Can’t argue with that. And I can’t argue with his complaint about talking about these countries in isolation. It must be realized that the Middle East and Asia is very connected and very much against America in many ways. How we deal with that in the future is what candidates should be talking about.
Williams: Senator Dodd?
Dodd: Well, listen, there's a deeper question here, because not only the pledge you make, but this audience and others here make a determination which of us here have the experience, the background here to manage the situation. It's a critical question.
As I at the outset of my -- the first question you gave me here, this is the most critical time in a generation in this country. The problem's not only the Middle East. What's going on in the Far East, as well as in Latin America and elsewhere.
And which of us here brings the background, the experience, the ability to make a difference on these issues, including the question of Iran.
I agree with Joe. I think the more immediate problem is Pakistan, the one that needs to be addressed. But certainly, bringing that experience together so that you're able to marshal the resources, put together the kind of team, and demonstrate as a result of what you've been able to accomplish over the years that you can actually handle this situation.
Results matter. Experience matters. Having the demonstrated ability to deal with these issues is critical.
So, certainly, I would make a pledge obviously to do everything we can to avoid this problem. But I would suggest to you, Tim, that the more immediate issue is the one exactly that Joe has identified here. Pakistan does pose a more serious issue for this country, and one that needs to be addressed.
That is what I did in Latin America when I negotiated the settlements in El Salvador and Nicaragua, going back 20 years ago, deeply involved in the process, working day after day with various elements to bring about the kind of results that today has reduced the threats of violence in that part of the world.
That's what's needed here, a leader that has the experience and the background to grapple with these issues.
It’s actually no more critical in any region of the world than before. These problems have always existed. Now, however, having seen what happens when an administration turns a stable nation into a quagmire and having seen situations like Abu Ghraib blow up in our nation’s face, we realize the next statesman or president has to be able to delicately handle all of the nuances in the world without leading us to war.
Williams: Governor Richardson?
Richardson: Well, I would make the pledge. It would be through diplomacy. And what we're also talking about is not just Pakistan. We're talking about enriched uranium, a loose nuclear weapon, nuclear materials, fissionable material throughout the world.
Even more of a threat than nuclear weapons is a loose nuclear weapons crossing the border. So what we need is an international agreement. But the key has to be diplomacy.
And I have -- in the fourth row, there's a man named Bill Barloon, who I rescued from an Iraqi prison in Abu Ghraib. And it's going to take leadership. It's going to take diplomacy. It's going to take negotiation.
I went head to head with Saddam Hussein and I brought two Americans out. Bill Barloon is one. And the greatest words I heard after I got him out was, "Thank you." And then I said, "I'm taking you home."
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