| Iraq, Afghanistan & Pakistan Issues |
* Barack Obama - D
 |
Ralph Nader - I
 |
Chuck Baldwin - CON
 |
| Iraq, a General Statement |
Obama: I opposed this war from the beginning. I opposed the war in 2002. I opposed it in 2003. I opposed it in 2004. I opposed it in 2005. I opposed it in 2006. I introduced a plan in January to remove all of our combat brigades by next March. And I am here to say that we have to begin to end this war now.
Let me be clear: there is no military solution in Iraq, and there never was. The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq's leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops. Not in six months or one year - now. We should enter into talks with the Iraqi government to discuss the process of our drawdown. We must get out strategically and carefully, removing troops from secure areas first, and keeping troops in more volatile areas until later. But our drawdown should proceed at a steady pace of one or two brigades each month. If we start now, all of our combat brigades should be out of Iraq by the end of next year.
The President would have us believe there are two choices: keep all of our troops in Iraq or abandon these Iraqis. I reject this choice... It's time to form an international working group with the countries in the region, our European and Asian friends, and the United Nations.... We should up our share to at least $2 billion to support this effort; to expand access to social services for refugees in neighboring countries; and to ensure that Iraqis displaced inside their own country can find safe-haven. .... Iraqis must know that those who engage in mass violence will be brought to justice. We should lead in forming a commission at the U.N. to monitor and hold accountable perpetrators of war crimes within Iraq.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/09/12/obama_unveils_comprehensive_pl.php Date: 09/12/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Iraq Policy |
Obama: Obama proposes we:
Responsibly redeploy our troops from Iraq by issuing a transparent time table for the planned withdrawal of our troops.
Aggressively surge the diplomacy required to press for a political solution within Iraq, and to keep neighboring countries from fomenting instability in Iraq.
Dramatically increase assistance to Iraq's two million displaced.
Dramatically increase assistance for refugees, including the more than 2 million in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt.
Fill the 7,000 asylum slots in the United States that the State Department pledged to fill earlier in the year. Political leadership will be required to expedite the department of homeland security's review of Iraqi asylum applicants. Thus far, this year, only 190 Iraqis have been allowed into the United States - an embarrassing number given the scope of the problem, and the fact that many Iraqis have risked their lives working with American forces in Iraq.
Appeal to those countries that were part of the Coalition in the Iraq war to expand their refugee quotas and to increase bilateral assistance to Iraq's neighbors who are carrying the refugee burden. Arab governments, especially US allies in the Gulf, such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, should also be enlisted.
Ensure that our military and financial assistance to Iraq's government and security forces is not being diverted to sectarian militias.
And make clear to the militia leaders and government officials in Iraq that the United States and the international community is going to catalogue and prepare to hold the perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide accountable for their crimes.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/08/23/obama_statement_on_the_nationa.php Date: 08/23/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Iraq Reconstruction |
Obama: It's time to form an international working group with the countries in the region, our European and Asian friends, and the United Nations.... We should up our share to at least $2 billion to support this effort; to expand access to social services for refugees in neighboring countries; and to ensure that Iraqis displaced inside their own country can find safe-haven. .... Iraqis must know that those who engage in mass violence will be brought to justice. We should lead in forming a commission at the U.N. to monitor and hold accountable perpetrators of war crimes within Iraq.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/09/12/obama_unveils_comprehensive_pl.php Date: 09/12/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Political Progress |
Obama: I want to be clear. Our troops have performed brilliantly in Iraq. They have done everything we have asked of them. They have won every battle they have fought. They have built schools and trained battalions. I know there are honest differences about the next steps that we should take. And the truth is -- there are no good options.
All of our top military commanders recognize that there is no military solution in Iraq. And no matter how brilliantly and bravely our troops and their commanders perform, they cannot and should not bear the responsibility of resolving grievances at the heart of Iraq's civil war. No military surge can succeed without political reconciliation and a surge of diplomacy in Iraq and the region. Iraq's leaders are not reconciling. They are not achieving political benchmarks. The only thing they seem to have agreed on is to take a vacation. That is why I have pushed for a careful and responsible redeployment of troops engaged in combat operations out of Iraq, joined with direct and sustained diplomacy in the region. And that is why I will continue to push the President to change our policy.
Some argue that we should just replace Prime Minister Maliki. But that wouldn't solve the problem...The problems in Iraq are bigger than one man. Iraq needs a new Constitutional convention that would include representatives from all levels of Iraqi society - in and out of government. The United Nations should play a central role in convening and participating in this convention, which should not adjourn until a new accord on national reconciliation is reached.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/09/12/obama_unveils_comprehensive_pl.php Date: 09/12/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Private Security like Blackwater |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Cutting Off War Funding |
Obama: With one stroke of his pen, President Bush has stubbornly ignored the will of the American people, the majority of Congress and, most disturbingly, the realities on the ground in Iraq. Now we call upon our Republican colleagues in Congress to help override this veto and acknowledge what the President will not - that there is no military solution to a political conflict that lies at the heart of this civil war. Only the Iraqi leadership can make peace, and the best way to pressure them to do so is still a phased withdrawal of American forces with the goal of removing all combat troops from Iraq by March 30th, 2008. It is time to end this war so we can bring our troops home and redeploy our forces to help fight the broader struggle against terrorism and other threats of this new century.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/05/01/_obama_statement_on_presidents.php Date: 05/01/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Federalizing Iraq into Kurd, Shiite and Sunni States |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Sunnis and Shiites |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Humanitarian Situation in Iraq |
Obama: On Iraq, we hear that the surge is succeeding. Let me be clear: the surge is not the solution to Iraq's problems because it is not achieving the political benchmarks that were the stated purpose of our troop increase. You cannot end a civil war unless the warring parties resolve their differences, and only a removal of our combat brigades will put meaningful pressure on the Iraqis to do so.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/12/18/obama_discusses_new_judgment_w.php Date: 12/19/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Length of Deployments |
Obama: As President, I will end the war in Iraq. We will have our troops home in sixteen months.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/30/in_remarks_at_dnc_fall_meeting.php Date: 11/30/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Continued US Military Presence in Iraq |
Obama: Obama has a plan to immediately begin withdrawing our troops engaged in combat operations at a pace of one or two brigades every month, to be completed by the end of next year. He would call for a new constitutional convention in Iraq, convened with the United Nations, which would not adjourn until Iraq's leaders reach a new accord on reconciliation. He would use presidential leadership to surge our diplomacy with all of the nations of the region on behalf of a new regional security compact. And he would take immediate steps to confront the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Iraq.
Source: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/ Date: 09/30/2007 |
Nader: No. Every day the US military remains in Iraq we imperil US security, drain our economy, ignore our nation's domestic needs and prevent democratic self-rule from developing in Iraq, nor does the belligerent rhetoric of the Bush regime help the cause of moderates in Iraq.
Source: Candidate Website Date: 10/04/2008 |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Timetable for Withdrawal |
Obama: We must end this war in Iraq. I opposed this war from the beginning--in part because I believed that if we gave this President the open-ended authority to invade Iraq, we would end up with the open-ended occupation we find ourselves in today. We shouldn't be sending more troops to Iraq, we should be bringing them home. It's time to find an end to this war. That's why I have a plan that will begin withdrawing our troops from Iraq on May 1st of this year, with the goal of removing all of our combat forces from the country by March of 2008. We have to make sure we're not as careless getting out of this war as we were getting in, and that's why this withdrawal would be gradual, and would keep some US troops in the region to prevent a wider war and go after Al Qaeda and other terrorists. But above all, it's a plan that recognizes a fact that just about everyone in the world understands except the White House--there is no military solution to this war.
Source: 2007 IAFF Presidential Forum in Washington DC Date: 03/14/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Deadline for US Pullout |
Obama: We don't have to wait until George Bush is out of office to end the war in Iraq. The American people are tired of losing our sons and daughters to Iraq's civil war and spending billions of dollars every week on the wrong policy. We're tired of setting back our security and neglecting pressing priorities at home and around the world. It's time to stop giving President Bush a blank check for a war that should never have been fought. The Feingold-Reid legislation starts the responsible redeployment of our troops out of Iraq's civil war, and sets a hard end date to conclude that drawdown. This is the best policy for our troops, and for pressing Iraq's leaders to finally get serious about resolving their differences. I have opposed this war from the beginning. I will continue to urge my colleagues to support legislation that sets a direction out of Iraq, and a deadline to complete our drawdown. I will continue to urge Americans to press their Senators and Representatives to come together to end this war.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/09/20/obama_statement_on_feingoldrei.php Date: 09/20/2007 |
Nader: Yes.
Source: Candidate Website Date: 10/04/2008 |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Troop Surge |
Obama: The goal of the surge was to create space for Iraq's political leaders to reach an agreement to end Iraq's civil war. At great cost, our troops have helped reduce violence in some areas of Iraq, but even those reductions do not get us below the unsustainable levels of violence of mid-2006. He would use presidential leadership to surge our diplomacy with all of the nations of the region on behalf of a new regional security compact.
Source: www.barackobama.com Date: 12/07/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Iraq's Role in War on Terror |
Obama: I find it amusing that those who helped to authorize & engineer the biggest foreign policy disaster in our generation are now criticizing me for making sure that we are on the right battlefield and not the wrong battlefield in the war against terrorism. We are seeing Al Qaida stronger now than at any time since 2001. That is a significant threat that has to be dealt with. Because we have been distracted, we have ended up seeing a more dangerous situation, and so we are not--this is not just a matter of who is right and who is wrong about having gone to war or the surge. It's also, how do we deal with the future threats? And as long as we're bogged down in Iraq, we are not going to be able to deal with those future threats.
Source: 2007 AFL-CIO Democratic primary forum Date: 08/08/2007 |
Nader: No.
Source: Candidate Website Date: 10/04/2008 |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Loss of American Lives in Iraq |
Obama: I never think that troops who do their mission for their country, are dying in vain. But what I do think is that the civilian leadership and the commander in chief has a responsibility to make sure that they have the plans that are going to allow our troops to succeed in their mission.
Source: 2007 YouTube Democratic Primary debate, Charleston SC Date: 07/23/2007 |
Nader: No. The way to save US and Iraqi lives and reverse the escalating spiral of violence is for the United States to go back home. US presence serves as fuel for the insurrection, kidnapping, terrorism and anarchy. Since the occupation is increasingly turning mainstream Iraqis against the US; announcing a withdrawal and ending the corporate takeover of the Iraqi economy and oil resources will attract their support away from the insurgents.
Source: Candidate Website Date: 10/04/2008 |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Staying in Iraq for "as long as it takes to do the job" |
Obama: We can still have troops in the region, outside of Iraq, that can help on counterterrorism activities, and we've got to make sure that they don't establish long-term bases there
Source: 2007 AFL-CIO Democratic primary forum Date: 08/08/2007 |
Nader: No, the best way to stabilize Iraq and saves lives is to get out, not just American troops but contractors and corporations.
Source: Candidate Website Date: 10/04/2008 |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Iraq Role in Making Americans Safer |
Obama: Perhaps the saddest irony of the Administration's cynical use of 9/11 is that the Iraq War has left us less safe than we were before 9/11. Osama bin Ladin and his top lieutenants have rebuilt a new base in Pakistan where they freely train recruits, plot new attacks, and disseminate propaganda. The Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan. Iran has emerged as the greatest strategic challenge to America in the Middle East in a generation. Violent extremism has increased. Terrorism has increased. All of that is a cost of this war.
Source: Barack Obama's official candidate website Date: 09/12/2007 |
Nader: No, it has made us less safe.
Source: Candidate Website Date: 10/04/2008 |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Abu Ghraib Prison |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Going to War in Iraq |
Obama: When I was invited to speak out against George Bush's plan to invade Iraq as a Senate candidate five years ago, I didn't listen to those who warned me that it was politically risky position to take, I listened to my gut, and I said loud and clear that this was the wrong war at the wrong time and Congress should stand up and say so.
I am proud that I opposed this war from the start, because I thought that it would lead to the disastrous conditions that we've seen on the ground in Iraq.
The American people weren't just failed by the President - they were failed by the Congress. Too many members of Congress failed to ask hard questions. Too many members of Congress, including some of my opponents in this race, failed to read the National Intelligence Estimate for themselves - an intelligence report that was so unconvincing, and so filled with qualifications, that the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee decided to vote against the war when he read it for himself. Too many Democrats fell in line with George Bush, and voted to give him the open-ended authority to wage war that he uses to this day.
t is long past time to end a war that never should have started. I introduced legislation in January that would have already started to bring our troops home, and I will continue to lead the fight in the Senate for a fixed timeline with a deadline for the removal of all of our combat troops. I have proposed an immediate and sustained removal of 1 to 2 combat brigades each month to conclude by the end of next year. We have to come together -- not as Republicans and Democrats -- but as Americans to turn the page in Iraq so that we can recapture our unity of purpose at home and our leadership around the world.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/12/20/obama_hosts_discussion_with_in.php Date: 12/20/2007 |
Nader: The quagmire of the Iraq war and occupation could have been averted.
Source: Candidate Website Date: 10/04/2008 |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Afghanistan, a General Statement |
Obama: As I have stated unequivocally, I have always thought that we did the right thing in Afghanistan. My only concerns with respect to Afghanistan was that we diverted our attention from Afghanistan in terms of moving into Iraq, and I think would could have done a better job of stabilizing that country than we have in providing assistance to the Afghani people. All of us should be rooting for the Afghani people & making sure that we are providing them the support to make things happen.
Source: IL Senate Debate, Illinois Radio Network Date: 10/12/2004 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| US Military Presence in Afghanistan |
Obama: Just yesterday, we learned on the front page of the Washington Post that the U.S. military is pressing for a quicker drawdown from Iraq so we can salvage stability in Afghanistan. Six years after we took our eye off the ball in Afghanistan - the origin of the 9/11 attacks - we still don't have our priorities straight. That's why it's time to stop funding a failed policy, to remove our combat brigades from Iraq, and to increase our military, political, and economic commitment to Afghanistan. That's what I spoke out for in 2002, that's what I've called for in this campaign, and that's what I'll do as President.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/12/18/obama_discusses_new_judgment_w.php Date: 12/19/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Taliban |
Obama: Afghanistan is an area where we should be focusing. NATO has made real contributions there. Unfortunately, because of the distraction of Iraq, we have not finished the job in terms of making certain that we are driving back the Taliban, stabilizing the Karzai government, capturing bin Laden and making sure that we've rooted out terrorism in that region.
Source: 2007 South Carolina Democratic primary debate, on MSNBC Date: 04/26/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Pakistan, a General Statement |
Obama: The first thing we want to do is to contact the Pakistani government to get assurances from them that the nuclear stockpiles are secured. The second thing is to make sure that Musharraf is sending a clear message to the family of Bhutto and her supporters that he recognizes this is a tragedy and express sympathies to try to keep tempers cooled in the capital cities and major urban areas. And the third thing that we have to do is to make sure that elections continue... My main concern is making sure that the opposition parties feel comfortable that they have the opportunity to participate in fair and free elections. That also means that we reinstate an independent judiciary in Pakistan, that there is a free press, that the campaigning can proceed. Because our primary interest is making sure that whatever government emerges in Pakistan is viewed as legitimate. The vast majority of the Pakistani people are moderate and believe in rule of law. That's who we want as allies in the fight against Islamic extremism.
Source: CNN Late Edition: 2007 presidential series with Wolf Blitzer Date: 12/30/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| President Musharaff |
Obama: The first thing we want to do is to contact the Pakistani government to get assurances from them that the nuclear stockpiles are secured. The second thing is to make sure that Musharraf is sending a clear message to the family of Bhutto and her supporters that he recognizes this is a tragedy and express sympathies to try to keep tempers cooled in the capital cities and major urban areas. And the third thing that we have to do is to make sure that elections continue. If they're not going to continue as planned on January 8th, then shortly thereafter, but there has to be a clear message from the Musharraf government that in fact this won't be used as an excuse to subvert democracy.
I understand that President Musharraf has his own challenges. But let me make this clear. There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 Americans. They are plotting to strike again. It was a terrible mistake to fail to act when we had a chance to take out an al Qaeda leadership meeting in 2005. If we have actionable intelligence about high value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will.
Source: FactCheck.org on 2007 AFL-CIO Democratic primary forum Date: 08/07/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Iraq, Afghanistan & Pakistan Issues |
Bob Barr - L
 |
John Mccain - R
 |
| Iraq, a General Statement |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: A greater military commitment now is necessary if we are to achieve long-term success in Iraq. John McCain agrees with retired Army General Jack Keane that there are simply not enough American forces in Iraq. More troops are necessary to clear and hold insurgent strongholds; to provide security for rebuilding local institutions and economies; to halt sectarian violence in Baghdad and disarm Sunni and Shia militias; to dismantle al Qaeda; to train the Iraqi Army; and to embed American personnel in Iraqi police units. Accomplishing each of these goals will require more troops and is a crucial prerequisite for needed economic and political development in the country. America's ultimate strategy is to give Iraqis the capabilities to govern and secure their own country.
Source: www.johnmccain.com Date: 12/05/2007 |
| Iraq Policy |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: For most of the occupation, military strategy has focused on securing all of Iraq by establishing bases and conducting short operations from them. Ultimately, this secured only small areas of the country. John McCain believes the current force structure and power vacuum persisting in many areas of the country demands a more robust counterinsurgency strategy. Iraqi and American forces must not only use force to clear areas occupied by insurgents but to stay and hold these areas to deny them as a base for insurgent forces and allow economic and political development to occur in a secure environment. By emphasizing safety of the local population, this strategy will create strongholds in which insurgents find it difficult to operate.
Building a capable Iraqi army is a central requirement for ensuring Iraq's ability to govern and protect itself long after American forces have withdrawn. The U.S. must accelerate the training and equipping of Iraqi armed forces and police to enable them to play a key role in securing Iraq. Only in a secure environment will the development of Iraq's political and economic institutions have a chance to succeed. Ultimately, Iraq's future lies in the hands of its people, government, and armed forces, and strengthening them is an essential requirement for bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq. Until Iraqi forces are ready, however, a precipitous U.S. withdrawal would condemn Iraq to civil war and intervention by its neighbors and energize al Qaeda and other jihadists across the globe. This would gravely jeopardize American security.
John McCain believes that only by controlling the violence in Iraq can we pave the way for a political settlement. But once the Iraqi government wields greater authority, it will be incumbent upon Iraqi leaders to take significant steps on their own. These include a commitment to go after the militias, a reconciliation process for insurgents and Baathists, more equitable distribution of government resources, provinc [Response was truncated to maximum response length of 2000 characters.]
Source: www.johnmccain.com Date: 12/05/2007 |
| Iraq Reconstruction |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: While it is crucial to focus military efforts on insurgents, particularly against Sunni fighters using violence to strengthen their political position, John McCain believes there must be a greater emphasis on non-military components promoting economic development and representative, accountable governance.
In territories newly secured by the "clear, hold, and build" counterinsurgency strategy, many of the critical steps to succeeding in Iraq can begin to be implemented. Massive reconstruction can go forward without overwhelming fear of attack and sabotage. A substantial employment program can begin to give hope and opportunity to Iraqi citizens. Political meetings and campaigning can take place more freely. Average Iraqis will be more secure as militias and terrorists are reigned in and violence reduced. All of this will help civil society to emerge and deepen.
Source: www.johnmccain.com Date: 12/05/2007 |
| Political Progress |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Private Security like Blackwater |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Cutting Off War Funding |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Federalizing Iraq into Kurd, Shiite and Sunni States |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Sunnis and Shiites |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Humanitarian Situation in Iraq |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Length of Deployments |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Continued US Military Presence in Iraq |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: After asking multiple times if McCain supports an "open-ended, unconditional commitment," "perpetual war" and "permanent bases" in Iraq, McCain said, "No, not forever, but certainly, you would be there for a long period of time in a support role in many ways." When asked if that meant 30 or 40 years, McCain said, "Oh, I don't know."
Source: www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/06/11/weekend_watchdogmccain_still_dodging.php Date: 06/11/2007 |
| Timetable for Withdrawal |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: It's my job to give my best estimate to the American people, no matter what the political calculations may be, as to what's the best in our nation's national security interest. It's also my obligation to tell the American people and my constituents in Arizona that I represent, what the consequences of failure will be; and I believe they will be catastrophic.
Source: Meet the Press: Meet the Candidates 2008 series Date: 05/13/2007 |
| Deadline for US Pullout |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Troop Surge |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: It [the surge] is working. No, not "apparently"; it's working. It's working because we've got a great general. We've got a good strategy. The Maliki government is not doing the things we want it to do, the police are not functioning the way we want them to do, but we are succeeding.
Source: 2007 GOP debate at UNH, sponsored by Fox News Date: 09/05/2007 |
| Iraq's Role in War on Terror |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: America has a vital interest in preventing the emergence of Iraq as a Wild West for terrorists, similar to Afghanistan before 9/11. By leaving Iraq before there is a stable Iraqi governing authority we risk precisely this, and the potential consequence of allowing terrorists sanctuary in Iraq is another 9/11 or worse. In Iraq today, terrorists have resorted to levels of barbarism that shock the world, and we should not be so naive as to believe their intentions are limited solely to the borders of that country. We Americans are their primary enemy, and we Americans are their ultimate target...
Our defeat in Iraq would constitute a defeat in the war against terror and extremism and would make the world a much more dangerous place. The enemies we face there harbor the same depraved indifference to human life as those who killed three thousand innocent Americans on a September morning in 2001...
Some argue the war in Iraq no longer has anything to do with us; that it is a hopelessly complicated mess of tribal warfare and sectarian conflict. The situation is complex, and very difficult. Yet from one perspective it is quite simple. We are engaged in a basic struggle: a struggle between humanity and inhumanity; between builders and destroyers. If fighting these people and preventing the export of their brand of radicalism and terror is not intrinsic to the national security and most cherished values of the United States, I don't know what is.
Source: John McCain's official candidate website Date: 10/24/2007 |
| Loss of American Lives in Iraq |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Staying in Iraq for "as long as it takes to do the job" |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Iraq Role in Making Americans Safer |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: It was worth getting rid of Saddam Hussein. He had used weapons of mass destruction, and it's clear that he was hell-bent on acquiring them...
The war in Iraq is justified because of the threat of Saddam Hussein... It was a good idea. It was not worth the failures that happened, but it is worth it at the end of the day because we will have peace and success in the Middle East, and our men and women will return, and return with honor, and they won't have to go back and fight al Qaeda there.
Source: RRepublican Presidential Debate, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida Date: 01/24/2008 |
| Abu Ghraib Prison |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Going to War in Iraq |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: It was worth getting rid of Saddam Hussein. He had used weapons of mass destruction, and it's clear that he was hell-bent on acquiring them...
The war in Iraq is justified because of the threat of Saddam Hussein...
It was a good idea. It was not worth the failures that happened, but it is worth it at the end of the day because we will have peace and success in the Middle East, and our men and women will return, and return with honor, and they won't have to go back and fight al Qaeda there.
Source: Republican Presidential Debate, Florida Atlantic University, hosted by MSNBC Date: 01/24/2008 |
| Afghanistan, a General Statement |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| US Military Presence in Afghanistan |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Taliban |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Pakistan, a General Statement |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: It's a nuclear nation. I am convinced that there are some military people within Pakistan who are more Islamic than the present leadership--radicalized, I mean. What the US should be doing is encourage the reconciliation between Bhutto and Musharraf. I would hope that we would be able to defuse some of the situation. But it would have to be a very, very radical regime to take over for it to be a nuclear threat.
Source: FOX News Sunday, 2007 presidential interviews Date: 12/21/2007 |
| President Musharaff |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |