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Foreign Policy
In order to safeguard our national security and advance American values, the United States must remain actively engaged in the world. We must have the courage to stand by our friends and stand up to our adversaries. Unfortunately, the Obama Administration has too often done the opposite: criticizing our friends (and even our own country) while appeasing those regimes hostile to our country. A change in approach is therefore needed.
Here are my thoughts on the primary challenges facing the United States in the world today:
The Middle East – We must remain steadfast in our commitment to the security of the State of Israel. Time and time again, Israel has reached out its hand in peace only to have its overtures rejected by its neighbors. Israel, for example, withdrew its forces from southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah responded by firing missiles into northern Israel. Then, Israel withdrew from Gaza, and Hamas responded by also firing missiles into Israel. Unfortunately, Jim Moran belongs to a radical fringe in Congress that has refused to support Israel’s right to defend itself against these attacks. For example, on March 5, 2008, Jim Moran was one of only five congressmen who refused to support a bipartisan resolution condemning the Hamas missile launches against Israel and reaffirming Israel’s right to defend itself against such terrorist attacks.
The primary obstacle to any peace deal in the region is the unwillingness of Palestinians to put an end to their use of violence and to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. The Obama Administration, however, appears to have a different view. From listening to them, one would think that the natural growth of Israeli settlements on the West Bank is the foremost barrier to peace. Such a view is wrongheaded and naive, and it therefore not surprising that only 4% of Jewish Israelis now believe that President Obama is pro-Israel.
Iran – We must not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. Were the current Iranian regime to go nuclear, it would pose an acute threat to our national security as well as the security of Israel and would destabilize the entire region. Recent efforts to persuade Iran to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons through diplomacy have obviously failed, and it is now time for the United States and its friends around the globe to impose stringent sanctions on Iran. And should such sanctions fail, the United States should be prepared to use force if necessary to destroy Iran’s nuclear capability (or allow Israel to do so). While military action hopefully won’t be required, all options must remain on the table to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Afghanistan – We must prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a safe haven for terrorists and their training camps. To turn back the resurgence of the Taliban, we should employ in Afghanistan the successful counterinsurgency principles used by General Petraeus in Iraq. I therefore supported the recommendation of General McChrystal that additional troops be sent to Afghanistan and am concerned that President Obama has announced to the enemy that these troops will begin withdrawing from the battlefield in eighteen months.
Latin America – Hugo Chavez has been systematically dismantling Venezuela’s democracy and is now actively trying to undermine democracy throughout Latin America. The United States must strongly oppose his efforts. For example, when the President of Honduras, a Chavez ally, was lawfully removed from power by the Honduran Supreme Court for violating the country’s constitution and attempting to stay in office following the expiration of his term, the Obama Administration should not have echoed Hugo Chavez’s call for his ally to be restored to power.
North Korea – Our current approach to halting North Korea’s nuclear program has failed. While the United States has taken conciliatory steps, the North Korean government has aggressively responded with nuclear tests and more missile launches. It is therefore time to change our policy toward North Korea. The United States should do everything possible to deny North Korea access to international financial markets. We should also redesignate North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.
