Brent Scowcroft

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft is President and Founder (June 1994) of the Scowcroft Group and "one of the country's leading experts on international policy." Scowcroft provides "Group clients with unparalleled strategic advise and assistance in dealing in the international arena." 

He is also on the board of counselors for the Arabic media group Layalina Productions and is a member of the Inter-American Dialogue.


 * Honorary Member, Academy of Political Science
 * Editorial Board, International Security
 * International Board (Chair), U.S./Middle East Project

Before the Iraq Invasion
Scowcroft, National Security Advisor to Presidents Gerald R. Ford and George H.W. Bush, and a close friend of the Bush family, said in August 2002 "that US action against Iraq, without resolving tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, 'could turn the whole region into a cauldron and thus destroy the war on terrorism'."

Scowcroft "urged the President to concentrate on trying to broker peace between the Israelis and Palestinians while separately pursuing terrorist threats to the United States. But he said that by going to war with Iraq without linking President Saddam Hussein and September 11, 2001, Washington was risking a conflagration in the Middle East that would also engulf its efforts to defeat global terror groups." --Times of London, August 5, 2002.

"But the central point is that any campaign against Iraq, whatever the strategy, cost and risks, is certain to divert us for some indefinite period from our war on terrorism. Worse, there is a virtual consensus in the world against an attack on Iraq at this time. ... Ignoring that clear sentiment would result in a serious degradation in international cooperation with us against terrorism. And make no mistake, we simply cannot win that war without enthusiastic international cooperation, especially on intelligence," Scowcroft said August 15, 2002, Forum for International Policy.

"... If we were seen to be turning our backs on that bitter conflict [Israeli-Palestinian] -- which the region, rightly or wrongly, perceives to be clearly within our power to resolve -- in order to go after Iraq, there would be an explosion of outrage against us. We would be seen as ignoring a key interest of the Muslim world in order to satisfy what is seen to be a narrow American interest." 

During the Iraq War
In May 2007, Scowcroft warned during an interview with the Financial Times, "If we get out before Iraq is stable, the entire Middle East region might start to resemble Iraq today. Getting out is not a solution." In invading Iraq, "we created a revolution; a social and religious revolution," he said. The U.S. should "gradually withdraw from inter-sectarian warfare. Shia versus Sunni is not a problem we can solve." 

Instead, Scowcroft advocated for increasing attempts to support the Iraqi Army and to work towards a resolution of the Israel - Palestine crisis. "I don’t think anything would release the energies of moderates in the region than to make progress on the Palestinian issue," Scowcroft told the Financial Times. "The general outlines of a deal are fairly obvious. ... If we could make some real progress on the Palestinian problem we can change the psychology" of the wider region in a way that would benefit Iraq, he claimed. 

New World Order
According to Keppler Associates, Inc.'s Web Page on Brent Scowcroft:


 * "With the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was Scowcroft who coined the term New World Order."

Profiles
Scowcroft is also the founder and "president of the Forum for International Policy, a non-profit organization that he founded in 1993 that promotes American leadership and foreign policy." 

Scowcroft served as National Security Advisor to both Presidents Gerald R. Ford and George Herbert Walker Bush. He was Vice Chairman of Kissinger Associates, Inc. (1982-1989), an international consulting firm. "In this capacity, he advised and assisted a wide range of U.S. and foreign corporate leaders on global joint venture opportunities, strategic planning and risk assessment." 

Scowcroft's prior 29-year "military career began with graduation from West Point and concluded at the rank of Lieutenant General following service as the Deputy National Security Advisor. His Air Force service included Professor of Russian History at West Point; Assistant Air Attache in Belgrade, Yugoslavia; Head of the Political Science Department at the Air Force Academy; Air Force Long Range Plans, Office of the Secretary of Defense International Security Assistance, Special Assistant to the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Military Assistant to President Richard M. Nixon." 

Scowcroft has either chaired or served on a number of policy councils:
 * Defense Policy Board
 * President's Blue Ribbon Commission on Defense Management
 * President's Commission on Strategic Forces
 * President's General Advisory Committee on Arms Control
 * President's Special Review Board, also known as the Tower Board, which investigated the Iran-Contra scandal

"General Scowcroft had an aeronautical rating as a pilot and has numerous military decorations and awards. In addition, President Bush presented him with the Medal of Freedom Award in 1991. In 1993, he was presented with the insignia of an Honorary Knight of the British Empire (K.B.E.) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace".

"General Scowcroft was born in Ogden, Utah. He received his undergraduate degree and commission into the Army Air Forces from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He has an M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University." 

Affiliations

 * President, Forum for International Policy
 * Chairman, President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
 * Chairman, Pacific Forum at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
 * Chairman, American-Turkish Council
 * Chairman, Presidential Library Foundation of George Herbert Walker Bush
 * Director, Alliance for Climate Protection
 * Director, Pennzoil-Quaker State
 * Director, Qualcomm/Qualcomm (since 1994)
 * Director, American Council on Germany
 * Board Member, Gerald R. Ford Foundation
 * Board Member, George C. Marshall Foundation
 * Board Member, Center for Strategic and International Studies
 * Board Member, Atlantic Council of the United States
 * Board Member, International Republican Institute
 * Board Member, National Defense University
 * Member, Council on Foreign Relations
 * Member, Atlantic Institute
 * Advisory Council, American Ditchley Foundation
 * Advisory Board, School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University
 * Advisory Board, OILspace
 * Honorary Advisor, US-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce
 * Honorary Advisor, National Committee on United States-China Relations' Young Leaders Forum

SourceWatch Resources

 * Bush administration lies that led to war
 * Bush doctrine
 * Bush regime
 * Exit Strategy from Iraq
 * Global War on Terrorism
 * oil industry
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom: Military and Political Dissent
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom: Year Three: Quagmire
 * preemptive war
 * regime change
 * The Cheney-Rumsfeld Cabal Deception
 * Treasongate: Beyond Karl Rove

Profiles

 * Brent Scowcroft in the Wikipedia.
 * Scowcroft Group biography.
 * Center for Strategic and International Studies biography.
 * OILspace biography.

1992

 * Congressional Record, House of Representatives, April 28, 1992, re Scowcroft on the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro [BNL] and Iraq Scandal.
 * Brent Scowcroft NNDB profile.

1998

 * Douglas Harbrecht, ed., "A Worried Brent Scowcroft on Clinton's Iraq Policy," Business Week, February 20, 1998.
 * George H.W. Bush and Brent Scowcroft, "Why We Didn't Remove Saddam," Time Magazine, March 2, 1998. Excerpt recovered by The Memory Hole. More posted by the Information Clearing House, April 19, 2003.
 * "Iraq Since the Gulf War," United States Institute of Peace, November 23, 1998.

2001

 * Interview: Brent Scowcroft Interviewed by Brit Hume, Fox News: Special Report with Brit Hume, September 17, 2001; posted on ''The Forum for International Policy website.
 * Interview: Brent Scowcroft Interviewed by Bryant Gumbel, CBS News: The Early Show, September 19, 2001; posted on The Forum for International Policy website.
 * "Gunning for Saddam," PBS Frontline Interview with Brent Scowcroft, October 2001.
 * Interview: Brent Scowcroft Interviewed by Chris Matthews, MSNBC: Hardball with Chris Matthews, October 29, 2001; posted on The Forum for International Policy website.

2002

 * Interview: Brent Scowcroft Interviewed by John Gibson, Fox News: The Big Story with John Gibson, May 16, 2002; posted on The Forum for International Policy website.
 * Interview: Brent Scowcroft Interviewed by Bob Schieffer and Gloria Borger, CBS News: Face the Nation, August 4, 2002; posted on The Forum for International Policy website.
 * Roland Watson and Melissa Kite, "Double warning against Iraq war," The Times (UK) (Free Republic), August 5, 2002.
 * Michael Ledeen, "Scowcroft Strikes Out. A familiar cry," National Review, August 6, 2002.
 * Todd S. Purdum and Patrick E. Tyler, "Top Republicans Break with Bush on Iraq Strategy," New York Times (Why War?), August 15, 2002.
 * Brent Scowcroft, "Don't Attack Saddam," Online Journal, August 15, 2002.
 * Julian Borger, "US Adviser Warns of Armageddon," Guardian Unlimited (UK), August 16, 2002.
 * William Saletan, "Everybody Loves Me, Baby. Bush's self-refuting argument for war with Iraq," Slate, August 16, 2002.
 * Andrew Gumbel, "Kissinger Joins Protests at Bush Plan to Attack Iraq," Independent (UK) (Why War?), August 17, 2002.
 * John Derbyshire, "Management or Confrontation? The Brent Scowcroft problem," National Review, August 20, 2002.
 * Daniel Pipes and Jonathan Schanzer, "Brent Scowcroft is Wrong: We Must Attack Saddam," FrontPage Magazine, August 20, 2002.
 * Robert Scheer, "Simplistic Hunt for Evil in a Complex World," Los Angeles Times (Why War?), August 20, 2002.
 * Tony Caron, "Iraq: The GOP War With Itself. GOP elders call for the party hawks to back down from their plans to go after Saddam Hussein. Can President Bush unite his party?" Time Magazine, August 21, 2002.
 * Michael Radu, "Observations on the Iraq War Debate," FrontPage Magazine, August 21, 2002.
 * William Saletan, "Cheney vs. Scowcroft. How to duck the arguments against attacking Iraq," Slate, August 27, 2002.
 * Julian Borger, "Daggers drawn in the house of Bush. Clash between representatives of old and new leaders plays on world stage," Guardian Unlimited (UK), August 28, 2002.
 * William Saffire, "Like Father, Unlike Son," New York Times (Why War?), September 2, 2002.
 * Interview: Brent Scowcroft Interviewed by Judy Woodruff, CNN: Inside Politics, September 9, 2002; posted on The Forum for International Policy website.
 * Joe Conason, "Were Iraq hawks' feathers ruffled by Bush's U.N. speech? Plus: Discouraging words on Iraq from the other George Bush," Salon (MIT archived article), September 12, 2002.
 * Jim Lobe, "The Anniversary of a Neo-Imperial Moment," AlterNet (Why War?), September 12, 2002. re Pax Americana
 * Interview: Brent Scowcroft Interviewed by Tim Russert, NBC News: Meet the Press, September 15, 2002; posted on The Forum for International Policy website.
 * "9/11 a Year On: How Deep is the Change?" PeaceWatch Online, October/December 2002.

2003

 * Victor Marshall, "Lies We Are Told About Iraq," Los Angeles Times (Why War?), January 5, 2003.
 * Editorial: "Reviewing Intelligence on Iraq," New York Times (Why War?), May 26, 2003.
 * Walter Pincus, "White House Faulted on Uranium Claim," Washington Post (Why War?), December 24, 2003.

2004

 * "Iraq may become 'another Vietnam'," Sydney Morning Herald (Australia), February 29, 2004.
 * Daniel Dombey, "Leading Republican Lambasts Bush," Financial Times, October 13, 2004; updated version, October 14, 2004.
 * "Scowcroft spanks the younger George," Salon, October 14, 2004.
 * Jonathan Marcus, "Analysis: All change for Washington outlook?" BBC, October 15, 2004.
 * "Ex-Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft Rips Bush Diplomacy," Associated Press (Common Dreams), October 16, 2004.
 * Glenn Kessler, "Scowcroft Is Critical of Bush. Ex-National Security Adviser Calls Iraq a 'Failing Venture'," Washington Post, October 16, 2004.
 * "Security adviser to first President Bush says Afghanistan, Iraq 'a failing venture'," Associated Press (USA Today), November 16, 2004.
 * Interview with Brent Scowcroft: "'Long Way' From a Stable Iraq," Council on Foreign Relations, December 7, 2004.
 * "General Brent Scowcroft Discusses Foreign Policy Challenges Facing President Bush," Voice of America, December 13, 2004.

2005

 * Ronald Brownstein, "Scowcroft: Iraq Election May Lead to Civil War," Los Angeles Times, January 6, 2005.
 * Dana Priest and Robin Wright, "Scowcroft Skeptical Vote Will Stabilize Iraq. Friend of Bush Family Joins Pessimists," Washington Post, January 7, 2005.
 * Steven C. Clemons, Transcript: "former National Security Advisors Brent Scowcroft and Zbigniew Brzezinski to inaugurate the launch of a suite of new foreign policy programs at the New America Foundation." The Washington Note, January 8, 2005.
 * Justin Raimondo, "Heading for the Exits. Diplomacy and disengagement: the buzz is 'out now'," AntiWar.com, January 12, 2005.
 * "Panel: Not Enough Iraq Postwar Planning," Associated Press (Fox News), July 27, 2005.
 * Steven C. Clemons, " Brent Scowcroft Lets it Rip (Like Larry Wilkerson) in Monday's New Yorker," The Washington Note, October 21, 2005.
 * Jerry M. Landay, "Two Wise Men Break Ranks Over Iraq," Providence Journal (Common Dreams), November 18, 2005.

2007

 * Mark Turner, "Scowcroft warns against Iraq pullout," Financial Times (UK), May 11, 2007.