James Woolsey, former director of the CIA, delivered the keynote speech for the 2005 Baker Peace Conference last night.
His two-hour long speech dealt with topics such America's role in spreading democracy and the reasons the United States is fighting a war on terror.
He highlighted four categories for discussion: a definition of the enemies, the reasons they chose war with the United States, what to keep in mind domestically and how to deal with war abroad.
According to Woolsey, the enemy consists of three groups: the Baathists, a group of secular pan-Arab fascists; Islamists; Shiite totalitarians masquerading as religion; and Sunni Islamic fundamentalists, such as al Qaeda and the Wahabis, a group that has spread its ideologies to western mosques.
These groups prey on the downtrodden Middle Eastern male youth who have nothing else to turn to, Woolsey said.
This is a war that will go on for decades because America is fighting ideals, not countries or geological bodies, Woolsey said.
Woolsey said he is supportive of the president's program of bringing democracy to the Middle East peacefully.
He cited examples of ways democracy would help stop international violence. For example, since the Napoleonic era, only two international conflicts have been between democratic nations.
Also, since 1945, America and its allies have succeeded in spreading democracy to 98 nations, and only three converted through force.
There are several reasons that the enemies are attacking America, including the cowardice of some American diplomatic policies, he said.
For example, he cited the Tehran hostage situation in 1979, when America replied by tying yellow ribbons around trees.
Woolsey also discussed trade-offs Americans face between civil liberties and national security.
Americans no longer live in a fantasy world
but the real world where we have to sacrifice certain liberties for security purposes.
While the USA PATRIOT Act received slack for intruding on civil liberties, it is necessary for breaking down barriers of communication between intelligence agencies, he said.
For example, after the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993, the FBI had information that would have helped the CIA in preventing the 9/11 terrorist attacks. However, because of rules set up by Congress, the national agencies could not trade that information. The USA PATRIOT Act's purpose is to break down the barriers, he said.
Some audience members expressed disagreements with Woolsey's war mantra, citing concern over recent investigations into the CIA's findings on weapons of mass destruction prior to President Bush's invasion of Iraq.
Woolsey said that while he did not agree with the Bush administration's focus on WMDs in Iraq, the current purpose of bringing democracy to Iraq is a noble goal.
Nobody would have died had Saddam not been in power Woolsey said. There is absolutely no reason to take the position then or now
that the WMD argument was the only reason to enter Iraq.
17
Archives
The Post Staff
