News

Chris Matthews calls out neocons for endlessly pushing Middle East wars

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Concern over Romney’s neocon advisers went mainstream Thursday night when Chris Matthews put them front and center on Hardball. In a segment titled Return of the Neo-cons? he interviews author and journalist Tom Ricks and former Colin Powell aide Col. Lawrence Wilkerson. Matthews launched off a clip of Powell‘s endorsement of Obama on CBS in which Powell cited Romney’s “strong neoconservative views.”

Matthews opens by juxtaposing “far right..hawkish.. neocon” views against “the moderate,” and the conversation quickly morphs into a one about war. By the end of the segment he asks Wilkerson, ‘Do they want war with Iran? Just period, do they want war with Iran no matter what Iran does henceforth, Colonel? The Neocons?

2:45:

Matthews: What do you think he was saying about the Neocons?

Tom Ricks: I think he was saying —

Matthews: I’m talking to Tom Ricks now.

Tom Ricks: I think he was saying if you want to know where Romney is going to be going with foreign policy, look to the people around him. What you see is a lot of people who are the neoconservatives who did advise going into Iraq. So he’s saying effectively if you like the war in Iraq, Romney is your guy.

Matthews: It just seems — without being in any way comical about, because it’s nothing to laugh about, people die in wars, and you ruin things forever with these wars ..there’s always a war that the neocons are looking forward to. They’re always pushing — they never settle down and say ‘let’s take time out for a decade without a war’ and now it’s Iran. We all know that neither party can go to war but the way they go to war, what conditions they set and how they deal with the consequences are really critical and it seems to me the President is more to be trusted for understanding the consequences.

Check out of Wilkerson’s pluralizing and Matthews’s “deal breaker” reference to Israel.

4:50:

Charlie Rose: Are you concerned about the people that are advising Governor Romney?

Powell: I think there’s some very, very strong neoconservative views that are presented by the Governor that I have some trouble with.

Matthews: Colonel Wilkerson, let’s talk about that. Secretary Powell, when he looks back at the Iraq war and his role in justifying it before the United Nations, what do you think he’s thinking right now?

Wilkerson: Well, Powell and I have seen these people before, the John Boltons, the Doug Feiths, even the Donald Rumsfelds and the Dick Cheneys. And we’ve seen them with an inexperienced President and we’ve seen what they can do, lead the nation to a war that was unnecessary as Richard Haass characterized it. I’m very worried as I think Powell was saying and I’ll say it even more candidly and frankly than he did. I’m very worried about these people with the new, that’s what it is, inexperienced, fresh President, and their experience at bureaucratic inplay and so forth and leading this President down to war most likely with Iran. and that’s why I’m going to vote — I’m a Republican just like Powell, and I was looking for a good, solid Republican candidate so I could vote for him. I will not vote for Romney. I’m voting for Obama.

Matthews: I watched Romney the other night in that debate, the third one on foreign policy, and I heard strange words coming out of his mouth. Now he’s a business guy, obviously he’s a successful businessman, made a quarter billion dollars. He doesn’t have any interest in the world, never shown any interest in the world beyond that.

My question, where did he get that thing about how we’re going to charge Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran, with genocide for the words he’s spoken, not what he’s done, but the words he’s spoken about Israel. His attitude towards Israel that would seem to be a deal breaker. You start charging the guy with genocide, you’re not going to cut a deal with the guy. Do they want war with Iran? Just period, do they want war with Iran no matter what Iran does henceforth, Colonel? The Neocons?

Wilkerson: I think the question you ask has to be answered yes. There are gradations between the different neocons but i think ultimately they want to paint the president, whoever it is, into a corner to say all options are on the table, including the military option, and then milk out all the other options,

Matthews: Yes

Wilkerson: No diplomacy, No solution, and then have to use the military. I can see it, it’s the same sheet of music, the same sheet of music.

Matthews: I know. they didn’t tell Saddam he had a way out they wanted that war anyway.

Matthews kicks it with his straightforwardness in this interview.

(Hat tip Mondoweiss commenter Kathleen)

13 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Prosecuting Iran’s leaders for alleged incitement to genocide is listed on AIPAC’s website as part of its legislative agenda. Maybe that’s where Romney got the idea from.

I think JFK was talking directly to Chris Matthews when he said these words. Calling Chris Matthews’ conscience! Grow a pair.

“And so it is to the printing press–to the recorder of mans deeds, the keeper of his conscience, the courier of his news– that we look for strength and assistance, confident that with your help man will be what he was born to be: free and independent.”

I’d say it was pretty gutsy of Matthews to call the neocons out so boldly.

RE: “Well, Powell and I have seen these people before, the
John Boltons, the Doug Feiths, even the Donald Rumsfelds and the Dick Cheneys. And we’ve seen them with an inexperienced President and we’ve seen what they can do, lead the nation to a war that was unnecessary. . .” ~ Wilkerson

MY COMMENT: Ah yes, George W. Bush! The neocons’ favorite “useful idiot”. “And boys, they wanna have fu-un. Oh, boys,
just wanna have fun.”

A PERTINENT FACEBOOK GROUP
Name: George W. Bush Virtual, Alternative Presidential Library
Category: Common Interest – History
Description: A group for individuals who seek to commemorate the true legacy (as opposed to the fabricated, ‘official’ legacy) of George W. Bush, “America’s Torture President™”, from 2001 to 2009.
LINK – http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=324239910435

GEORGIE PORGIE’S TOTALLY EXCELLENT ADVENTURES IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN:
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience, 2007 NR 81 minutes
Veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan recount their war experiences in this Oscar-nominated documentary, which collects the writings of soldiers and their families to give a personal view of American troops’ involvement in these conflicts.
Cast: Beau Bridges, Robert Duvall, Aaron Eckhart, Christopher Gorham, Justin Kirk, John Krasinski, Josh Lucas, Blair Underwood, Peter O’Meara, Robert MacNeil, Tobias Wolff, Anthony Swofford, James Salter
Director: Richard E. Robbins
Netflix format: DVD (and streaming until 10/31/12)
• Netflix listing – http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Operation_Homecoming_Writing_the_Wartime_Experience/70087404
• Internet Movie Database – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970184/
• Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Homecoming:_Writing_the_Wartime_Experience
Operation Homecoming TRAILER [VIDEO, 03:12] – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dnJB2MjLsk
Operation Homecoming TRAILER [VIDEO, 02:56] – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpp92YWj1sU

Yeah, and when the neocons get their war with Iran, Matthews will be out front cheering the USA troops, their “heroism” and the only “Democracy” in the ME as they commit the ultimate aggression,. Please kelp me understand this belief that Matthews somehow is, will, was , wants to be, a conscience for truth and justice. When the cry for war with Iraq was going forward Matthews made a few gestures toward the anti war people protesting the cry for war. As soon as the war started he was out cheering , had guests such as Frum and Pearl{Powell called him the Angel of Death}, the three merchants of death, McCain, Graham and Leiberman on his show “Hardball” , agreeing , fully, with their Imperial/Zionist liturgy. War , always war against Islam.