Defending His Boss

By Dan Goodgame, J.F.O. McAllister and Warren Christopher

Secretary of State Warren Christopher was interviewed last Friday by Washington bureau chief Dan Goodgame and correspondent J.F.O. McAllister. Excerpts:

Q. Does Somalia prove Colin Powell's doctrine that American military power, if used, should be used with overwhelming force?

A. The concept is most applicable when our vital national interests are involved, rather than a situation such as this, where President Bush decided to go into Somalia for humanitarian reasons only. When U.S. troops are involved absent a vital national interest, then some hard questions have to be asked, including, Will our forces be fully protected? But I wouldn't say that every time U.S. forces are involved anyplace, you have to have 500,000 troops.

Q. Once the President said he wanted a political solution, why weren't U.S. forces ordered to stand down from any raids?

A. Operational decisions like that are taken in the field, not here. It would have been micromanagement.

Q. What do you think about congressional reaction to the ambush?

A. If we had rashly pulled out, it would have been a serious setback for American foreign policy, because it means that every time an American is killed, we'll change our policy.

Q. Does this Administration suffer by contrast with the previous one, in projecting forcefulness and competence in foreign affairs?

A. In protecting our vital national interests, this Administration is doing extremely well. Our support for Yeltsin; our involvement in the Middle East peace process; what we've done in nonproliferation with Russia, China, North Korea; promoting global economic growth. President Clinton's leadership doesn't have to give anything away to President Bush, and that's putting it mildly.

Q. Does the setback in Somalia make it more difficult to use U.S. forces in Bosnia and Haiti?

A. It inevitably casts a shadow on Bosnia. It shows the relative impatience of the American people for the involvement of American troops in situations where our vital national interests are not so directly engaged. On Haiti, if the situation there does not work out successfully, it affects us: for example, by creating refugee flows.

Q. There are reports you haven't slept for the past three days, that this crisis has been particularly hard for you.

A. The atmosphere in some parts of the country and on Capitol Hill has been near panic. I've done everything I could to stem that attitude. We are really the victims in many ways of instant communications, instant polling. That has a purpose, but we need to be steadier, and have a longer view of American interests. That more than anything has kept me awake.