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WASHINGTON - September 28 - George Soros today launched an
intensive one-month campaign to focus voter attention on the war in Iraq and
take his case to the American people for changing the direction of American
foreign policy.
In a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, Soros strongly
criticized President Bush's foreign policy, from the war in Iraq to his
management of the war on terror.
"Bush's war in Iraq has done untold damage to the United States," Soros
said. "If we re-elect him now, we endorse the Bush doctrine of preemptive
action and the invasion of Iraq, and we will have to live with the
consequences."
Criticizing the Iraq War's impact on the struggle against terrorism and
Al-Qaeda, Soros called the invasion "Bush's unintended gift to Osama Bin
Laden" and questioned the claim that the war in Iraq has made us safer.
"The
opposite is true," he argued. "President Bush failed to finish off bin Laden
when he was cornered in Afghanistan because he was gearing up to attack Iraq.
And the invasion of Iraq bred more people willing to risk their lives against
Americans than we are able to kill."
In launching this effort, Soros aims to spark a full and fair discussion
of the issues, a process he calls "essential to a democracy." Of the Bush
administration's efforts to silence criticism of the war by calling it
"unpatriotic" Soros said, "I heard alarm bells ringing. I am afraid that he
is leading us in a very dangerous direction. We are losing the values that
have made America great."
Joining Soros at the speech were retired General Wesley Clark and former
Ambassador Arthur Hartman, speaking on behalf of Diplomats and Commanders for
Change.
Introducing Soros, Clark said, "George Soros is sounding the alarm for the
American people. Few people in the United States understand better than
George Soros the risks to America's world leadership of this administration's
foreign policy. I am very pleased to stand with him today to support his work
to highlight the costs of this misguided war in Iraq and the need for a change
in this country's leadership."
Members of Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change (DMCC)
participated in the press conference and will join Soros for parts of the
tour. The group, founded in June by 27 career chiefs of mission and retired
four-star military leaders, is also dedicated to highlighting concerns about
the direction of U.S. foreign and defense policy under George W. Bush.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Ambassador Arthur Hartman said, "Never
before have so many retired diplomats and military commanders come together to
warn the country we served and love that we need a change in leadership and
direction. We are thrilled to join George Soros in this effort and to support
his work to bring these fundamental issues to the American people."
Soros' tour will take him to at least 11 cities in the month of October,
including: Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Columbus,
Cleveland and Akron, Ohio; Sarasota and Miami, Florida; Boston, Massachusetts;
Des Moines, Iowa; and Minneapolis, Minnesota. In each city, he will give a
public speech, meet with local media and take out newspaper advertisements.
The first ad will run nationally as a two-page centerfold spread in
Wednesday's Wall Street Journal.
Today, Soros is launching a new web site, http://www.GeorgeSoros.com, as
well as a significant internet advertising campaign to draw attention to his
views which will be posted on the site. At the site, visitors will be able to
download a chapter of his book and copies of his speech as well as post
response to Soros' speech. Soros will also be mailing two million copies of
the speech to voters all across the country.
The speaking tour coincides with the release of his most recent book, The
Bubble of American Supremacy: The Costs of Bush's War in Iraq, in paperback.
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