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Dean not yet ready to pronounce Bin Laden guilty

EFL - Hat tip to Drudge
Asked about the futures of Iraq and Afghanistan, Dean said the Bush administration must work harder in both countries to achieve peace and a stable, democratic government.

"must work harder in both countries to achieve peace" = "Hell, I don't know!"

Criticizing the president for "turning four-fifths of the country over to warlords," Dean said winning the peace in Afghanistan would require "a much more serious investment in troops, time and money."

Uhhh... Howard? The warlords, with our able assistance, took 4/5ths of the country away from the Taliban, and now Bush (via Karzai) is bringing the warlords under control

Afghanistan is a model for Iraq in one sense, though, Dean said: Afghanistanâs indigenous system of representation, the loya jirga, has street credibility that will lend legitimacy to the constitution now under construction. The Bush administration, Dean said, must devise a way for Iraqis to elect an interim government to write a constitution. The election doesnât have to be American-style, Dean said, but it must be "a natural, local selection process" that will be viewed as legitimate.

Dean said Iraq is "probably the best place" for Saddam to be tried, but "Iâm willing to be flexible about that because I donât think itâs essential to the security interests of the United States." The Monitor asked: Where should Osama bin Laden be tried if heâs caught? Dean said he didnât think it made any difference, and if he were president he would consult with his lawyers for advice on the subject.

"he would consult with his lawyers for advice on the subject" = "I dunno. Whuddyou think?"

But wouldnât most Americans feel strongly that bin Laden should be tried in America - and put to death? "Iâve resisted pronouncing a sentence before guilt is found," Dean said. "I still have this old-fashioned notion that even with people like Osama, who is very likely to be found guilty, we should do our best not to, in positions of executive power, not to prejudge jury trials. So Iâm sure that is the correct sentiment of most Americans, but I do think if youâre running for president, or if you are president, itâs best to say that the full range of penalties should be available. But itâs not so great to prejudge the judicial system."

Asked to discuss his lack of foreign policy experience, Dean said he knows his way around foreign policy more than his rivals give him credit for - heâs visited 50 countries and met foreign leaders on trade missions as governor. But the larger point, Dean said, is that all presidents listen to advisers with expertise in particular areas. "The question is how to pick apart the advice and figure out what the right course is, based on the various arguments that people are making," he said. "Thatâs what Iâve done as governor."

Asked how he would beat primary rivals with more experience on foreign policy, Dean said he would keep reminding Democrats that he was the only major candidate who opposed the Iraq war, despite polls showing the vast majority of the American public supporting the invasion at the time. "The bottom line is, what kind of foreign policy experience do you want in Washington, in the White House?" he said. "Do you want the kind of foreign policy experience that was willing to vote for the Iraq war, or not?"

Absolutely.

Posted by: Frank G 2003-12-26

http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=23391