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Al-Sharq Al-Awsat Interview with Bill Clinton
In an interview with the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, former U.S. president Bill Clinton defended his wife Hillary’s views on the war in Iraq and discussed the Middle East, what the Bush administration has done right, and Hillary’s presidential run. Of Hillary’s changed views on supporting the war in Iraq, he told the interviewer, "It is very important that you get the word out… Hillary has not done [this, i.e. changed her views] at all... When the circumstances changed, she moved to her next position and now she demands an ‘immediate troop reduction.’” He added, “Because our troops are stretched too thin we have to pray… that if there is another war – we should be able to respond with Air Force and Navy alone. We should just pray…” In response to a question on whether Hillary could “fix” the Middle East after all the bloodshed “since the peace process froze,” Clinton said: “... If Rabin were still alive we would have peace by now. I am convinced we would because I am the one who hosted the handshake between Rabin and Yasser Arafat... [The Iranians] have devoted their resources to nuclear facilities. It puts an extra burden on their economy. Once Iran is not playing a major role – I am telling you, it will take 35 minutes to resolve the problem between Israel and Syria.” Clinton said that the U.S. had to protect the Kurds, and to prevent Turkey from going into Kurdistan. He complimented the Bush administration on its handling of North Korea, the Darfur crisis, and humanitarian aid following the tsunami devastation in Southeast Asia. He stressed that “climate change is a very important issue... We also have to do something regarding energy. Oil is undermining our independence… We have to promote wellness! We don’t promote wellness. Although we are great in treating sicknesses.” On Hillary’s presidential aspirations, he said, "You know, Jacques Chirac keeps asking me how Hillary is doing. When I was in Latin America, people came to me and said: ‘Tell me she is going win!’ Hillary has worked for women’s rights for years and gave hope to many people around the world, including in Africa. She once said: ‘Woman Rights is Human Rights…’ When she was debating if she should run for President, I told her, if you believe you are the best candidate for the job – run for it! If you have doubts – don’t… If you decide to run and lose – we will have a wonderful life traveling around the world. We have ahead of us a wonderful life.” Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, April 16, 2007
Posted at: 2007-04-18
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