can build a world in which the rule of law — not the rule of force — governs relations between states. A world in which leaders respect the rights of their people, and nations seek peace, not destruction or domination. And neither we nor anyone else should live in fear ever again.
-- Wesley Clark

#Rights #Law #People

We've never finished the investigation of 9/11 and whether the administration actually misused the intel information it had. The evidence seems pretty clear to me. I've seen that for a long time.
-- Wesley Clark

#Long #Information #Administration

George W. Bush has helped those who have most, hurt those who have least and ignored everyone in between.
-- Wesley Clark

#Hurt #Ignored

I think we're at risk with our democracy. I think we're dealing with the most closed, imperialistic, nastiest administration in living memory. They even put Richard Nixon to shame.
-- Wesley Clark

#Memories #Thinking #Risk

There's no question that Saddam Hussein is a threat Yes, he has chemical and biological weapons. He's had those for a long time. But the United States right now is on a very much different defensive posture than we were before September 11th of 2001 He is, as far as we know, actively pursuing nuclear capabilities, though he doesn't have nuclear warheads yet. If he were to acquire nuclear weapons, I think our friends in the region would face greatly increased risks as would we.
-- Wesley Clark

#Thinking #Long #Risk

Global warming is a matter of national security. Will we live in a world where we must fight our neighbors for fresh water and food? Or will we take the lead now and leave to our children and grandchildren a world better off than the one we inherited from our parents?
-- Wesley Clark

#Children #Fighting #Water