If Elected: The Candidates on Foreign Policy

[sniffa]

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton foresees a “remaining military as well as political mission” in Iraq, and says that if elected president, she would keep a reduced military force there to fight Al Qaeda, deter Iranian aggression, protect the Kurds and possibly support the Iraqi military.

Mrs. Clinton said the scaled-down American military force that she would maintain would stay off the streets in Baghdad and would no longer try to protect Iraqis from sectarian violence. But, she said, there were “remaining vital national security interests in Iraq” that would require a continuing deployment of American troops.

With many Democratic primary voters favoring a total withdrawal, Senator Clinton appears to be trying to balance her political interests with the need to retain some flexibility. Like other Democratic candidates, she has called for engaging Iran and Syria in talks and called on President Bush to reverse his troop buildup.

But while Mrs. Clinton has criticized Mr. Bush’s troop reinforcements as an escalation of war, she said in the interview, “We’re doing it, and it’s unlikely we can stop it.”

Mrs. Clinton made it clear that she believed the next president is likely to face an Iraq that is still plagued by sectarian fighting and occupied by a sizable number of American troops.

In broad terms, Mrs. Clinton’s strategy is to abandon the American effort to stop the sectarian violence and to focus instead on trying to prevent the strife from spreading throughout the region by shrinking and rearranging American troop deployments within Iraq.

Some counterinsurgency experts say the plan is unrealistic because Iraqis are unlikely to provide useful tips about Al Qaeda if American troops end their efforts to protect Iraqi neighborhoods.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/02/us/politics/02ifelected.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin

[gateley]

1. You'd think they'd ask the CHAIRMAN of the SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE

He's running for President, too. :grr:

Edit to add smiley - which is not strong enough, believe me.

[sniffa]

2. oh, but he doesn't count

he's 2nd tier. :eyes:

[gateley]

3. You think I'd have gotten that through my head by now.

:7

[sniffa]

4. yes, you should just support a "top tier"

otherwise, you're throwing your vote away. :crazy:

:hi:

[gateley]

11. Right you are! I'm on it!

:hi:

[AlCzervik]

5. my nephew is leaving for his third tour in a few weeks, Iraq is the number 1 issue

for me.

[sniffa]

6. it's the number 1 for many people

i feel like i'm living in a dream world sometimes. :(

[AlCzervik]

7. everytime he goes the feeling of dread is worse and i haven't told my kid yet

the last time she just fell apart.

[sniffa]

8. i'm sorry

:hug:

i have nothing to say. i only have 2 connections to Iraq; one who's there now and has survived for so long; and the other is someone i don't know personally, but is a neighbor who lost his hands and most of his face. i think of him often and it shakes me to my core. :(

[AlCzervik]

9. thanks, and i look forward to the day i can say he's out for good.

:hug: i hope the soldier you know that is there gets home safe and well, and your neighbor thats lost most of his face, i can't even imagine what his life must be like but i hope he's surrounded by people who love him.

[sniffa]

10. his parents are taking care of him

but it freaks me the fuck out about him - i can't get the image out of my brain of when he first came home. :(

i hope Bilko (name changed to protect the innocent) comes home ok too. i was one of the most adamant at trying to convince him not to join the Army. but he assured me he won't have to go to Iraq if he didn't want to. :eyes:

he's now an officer though, so i hope that gives him a better "edge" at surviving. :/

[gateley]

12. Chimp and sniffa

If you haven't seen this video - please give it a look. Not to push Joe, but so you know that -- regardless if he becomes President or not -- he'll be fighting like hell for our troops and veterans. They have someone in their corner. You can tell how much he cares.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vxWwZA9gk4


My thoughts are with you.

:grouphug: