Gore disagrees with Bush, Lieberman with Gore - 26 September, 2002

Former Vice-President of the USA Albert Gore strictly criticizes President Bush for his ardent intention to wage a war with Iraq at any price. Gore thinks such desire for arms is in favor of the ultra rightists and can considerably mar the image of the USA all over the world and undermine principles of the international law. Gore spoke out in San Francisco and said, America had won greatest support and sympathy all over the world after 9/11, however, it wasted this all and replaced with fear, anxiety and vagueness within a year. AP quotes Al Gore as saying, it’s not the question of what terrorists are going to do, it’s the question of our further activities.

Gore blamed Bush for repudiation of the world order which implies that all countries follow the international law. Instead, he suggests a new world order when his personal opinion is supposed to be the decisive one. Gore  thinks that if other countries follow Bush’s example, the power of fear will set in. To dispel the fear, the former vice-president told his followers that he would say in December whether he would run for presidency in 2004.

Republicans have already declared that Gore’s speech proves his weakness. Indeed, Al Gore has been silent for months and his attitude to a campaign schemed against Iraq wasn’t clear at that. He only said that American diplomacy would have to pay a too high price for this war. And now, he allows harsh criticism of Bush’s policy, a rather brave action for his part. If Bush is a success with overthrowing Saddam Hussein, Gore’s rating is sure to drop considerably. In this case, Americans will be slightly concerned about losses of the rest of the world which usually accompany the victory. Only people like Gore care about them. It is likely that people will care about them later. Currently, Gore is warning that if the USA wages a war, it will generate “legions of enemies angry with America for its domination in the world.” And if the USA concludes the war with Iraq the same way it did in Afghanistan, it will find itself in a tight corner, even in a more difficult position than now.

The former vice-president called upon the Congress not to empower Bush for a campaign against Iraq. Gore thinks that “all possible means” necessary for a war which the president currently owns, should be reduced. He says, the Congress should mention Bush about the UN Security Council and gain a wide support in the world. And although Al Gore agrees that America has the right to revenge for the 3,000 people killed in the terrorist attacks, he makes it clear that a war against Iraq isn’t the best way for it. Making such statements, Gore is running the risk to remain alone. Even Senator Lieberman, who run for the vice-president post together with Gore in 2000, doesn’t share his opinion. Lieberman says, he is grateful to Bush for what he is going to do in Iraq and has no reason to prejudice his motives. Other democrats aren’t also enthusiastic about statements made by Al Gore. At the same time, some people, like Senator Robert Bird, agree with Gore. In Bird’s words, the US president is eager to involve the country into the war partially because of future elections. It is not clear what is to start earlier, the war or the election campaign. Very likely, both of them mean the same for the incumbent US president.

Sergey Borisov
PRAVDA.Ru