War critic to speak in Laguna

Barbara Diamond

Former diplomat Joe Wilson, whose wife’s career with the CIA was made

public after he criticized the Bush administration’s Middle East war

policy, will discuss a citizen’s role in democracy at 3:30 p.m.,

Saturday in the City Council Chamber.

A standing-room only crowd is expected. Admission is free.

Wilson is the author of the recently released book, “The Politics

of Truth: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife’s CIA

Identity -- A Diplomat’s Memoir.”

A question-and-answer period will follow Wilson’s presentation,

sponsored by the Laguna Institute, a nonpartisan public information

organization. Wilson’s book will be available for sale.

Wilson was previously in Laguna Beach in February of 2003, a

featured speaker at a public meeting sponsored by the Laguna Beach

Peace Coalition shortly before the United States went to war in Iraq.

“Saddam is bad, but total war is not the best next step” Wilson told

the packed audience at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship on

Cypress Drive. “There are other steps that can be taken.”

He was highly critical of the Bush administration hawks for what

he called a rush to war, which he predicted was imminent.

Wilson also predicted that the war would cost thousands of lives

and billions of dollars. He said it would drain the United State

political will and breed a new generation of terrorists, spurred by

the occupation of Muslim countries.

Wilson does not oppose all wars. He supported Dessert Storm.

“It was a necessary war and it was supported by a coalition of

nations,” he said at the Peace Coalition meeting.

Wilson was acting ambassador in Baghdad in 1990, during the tense

period between Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait and the outbreak

of the Persian Gulf War.

He was responsible for delicate negotiations that resulted in the

release of several hundred American hostages and was the last

American official to meet with the Iraqi leader before Dessert Storm,

according to an institute spokeswoman .The CIA sent him in 2002 to

investigate Iraq’s alleged attempts to buy uranium from Niger.

Terrorism is a just reason for war, but Iraq wasn’t par with Osama

bin Laden, Wilson said in 2003. Saddam and bin Laden were not natural

allies, according to Wilson.

“Saddam thinks bin Laden is a crazy zealot, as we do, and bin

Laden thinks that Saddam is a thug, as we do,” Wilson said. “The only

thing they have in common is the same enemy.”

That would be us.

Wilson was raised in California, a graduate of UC Santa Barbara

and Senior Seminar, advanced international affairs training offered

by the government.

He served as a diplomat under Democratic and Republic

administrations from 1976 to 1998 in posts throughout Africa and as

ambassador to Gabon.

Wilson has been honored with the Defense Department Distinguished

Service Award, the State Department Superior and Meritorious Honor

Award, the UC Santa Barbara Distinguished Alumnus Award and the

American Foreign Service Assn. William R. Rivkin Award.