Combining humor, humility, and insight into an energetic hour-long speech, former President Bill Clinton lectured a packed-to-capacity Gantcher Center yesterday on the war against terror and prospects for peace in the Middle East. The 42nd president warned students against reverting to isolationism in the face of terrorist threats and challenged them to maintain a global perspective.
After a pointed introduction from Issam Fares, the former Tufts trustee and current Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon who sponsored the event, Clinton said he had been "convinced" to change the content of his prepared speech. The two-term president advocated a decisive, alliance-based campaign against al Qaeda and called for compromise instead of violence in the heightening Arab-Israeli conflict. He said that most Americans incorrectly believe that foreign aid is expensive and ineffective, and implored students to educate voters and push for significant increases in foreign assistance. "It's money well spent," he said. "And it's cheaper than going to war."
Clinton went on to say that the international community, including many Arab nations, has misconceptions about America. These nations think the US provides insufficient help, he said, in stark contrast to the many Americans who think the US spends too much.
Several times throughout the speech, Clinton lauded Tufts' commitment to international citizenship and the Fletcher School's global outlook.
"[Tufts] should dedicate itself to support globalization and make sure that fellow Americans know the truth. This is the future," he said, adding that foreign aid is a key tool for building alliances and preventing terrorism. Of those who accuse him of "bribing" other nations not to attack America, Clinton said this was "the biggest load of hooey I've ever heard in my life."
Clinton pointed out that terrorism has a long history, saying that there were two ways for terrorists to win. The US could have a "lousy" defense system and not punish the terrorists - an unlikely prospect, Clinton said. Or, the terrorists could "provoke the wrong response that could fundamentally change the character of the country and compromise the future of our children."
Clinton advocated using aid to improve educational and economic structures in poor nations in order to maintain global stability. He pointed to Honduras and Uganda, two beneficiaries of the campaign to erase third-world debt, as examples of nations with lower truancy rates as a result of US aid. He compared these success stories to Pakistan - which received US funds to "buy planes" and has a lackluster school attendance rate. Foreign aid can mean the difference between "education and indoctrination," he said.
Speaking on the conflict in the Middle East, Clinton condemned violence on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides. He said there is no military solution to the conflict - neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians are going away, he said. He pushed for compromise, calling it a sign of strength, not weakness.
In response to a question later on, Clinton would say that PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat should not be alienated from future negotiations. Arguing that Israel cannot pick its own negotiating partners, Clinton said Arafat made a mistake in not opting for peace in the past, but nonetheless remains an important figure in negotiations.
The people of the Middle East, Clinton said, want and need a political solution but the surge of violence in the region "confuses them." He went on to say that peace cannot be solved by the Palestinians and Israelis alone. Thrilled by US envoy General Anthony Zinni's return to the Middle East, Clinton said that "we do not have to succeed, but we have to try."
The former president cited the Pointing to the Peace Accord of 1995 as proof that substantial progressions can occur in accordance with UN resolutions. He the compared the Israel-Palestinian peace accord to that of Northern Ireland. There is to be one Palestinian, mostly Arab-Muslim state and one Israeli, mostly-Jewish state. In Ireland, the majority can shift from Catholic to Protestant and back again. In the Middle East, the spirit of the accord rests on the two, religiously defined states, according to Clinton.
Clinton was at his most vehement when addressing the contentious "Right of Return" issue. He said that while a return to pre-1967 delineations is essential, Palestinians should not be provided with the very same plots of land they once occupied - birth rates would lead to two Arab states if this were the case, he said, violating the spirit of the peace process. Clinton said that Palestinian leaders "privately" agree with this, but due to the pressure of public opinion do not speak to it.
Preceding Clinton's speech, Fares spoke about the necessity for peace in the Middle East. "Violence breeds violence and hatred begets hatred. In this conflict there is no alternative to dialogue," he said.
Fares challenged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to reach a peace agreement that complies with UN resolutions, the restoration of territories occupied since 1967, an "independent and vital" Palestinian state, and an agreement to remove weapons of mass destruction from the Middle East. He called on the US, the EU, and Russia, among others, to strive for peace and "stop only when a just settlement is reached." This "deserves the maximum effort the world community can bear," he said.
Fares challenged Clinton to address these issues, and stressed the importance of complying with UN resolutions 242 and 338 regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict. Later, Clinton remarked that world leaders tend to selectively stress noncompliance of certain resolutions over others - referring to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's failure to comply with numerous UN resolutions.
In a question and answer period following Clinton's lecture, University President Larry Bacow asked four questions submitted by students and faculty before the event. When asked about the future of globalism in light of the Asian and Argentinian economic crises, Clinton pointed out that while a global system of trade is the best available strategy, it does not solve all problems.
He said the global economy has lifted more people out of poverty and has helped open developing nations' economies grow. There is still a need for such political interventions, such as debt relief, and it must be realized that global institutions do not do the best work alone.
Another student asked how the peacekeeper role of the US has changed in wake of Sept. 11 - especially if the US is no longer viewed as impenetrable. Clinton replied that "no serious person believes the US can enjoy a level of dominance forever."
America is still the strongest nation in the world, he said, and it is even stronger and more dangerous now that many Americans are "mad."
After the question regarding Arafat, a faculty member asked how the former President's relationship with his wife, New York Senator Hillary Clinton, had changed in the past year. Clinton chuckled and said that he has taken on a support role, one which she typically played in the past. The fact that she was finally in public service, "tickles me to death," he said.
