v The Obama Foreign Policy The Judgment to Lead PAID FOR BY OBAMA FOR AMerica
Ending the War in Iraq: Judgment You Can Trust I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of Al Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I m opposed to dumb wars. Chicago, Illinois, October 2, 2002 Barack Obama is the only major candidate for President who had the judgment and the courage to oppose the Iraq War from the beginning. As a candidate for the United States Senate in 2002, Obama put his political career on the line to oppose the war, and presciently warned of the war s consequences. Obama has remained a consistent, principled and vocal opponent of the war in Iraq. In January 2007, he introduced legislation in the Senate to remove all of our combat troops from Iraq by March 2008. In September 2007, he laid out a detailed plan for how he will end the war as President, while taking the critical steps needed to stabilize Iraq and the Middle East. Ending the war will be Obama s top priority when he takes office. The Obama Plan has four components: Remove our troops from Iraq s civil war within 16 months Press Iraq s leaders to reconcile through a new accord on Iraq s Constitution and governance Aggressive regional diplomacy with Iraq, all of its neighbors, and the United Nations to reach a new compact on stability in Iraq and the region Major humanitarian initiative and $2 billion to support the two million Iraqi refugees in the region, and the two million Iraqis displaced within their country We must do more than address the surge in Iraq we need a clear strategy to end the war and protect our interests in this vital region. Barack Obama has provided one. Dr. Tony Lake; National Security Adviser (1993-1997)
Turning the Page on Bush-Cheney Diplomacy We need a President who is willing to talk to all nations, friend and foe. I m not afraid that America will lose a propaganda battle with a petty tyrant we need to go before the world and win those battles. Chicago, Illinois, October 2, 2007 Barack Obama strongly believes that Washington is trapped by the conventional thinking that says we can only talk to our friends, and not our foes. He believes that the Bush-Cheney policy of not talking has not worked, and that it doesn t make us look tough it makes us look arrogant. He agrees with President Kennedy, who said, We must never negotiate out of fear, but we must never fear to negotiate. Obama will: Lead direct diplomacy, without preconditions, with our enemies as well as our friends Build more international support for our efforts to pressure countries like Iran and North Korea by demonstrating a willingness to come to the negotiating table Expand and enhance America s diplomatic presence around the world, substantially growing the number of our foreign service and civilian aid workers And Barack Obama believes that restoring American leadership in the world demands renewing our most important alliances, while strengthening new ones. He will: Strengthen and reform NATO to deal with 21st century missions like Afghanistan Seek a new framework in Asia to deal with the rise of China, and to confront common challenges to our security and prosperity Travel to a major Islamic forum and deliver an address to redefine our struggle against terrorism as a shared effort within his first 100 days in office Build a new global consensus on climate change to lead the world toward an 80% reduction of emissions below 1990s levels by 2050. Senator Obama is the one serious Democratic candidate for President who believes that the United States should have enough confidence in its values and diplomacy to meet and communicate with any foreign leader. Ted Sorensen; Special Counsel, Adviser, and Speechwriter for President John F. Kennedy
A NEW APPROACH TO IRAN Aggressive Diplomacy George Bush and Dick Cheney must hear loud and clear from the American people and the Congress: you don t have our support, and you don t have our authorization for another war. Clinton, Iowa, September 12, 2007 Barack Obama had the judgment and the courage to oppose the war in Iraq. As the Bush Administration is saber-rattling about Iran, Obama has again stood up against a misguided war. His judgment was proven right, when a National Intelligence Estimate found that Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program in 2003 primarily due to international diplomatic and economic pressure. He opposed the Kyl-Lieberman amendment, which suggests that we should use our military presence in Iraq to counter the threat from Iran. He introduced a Senate resolution declaring that no act of Congress gives the Bush Administration authorization to use military force inside Iran. Barack Obama believes that Iran will be a principle challenges for the next President. He will initiate an aggressive new diplomatic approach to deal with the threat from Iran. As President: He will engage in tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran s leaders He will use both pressure and incentives to deal with the threat from Iran He has offered specific non-military measures to pressure the Iranian regime, including a bill in the Senate to allow states to divest from Iranian assets, and increased international economic pressure on the Iranian regime He has proposed specific incentives to induce Iran to change its behavior, including membership in the World Trade Organization, economic incentives, and a movement toward normal diplomatic relations National leadership requires decisive judgments ahead of -- and not years behind -- critical events. On Iraq, Obama was right, others were dead wrong. Those who were then wrong are now again opportunistically positioning themselves to repeat the same mistake regarding Iran. Zbigniew Brzezinski, National Security Adviser for President Jimmy Carter
Fighting Terror and Extremism We can keep America safe while extending security and opportunity around the world. We can hold true to our values, and in doing so advance those values abroad. And we can be what that child looking up at a helicopter needs us to be: the relentless opponent of terror and tyranny, and the light of hope to the world. Washington D.C., August 1, 2007 Barack Obama will fight terrorism and protect America with a new, comprehensive strategy that turns the page on the Bush Administration s failed approach. The Obama plan: New Capabilities to fight terror: Develop new military and civilian capabilities to target terrorists Establish a Shared Security Program to build international military, intelligence, and law enforcement cooperation Keep nuclear weapons from terrorists by securing all loose nuclear materials in four years Get on the Right Battlefield: End the war in Iraq responsibly Finish the fight in Afghanistan, with at least two additional combat brigades and $1 billion in nonmilitary aid Eliminate the al Qaeda safe-haven and support democracy in Pakistan An Agenda of Hope: Double U.S. foreign assistance to $50 billion and support a $2 billion Global Education fund to provide alternatives to radical madrasas Coordinate a program of public diplomacy to restore America s standing Build America Houses and deploy an America s Voice Corps to build new ties across the Islamic world Reaffirm our values Reject torture without exception or equivocation, including so-called enhanced interrogation techniques like waterboarding Restore the Rule of Law by closing Guantanamo and restoring habeas corpus Provide our intelligence and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to track down terrorists without undermining our Constitution or civil liberties Defending America will require taking the fight to the terrorists, and drying up support for terrorism and extremism worldwide. Senator Obama s counterterrorism strategy shows that he is committed to developing the capabilities required to defeat terrorists on the field of battle, and that he has the vision to defeat the terrorists in the battle of ideas. Major General Scott Gration (USAF-Ret)
Nuclear Weapons: Reducing the Threat, Leading the World Here s what I ll say as President: America seeks a world in which there are no nuclear weapons. Chicago, Illinois, October 2, 2007 Barack Obama believes the gravest danger to the American people is the threat of a terrorist attack with a nuclear weapon and the spread of nuclear weapons to dangerous regimes. Barack Obama has taken bipartisan action to secure nuclear weapons and materials. He joined Senator Dick Lugar in passing a law to help the United States and our allies detect and stop the smuggling of weapons of mass destruction throughout the world. He joined Senator Chuck Hagel to introduce a bill that seeks to prevent nuclear terrorism, reduce global nuclear arsenals, and stop the spread of nuclear weapons. And while other candidates have insisted that we should threaten to drop nuclear bombs on terrorist training camps, Obama believes that we must talk openly and realistically about nuclear weapons because the best way to keep America safe is not to threaten terrorists with nuclear weapons, it s to keep nuclear weapons away from terrorists. As President, Obama will lead America and the world to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons and to protect the common security of all of humanity. Obama will set a goal of a world without nuclear weapons, and pursue it. He will always maintain a strong deterrent as long as nuclear weapons exist. But he will take several steps down the long road toward eliminating nuclear weapons: Secure all loose nuclear materials within four years Stop the development of new nuclear weapons; Work with Russia to take U.S. and Russian ballistic missiles off hair trigger alert; Seek dramatic reductions in U.S. and Russian stockpiles of nuclear weapons and material; Set a goal to expand the U.S.-Russian ban on intermediate-range missiles so that the agreement is global. He will strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to trigger automatic sanctions on nations like Iran and North Korea that break the rules. I ve been pleased by Senator Obama s effective leadership with Senator Lugar on strengthening and broadening the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction concept. I m also pleased with his commitment and dedication to getting nuclear materials secured and safeguarded globally. Sam Nunn, Former United States Senator (D-GA, 1972-1997)
INVESTING IN THE MILITARY WE NEED We must maintain the strongest, best-equipped military in the world in order to defeat and deter conventional threats. But while sustaining our technological edge will always be central to our national security, the ability to put boots on the ground will be critical in eliminating the shadowy terrorist networks we now face. That is why our country s greatest military asset is the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States. Chicago, Illinois, April 23, 2007 The excellence of our military is unmatched. But as a result of a misguided war in Iraq, our forces are under pressure as never before. Obama will make the investments we need so that the finest military in the world is best-prepared to meet 21st century threats. He will: Rebuild trust with those who serve, ensuring that soldiers and Marines have sufficient training time before they are sent into battle. Increase the size of our ground forces, adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines. Give our troops new equipment, armor, training, and new skills like language training Strengthen our civilian capacity so that our civilian agencies have the critical skills and equipment they need to integrate their efforts with our military. Restore readiness of the National Guard and Reserves, permitting the Guardsmen and Reservists adequate time to train and rest between deployments Provide the National Guard with the equipment they need for foreign and domestic emergencies Elevate the Chief of the National Guard to the rank of four-star general, making the chief a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Senator Obama truly wants to unite America and speaking as a former Captain in the 82nd Airborne Division, I know that he has the judgment we need to be our next Commander-in-Chief. U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy (D-PA)
Uniting America and Restoring Trust: An Open and Bipartisan Foreign Policy We don t need another President who thinks big but doesn t feel the need to tell the American people what he or she thinks. We don t need another President who shuts the door on the American people when they make policy. The American people are not the problem in this country they are the answer. And it s time we had a President who acted like it. Chicago, Illinois, October 2, 2007 Barack Obama believes our policies are stronger when they benefit from the input, values and common sense of the American people. He has a track record of bringing people together. By clearly telling the American people where he stands, Obama will build a mandate for a successful foreign policy built on pragmatism, not ideology. He will bring this country together by: Convening a bipartisan Consultative Group of leading members of Congress to foster better executive-legislative relations and bipartisan unity on foreign policy. Ensuring ability, not politics, will determine who fills national security positions Insulating the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) from political pressure by giving the DNI a fixed term, like the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, so that he or she tells the President what they need to hear not just what they want to hear. Changing the culture of secrecy in Washington by creating National Declassification Center to set rules and regulations for declassification for federal agencies, and to provide more information to the public Engaging the American people on foreign policy by requiring his national security officials to have periodic national broadband town hall meetings to discuss foreign policy, and personally delivering occasional fireside chats via webcast. Senator Obama has outlined an important and effective agenda for making government more open and accountable... These thoughtful reforms are urgently needed to assure that government is more open, that intelligence is not politicized, and that the President receives independent and bipartisan advice on key national security questions. Lee Hamilton, former Democratic Congressman, Vice Chair of the 9/11 Commission, Co-Chair of the Iraq Study Group
A SACRED Trust: Being There for America s Veterans To America s veterans, our country must speak with one voice: we honor your service, and we enter into a sacred trust with you from the moment you put on that uniform. That trust is simple: America will be there for you just as you have been there for America. Chicago, Illinois, October 2, 2007 As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, Barack Obama has fought to bring homeless veterans in off the streets, improve care for wounded troops, strengthen mental health care, add billions of dollars in additional Department of Veterans Affairs funding, and reform a system that often places barriers between veterans and the benefits they have earned. As president, Obama will ensure we honor the sacred trust to care for our nation s veterans. He will: Care for the wounded of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by enhancing treatment, cutting red tape, and making it easier for families to be with one another as our troops recover Expand and enhance mental health care at every stage of military service, including more screening, more access to care, and reducing the stigma of seeking care Fully fund the VA and ensure that it provides benefits and care that will be accessible, high-quality, reliable, responsive and fair, year after year. Fix the Veterans Benefits Administration by reducing the claims backlog and making all claims records electronic Establish a national zero tolerance policy for veterans falling into homelessness. Senator Obama has been a leader for veterans in the Senate, and has laid out the most comprehensive plan to care for veterans among the 2008 candidates. Gen. Tony McPeak, former Air Force Chief of Staff
OUR SHARED SECURITY: Re-engaging in Africa What are we doing to pay attention to Africa consistently with respect to our foreign policy? That has been what s missing in the White House, and that our [long]-term security is going to depend on whether we re giving children in Sudan and Zimbabwe and in Kenya the same opportunities so that they have a stake in order as opposed to violence and chaos. Washington, D.C., June 28, 2007 As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Barack Obama has fought to focus America s attention on the challenges facing Africa stopping the genocide in Darfur, ending the conflict in Congo, bringing a war criminal to justice in Liberia, fighting corruption in Kenya, demanding honesty on HIV/AIDS in South Africa, and travelling across the continent generating tremendous excitement. He has also increased America s focus on the long term challenges of education, poverty reduction, disease, strengthening democratic institutions and spurring sustainable economic development in Africa. As president, Obama will: Take immediate steps to end the genocide in Darfur by increasing pressure on the Sudanese Government to halt the killing and stop impeding the deployment of a robust international force. Double our annual investment in foreign assistance from $25 billion in 2008 to $50 billion by the end of his first term and make the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015, America s goals. Fully fund debt cancellation for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries in order to provide sustainable debt relief and invest at least $50 billion by 2013 for the global fight against HIV/AIDS, including our fair share of the Global Fund. Expand prosperity by establishing an Add Value to Agriculture Initiative, creating a small and medium enterprises fund, and reforming the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Launch the Global Energy and Environment Initiative to ensure African countries have access to low carbon energy technology and can profitably participate in the new global carbon market so as to ensure solid economic development even while the world dramatically reduces its greenhouse gas emissions. Senator Obama knows Africa, recognizes the challenges and opportunities it entails, and has laid out an agenda that will strengthen our common security by investing in our common humanity. Susan E. Rice, former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs