E-mail a friendSen. Bill Nelson
airdate January 31, 2005
Bill Nelson was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. A lifetime Floridian, he previously served six years as a member of the state Cabinet and 12 years as a congressman. Nelson is an expert on NASA who, after intensive training, spent six days on the Space Shuttle Columbia as a payload specialist. Since, he's worked to protect the environment and been an advocate for space exploration. Nelson is a Democratic Deputy Whip and serves on the Armed Services, Budget and Foreign Relations committees.
Sen. Bill Nelson
Tavis: As we look at the historic weekend in Iraq, I am pleased to welcome Senator Bill Nelson back to this program. The former space shuttle astronaut and Florida Democrat is watching events in Iraq closely because he sits on two powerful Senate committees with oversight in Iraq...Foreign Relations and Armed Services. Senator Nelson joins us tonight from West Palm Beach. Senator, nice to have you back on the program, sir.
Senator Bill Nelson: Thank you, Tavis. It's a pleasure to be here.
Tavis: Glad to have you on. We have about 150,000 American troops still in Iraq, security as never before for these elections on Sunday, about 1,400 American soldiers, men and women, have died serving their country in Iraq. Was yesterday worth it?
Nelson: Well, it was a successful step in the right direction, a first step on a long journey, Tavis. And that long journey, at the end of it, what's in the interest in my judgment of the United States, is to stabilize Iraq. And that means getting the Iraqis, especially their army and their police, where they can provide the security instead of us. But it's going to take some time. And there are not a lot of them that are trained thus far, despite what Dr. Rice says in her hearing about 120,000. Everybody knows that's not a correct figure, and it's probably going to take another two years with a commitment of the United States of 120,000 troops there.
Tavis: President Bush called yesterday a resounding success. Those were his words, "resounding success." Is that what yesterday was?
Nelson: I think it was a success. I think we're going to find out if it's resounding in the next couple of months because we are going to see the violence increase and how well are we able to accommodate that, how well is the Iraqi army that stepped up to the task yesterday? How well are they going to perform? And then as the elections transition, newly elected people into those ministries that are there, and that transition uncertainty, how well is the Iraqi government going to operate? Time will tell if it's going to be a resounding success.
Tavis: Let's talk about how we measure that in the coming weeks and days and months, I suspect. Before I get to that, though, let me stay with what happened on yesterday. If these numbers hold up...still a little too early to tell to your point--but if these numbers hold up, the Iraqi turnout could be at around 60% yesterday. If in fact that number holds up, that is equivalent, quite frankly, to the turnout we had here in the States in our last presidential election. What would you make of that kind of turnout in a place like Iraq after all these many years?
Nelson: Well, I think what it indicates is the people that were under the thumb of Saddam Hussein, particularly the Shiites and the Kurds, are hungry for reform and want to reform and go out and vote. Then in the Sunni areas where the violence is, where the threats and intimidation and the bloodshed is, the numbers were much less. And so there again, time will tell. In some cities like Ramadi, they had a very low turnout, and I don't blame those folks. They thought they were going to get killed if they went to vote. So there again, time will tell. But at this first look at it, it looks good.
Tavis: In fact, 44 Iraqis were killed by the insurgents yesterday, 44 persons trying to exercise their right to vote killed yesterday. Did the White House, has the Bush Administration in the past few weeks, underestimated the resolve of the insurgents in Iraq?
Nelson: No, but they certainly limited the violence yesterday. It could have been much worse. Remember, there were the threats that there was going to be bloodshed all over the place. Well, they did it very successfully by having the American troops on high alert, backing up Iraqi troops. And remember, they allowed no vehicular traffic in the vicinity of the polling places. That was a big help in holding down the kind of explosions and mayhem.
Tavis: One of your colleagues in the Senate, Massachusetts Democrat Edward Kennedy, Senator Ted Kennedy, as you well know, has called for a pullout of Iraq. He has made it very clear that the time has come for us to hitch up our wagon and get out of Iraq and do it with quickness. What is your sense of Mr. Kennedy's suggestion that we need to get the heck out of Iraq?
Nelson: Well, at the end of the day, of course, we want to leave. The question is how do you get there? And a precipitous pullout, I would disagree, if that is what Senator Kennedy is saying, because of us needing to stabilize the country to train up the Iraqis. And by the way, I see now that Senator Harry Reid and Congresswoman Pelosi are saying the same thing as I am. And it's my understanding that Senator Kerry said the same thing yesterday on one of the talk shows. Tavis, what we need to do now, America needs to reach out to Europe and to the Arab countries in the region, who I believe today would be willing to train the Iraqi army and the police. Now, this is a significant opening of the door of getting the other nations of the world to come in and seriously start to make Iraq part of their problem, not just the U.S.'s problem. And I think they are waking up to that fact by virtue of they realize they have as much stake in a stabilized Iraq as we do. Now the question is, is the Administration, the Bush Administration, are they going to reach out to Europe and the other Arab countries?
Tavis: Your suggest not withstanding, how should the American people, though, voters here in the States, how should we interpret, I think is a good word, how do we interpret the fact that elections have happened in Iraq? President Bush said many years ago, or certainly many months ago, it was about bringing democracy to this place called Iraq. So Saddam is gone, elections have happened. And even if you don't agree with Ted Kennedy, we still don't have a timetable for getting out. How should the American people interpret that? Because as long as we stay there, one has to assume even post elections in Iraq, American soldiers are going to come home in body bags if we don't get out of there sooner or later.
Nelson: Well, we've got to get the job done, and that is train up the Iraqi army and police to provide for their own security. Otherwise the alternative, Tavis, is unacceptable. And that is you pull out, a vacuum is created. The vacuum is filled by terrorists. And suddenly you have terrorists and an Islamic radical government controlling Iraq. And that's a lot closer to the United States interests than was Afghanistan.
Tavis: But assuming right quick that Senator Kennedy is right and you are right, that at some point, whatever that some point might be, we have got to figure out a way to get out of there. When do we start in serious forcing the Administration to have that conversation with the American people?
Nelson: Well, a lot of us, both Republican and Democrat on those two committees that you mentioned, that are saying that right now. The sooner we bring in the other nations of the world to help with, eventually, stabilizing Iraq, but in the meantime, training up the Iraqi army and police, then the quicker we're going to get out.
Tavis: Speaking of Kennedy right quick, you introduced some legislation with regard to the "U.S.S. Kennedy" a few days ago, did you not?
Nelson: Yes, sir. The "John F. Kennedy." It's an aircraft carrier stationed in Florida, Mayport Naval Station. Surprise, surprise. After the election, the Administration decides they are going to scrap one of our 12 carriers. And I just don't believe, and there are a bunch of Senators, Republican and Democrat, that agree that we ought to be at in time of war, scrapping one of our 12 carriers. It's a force projection that we need desperately in these uncertain times around the world.
Tavis: Well, I'm sure the good people in Florida support you in that effort, so all the best to you on that front. A pleasure to have you on. We'll do it again sometime. Thank you, Senator.
Nelson: Thanks, Tavis.
Tavis: Thank you, sir. 45 years ago, four young men changed the world by asking for service at a Woolworth's lunch counter. Up next, a special conversation with the three remaining members of the Greensboro Four. Stay with us.
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