ITHACA, N.Y. -- Gen. Wesley Clark, a 2004 Democratic Party presidential primary candidate, doesn't rule out a continued political future for himself, reiterating his anthem of being "a strong supporter of a two-party system." The four-star general was speaking at a press conference at Cornell University's three-star Statler Hotel, prior to his May 28 Senior Convocation address. 

In what at times morphed into a stump speech Clark, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, said his party was in "favor of a strong national security posture that protects our interests … and America's most important interests are our values, and that's [the Democrats'] speciality: diplomacy, international law and economics; consulting with allies; and the use of force, but only as a last resort."

Alluding to what he called "diplomatic stumblings" in Iraq versus the allied success in the Balkans in the 1990s under his leadership, Clark said: "We [the Democrats] believe that when force is used it has to be planned from the beginning of the operation to its successful conclusion and you have to put enough power into it to make sure it prevails … We stopped the war in the Balkans; we stopped it cold … and saved the lives of a million and a half Albanians."

Clark also clarified his opposition to aspects of the Defense Department's proposed 2005 closing of military bases in the United States and troop withdrawal abroad -- the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). He addressed the situation in Iraq -- of which he is an outspoken critic -- the military draft, U.S. relations with North Korea and nuclear proliferation, among other issues. 

While never directly citing the name of President George W. Bush or any of his cabinet members, Clark said the administration was "taking the only sensible policy it can pursue at this point by creating an Iraqi government that has legitimacy in the eyes of the people and creating an Iraqi security apparatus to protect that government, [and] with the right leadership it still has the possibility of working."

However Clark said that among the Bush administration's "many failures in its policy with Iraq" was its refusal to engage in sensible diplomacy with Syria, Turkey and Iran. 

"Instead the administration has forfeited the initiative and let the Iranians take the initiative in engaging Iraq … the administration has allowed Syria to break off relations and formerly disavow cooperation with the U.S." These and other diplomatic mistakes with Turkey and the Saudis, he said, "have prolonged the fighting and increased the risk for the men and women in uniform." 

Clark also said the time frame for pulling American troops out of Iraq is "being driven domestically by the U.S. Army's recruiting difficulties," and he quoted a commanding officer as saying that "the army is behind the war but America is not behind the army." 

On BRAC, Clark was cautiously critical, saying some base closings were necessary, but such a substantial pullout from Europe would have long-term consequences.

"I think the base closing process is an appropriate process, and I think it's inevitable -- you have to adjust your armed forces to the needs and requirements of the day," he said. Yet historically the presence of American forces and their families in Europe, he added, "were one of the strongest instruments of trans-Atlantic unity. They formed a cultural bond between people that is more powerful and enduring than the casual acquaintances between elected leaders."

Monetary savings through the closure of National Guard armories in smaller communities and consolidation of armed forces onto large bases could undermine popular support for the military and also needs to be re-examined, Clark warned. Removing the armed forces from the everyday life of American citizens was unwise. 

"Armed forces aren't about money. They really are about people's commitments, how they feel about themselves, their bond to country, and you can't buy that once it's lost," he said. "I am not predicting the demise of the volunteer force, but there is a limit to what you can do with a volunteer force of the current size."

Clark's stance on the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy with regard to sexuality was twofold. 

"The policy is out of date and needs review; the military should represent the country ... We can do better," he said. "On the other hand, people in colleges and universities need to stop using this as a weapon against the very people who are sacrificing their lives and giving up their freedom for our country. If we don't support a volunteer force in this country, there will only be two alternatives, and neither one of them is as good."

Despite recruitment and retention problems in the Army, Clark said he does not currently see a return to a national draft. He called for support of ROTC programs at colleges and universities.

On other international matters, Clark said the Bush administration's handling of relations with North Korea and the threat of nuclear proliferation has been "exactly backwards."

"We would want to believe that if the administration took the threat of nuclear proliferation seriously, it would have worked first on North Korea, then Iran and then Iraq," he said. By deferring to the Chinese leadership in dealing with North Korea, Clark said the administration has greatly diminished U.S. influence in the region.

"We're the only country that could have provided North Korea with what they wanted, which is legitimacy and acceptance, and not just food and economic aid and fuel," he said. "For too long we have refused dialogue with North Korea … that's a reflection of domestic politics in the U.S. and the result is the nuclear genie is out of the [bottle] in North Korea."

Although the possibility of nuclear attack from a hostile nation remains a danger, Clark said one of the greatest security threats to the United States today is nuclear attack from terrorist groups that don't belong to any state. One of the only ways to defend against that sort of destruction is to control the sources of nuclear material, and Clark again criticized the Bush administration for not making the monitoring of nuclear materials in Russia and elsewhere a top priority.

In response to a question regarding the handling of prisoners of war in Guantanamo, Clark closed the press conference by saying, "We've got to find a better way."

"Guantanamo should have been turned over to NATO from the beginning," he said. "We should have had a better grip on the interrogation process than we've had; we've got to move these people through a process."

He advocated a process of interrogation similar to that of the Yemeni system, in which some suspected terrorists have been successfully deprogrammed and re-educated by exposure to Muslim clerics and teachers.