Bill Clinton: “No. We're not the world's policeman. But sometimes we have to be prepared to do things that other countries can't or…”

“No. We're not the world's policeman. But sometimes we have to be prepared to do things that other countries can't or won't do. For example, I think we did absolutely the right thing these last several years to insist that we keep economic sanction on Iraq until they give up their weapons of mass destruction program. I think we did the right thing to go into Bosnia. I think we did the right thing to restore democracy in Haiti. But most times the problems cannot be solved by military means. And most times, even if we take initiative, we should be trying to create a world in the 21st century where there is a structure where peace and prosperity and the ability to solve new problems--like the environmental problems--where that kind of structure works and where you minimize weapons of mass destruction, drug trafficking, ethnic wars like we had from Rwanda to the Middle East to Northern Ireland. And so the United States role, I think, is to try to create a structure where, more likely than not, the right things will be done when problems arise--not to just do it all ourselves or tell other people what to do. Achievements of the China Visit”