Former Diplomats and Generals Publicly Condemn Bush Foreign Policy

Interview with Robert Oakley, career U.S. diplomat, conducted by Scott Harris

In April, 52 former senior British diplomats signed a letter protesting Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George Bush's handling of both the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the occupation of Iraq. Now a group of 27 former U.S. diplomats and military commanders have endorsed a similar statement condemning White House policies in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East.

The group calling itself Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change asserts that U.S. security has been weakened by current administration policies by prosecuting an ill-planned and costly war in Iraq justified by the manipulation of uncertain intelligence. The signers also express concern about growing hostility toward the U.S. in the Arab and Muslim world due to Washington's unquestioning support for Israel and close identification with autocratic regimes across the Middle East.

Those signing the statement -- including Arthur Hartman, former ambassador to the Soviet Union; Admiral Stansfield Turner, former director of the CIA; and General William Crowe one-time chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- have served every Republican and Democratic president since Harry S. Truman. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with 34-year career diplomat Robert B. Oakley, who served as ambassador to Pakistan, Somalia and Zaire. Oakley, a special envoy for Somalia under Presidents George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton, explains why he and other senior diplomats and former military officials have publicly condemned Bush administration policies and declared that "it's time for a change."

Read the statement by Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change online by visiting the group's website at www.diplomatsforchange.com or call their office at (202) 408-4998.

Related links:

"Iraq War Eroded U.S. Security, Former Diplomats Say," Reuters, June 16, 2004

"Former Military Commanders, Diplomats, Say Bush Must Go," Los Angeles Times, June 13, 2004

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