(Full transcript here)

Middle East Quarterly: Did President Bush do the right thing in ending the war with Saddam Husayn when he did?

Specter: No, he should have gone to Baghdad and gotten rid of Saddam Husayn.

MEQ: Ten thousand soldiers were needed to get rid of Manuel Noriega, a piker compared to Saddam.

Specter: It was probably worth it to get rid of Noriega. How many people would it be worth to get rid of Saddam Husayn? I cannot say. Remember that the things I’m telling you are impressions and judgments in the context of an awful lot of other stuff we have to do in the Senate. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the Mideast since I made my first trip there a long time ago, but I’m far from being an expert in the field.

MEQ: Fair enough. But having gotten rid of Saddam, wouldn’t the United States be left responsible for running the country?

Specter: No, we wouldn’t be in charge. Precisely what would have happened, I don’t know, nor does anyone because we didn’t get rid of him. Saddam deserved to be defeated personally, and he continues to be a thorn in the side of the world. Beyond that, it’s a horrible symbol that someone who lost the war won the peace. Or was it that he lost the war but won the war? The whole result is a sort of mockery: George Bush has an office-in-exile in Houston while Saddam Husayn rules in Baghdad.

MEQ: Do you see a serious alternative to Saddam, in Iraq or abroad?

Specter: I do not know. But the odds are that any alternative would be better.