Nunn: Pakistan Is Our Most Dangerous Conflict

Speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival last week, former Sen. Sam Nunn warned that while the world is focusing on Iraq and Afghanistan, Pakistan was the "most dangerous and most difficult" security situation facing the United States. During the same panel, former Secretary of State Colin Powell said that the next President -- whether McCain or Obama -- would have to continue drawing down forces because "the U.S. cannot sustain this level of deployment indefinitely."

Nunn and Powell also touched on other topics, including the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy which both men helped craft. While Nunn said he was proud of the gays and lesbians who have served, he declined to endorse a repeal of the policy. Powell agreed.

Watch the full exchange between the two men below:

Comments

[BhunduBoy]

Wrong. AIPAC is most dangerous.

[iblis]

Wrong. C.A.I.R is the most dangerous

[sufi66]

Dear Colin,

Get lost.

Sincerely,

Sufi66

[sheikwil]

don't blame General Powell because he was lied to by the Bush administration about WMD. His credibility was damaged because of Bush and the fact that he trusted that lyar, like people are beliving the crap John McCain is lying about.

[HopeandChange]

The last major remnant of Saddam Hussein"s nuclear program " a huge stockpile of concentrated natural uranium " reached this Canadian port Saturday, completing a secret U.S. operation that included an airlift from Baghdad and a voyage across two oceans.

The removal of about 550 tons of "yellowcake" " the seed material for high-grade nuclear enrichment " was a significant step toward closing the books on Hussein"s nuclear legacy.

[functor]

no "yellowcake' is found there, Dude!

[JoeBlough]

Nunn got it wrong again. The world is not focusing on Iraq. Bush/Cheney are focusing on Iraq for business reasons. The rest of the world knows better, but there is no profit associated with these other countries. Now if Pakistan had large oil fields, we’d be there in a heartbeat.

[corsair1917]

Nunn is just echoing what JOE BIDEN said months ago in the debate.
Biden was right then and he is right now.

Biden should be the VP choice for Obama

[paixa3]

I did not see the debate, but I agree that Joe Biden should be in the VP spot. If he is not, then I am writing him in for President.

[Wildcatdiva]

Yep....it's Biden.

[InfinteShibumi]

I don't see it. Barack needs a veep with executive experience. Who would want both the pres & VP without it?

[Moka11]

There is no country that threatens world peace more than our own. We gave billions to Pakistan along with weapons of war...and..oh ...they are the biggest threat to us now? Never saw that coming (attach sarcasm here.).

America is a big dumb giant. It's policies are it's own worst enemy. We elect spineless, non-critical thinking political representitives to keep us safe. They sell us out most everytime. We don't seem to learn anything from our own history and keep repeating the same dumb mistakes.

[JoeBlough]

You are 100% correct, Sir.

[esquire07]

America was sold to the lowest bidder and flushed down the Toilot long ago. All that Americans can do now is watch while everything around them crumbles. After the next False Flag attack it will be all over. The Germans did not think Facism could happen there... it happened... Americans do not think it can happen here... it is happening.

RIP: US Constituion

[Lion24]

Bravo.

Author... AUTHOR!!

[Egalitare]

Pogo: "We have met the enemy, and they is us."

[Vinca]

To Moka11: I just want to echo your FIRST SENTENCE, and add

[KeysDan]

Sam Nunn's and Colin Powell's inability to face up to their inelegant handling of President Clinton's proposal to permit gay men and women to serve openly in the military by executive order (much in the same way that President Truman ended discrimination in the military some 40-years earlier) does not show much growth. Moreover, their inability to keep pace with current military circumstances does not give confidence that they have kept up with other areas. The insubordination of Colin Powell to the new president in 1993, and the disloyalty of Sam Nunn, a fellow Democrat from the South, to the first Democratic president since Jimmy Carter, should be a flashing red light to Senator Obama in considering their advise in the campaign or beyond.

[xcrunner77]

Amen. Further, if Obama picks Nunn for VP he will lose ALL of his gay and lesbian support, including mine, and I've been working hard for Obama from the beginning..

Nunn would be a dealbreaker for me -- no more donations, no more knocking on doors, no more phone banking, no more anything.

[edwarvir]

xcrunner77 Let's just wait I feel the same way about HRC I will not
vote for him if he picks her because I am black and she insulted me
too much during the primaries. She thinks she has the black vote sewed
up but I have news for her. I like Colin Powell but he's not going
to be a factor for vp so lets just wait and pray and see. I will
not abandon just yet and I hope you won't either.

[Swift2]

Face it, the days that each man left were good days for the U.S. Men of limited vision, both.

[Surfered]

If Gen. Powell believes we cannot sustain the level of deployment, then why did he enable it?

[ErnestineBass]

Good question. Maybe he bought into Rummy's "it will be over in six weeks" BS.

According to the "Good General", he believed everything else the WH was saying...LOL

[JoeBlough]

So much for his military acumen

[Vinca]

To Surferd: Colin Powell TRIED VERY HARD IN THE BEGINING TO STOP THE INVASION OF IRAQ< BUT SOMEHOW HE WAS PERSUADED TO MAKE THE CASE FOR THE IRAQ WAR< WE CAN'T SUSTAIN THIS WAR A LOT LONGER

[captnEarl]

Sam Nunn NO , Webb NO , Wes Clark YES, Joe Biden YES , Chris Dodd YES.

[barackobama4prez]

Biden or Clark would be a helluva matchup for O.

[greginwva]

I like those two myself.They'll pick at Bidens borrowed speech ages ago and Clarks non gaff a couple weeks ago but they would manufacture something on whoever he picks anyway.

[Totto]

Chris Dodd YES. But who would replace him from Connecticut?

[wayoutleft]

i'm just wondering what is the next country small enough and weak enough to get scared s**tless of. first there was viet nam. then iraq had massive weaponry, next somalia had to be invaded or civilization would collapse, then afghanistan was going to just kick the tar out of everybody unless it was bombed to rubble, then iran was going to be this big nuclear monster, now pakistan is a huge global threat which must be neutralized or we will all die or something.
i suggest starting with the smallest, weakest possible country- perhaps (brunei (which is borneo?) or maybe fiji... fiji might do it. we can nuke fiji into a hot glass ashtray (like we used to do to those islands testing in the fifties). maybe the shortcut to world peace is anhiliating the fiji menace. we have to get to the bottom of this and we might as well dispense with the intermediate steps, since obviously, the weaker the country- the bigger the threat. i am so relieved that china's nukes and billion man army present no threat. but, then, we could have pakistan or somalia destroy them if act up.

[KeysDan]

Sam Nunn's Pakistan warning denotes his mastery of the obvious. For a more current perspective (Nunn has been out of the senate for over 10-years, and his "expertise" came from being a former chair of the armed services committee) consult Joe Biden, present Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Colin Powell is cozying-up to Obama, in keeping with his career of opportunism. Nunn has long been a right-winger, masquerading as a moderate Democrat. Colin Powell's criminal deceitfulness has been demonstrated by his infamous UN performance on the urgent need for a preventative war on Iraq, with a vial of white powder and ominous aerial 'drawings', literally, in hand.

[cheforacle]

While it is most obvious, it needs to repeatedly said because Iran is getting all of the attention. The real threats do come from Pakistan. Iran is just lashing out, saber-rattling. Pakistan is a country filled with terrorists and one that possesses a nuclear bomb already. The Bush administration and the media are again focused on the right country.

[ClydeSloppers]

I've been waiting all day to hear what this relic had to say - NOT!

[sisterdebmac]

1. I'm from Gerogia and we really don't want Sam Nunn on the ticket with Obama, under any circustance.

2. Yes, Nunn is right about Pakistan. So what? Many, many others have been saying this for YEARS. Why is it suddenly news just because Nunn said it?

3. The Bush Administration NEVER wanted to capture Bin Laden. What in the world would they have to terrorize the American public with if they did away with their boogeyman?

Come on, people. Let's get real. Use your heads. That's that lump that three feet above your A.S.S.

[JoeBlough]

But...But...But, I'm just a "low information" voter (i.e.stupid). What can I do?

[scottarino]

do what your told and vote for Obama or McCain, pay no attention to third parties because its a waste of time because all are irrelevant. Protect the two-party system at all costs! Vote mainstream.

[Quotidien]

Not a sexy VP choice, but he brings valuable foreign policy gravitas to the table.

[HowietheScreamer]

So does Richardson, and Richardson brings the Latino vote too.

[InfinteShibumi]

And executive experience!