Edwards Outlines Fundamental Differences on National Security
Calls for New Leadership to Fix Bush “Miscalculations” and Make America Stronger at Home and Respected in the World
Stronger at Home, Respected in the World: The Kerry-Edwards National Security Strategy
Wilmington, NC - Speaking in Wilmington, NC, Democratic Vice Presidential nominee John Edwards Monday outlined the fundamental national security choice facing voters in this election: four more years of a go-it-alone foreign policy that undermines the war against terror or the Kerry-Edwards plan to make America stronger at home and respected in the world.
“After months of saying he’d done everything right on Iraq and foreign policy, the president acknowledged just the other day that he miscalculated the way in which he waged the war in Iraq,” Edwards said. “He believes that he may have won the war too quickly and that was a miscalculation. I want to talk to you about the other ways in which this president has ‘miscalculated’ our approach to foreign policy. The Bush administration miscalculated by rushing to war without a plan for the peace. The Bush administration miscalculated by deciding to go it alone without strong allies. The Bush administration miscalculated when they waited three years after September 11th to start to reform our intelligence.”
Stripping away the slogans, failed policies and personal attacks swirling around New York this week, Edwards said the Bush administration has led America down the wrong path in the wake of September 11th and that only a new president and a new approach can make America as safe as it can be.
“I know that some Americans question whether or not there are differences between us and our opponents – whether it is winning the war on terror, strengthening and leading strong alliances, and finishing the job in Afghanistan and Iraq. When it comes to how America fights terror and leads the world, make no mistake: this election offers the American people a very real choice,” Edwards said.
The policies of the Bush administration have weakened America’s leadership in the world. The president rushed to war in Iraq with no plan to win the peace. He pursued a go-it-alone foreign policy that has squandered America’s leadership in the world and alienated the allies we need to win the war on terror. He has provided billions for Halliburton while our troops have been shortchanged on body armor and benefits.
Bush first resisted the creation of the 9/11 Commission, then put up road blocks to its investigation, and now has been slow to implement its recommendations. “To win the war on terror, we need three things: a strong offense, a strong defense, and strong alliances,” Edwards said. “We will go on the offensive to defeat the terrorists before they get to us. We will strengthen our defenses by providing greater homeland security. And we will build strong alliances to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction -- and bring stability and freedom to Afghanistan and Iraq. This is what we will do. This is what they haven’t done. And that is a difference.”
As Edwards outlined today, Kerry and Edwards represent a very different choice for the American people.
On Afghanistan, which has become a forgotten front in the war on terror, the Kerry-Edwards administration will meet America’s commitment to bring stability and prevent the resurgence of the Taliban. They will work to get NATO to accelerate expansion of forces outside of Kabul and keep additional troops in place beyond the election period. To stop the exploding drug trade, Kerry and Edwards will double counter-narcotics assistance and will work with our British allies to create a fully capable Afghan counter-narcotics force.
In Iraq, we face a situation complicated by the Bush administration’s failures. To address this, a Kerry-Edwards administration will work with NATO to accelerate the training of Iraq’s security forces and provide security so that elections can move forward. “Because of this administration’s failures, Iraq is a mess today -- and it probably will be the day we take office,” Edwards said. “It didn’t have to be this way. But it is. And we need new leadership to fix it.”
As president, John Kerry will provide America new leadership to strengthen and restore alliances. With our friends and allies by our side can we effectively fight the war on terror, keep weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of terrorists, finish the job in Afghanistan and win the peace in Iraq.
With our allies by our side, Kerry and Edwards will go on the offensive to defeat global terrorism by transforming the military to meet this threat and enhancing international cooperation to improve intelligence and law enforcement efforts. They will also launch a comprehensive strategy to win the war of ideas in the Muslim world.
The number one national security priority of a Kerry-Edwards administration will be to prevent terrorists from obtaining the most dangerous weapons. They will accelerate efforts to secure vulnerable nuclear materials and weapons, lead efforts to end nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran, strengthen the Nonproliferation Treaty, and work toward a global ban on the production of materials for nuclear weapons. A Kerry-Edwards Administration will also create a Nuclear Whistleblower Initiative to ensure that any scientists who are willing to disclose an illicit weapons program will be given protection and a safe haven in the United States.
Kerry and Edwards will also better protect the homeland with a new strategy that takes steps as big as the threats we face. They will improve security at our borders and ports and launch a major effort to secure our most vulnerable critical infrastructure. They will also ensure that our first-responders have the training, resources and equipment they need to respond to any attacks.
“This won’t be easy,” Edwards said. “It will not happen overnight. It will take hard work, sacrifice, and courage. It will take new and sustained leadership. One thing you can take to the bank: John Kerry and I will do all we can to make America stronger at home and respected in the world.”
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0830.html
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
