cindy25
12-06-2007, 02:14 AM
the question for Mike should be at what time would you support a draft? he is vulnerable on this, especially since he is the only Dem to support expanding national service programs.
here is the complete article:
Huckabee knocks Bush foreign policy
By Aaron Blake
September 28, 2007
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee leveled some of the harshest criticisms of the Bush administration’s foreign policy yet from the GOP presidential field, saying it has mismanaged relations with Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Laying out his foreign policy platform in Washington on Friday, Huckabee restated his support for continuing the war in Iraq. But the bulk of his speech was devoted to the United States’ and Bush’s shortcomings.
Huckabee said the U.S. is ignoring options besides armed conflict with Iran, has trusted the Saudis too much and has allowed Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to go back on his commitment to allow American forces to root out terrorism within his borders.
“Just like Musharraf, since 9/11, the Bush administration has played both ends and the middle, assuring the American people that it’s doing everything it can to protect them, while tiptoeing around our supposed ally,” Huckabee said. “It’s been afraid of upsetting the apple cart, even though the cart contains poisoned apples destined for export to the United States.”
Huckabee said the United States has trusted the Saudis and made them rich, only to see the funds used as “seed money for terrorism,” and that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will ultimately back whoever can win.
He said the U.S. is headed down one track with Iran and ignoring options besides war — a result he said would greatly please Osama bin Laden.
Huckabee said the American public under Bush has been ill-informed about the threat Muslim extremists pose. He argued that Europe is a bigger breeding ground for terrorists than the U.S., because European Muslims are considered second-class citizens, and called Pakistan the “corporate headquarters” for terrorism.
“The administration has never done a good job of explaining the theology and the ideology behind Islamic terror, never done an adequate job of convincing us of their ruthless fanaticism,” Huckabee said.
Huckabee said the goal of spreading democracy needs to be balanced with promoting stability, and pushing the former too fast has harmed the latter.
Huckabee also said he favors increasing defense spending and growing the military, moving up toward the 6 percent of the gross domestic product spent during President Ronald Reagan’s presidency. He said he doesn’t support a military draft “at this time.”
While defending the Iraq war and the recent troop increase, he said too few troops were used at the outset and that the U.S. would have had better intelligence if it had had an ambassador in the country prior to the war.
Huckabee compared the efforts there to cancer treatment.
“It’s rough, but the alternative is death,” he said.
here is the complete article:
Huckabee knocks Bush foreign policy
By Aaron Blake
September 28, 2007
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee leveled some of the harshest criticisms of the Bush administration’s foreign policy yet from the GOP presidential field, saying it has mismanaged relations with Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Laying out his foreign policy platform in Washington on Friday, Huckabee restated his support for continuing the war in Iraq. But the bulk of his speech was devoted to the United States’ and Bush’s shortcomings.
Huckabee said the U.S. is ignoring options besides armed conflict with Iran, has trusted the Saudis too much and has allowed Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to go back on his commitment to allow American forces to root out terrorism within his borders.
“Just like Musharraf, since 9/11, the Bush administration has played both ends and the middle, assuring the American people that it’s doing everything it can to protect them, while tiptoeing around our supposed ally,” Huckabee said. “It’s been afraid of upsetting the apple cart, even though the cart contains poisoned apples destined for export to the United States.”
Huckabee said the United States has trusted the Saudis and made them rich, only to see the funds used as “seed money for terrorism,” and that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will ultimately back whoever can win.
He said the U.S. is headed down one track with Iran and ignoring options besides war — a result he said would greatly please Osama bin Laden.
Huckabee said the American public under Bush has been ill-informed about the threat Muslim extremists pose. He argued that Europe is a bigger breeding ground for terrorists than the U.S., because European Muslims are considered second-class citizens, and called Pakistan the “corporate headquarters” for terrorism.
“The administration has never done a good job of explaining the theology and the ideology behind Islamic terror, never done an adequate job of convincing us of their ruthless fanaticism,” Huckabee said.
Huckabee said the goal of spreading democracy needs to be balanced with promoting stability, and pushing the former too fast has harmed the latter.
Huckabee also said he favors increasing defense spending and growing the military, moving up toward the 6 percent of the gross domestic product spent during President Ronald Reagan’s presidency. He said he doesn’t support a military draft “at this time.”
While defending the Iraq war and the recent troop increase, he said too few troops were used at the outset and that the U.S. would have had better intelligence if it had had an ambassador in the country prior to the war.
Huckabee compared the efforts there to cancer treatment.
“It’s rough, but the alternative is death,” he said.