Is Hillary Clinton a Neocon-Lite?

Exclusive: As a U.S. senatorandSecretary of State, Hillary Clinton often followed a neocon-style foreign policy, backing the Iraq War, teaming up withDefense Secretary Robert Gates on an Afghan War surge,and staking out an even more hawkish stance than Gates on Libya, Robert Parry reports.

By Robert Parry

Most Democratic power-brokers appearsettled on Hillary Clinton as their choice for President in 2016 and she holds lopsided leads over potential party rivals in early opinion polls but there are some warning flags flying, paradoxically, hoisted by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates in his praise for the former First Lady, U.S. senator and Secretary of State.

On the surface, one might think that Gatess glowing commendations of Clinton would further burnish her standing as the odds-on next President of the United States, but strip away the fawning endorsements and Gatessportrait of Clinton in his new memoir, Duty, is of a pedestrian foreign policy thinker who is easily duped and leans toward military solutions.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on May 1, 2011, watching developments in the Special Forces raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Neither played a particularly prominent role in the operation. (White House photo by Pete Souza)

Indeed, for thoughtful and/or progressive Democrats, the prospect of a President Hillary Clinton could represent astep back from some of President Barack Obamas more innovative foreign policy strategies, particularly his readiness to cooperate with the Russians and Iranians to defuse Middle East crises and his willingness to face down the Israel Lobby when it is pushing for heightened confrontations and war.

Based on her public record and Gatess insider account, Clinton could be expected to favor a more neoconservative approach to the Mideast, one more in line with the traditional thinking of Official Washington and the belligerent dictates of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

As a U.S. senator and as Secretary of State, Clinton rarely challenged the conventional wisdom or resisted the use of military force to solve problems. She famously voted for the Iraq War in 2002 falling for President George W. Bushs bogus WMD case and remained a war supporter until her position became politically untenable during Campaign 2008.

Representing New York, Clinton rarely if ever criticized Israeli actions. In summer 2006, as Israeli warplanes pounded southern Lebanon, killing more than 1,000 Lebanese, Sen. Clinton shared a stage with Israels Ambassador to the United Nations Dan Gillerman who had said, While it may be true and probably is that not all Muslims are terrorists, it also happens to be true that nearly all terrorists are Muslim.

At a pro-Israel rally with Clinton in New York on July 17, 2006, Gillerman proudly defended Israels massiveviolence against targets in Lebanon. Let us finish the job, Gillerman told the crowd. We will excise the cancer in Lebanon and cut off the fingers of Hezbollah. Responding to international concerns that Israel was using disproportionate force in bombing Lebanon and killing hundreds of civilians, Gillerman said, Youre damn right we are. [NYT, July 18, 2006]