Wesley Clark | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait,c. 1997–2000 | |
| Birth name | Wesley J. Kanne |
| Born | (1944-12-23)23 December 1944 (age 80) |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1966–2000 |
| Rank | .svg) General |
| Commands | Supreme Allied Commander Europe United States European Command United States Southern Command |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | See all |
| Alma mater | United States Military Academy (BS) Magdalen College, Oxford (BA) U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (MMAS) |
| Spouse | |
| Signature |  |
| Website | wesleykclark |
Wesley Kanne Clark,SSM,BVO,KBE (bornWesley J. Kanne, 23 December 1944) is a retiredUnited States Army officer. He graduated asvaledictorian of the class of 1966 atWest Point and was awarded aRhodes Scholarship to theUniversity of Oxford, where he obtained a degree inPhilosophy, Politics and Economics. He later graduated from theCommand and General Staff College with a master's degree inmilitary science. He commanded an infantry company in theVietnam War, where he was shot four times and awarded aSilver Star for gallantry in combat. Clark served as theSupreme Allied Commander Europe ofNATO from 1997 to 2000, commandingOperation Allied Force during theKosovo War. He spent 34 years in the U.S. Army, receiving manymilitary decorations, several honoraryknighthoods, and thePresidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2003, Clarklaunched his candidacy for the2004 Democratic Party presidential primaries. After winning only theOklahoma state primary, he withdrew from the race in February 2004, endorsing and campaigning for the eventual Democratic nominee,John Kerry. Clark leads apolitical action committee, "WesPAC", which he formed after the 2004 primaries[1][2] and used to support Democratic Party candidates in the2006 midterm elections.[3] Clark was considered a potential candidate for theDemocratic nomination in 2008, but, on 15 September 2007, endorsed SenatorHillary Clinton.[4] After Clinton dropped out of the presidential race, Clark endorsed the then-presumptive Democratic nominee,Barack Obama.[5]
Clark has his own consulting firm, Wesley K. Clark and Associates, and is chairman and CEO of Enverra, a licensed boutique investment bank.[6] He has worked with over 100 private and public companies on energy, security, and financial services. Clark is engaged in business inNorth America,Africa,Europe, theMiddle East,Latin America andAsia. Between July 2012 and November 2015, he was an honorary special advisor to Romanian prime ministerVictor Ponta on economic and security matters.[7][8]
Clark's father's family wasJewish; his paternal grandparents, Jacob Kanne and Ida Goldman,immigrated to the United States fromBelarus, then part of theRussian Empire,[9] in response to thePale of Settlement andanti-Jewish violence fromRussianpogroms. Clark's father, Benjamin Jacob Kanne, graduated from theChicago-Kent College of Law and served in theU.S. Naval Reserve as anensign during World War I, although he never participated in combat. Kanne, living inChicago, became involved withward politics in the 1920s as a prosecutor and served in local offices. He served as a delegate to the1932 Democratic National Convention that nominatedFranklin D. Roosevelt as the party's presidential candidate[10] (though his name does not appear on the published roll of convention delegates). His mother was ofEnglish ancestry and was a Methodist.[11]
Kanne came from theKohen family line,[12] and Clark's son has characterized Clark's parents' marriage, between hisMethodist mother, Veneta (née Updegraff), and his Jewish father, Benjamin Jacob Kanne,[13] as "about as multicultural as you could've gotten in 1944".[14]
Clark was bornWesley J. Kanne in Chicago on 23 December 1944.[15] His father Benjamin died on 6 December 1948; his mother then moved the family toLittle Rock, Arkansas. The move was made to escape the cost of living in the city of Chicago, for the support Veneta's family in Arkansas could provide, and her feeling of being an outsider to the religion of the Kanne family.[16] Once in Little Rock, Veneta married Victor Clark, whom she met while working as a secretary at a bank.[17] Victor raised Wesley as his son, and officiallyadopted him on Wesley's 16th birthday. Wesley's name was changed to Wesley Kanne Clark. Victor Clark's name actually replaced that of Wesley's biological father on hisbirth certificate, something Wesley would later say that he wished they had not done.[18] Veneta raised Wesley without telling him of his Jewish ancestry to protect him from the anti-Jewish activities of theKu Klux Klan in the southern U.S.[19] Although his mother was Methodist, Clark chose aBaptist church after moving to Little Rock and continued attending it throughout his childhood.[20]
He graduated fromHall High School with aNational Merit Scholarship. He helped take their swim team to the state championship, filling in for a sick teammate by swimming two legs of arelay.[21][22] Clark has often repeated theanecdote that he decided he wanted to go toWest Point after meeting acadet with glasses who told Clark (who wore glasses as well) that one did not needperfect vision to attend West Point as Clark had thought.[14][23] Clark applied, and he was accepted on 24 April 1962.[24]
Clark's military career began 2 July 1962, when he entered theUnited States Military Academy atWest Point, New York. He later said thatDouglas MacArthur's famous "Duty, honor, country" speech was an important influence on his view of the military. The speech was given to the class of 1962 several months before Clark entered West Point, but a recording was played for his class when they first arrived.[14][25]
Clark sat in the front in many of his classes, a position held by the highest performer in class. Clark participated heavily indebate, was consistently within the top 5% of his class as a whole (earning him "Distinguished Cadet" stars on his uniform) and graduated asvaledictorian of his class. The valedictorian is allowed to choose their career specialty in the Army, and Clark selectedarmor. He met Gertrude Kingston (whom he later married) at aUSO dance formidshipmen and West Point cadets.[14][25]
Clark applied for aRhodes Scholarship during his senior year at West Point, and learned in December 1965 that he had been accepted. He spent his summer at theUnited States Army Airborne School atFort Benning, Georgia. He completed his master's degree inPhilosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) atMagdalen College at the University of Oxford in August 1968. While he was at Oxford, a Jewish cousin of Clark's who lived in England telephoned him and informed him of his Jewish heritage, having received permission from Veneta Clark. Clark spent three months after graduation atFort Knox, Kentucky, going through the Armor Officer Basic Course, then went on toRanger School at Fort Benning. He was promoted tocaptain and was assigned as commander of the ACompany of the 1st Battalion,63rd Armor,24th Infantry Division atFort Riley,Kansas.[26]
Clark was assigned to the1st Infantry Division and flew toVietnam in July 1969, during the U.S. involvement in theVietnam War. He worked as a staff officer, collecting data and helping in operations planning, and was awarded theBronze Star for his work with the staff. Clark was then given command of A Company, 1st Battalion,16th Infantry of the 1st Infantry Division in January 1970. In February, only one month into his command, he was shot four times by aViet Cong soldier with anAK-47. The wounded Clark shouted orders to his men, who counterattacked and defeated the Viet Cong force. Clark had injuries to his right shoulder, right hand, right hip, and right leg, and was sent toValley Forge Army Hospital inPhoenixville, Pennsylvania, to recuperate. He was awarded theSilver Star and theCombat Infantryman Badge for his actions during the encounter.[27]
Clark converted to Catholicism, his wife Gertrude's religion, while in Vietnam. He saw his son, Wesley Clark, Jr., for the first time while at theValley Forge Hospital.[28] Clark commanded C Company, 6th Battalion, 32nd Armor,194th Armored Brigade, a company composed of wounded soldiers,[29] at Fort Knox. Clark has said this command is what made him decide to continue his military career past the eight-year commitment required by West Point, which would have concluded in 1974. Clark completed his Armor Officer Advanced Course while at Fort Knox, taking additional elective courses and writing an article that won the Armor Association Writing Award. His next posting was to the office of theArmy Chief of Staff in Washington, D.C., where he worked in the "Modern Volunteer Army" program from May to July 1971. He then served as an instructor in the Department of Social Sciences at West Point for three years from July 1971 to 1974.[30][31]
Clark graduated as the Distinguished Graduate andGeorge C. Marshall Award winner from theCommand and General Staff College (CGSC), earning his military Master of Arts degree inmilitary science from the CGSC with a thesis on American policies ofgradualism in the Vietnam War. Clark's theory was one of applying force swiftly to achieve escalation dominance, a concept that would eventually become established as U.S. national security policy in the form of theWeinberger Doctrine and its successor, thePowell Doctrine. Clark was promoted tomajor upon his graduation from the CGSC.[32]
In 1975, Clark was appointed aWhite House Fellow in theOffice of Management and Budget (OMB) as a special assistant to its director,James Thomas Lynn. He was one of 14 appointed out of 2,307 applicants.[33] Lynn also gave Clark a six-week assignment to assistJohn Marsh, then a counselor to the president. Clark was approached during his fellowship to help push for a memorial to Vietnam veterans. He worked with the movement that helped lead to the creation of theVietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Clark served in two commands with the1st Armored Division based in Germany from August 1976 to February 1978, first as S-3 of the 3rd Battalion,35th Armor and then as S-3 for 3rd Brigade.[30] Clark's brigade commander while in the former position said Clark was "singularly outstanding, notably superb". He was awarded theMeritorious Service Medal for his work with the division.[citation needed]
The brigade commander had also said that "word of Major Clark's exceptional talent spread", and in one case reached the desk of thenSupreme Allied CommanderAlexander Haig. Haig personally selected Clark to serve as a special assistant on his staff, a post he held from February 1978 to June 1979. While on staff atSupreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Clark wrote policy reports and coordinated two multinational military exercises. As a result of his work on Haig's staff, Clark was promoted tolieutenant colonel and was awarded theLegion of Merit. After his European post, he moved on toFort Carson, Colorado, where he served first as the executive officer of the 1st Brigade,4th Infantry Division from August 1979 to February 1980, then as the commander of the1st Battalion, 77th Armor, 4th Infantry Division from February 1980 to July 1982. According to the American journalistDavid Halberstam, the commander at Fort Carson, then Major General John Hudachek, had a reputation of disliking West Point graduates and fast-rising officers such as Clark.[34][35] Still, Clark was selected first in his year group for full colonel and attended theNational War College immediately after his battalion command. Clark graduated in June 1983, and was promoted to fullcolonel in October 1983.[30][36]
Following his graduation, Clark worked in Washington, D.C., from July 1983 to 1984 in the offices of theChief and Deputy Chiefs of Staff of the United States Army, earning a second Legion of Merit for his work. He then served as the Operations Group commander at theFort Irwin Military Reservation from August 1984 to June 1986. He was awarded another Legion of Merit and aMeritorious Service Medal for his work at Fort Irwin and was given a brigade command at Fort Carson in 1986. He commanded the 3rd Brigade,4th Infantry Division there from April 1986 to March 1988. Veneta Clark, Wesley's mother, died of a heart attack onMother's Day in 1986. Regarding his term as brigade commander, one of his battalion commanders called Clark the "most brilliant and gifted officer [he'd] ever known".[37] After Fort Carson, Clark returned to the Command and General Staff College to direct and further develop theBattle Command Training Program (BCTP) there until October 1989. The BCTP was created to use escalation training to teach senior officers war-fighting skills, according to the commanding general at the time. On 1 November 1989, Clark was promoted tobrigadier general.[30][38]
Clark returned to Fort Irwin and commanded theNational Training Center (NTC) from October 1989 to 1991. TheGulf War occurred during Clark's command, and manyNational Guard divisional round-out brigades trained under his command. Multiple generals commanding American forces inIraq andKuwait said Clark's training helped bring about results in the field and that he had successfully begun training a new generation of the military that had moved past Vietnam-era strategy. He was awarded another Legion of Merit for his "personal efforts" that were "instrumental in maintaining" the NTC, according to the citation. He served in a planning post after this, as the deputy chief of staff for concepts, doctrine, and developments atTraining and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) atFort Monroe, Virginia. While there, he helped the commanding general of TRADOC prepare the army for war and develop new post-Cold War strategies. Clark pushed for technological advancement in the army to establish adigital network for military command, which he called the "digitization of the battlefield".[39] He was promoted tomajor general in October 1992 at the end of this command.[30][40]
Clark's divisional command came with the1st Cavalry Division atFort Hood, Texas. Clark was in command during three separate deployments of forces from Fort Hood for peacekeeping in Kuwait.
His Officer Evaluation Report (OER) for his command at Fort Hood called him "one of the Army's best and brightest".[41] Clark was awarded theDistinguished Service Medal for his work at Fort Hood and was promoted tolieutenant general at the end of his command in 1994. Clark's next assignment was an appointment as the Director, Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), on the staff of theJoint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), from April 1994 to June 1996.[30][42] In this position, he helped develop and coordinate world-wide US military policy and strategy. He participated withRichard Holbrooke in theDayton Peace Process, which ended theBosnian war in former Yugoslavia. During this period, he also participated in "back-stopping" nuclear negotiations in Korea, planning the restoration of democracy inHaiti, shifting theUnited States Southern Command headquarters fromPanama toMiami, imposing tougher restrictions onSaddam Hussein, rewriting theNational Military Strategy, and developing Joint Vision 2010 for future US war-fighting.[43]
Army regulations set a so-called "ticking clock" upon promotion to a three-star general, essentially requiring that Clark be promoted to another post within two years from his initial promotion or retire.[44] This deadline ended in 1996 and Clark said he was not optimistic about receiving such a promotion because rumors at the time suggested GeneralDennis Reimer did not want to recommend him for promotion although "no specific reason was given".[45] According to Clark's book, GeneralRobert H. Scales said that it was likely Clark's reputation for intelligence was responsible for feelings of resentment from other generals. Clark was named to theUnited States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) post despite these rumors. Congress approved his promotion to fullgeneral in June 1996, and GeneralJohn M. Shalikashvili signed the order. Clark said he was not the original nominee, but the first officer chosen "hadn't been accepted for some reason".[45][46]
Clark began planning work for responses to thewar in Bosnia and Herzegovina upon his appointment in 1994 as the Director, Strategic Plans and Policy (J5) on the JCS staff. While collecting information to outline military options for resolving the conflict, Clark met withBosnian Serb military leaders includingRatko Mladić, who was later accused ofwar crimes andgenocide. Clark was photographed exchanging hats with Mladić, and the photo drew controversy in the United States. AWashington Post story was published claiming Clark had made the visit despite a warning from theU.S. ambassador.[47] SomeClinton administration members privately said the incident was "like cavorting withHermann Göring".[48] Clark listed the visit in the itinerary he submitted to the ambassador, but he learned only afterwards that it was not approved. He said there had been no warning and no one had told him to cancel the visit, although twoCongressmen called for his dismissal regardless. Clark later said he regretted the exchange,[49] and the issue was ultimately resolved as President Clinton sent a letter defending Clark to Congress and the controversy subsided.[50] Clark said it was his "first experience in the rough and tumble of high visibility ... and a painful few days".[51]Conservative punditRobert Novak later referred to the hat exchange in a column during Clark's 2004 presidential campaign, citing it as a "problem" with Clark as a candidate.[52]
Clark was sent to Bosnia bySecretary of DefenseWilliam Perry to serve as the military member to a diplomatic negotiating team headed by assistant Secretary of StateRichard Holbrooke. Holbrooke later described Clark's position as "complicated" because it presented him with future possibilities but "might put him into career-endangering conflicts with more senior officers".[53] While the team was driving along a mountain road during the first week, the road gave way, and one of the vehicles fell over a cliff carrying passengers including Holbrooke's deputy,Robert Frasure, a deputy assistant Secretary of Defense, Joseph Kruzel, andAir ForceColonel Nelson Drew. Following funeral services in Washington, D.C., the negotiations continued and the team eventually reached theDayton Agreement at theWright-Patterson Air Force Base inDayton, Ohio, and later signed it in Paris on 14 December 1995.[54]
Clark returned to the European theater and the Balkans following hisUSSOUTHCOM position when he was appointed toU.S. European Command in the summer of 1997 by President Clinton. He was, as with SOUTHCOM, not the original nominee for the position. The Army had already selected another general for the post. Because President Clinton and General Shalikashvili believed Clark was the best man for the post, he eventually received the nomination. Shalikashvili noted he "had a very strong role in [Clark's] last two jobs".[55] Clark noted during his confirmation hearing before theSenate Armed Services committee that he believedNATO had shifted since the end of theCold War from protecting Europe from theSoviet Union to working towards more general stability in the region. Clark also addressed issues related to his then-current command of USSOUTHCOM, such as support for theSchool of the Americas and his belief that the United States must continue aid to some South American nations to effectively fight thewar on drugs.[49] Clark was quickly confirmed by avoice vote the same day as his confirmation hearing,[56] giving him the command of 109,000 American troops, their 150,000 family members, 50,000 civilians aiding the military, and all American military activities in 89 countries and territories of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.[57] The position made Clark theSupreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), which granted him overall command of NATO military forces in Europe.
The largest event of Clark's tenure as SACEUR was NATO's confrontation with theFederal Republic of Yugoslavia in theKosovo War. On 22 September 1998, theUnited Nations Security Council introducedResolution 1199 calling for an end to hostilities inKosovo, and Richard Holbrooke again tried to negotiate a peace. This process came to an unsuccessful end, however, following theRačak massacre. Then U.S. Secretary of StateMadeleine Albright tried to force Yugoslavia into allowing separation of Kosovo with theRambouillet Agreement, which Yugoslavia refused. Clark was not at the Rambouillet talks. He separately tried to convince Yugoslavian presidentSlobodan Milošević by telling him "there's an activation order. And if they tell me to bomb you, I'm going to bomb you good." Clark later alleged that Milošević launched into an emotional tirade againstAlbanians and said that they'd been "handled" in the 1940s byethnic cleansing.[58][59]
On orders from President Clinton, Clark started the bombings codenamedOperation Allied Force on 24 March 1999, to try to enforce U.N. Resolution 1199 following Yugoslavia's refusal of the Rambouillet Agreement. However, critics note that Resolution 1199 was a call for cessation of hostilities and did not authorize any organization to take military action. US Secretary of DefenseWilliam Cohen felt that Clark had powerful allies at theWhite House, such as President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who allowed him to circumvent the Pentagon in promoting his strategic ideas. Clark felt, however, that he was not being included enough in discussions with theNational Command Authority, leading him to describe himself as "just a NATO officer who also reported to the United States".[60] This command conflict came to a ceremonial head when Clark was initially not invited to a summit in Washington, D.C., to commemorate NATO's 50th anniversary, despite being its supreme military commander. Clark eventually secured an invitation to the summit, but was told by Cohen to say nothing about ground troops, and Clark agreed.[61]
Clark returned to SHAPE following the summit and briefed the press on the continued bombing operations. A reporter from theLos Angeles Times asked a question about the effect of bombings on Serbian forces, and Clark noted that merely counting the number of opposing troops did not show Milošević's true losses because he was bringing in reinforcements. Many American news organizations capitalized on the remark in a way Clark said "distorted the comment" with headlines such as "NATO Chief Admits Bombs Fail to Stem Serb Operations" inThe New York Times. Clark later defended his remarks, saying this was a "complete misunderstanding of my statement and of the facts," and President Clinton agreed that Clark's remarks were misconstrued. Regardless, Clark received a call the following evening fromChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff GeneralHugh Shelton, who said he had been told by Secretary Cohen to deliver a piece of guidance verbatim: "Get your fucking face off the TV. No more briefings, period. That's it."[63][64]
The bombing campaign received criticism when itbombed the Radio Television of Serbia headquarters on 23 April 1999. The attack which killed sixteen civilian employees was labeled as a war crime byAmnesty International[65] and as an act ofterrorism byNoam Chomsky.[66] NATO expressed its justification for the bombing by saying that the station operated as a propaganda tool for the Milošević regime.[67] Operation Allied Force experienced another problem whenNATO bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade on 7 May 1999. The operation had been organized against numerous Serbian targets, including "Target 493, the Federal Procurement and Supply Directorate Headquarters", although the intended target building was actually 300 meters away from the targeted area. The embassy was located at this mistaken target, and three Chinese journalists were killed. Clark's intelligence officer called Clark taking full responsibility and offering to resign, but Clark declined, saying it was not the officer's fault. Defense Secretary Cohen andCIA DirectorGeorge Tenet took responsibility the next day. Tenet would later explain in testimony before theUnited States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on 22 July 1999, that the targeting system used street addresses, which gave inaccurate positions for air bombings. He also said that the various databases of off-limit targets did not have the up-to-date address for the relatively new embassy location.[68][69][70]
The bombing campaign ended on 10 June 1999, on the order ofSecretary General of NATOJavier Solana after Milošević complied with conditions the international community had set and Yugoslav forces began to withdraw from Kosovo.[71]United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 was adopted that same day, placing Kosovo under United Nations administration and authorizing aKosovo peacekeeping force.[72] NATO suffered no combat deaths,[73] although two crew members died in anApache helicopter crash.[74] AF-117Awas downed near the village ofBudjanovci. The bombing resulted in an estimated 495 civilian deaths and 820 wounded, as reported to theInternational Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.[75] Yugoslavia estimated that the number of civilians killed is higher than 2,000 and that more than 5,000 have been wounded.[76]Human Rights Watch estimates the number of civilian deaths due to NATO bombings as somewhere between 488 and 527.[77]
Milošević's term in office in Yugoslavia was coming to an end, and the elections that came on 24 September 2000, were protested due to allegations of fraud and rigged elections. This all came to a head on 5 October in the so-calledBulldozer Revolution. Milošević resigned on 7 October. TheDemocratic Opposition of Serbia won a majority inparliamentary elections that December. Milošević was taken into custody on 1 April 2001, and transferred to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on 28 June to face charges of war crimes and genocide. Clark was called to testify in a closed session of Milošević's trial in December 2003. He testified on issues ranging from theSrebrenica massacre to conversations Clark had had with Milošević during his career.[78] Some anti-war activist groups also label Clark and Bill Clinton (along with several others) as war criminals for NATO's entire bombing campaign, saying theentire operation was in violation of the NATO charter.[citation needed]
One of Clark's most controversial decisions during his SACEUR command was his attempted operation atPriština International Airport immediately after the end of the Kosovo War. Russian forces had arrived in Kosovo and were heading for the airport on 12 June 1999, two days after the bombing campaign ended, expecting to help police that section of Kosovo. Clark, on the other hand, had planned for theKosovo Force to police the area. Clark called then-Secretary General of NATO,Javier Solana, and was told "of course you have to get to the airport" and "you have transfer of authority" in the area.
The British commander of the Kosovo Force, GeneralMike Jackson, however, refused to allow the British forces led by CaptainJames Blunt to block the Russians through military action saying "I'm not going to start theThird World War for you."[79][80][81] Jackson has said he refused to take action because he did not believe it was worth the risk of a military confrontation with the Russians, instead insisting that troops encircle the airfield. The stand-off lasted two weeks. Russian forces continued to occupy the airport, until eventually an agreement was secured for them to be integrated into peace-keeping duties, while remaining outside of NATO command.[81]
Jackson's refusal was criticized by some senior U.S. military personnel, with GeneralHugh Shelton calling it "troubling". During hearings in theUnited States Senate, SenatorJohn Warner suggested that the refusal might have been illegal, and that if it was legal, rules potentially should be changed.[82] Still, BritishChief of the Defence StaffCharles Guthrie agreed with Jackson.[83] Clark was subsequently ordered to step down from his position two months earlier than expected.[84] Jackson continued his career after the Pristina Incident: He was appointedKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath (1998), received theDistinguished Service Order (1999), becameCommander-in-Chief, Land Command (2000), and finally, in 2003,Chief of the General Staff, the highest position in the British Army.
Clark received another call from General Shelton in July 1999 in which he was told that Secretary Cohen wanted Clark to leave his command in April 2000, less than three years after he assumed the post. Clark was surprised by this, because he believed SACEURs were expected to serve at least three years.[85] Clark was told that this was necessary because GeneralJoseph Ralston was leaving his post as theVice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and would need another 4-star command within 60 days or he would be forced to retire. Ralston was not going to be appointedChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff due to an extramarital affair in his past, and the SACEUR position was said to be the last potential post for him.[86] Clark said this explanation "didn't wash"; he believed the legal issues did not necessarily bar him from a full term.[87] Clinton signed on to Ralston's reassignment, althoughDavid Halberstam wrote that the president and Madeleine Albright were angered at Clark's treatment. Clark spent the remainder of his time as SACEUR overseeing peacekeeper forces and, without a new command to take, was forced into retirement from the military on 2 May 2000.[88][89]
Rumors persisted that Clark was forced out due to his contentious relationship with some in Washington, D.C.; however, he has dismissed such rumors, calling it a "routine personnel action". The Department of Defense said it was merely a "general rotation of American senior ranks".[90] However, a NATO ambassador told theInternational Herald Tribune that Clark's dismissal seemed to be a "political thing from the United States".[91] General Shelton, working for the competing presidential campaign ofJohn Edwards in 2003–2004,[92] said of Clark during his 2004 campaign that "the reason he came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character issues, things that are very near and dear to my heart. I'm not going to say whether I'm aRepublican or aDemocrat. I'll just say Wes won't get my vote."[93] Shelton never elaborated further on what these issues were.[94]
Clark was chairman of the investment bank Rodman Renshaw, which filed for bankruptcy. The bank's questionable practices and Clark's direct role were detailed in the hit documentary filmThe China Hustle.[95] Clark began apublic speaking tour in the summer of 2000 and approached several former government officials for advice on work after life in government, includingHouse SpeakerNewt Gingrich,White House Chief of StaffMack McLarty, andRichard Holbrooke. Clark took McLarty's advice to move back toLittle Rock, Arkansas, and took a position withStephens Inc., an investment firm headquartered there. He took several other board positions at defense-related firms, and in March 2003 he amicably left Stephens Inc to found Wesley K. Clark & Associates. Clark wrote two books,Waging Modern War andWinning Modern Wars. He also authoredforewords for a series of military biographies and a series of editorials.[1] In 2021 he published the academic article "Hybrid Warfare and the Challenge of Cyberattacks" inThe Challenge to NATO: Global Security and the Atlantic Alliance.[96]
Clark had amassed only about $3.1 million towards his $40 million goal by 2003, and he began considering running for public office instead of pursuing his business career.[97]
Clark is also a member of theAtlantic Council's board of directors.[98]
Clark has said that he began to truly define his politics only after his military retirement and the2000 presidential election, won byGeorge W. Bush. Clark had a conversation withCondoleezza Rice in which she told him that the war in Kosovo would not have occurred under Bush. Clark found such an admission unsettling, as he had been selected for the SACEUR position because he believed more in theinterventionist policies of the Clinton administration. He said he would see it as a sign that things were "starting to go wrong" with American foreign policy under Bush.[99] Clark supported the administration'sWar in Afghanistan in response to the9/11 attacks but did not support theIraq War.
Clark met with a group of wealthy New York Democrats includingAlan Patricof to tell them he was considering running for the presidency in the 2004 election. Patricof, a supporter ofAl Gore in 2000, met with all the Democratic candidates but supported Clark in 2004. Clark said that he voted for Al Gore andRonald Reagan, held equal esteem forDwight D. Eisenhower andHarry S. Truman, and was a registeredindependent voter throughout his military career. Clark stated that he decided he was a Democrat because "I was pro-affirmative action, I was pro-choice, I was pro-education ... I'm pro-health care ... I realized I was either going to be the loneliest Republican in America or I was going to be a happy Democrat."[100] Clark said he liked the Democratic party, which he saw as standing for "internationalism", "ordinary men and women", and "fair play".[101][102]
A "Draft Clark" campaign began to grow with the launch of DraftWesleyClark.com on 10 April 2003.[103] The organization signed up tens of thousands of volunteers, made 150 media appearances discussing Clark, and raised $1.5 million inpledges for his campaign. A different website, DraftClark2004.com, was the first organization to register as apolitical action committee in June 2003 to persuade Clark to run. They had presented him with 1,000 emails in May 2003 from throughout the country asking him to run. One of DraftClark2004's founders, Brent Blackaby, said of the draft effort: "Just fifty-two years ago citizens from all over the country were successful intheir efforts to draft General Eisenhower. We intend to do the same in 2004 by drafting General Clark. If he runs, he wins."[104][105]
In June 2003, Clark said that he was "seriously consider[ing]" running for president in an appearance onMeet the Press.[104]Clark announced his candidacy for theDemocratic presidential primary elections from Little Rock on 17 September 2003, months after the other candidates. He acknowledged the influence of the Draft Clark movement, saying they "took an inconceivable idea and made it conceivable".[106] The campaign raised $3.5 million in the first two weeks.[107][108] The internet campaign would also establish the Clark Community Network of blogs,[109] which remains in use and made heavy use ofMeetup.com, where DraftWesleyClark.com had established the second-largest community of Meetups at the time.[110]
Clark's loyalty to the Democratic Party was questioned by some as soon as he entered the race. SenatorJoe Lieberman called Clark's party choice a matter of "political convenience, not conviction". Republican governorBill Owens ofColorado andUniversity of Denver presidentMarc Holtzman have claimed Clark once said "I would have been a Republican ifKarl Rove had returned my phone calls." Clark later claimed he was simply joking, but both Owens and Holtzman said the remark was delivered "very directly" and "wasn't a joke". Katharine Q. Seelye wrote that many believed Clark had chosen to be a Democrat in 2004 only because it was "the only party that did not have a nominee".[101] On 11 May 2001, Clark also delivered a speech to thePulaski County Republican Party in Arkansas saying he was "very glad we've got the great team in office, men likeColin Powell,Don Rumsfeld,Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice,Paul O'Neill—people I know very well—our president George W. Bush".[111]U.S. News & World Report ran a story two weeks later claiming Clark had considered a political run as a Republican.[112]
Clark, coming from a non-political background, had no position papers to define his agenda for the public. Once in the campaign, however, several volunteers established a network of connections with the media, and Clark began to explain his stances on a variety of issues. He was, as he had toldThe Washington Post in October, pro-choice and pro-affirmative action. He called for a repeal of recent Bushtax cuts for people earning more than $200,000 and suggested providing healthcare for the uninsured by altering the current system rather than transferring to a completely newuniversal health care system. He backed environmental causes such as promising to reverse "scaled down rules" the Bush administration had applied to theClean Air andClean Water Acts and dealing with the potentialeffects of global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, livestock flatulence and other sources. Clark also proposed a global effort to strengthen American relations with other nations, reviewing thePATRIOT Act, and investing $100 billion inhomeland security. Finally, he released a budget plan that claimed to save $2.35 trillion over ten years through a repeal of the Bush tax cuts, sharing the cost of theIraq War with other nations, and cutting government waste.[113]
Some have speculated that Clark's inexperience at giving "soundbite" answers hurt him in the media during his primary campaign.[114] The day after he launched his campaign, for example, he was asked if he would have voted for the Iraq War Resolution, which granted President Bush the power to wage the Iraq War, a large issue in the 2004 campaign. Clark said, "At the time, I probably would have voted for it, but I think that's too simple a question," then "I don't know if I would have or not. I've said it both ways because when you get into this, what happens is you have to put yourself in a position—on balance, I probably would have voted for it." Finally, Clark'spress secretary clarified his position as "you said you would have voted for the resolution as leverage for a UN-based solution." After this series of responses, although Clark opposed the war,The New York Times ran a story with the headline "Clark Says He Would Have Voted for War".[115] Clark was repeatedly portrayed as unsure on this critical issue by his opponents throughout the primary season. He was forced to continue to clarify his position and at the second primary debate he said, "I think it's really embarrassing that a group of candidates up here are working on changing the leadership in this country and can't get their own story straight ... I would have never voted for war. The war was an unnecessary war, it was an elective war, and it's been a huge strategic mistake for this country."[116]
Another media incident started during the New Hampshire primary 27 September 2003, when Clark was asked bySpace Shuttle astronautJay C. Buckey what his vision for the space program was after theSpace Shuttle Columbia disaster. Clark responded he was a great believer in the exploration of space but wanted a vision well beyond that of a new shuttle or space plane. "I would like to see mankind get off this planet. I'd like to know what's out there beyond the solar system." Clark thought such a vision could probably require a lifetime of research and development in various fields of science and technology. Then at the end of his remarks, Clark dropped a bombshell when he said "I still believe inE =mc². But I can't believe that in all of human history we'll never ever be able to go beyond the speed of light to reach where we want to go. I happen to believe that mankind can do it. I've argued with physicists about it. I've argued with best friends about it. I just have to believe it. It's my only faith-based initiative."[117] These comments prompted a series of derisive headlines, such as "Beam Us Up, General Clark" inThe New York Times, "Clark is Light-Years Ahead of the Competition" inThe Washington Post, "General Relativity (Retired)" on theU.S. News & World Report website, and "Clark Campaigns at Light Speed" inWired magazine.[118][119]
Several polls from September to November 2003 showed Clark leading the Democratic field of candidates or as a close second toHoward Dean with theGallup poll having him in first place in the presidential race at 20% as late as October 2003.[120] TheJohn Edwards campaign brought on Hugh Shelton—the general who had said Clark was made to leave the SACEUR post early due to "integrity and character issues"—as an advisor, a move that drew criticism from the Clark campaign.[121] Since Dean consistently polled in the lead in theIowa caucuses, Clark opted out of participating in the caucuses entirely to focus on later primaries instead. The2004 Iowa caucuses marked a turning point in the campaign for the Democratic nomination, however, as front-runners Dean andDick Gephardt garnered results far lower than expected, andJohn Kerry and John Edwards' campaigns benefited in Clark's absence. Clark performed reasonably well in later primaries, including a tie for third place with Edwards in theNew Hampshire primary and a narrow victory in theOklahoma primary over Edwards. However, he saw his third-place finishes inTennessee andVirginia as signs that he had lostthe South, a focus of his campaign. He withdrew from the race on 11 February 2004, and announced his endorsement of John Kerry at a rally inMadison, Wisconsin, on 13 February.[122] Clark believed his opting out of the Iowa caucus was one of his campaign's biggest mistakes, saying to one supporter the day before he withdrew from the race that "everything would have been different if we had [been in Iowa]."[123] Clark was reportedly on the shortlist to be Kerry's running mate.[124]
Clark continued to speak in support of Kerry (and the eventual Kerry/Edwards ticket) throughout the remainder of the 2004 presidential campaign, including speaking at the2004 Democratic National Convention on the final evening.[125] He founded apolitical action committee, WesPAC, in April 2004.[2]Fox News Channel announced in June 2005 that they had signed General Clark as a military andforeign affairs analyst.[126] He joined the Burkle Center for International Relations atUCLA as a senior fellow.[127] A managing partner of the companies that support the center,Ronald Burkle, described Clark's position as "illuminat[ing] the center's research" and "teaching [the] contemporary role of the United States in the international community".[128]
Clark campaigned heavily throughout the2006 midterm election campaign, supporting numerous Democrats in a variety of federal, statewide,[3] and state legislature campaigns.[129] Ultimately his PAC aided 42 Democratic candidates who won their elections, including 25 who won seats formerly held by Republicans and 6 newly electedveteran members of theHouse andSenate.[130] Clark was the most-requested surrogate of theDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee throughout the 2006 campaign,[131] and sometimes appeared with the leadership of the Democratic Party when they commented on security issues.[132][133]
Clark has opposed taking military action againstIran and in January 2007 he criticized what he called "New York money people" pushing for a war. This led to accusations of antisemitism.[134]
In September 2007 Clark's memoirA Time to Lead: For Duty, Honor and Country. In the book Clark alleged that during a visit to the Pentagon in the autumn of 2001 after 9/11, a "senior general" told him that theOffice of the Secretary of Defense had produced a confidential paper proposing a series ofregime change operations in seven countries over a period of five years. He had made the allegation a number of times in public and media appearances in 2006 and 2007. The book also described a conversation Clark had withPaul Wolfowitz in May 1991 after the Gulf War, quoting Wolfowitz as lamenting the non-removal of Saddam Hussein, but also telling him that "...we did learn one thing that's very important. With the end of the Cold War, we can now use our military with impunity. The Soviets won't come in to block us. And we've got five, maybe 10, years to clean up these old Soviet surrogate regimes like Iraq and Syria before the next superpower emerges to challenge us...".[135]
Clark serves on the Advisory Boards of theGlobal Panel Foundation and theNational Security Network. He is also the chairman of Enverra,[136] and was also chairman ofRodman & Renshaw, a New York investment bank,[137] and Growth Energy.[138] His chairmanship at Rodman & Renshaw is part of the documentaryThe China Hustle. Clark is interviewed about his involvement in selling toxic stocks of unregulated Chinese companies; eventually though, he exits the interview to avoid association with Rodman & Renshaw, which went bankrupt in 2013.[139] The film speculates that the company used his name as chairman to gain legitimacy for its operations.[140]
In July 2007, Clark testified before theUnited States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability about the discovery of classified information on file-sharing networks by the cybersecurity firmTiversa, where he served on the board of advisers.[141][142][143]
Clark was mentioned as a potential 2008 presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket before endorsingHillary Clinton for president.[144] Before that time, he was ranked within the top Democratic candidates according to some Internet polls.[145][146] After endorsing Hillary Clinton, Clark campaigned for her in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and Ohio and in campaign commercials. There are many reports that Clinton had already decided to choose Clark to be her running mate had she won the nomination. The Clinton campaign even considered picking Clark as a running mate with the team running together in the primaries, though the idea was later abandoned.[147] After Barack Obama secured the Democratic nomination, Clark voiced his support for Obama.[5] Clark was considered to be one of Obama's possible vice-presidential running mates. Clark, however, publicly endorsed Kansas governorKathleen Sebelius for the position, introducing her as "the next Vice President of the United States" at a June 2008 fundraiser in Texas.[148] Obama eventually choseJoe Biden as his running mate.[149]
On 29 June 2008, Clark made comments onFace the Nation that were critical of RepublicanJohn McCain, calling into question the notion that McCain's military service alone had given him experience relevant to being president. "I certainly honor [McCain's] service as a prisoner of war", Clark said, "but he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded—it wasn't a wartime squadron. He hasn't been in there and ordered the bombs to fall."[150] When moderatorBob Schieffer noted that Obama had no military experience to prepare him for the presidency nor had he "ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down", Clark responded that, ultimately, Obama had not based his presidential bid on his military experience, as McCain has done throughout his campaign. Clark's retort, however, is what drew rebuke. In referring to McCain's military experience, he stated: "Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president."[151] Both the McCain and Obama campaigns subsequently released statements rejecting Clark's comment. However, Clark has received the backing of several prominent liberal groups such as MoveOn.org and military veteran groups such asVoteVets.org; Obama ultimately stated that Clark's comments were "inartful" and were not intended to attack McCain's military service.[152] In the days following the controversial interview, Clark went on several news programs to reiterate his true admiration and heartfelt support for McCain's military service as a fellow veteran who had been wounded in combat.[153][154] In each program, Clark reminded the commentator and the viewing public that while he honored McCain's service, he had serious concerns about McCain's judgment in matters of national security policy, calling McCain "untested and untried".[155]
In Clark's bookWinning Modern Wars, published in 2003, he describes his conversation with a military officer in the Pentagon shortly after 9/11 regarding a plan to attack seven countries in five years: "As I went back through the Pentagon in November 2001, one of the senior military staff officers had time for a chat. Yes, we were still on track for going againstIraq, he said. But there was more. This was being discussed as part of a five-year campaign plan, he said, and there were a total of seven countries, beginning withIraq, thenSyria,Lebanon,Libya,Somalia,Sudan and finishing offIran."[156][157][158] Clark regards the2003 invasion of Iraq as "a huge mistake".[159]
On 5 November 2017, theParadise Papers, a set of confidential electronic documents relating tooffshore investment, revealed that online gambling companyThe Stars Group, then Amaya, did business with the offshore law firmAppleby while Clark sat on its board of directors.[160][161]
Clark was the host ofStars Earn Stripes, a reality television program that aired on NBC for four episodes in 2012. The program followed celebrities who competed in challenges based on U.S. military exercises.
Wesley Clark has been awarded numerous honors, awards, and knighthoods over the course of his military and civilian career. Notable military awards include theDefense Distinguished Service Medal with fouroak leaf clusters, theLegion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, theSilver Star, and theBronze Star with an oak leaf cluster.[162] Internationally Clark has received numerous civilian honors such as theGrand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and military honors such as the Grand Cross of theMedal of Military Merit fromPortugal and knighthoods.[163] Clark has been awarded some honors as a civilian, such as the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, GeneralJohn Shalikashvili, in 1998,[164] and thePresidential Medal of Freedom in 2000.[165] The people ofGjakova, Kosovo, named a street after him for his role in helping their city and country.[166][167] The city ofMadison inAlabama has also named a boulevard after Clark.[168][169] Municipal approval has been granted for the construction of a new street to be named "General Clark Court" inVirginia Beach, Virginia.[170]He has also been appointed a Fellow at the Burkle Center for International Relations atUCLA. He is a member of the guiding coalition of theProject on National Security Reform. In 2000 he was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Most ExcellentOrder of the British Empire.[171] In 2013, General Clark was awarded theHanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award jointly presented by thePrague Society for International Cooperation and Global Panel Foundation .[172]
"The American people would be totally outraged if they were aware of what is inadvertently shared ... by government agencies," said retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who is on the advisory board of Tiversa Inc., a data security company. Clark did not name the defense contractors whose computing passwords were compromised.
In 2006, a more significant investor signed on: Adams Capital Management, named for its founder Joel Adams, a Pittsburgh venture capitalist. [...] Adams Capital invested more than four million in Tiversa, and helped secure an all-star board of advisers. Maynard Webb, the former eBay executive and chairman of Yahoo!, joined, and he brought on other executives from Silicon Valley. Howard Schmidt became an adviser, and soon afterward was appointed the cybersecurity czar for the Obama Administration. General Wesley Clark, the former Supreme Allied Commander of nato, came on, and developed a good rapport with Boback, who sold his practice to devote himself to Tiversa full time.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commander,United States Southern Command 1996–1997 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Supreme Allied Commander Europe 1997–2000 | Succeeded by |
