Gen. Wesley Clark: Winning In Afghanistan Is President’s Responsibility

THE PRESIDENT? >>> I THINK THOSE ARE ALL GOOD
QUESTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, WHAT HAPPENS IF
AFGHANISTAN IS THE PRESIDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY.
SECONDLY, THE GENERAL WHO'S IN CHARGE HAS SIMPLY COME BACK AND
SAID WHAT YOU TOLD ME TO DO I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO D SO
IF YOU WANT ME TO KEEP GOING ON WHAT I'M DOING, GIVE ME MORE
PEOPLE. THIS LED TO THE WHITE HOUSE
REFUTE. THE PROBLEM IN AFGHANISTAN IS
NOT EXCLUSIVELY OR PRIMARILY MILITARY.
IT'S POLITICAL. IT'S CULTURAL.
IT'S GEOSTRATEGIC. YOU HAVE TO HAVE DIPLOMACY.
YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH AFGHANISTAN'S NEIGHBORS.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO BRING IN THE UNITED NATIONS.
AFGHANISTAN IS A COCKPIT FOR CONFLICT BETWEEN CHINA, INDIA,
PAKISTAN, IRAN, RUSSIA'S BACK IN THERE NOW.
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE WAY ABOVE THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND
THE AUTHORITIES OF GENERAL NICHOLSON.
SO THERE SHOULD BE NO DISCUSSION ABOUT BARRING HIM.
HE'S A GOOD MAN. HE'S DONE EXACTLY WHAT PEOPLE
HAVE ASKED HIM TO DO AND HE'S FULFILLING HIS RESPONSIBILITY BY
SAYING, BOSS, IF YOU WANT ME TO KEEP GOING, I'VE GOT TO HAVE
MORE TROOPS BECAUSE THE MISSION I'VE BEEN GIVEN I CAN'T EXECUTE
WITH WHAT I'VE GOT. NOW, IT MAY BE THAT DONALD TRUMP
WANTS TO BLAME THE GENERALS FOR EVERYTHING, BUT THE TRUTH ABOUT
WAR IS THAT THE POLITICS, THE STRATEGY, AND THE DIPLOMACY
SURROUNDING IT IS ULTIMATELY THE PRESIDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY.
AND SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP MEANS BY WINNING
IN AFGHANISTAN. WHAT IS WINNING?
LET'S HAVE THE PRESIDENT AND HIS ADVISERS TELL US WHAT WINNING IS
BEFORE WE GO AFTER THE GENERAL FOR ALLEGEDLY NOT WINNING.
>> THE PRESIDENT MADE AN ANALOGY REFERENCING THE RENOVATION OF
THE 21 CLUB HERE IN NEW YORK CITY WHICH I KNOW MORE ABOUT THE
21 CLUB THAN I DO AFGHANISTAN, AND SO DOES PRESIDENT TRUMP.
SO PRESIDENT TRUMP WEIGHING IN SAYING IT'S GUYS ON THE GROUND
WHO HAVE TO KNOW THIS BET, MAYBE OUR GUYS DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE
DOING. IS HE COMPLETELY OFF BASE?
I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT KARA LEE, WHO BROKE THIS STORY,
SAID. >> HIS POINT WAS PERHAPS IT
WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF THAT OWNER HAD GONE TO THE EMPLOYEES
WHO WERE WORKING IN THE RESTAURANT RATHER THAN HIRED
SOMEONE FROM THE OUTSIDE AND WASTED A LOT OF MONEY.
>> SO PRESIDENT TRUMP IS SAYING THOSE WITH BOOTS ON THE GROUND
IN AFGHANISTAN, THEY SHOULD MAKE THE DECISIONS.
>> WELL, I THINK THAT GENERAL NICHOLSON GOES OUT AND OFTEN
TALKS TO THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
BUT UNLIKE THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS, THIS IS A LITTLE
DIFFERENT. THIS IS A LITTLE MORE
COMPLICATED. >> JUST A LITTLE.
>> THESE ARE FUNCTIONS OF THE CUSTOMERS.
IT'S LIKE A RESTAURANT BUSINESS WHERE THE CUSTOMERS AREN'T IN
THE RESTAURANT. SO YOU CAN'T GET TO CHINA,
INDIA, PAKISTAN, IRAN, RUSSIA, BY TALKING TO THE TROOPS ON THE
GROUND. THEY MAY TELL YOU THERE'S
RUSSIAN WEAPON THERE, BUT WHAT YOU DO WITH RUSSIA, THAT'S A
WHITE HOUSE RESPONSIBILITY. DO YOU TRY TO ENCOURAGE PEACE
BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN SO PAKISTAN WON'T BE INTERVENING
THE SAME WAY IN AFGHANISTAN? WELL, THAT'S A WHITE HOUSE
DECISION. PRESIDENT OBAMA DIDN'T WANT TO
REALLY GRASP HOLD OF THAT. HE DIDN'T GIVE RICHARD HOLBROOKE
A CHANCE TO WORK IT. BUT MAYBE PRESIDENT TRUMP COULD.
BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NOT GENERAL NICHOLSON'S RESPONSIBILITY.
>>> WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU DPIF PRESIDENT TRUMP RIGHT NOW?
>> I GIVE HIM THE ADVICE OF, A, IT'S YOUR PROBLEM, YOU OWN IT.
NUMBER TWO, GET TILLERSON IN THERE.
GET MATTIS IN THERE. GET McMASTER, YOUR NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER, AND START TALKING ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE.
IT'S NOT -- WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE GROUND IS A SYMPTOM OF THE
LARGER STRUGGLE THAT'S GOING ON IN THE REGION.
YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT STRUGGLE THROUGH DIPLOMATIC,
ECONOMIC MEANS, THROUGH OTHER TRADEOFFS, MAYBE EVEN OUTSIDE
THE AREA. SO YOU HAVE TO THINK BIG ON
THIS. >> BUT GENERAL, BE REALISTIC --
>> GENERAL NICHOLSON -- SORRY. >> IS IT NOT A NO-WIN FOR
MATTIS, TILLERSON, H.R. McMASTER, GIVEN WHAT YOU'VE
HEARD FROM THE PRESIDENT, ANGRY THAT WE'RE NOT WINNING, IS IT A
NO-WIN FOR THESE GUYS? CAN THEY MAKE REAL PROGRESS WITH
HIM? >> I DON'T THINK YOU CAN THINK
OF THIS IN TERMS OF WINNING AND LOSING FOR TILLERSON AND
McMASTER. I THINK WHAT YOU'VEE GOT TO DO
FOR THE UNITED STATES IS YOU'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO CONTINUE TO
TRY TO STABILIZE AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TRYING TO GO BACK AND
REDO ANOTHER LARGE AMERICAN INTERVENTION.
WE'VE NEVER HAD ENOUGH TROOPS HERE.
WE'VE NEVER DONE THE REGIONAL DIPLOMACY THAT'S REQUIRED.
IT'S TIME FOR US TO PASS THE BATON.
>> GENERAL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR

Gen. Wesley Clark: Winning In Afghanistan Is President’s Responsibility | MSNBC

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