Romney's foreign policy
Posted: Thursday, May 31, 2007 10:07 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
Republicans, Security
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama have written pieces in the July/August issue of Foreign Affairs, outlining their visions on foreign policy. Here are some excerpts from Romney's essay; we'll post Obama's later today.
Romney on Iraq:
“All Americans want U.S. troops to come home as soon as possible. But walking away now or dividing Iraq up into parts and walking away later would present grave risks to the United States and the world…. Many still fail to comprehend the extent of the threat posed by radical Islam….”
On defense spending:
“[O]ur investment in the military as a percentage of GDP remain lower than at any time in major conflict since World War II... [W]e need to increase our investment in national defense. This means adding at least 100,000 troops and making a long-overdue investment in equipment, armament, weapons systems, and strategic defense….[W]e are going to need at least an additional $30-$40 billion annually over the next several years... The next president should commit to spending a minimum of four percent of GDP on national defense.”
On energy independence:
Energy independence will “mean increasing our domestic energy production with more drilling offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, more nuclear power, more renewable energy sources, more ethanol, more biodiesel, more solar and wind power, and a fuller exploitation of coal. Shared investments or incentives may be required to develop additional and alternative sources of energy. We need to initiate a bold, far-reaching research initiative -- an energy revolution -- that will be our generation's equivalent of the Manhattan Project or the mission to the moon.”
On the UN and NATO:
“And while the United Nations has stood impotent in the face of genocide in Sudan and has been unable to address Iran's rush to build dangerous nuclear capabilities, we have done little more than tweak international alliances and antiquated institutions... Nothing shows the failures of the current system more clearly than the UN Human Rights Council... [I]t is understandable that some Americans would be tempted to favor unilateralism,” but “the United States is stronger when its friends stand alongside it.”
“Clearly, the United Nations has not been able to fulfill its founding purpose of providing collective security against aggression and genocide. Thus, we need to continue to push for reform of the organization... We must examine where existing alliances can be strengthened and reinvigorated... I agree with former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar that we should build on the NATO alliance to defeat radical Islam.”
On Darfur:
“[I]f the UN Human Rights Council continues to be inactive or behave hypocritically, we should unite with nations that share our commitment to defending human rights in order to promote change.”
On radical Islam, Africa, and the Middle East:
“If elected, one of my first acts as president would be to call for a summit of nations to address these issues…. the countries convened would include other leading developed nations and moderate Muslim states. The objective of the summit would be to create a worldwide strategy to support moderate Muslims in their effort to defeat radical and violent Islam. I envision that the summit would lead to the creation of a Partnership for Prosperity and Progress.”
“A critical part of this effort would involve creating new trade and economic opportunities for the Middle East... we must push for more integration and cross-border cooperation in the Middle East.”
