(2004-07-19) Marshall Biden Interview

Josh Marshall interviews Joe Biden, who might become Secretary Of State under John Kerry. There is no longer nor should there remain the standard for use of force that pertained from the Vietnam War until the time that we lost the election in 2000. And there is an emerging change in the standard... So that I think that what you see is emerging, is that the world has changed, is that a Kerry administration would reflect a willingness to use force unilaterally if one of several conditions pertained: One, international conventions were being violated; they affected American interests; and the international community would not step up to the ball. ... I made a very controversial speech in '94 saying I believe countries forfeit their Sovereignty when they engage in certain activities - genocide being one of those activities, harboring terrorist organizations with the knowledge that they are doing damage to other nations... (It) took me a while, and I think he would tell you this if you asked him, to convince Bill Clinton to use force in Kosovo. He kept saying, "The UN will not go." . I said "Don't go to the UN" - and I'm an internationalist - I said "Don't go to the UN. You're going to get No for an answer."