Clark, Outside Milosevic Trial, Urges U.S. to Renew Alliances

Clark's testimony was held behind closed doors because the court has given the U.S. government permission to review the transcript for national security concerns before it is made public. The retired four-star general told reporters he welcomed the chance to participate in the prosecution of Milosevic on charges of atrocities in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Kosovo. The trial, he said, has important implications for the Balkans and may serve as a precedent for bringing fallen Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to justice.

"I think for the people of the region, it's a very important experience," Clark said outside the courthouse. "It's the rule of law. It's closure with a man who caused the deaths, or is alleged to have caused the deaths, of hundreds of thousands

Although Clark's appearance was scheduled long ago, it enabled him to capitalize on a key moment in the race for the Democratic nomination for president. In a policy speech to a Dutch audience Monday, Clark sought to portray himself as the candidate with the military and diplomatic experience needed to take on President Bush, who is reaping the political benefits of Hussein's capture this weekend.

Clark warned that even though Hussein had been detained, the U.S. still was facing many challenges in Iraq.

"The entire resistance in Iraq was not run by a pathetic ex-dictator hiding in a hole," Clark said, according to an advance copy of the speech provided by his campaign. "Iraq is still in danger of becoming a failed state. A failed state would be a stunning success for Al Qaeda."

For the United States, Clark said, success in Iraq will require abandoning a foreign policy that has alienated traditional American allies. He called for the U.S. to forge new bonds with Europe and NATO and to embrace the International Criminal Court and the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, both of which Bush has rejected.

"I know first-hand that working through alliances can be hard," Clark said during the speech at the Clingendael Institute for International Relations, recalling his tenure at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and as a military advisor to Balkans peace negotiators in the Clinton administration. But he added: "I believe alliances are indispensable, not inconvenient. And I prefer coalitions of the committed rather than coalitions of convenience."