Gov. Dean Slams Bush Plan for Iraq
N E W Y O R K, Sept. 24 -- Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, a top Democratic presidential challenger, called President George Bush's Iraq policy a failure and said he had "poisoned the well" against assistance from the United Nations.
ABCNEWS' Charlie Gibson interviewed Dean on Good Morning America today. The following in an uncorrected and unedited transcript of the live interview.
ABCNEWS' CHARLIE GIBSON: Are we any closer today to getting assistance from other nations in Iraq?
GOVERNOR HOWARD DEAN: I don't think so. I think the president poisoned the well and now he's going to have a hard time getting help. His father had over 100,000 troops in Iraq, and that's the right way to go about it. Now all Americans, including our soldiers, are paying the price.
GIBSON: Would you cede control to the U.N. for the rebuilding effort?
DEAN: I would not cede control of American troops, but I would bring in the U.N. I think ultimately both Afghanistan and Iraq have to be international reconstruction efforts.
GIBSON: But that's not a popular political move in this country. And you're giving control in Iraq to countries that opposed the war in the first place?
DEAN: It is a popular political move in this country, because people want out and we can't get out. We can't lose the peace in Iraq but we didn't afford to get out without somebody taking up the slack. If we do, al Qaeda, which is now in Iraq — wasn'tbefore, but it is now — or a fundamentalist regime will take over,and that — particularly since they're likely to be friendly with theIranians — is a huge problem to the United States.
GIBSON: Would you vote for the $87 billion?
DEAN: If the president will begin to balance the budget. Take that $87 billion from somewhere, mainly from the tax cuts, then I think you have to support the troops.
GIBSON: Absent tax cuts, would you vote for?
DEAN: Unlikely. You can't continue to tell the American people that you can go to war, do something about education, have health care and continue to finance these enormous deficits.
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