Rob Kall: I
think that was the last time we spoke.
Dennis Kucinich:
Yeah, it was. But if you don't
have the ability to communicate with people with whom you disagree, how are you
[signal lapse]? See, that's the way
I look at it. And again, I am grateful for the opportunity
to do so.
Rob Kall:
Let's take that example you just gave, Libya. Now, Hillary Clinton just stepped down. What was your impression of the job she
did? You just criticized the department
that she ran.
Dennis Kucinich: I
know Hillary Clinton. She and I
campaigned together. I like her, and at
the same time, she was very instrumental in convincing President Obama to go
into Libya, and as such has to take responsibility for what followed. The events in Benghazi were a triple
disaster: first of all, if Benghazi
fell, and the al Qaeda flag flew over their public buildings immediately after
it fell - during the Gaddafi era, someone should have understood that "Look,
there is a different kind of ballgame here than anyone had thought about." It actually created an opening for al Qaeda
and for Radical Fundamentalists. It was
well known that there was very little control that the "government" of Libya
had in Benghazi. So therefore, the State
Department, notwithstanding whatever the Ambassador wanted to do, the State
Department in Washington had an obligation to have a very powerful ring of
security. They didn't do that! And not only that, they were slow to respond
when the problems were first notified. I
mean, when people are killed, it breaks your heart, it's a tragedy. The Ambassador was a very good man who did
not deserve to die the way he did.
Rob Kall:
I'm going to interrupt because I had a different question in mind. I know that Congress, the House, is obsessed
with Benghazi, but I was really more talking about, in general, how Hillary
did. She brought the war, like you said,
to Libya. Overall, as the Secretary of
State, what was your impression of the job she did?
Dennis Kucinich:
Well, she didn't work independently of Barack Obama. The fact of the matter is that the United
States has extended aggression into many countries: into Pakistan, into Libya,
into Somalia and other countries; and that's through the cooperation of the
State Department, the Department of Defense, and the CIA. Do I, Did I support that policy? No!
Absolutely not. But this is a
policy that's set by the Obama administration, together with the State
Department, the Central Intelligence, and the Department of Defense.
Rob Kall:
(interjects) So...
Dennis Kucinich: I
want to point something out Rob.
(continues) And in some cases, if you take Libya for example, DoD,
through Secretary Gates, opposed it. He
opposed it. So, the policy is still
going to be set by the White House and the Secretary of State is going to carry
it out. She doesn't work independently,
but she did have great influence. No
question about it.
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