Clippings - Tuesday, April 1, 2008 22:00 - 0 Comments

Press Coverage: “The USA has been lucky since 11-S, but it’s no safer”

“The USA has been lucky since 11-S, but it’s no safer”
Cristina Blas 

“Were the USA to commence a responsible withdrawal from Iraq, this would help Germany or Spain to focus on Afghanistan”

“The Democrat Party should support the candidate with most delegates, but the danger is a non-united formation”

Diplomat, professor and advisor, Anthony Lake knows the corridors of Washington all too well.

IT SEEMS that Barack Obama really attracts. Anthony Lake was an aide to President Bill Clinton on National Security between 1993 and 1997, but in 2003 he met the candidate and was highly impressed, to the extent that he is now his foreign policy advisor. After taking part in the Georgetown Global Forum he analyses the situation in USA.

Is the USA winning the war on terrorism?
No. The Intelligence community assures us that Al Qaeda is regrouping on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The nature of the terrorist network is changing. There is one central group and other local ones which are forming terrorist cells throughout Europe, northern Africa… and which receive leadership support from Al Qaeda. Therefore, the threat is more dangerous and more difficult to deal with. Intelligence believes that we are no safer than before, and what is most worrying is the terrorists obtaining nuclear and biological matter and arms. We have been very fortunate that there have been no attacks since 11-S, but that doesn’t mean that we are any safer. The terrorist threat has to be approached from a broader perspective. Apart from going after the ‘bad guys’ with Intelligence and the Military, we also have to understand what is happening in the Muslim world and support those who are against extremism, which is the majority. Ending the war in Iraq, closing Guantanamo and preserving civil liberties in the USA are also part of this struggle.

In that case, would the solution in Iraq be the withdrawal of US troops?
We don’t know what the new policy will be. Obama and Clinton have proposed withdrawing the larger part of the troops while leaving some to protect American installations and to respond to Al Qaeda. This is still an American responsibility and we can’t just leave.

NATO is undergoing a crisis, especially due to the lack of commitment of the Europeans in Afghanistan…
It is very important to understand domestic policies. Were the USA to commence a responsible withdrawal from Iraq, this would help Germany, Spain and other countries to focus on Afghanistan. But Europe shouldn’t always follow the leadership of the USA, it is in the Europeans’ interest to combat terrorism and for NATO to be strengthened. Unless we work together not only in Afghanistan but also on many other matters, we cannot confront the risks existing in the world. We are not on the verge of defeat in Afghanistan, but many things are not going well. Things can be saved if we act promptly.

I believe I know your answer, but which of the presidential candidates—McCain, Obama or Clinton— is best prepared to be commander-in-chief of the USA, to face the challenges of safety?
I think the three would do so very well. One of the reasons why I support Obama is that he has insisted on the importance of avoiding policies that separate us.

Do you think the party will pay the price for the close fight to choose the democrat candidate and McCain will benefit?
In principle, were I to support Clinton I would say that tension is very good for the party because it keeps the attention on the candidates. But if I were an Obama supporter (which he is) I would say that the party should support the candidate with most delegates, but a non-united formation would be the worst.

In the USA the candidates change but not the interest in foreign policy. Would there be much difference between Obama or McCain winning?
The interest is the same, the policy different. I would like to see a campaign between McCain and Obama because they have very clear and pragmatic points of view, and we need a clear national debate. Barack is not an idealist. When he opposes the war in Iraq, he doesn’t say he‘s against all wars, just against the stupid ones. He’s very practical, as is McCain.

You were in the Clinton Administration during the intervention in Bosnia. Did you already think that the logical consequence would be the independence of Kosovo?
Yes, it was presumable that after the attacks by Milosevic and the abuse there would be a movement towards irreversible independence, but ensuring the rights of the Serb minorities were protected and, even more importantly, that the EU would find a way to approach Serbia and attract them.

Do you think it could become a hotbed of radical Islamism in Europe?
Bosnia isn’t, so why should Kosovo? Everything depends on there being political stability in Kosovo and on most of the population feeling they have been treated fairly.