As the popularity of Newt Gingrich grows, it’s critically important that we understand that Newt is a Neocon, just how dangerous Neocons are, and what kind of foreign policy we could expect from Newt. Those of you who have been active long enough to remember PNAC, know what I’m talking about here. For starters, lets look at Newt’s foreign policy advisors.
When it comes to foreign policy, the Republican frontrunner likes it old-school. Neo-old school.
We’ve had two foreign policy themed debates in the GOP primary now, which have provided ample opportunity to see what a Republican foreign policy would look like in 2013. And in the case of Newt Gingrich, it would probably look like a kind of neocon fantasy land.
Foreign Policy published an excellent rundown of Gingrich’s foreign policy advising team, most of whom “have known Newt for decades, and see themselves as helping a candidate who already boasts a long track record and well-formed intellectual identity when it comes to foreign policy.”
Here’s a taste of World Team Gingrich:
David Wurmser: Gingrich’s Middle East policy adviser was a notorious member of Vice President Cheney’s inner circle that pushed the U.S. into war in Iraq. Once he was questioned during an espionage probe while in the vice president’s office, and he was one of the names driving the initial support for the later disgraced Ahmed Chalabi. Asked by the Daily Telegraph in 2007 if he was a neocon, he offered this: “There’s nothing ‘neo’ about me. I’m a very medieval sort of guy.”
James Woosley: A former director of the CIA, Woolsey recently spoke at a panel hosted by the founder of Judicial Watch focused on President Obama’s “political jihad promoting Islam around the world.” Woolsey is a serious Iran hawk, warning that the way the West is dealing with the nation at the moment “rhymes with what was taking place in the 1930s [with Nazi Germany]”. Woolsey is a Democrat (of the Lieberman school) but he’s helped Republicans running for president before. In 2008, he advised John McCain.
Stephen Yates: Another ex-Cheney national security team member, Yates is known among other things for his work on China. One former U.S. ambassador to China familiar with Yates says he views “China as the solution to ‘enemy deprivation syndrome.’” As Counterpunch explained the theory, “You need some unifying enemy after the collapse of the Soviet Union.” Not exactly the most productive way to view one of America’s most important trading partner, perhaps… [emphasis original]
Inserted from <TPM>
Quite a rogues gallery, aren’t they? From the Neocon perspective, war is the solution to all foreign policy problems. You man not be aware that the Neocons in charge during the Bush Regime intended to attack and conquer seven different nations after Afghanistan. Here is a clip from October 2007, in which General Wesley Clark lists these countries and explains how he came to know about this Republican scheme.
Clark is a military man, and certainly no bleeding heart, making his testimony exceptionally credible. Here they are again: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Iran.
The other six attacks never happened, because Republican incompetency turned Afghanistan and Iraq into quagmires. But the Neocons have not changed their stripes. If Newt becomes President, this will be our foreign policy in addition to a new cold war.