Screaming Penguin - Source Does Matter

The aforementioned statement by the DMCC has been released today. Full statement and video of press conference is available at the DMCC site. CNN also ran a story: Former diplomats call for Bush ouster

From the Intro:

"For nearly half a century we have worked energetically in all regions of the world often in very difficult circumstancesto build piece by piece a structure of respect and influence for the United States that has served our country very well for the last sixty years. Today we see that structure crumbling under an administration blinded by ideology and a callous indifference to the realities of the world around it."

. . . . "everything we have seen and heard from friends abroad on every continent suggest to us that the lack of confidence in hte present administration in Washington is so profound that a whole new team is needed to repair the damage.

From the statement itself:

. . . . " From the outset, President George W. Bush adopted an overbearing approach to Americas role in the world, relying upon military might and righteousness, insensitive to the concerns of traditional friends and allies, and disdainful of the United Nations. Instead of building upon Americas great economic and moral strength to lead other nations in a coordinated campaign to address the causes of terrorism and to stifle its resources, the Administration, motivated more by ideology than by reasoned analysis, struck out on its own."

. . . . "It justified the invasion of Iraq by manipulation of uncertain intelligence about weapons of mass destruction, and by a cynical campaign to persuade the public that Saddam Hussein was linked to Al Qaeda and the attacks of September 11. The evidence did not support this argument."

. . . . "Our security has been weakened."

. . . . "Never in the two and a quarter centuries of our history has the United States been so isolated among the nations, so broadly feared and distrusted. No loyal American would question our ultimate right to act alone in our national interest; but responsible leadership would not turn to unilateral military action before diplomacy had been thoroughly explored."

From the statements by the signatories after the official statement:

. . . . "complicated by insults to our allies, the indifference to the views of partners in the region, and the general disdain for the United Nations and international organizations that the administration still finds difficult to conceal."

. . . . the basic problem here stems from our behaviour at home as well as our behaviour abroad, detention without charge, without access to counsel, without even revealing the name those detained for years . . . we will in time become very ashamed of this period in history.

. . . . the Bush administrations counterproliferation policy has succeeding apparently in convincing both North Korea and Iran that the thing to do is to speed up your efforts to build a bomb. So far from deterring and retarding spread ironically it very likely has accelerated that.

WOW. My sentiments since the start exactly. This time it is simply articulated by people that are in a position of extremely respected knowledge and experience, working in a very clearly non-partisan manner and obviously very credible, itelligent and very well versed in foreign policy and communication.

And note how powerful the "left leaning media bias" is, the bastards somehow got FORMER REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS and FORMER MILITARY COMMANDERS (including a General that was the chairman of the Dole Kemp campaign, the leader of Veterans for Bush in 2000 and now proclaims that this administration has left him, not vice versa) and FORMER US AMBASSADORS to call out Bush foreign policy as a "disaster" and remark about the "profound" implications of said disastrous policy that are HARMING national security. That was quite a trick from that liberal media machine ;).

THE STATEMENT

The undersigned have held positions of responsibility for the planning and execution of American foreign and defense policy. Collectively, we have served every president since Harry S. Truman. Some of us are Democrats, some are Republicans or Independents, many voted for George W. Bush. But we all believe that current Administration policies have failed in the primary responsibilities of preserving national security and providing world leadership. Serious issues are at stake. We need a change.

From the outset, President George W. Bush adopted an overbearing approach to Americas role in the world, relying upon military might and righteousness, insensitive to the concerns of traditional friends and allies, and disdainful of the United Nations. Instead of building upon Americas great economic and moral strength to lead other nations in a coordinated campaign to address the causes of terrorism and to stifle its resources, the Administration, motivated more by ideology than by reasoned analysis, struck out on its own. It led the United States into an ill-planned and costly war from which exit is uncertain. It justified the invasion of Iraq by manipulation of uncertain intelligence about weapons of mass destruction, and by a cynical campaign to persuade the public that Saddam Hussein was linked to Al Qaeda and the attacks of September 11. The evidence did not support this argument.

Our security has been weakened. While American airmen and women, marines, soldiers and sailors have performed gallantly, our armed forces were not prepared for military occupation and nation building. Public opinion polls throughout the world report hostility toward us. Muslim youth are turning to anti-American terrorism. Never in the two and a quarter centuries of our history has the United States been so isolated among the nations, so broadly feared and distrusted. No loyal American would question our ultimate right to act alone in our national interest; but responsible leadership would not turn to unilateral military action before diplomacy had been thoroughly explored.

The United States suffers from close identification with autocratic regimes in the Muslim world, and from the perception of unquestioning support for the policies and actions of the present Israeli Government. To enhance credibility with Islamic peoples we must pursue courageous, energetic and balanced efforts to establish peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and policies that encourage responsible democratic reforms.

We face profound challenges in the 21st Century: proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, unequal distribution of wealth and the fruits of globalization, terrorism, environmental degradation, population growth in the developing world, HIV/AIDS, ethnic and religious confrontations. Such problems can not be resolved by military force, nor by the sole remaining superpower alone; they demand patient, coordinated global effort under the leadership of the United States.

The Bush Administration has shown that it does not grasp these circumstances of the new era, and is not able to rise to the responsibilities of world leadership in either style or substance. It is time for a change
  http://www.diplomatsforchange.com/