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Foreign Policy

Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.

Teddy Roosevelt

Principles

All Americans should affirm that our first obligation is the security of our country. To all those who defend it, we owe our full support and gratitude.  The waging of war – and the achieving of peace – should never be micromanaged on the floor of the Senate and House of Representatives.

  • A strong national defense is absolutely necessary for the future of our country.
  • Funding for key priorities like missile defense and the war on terror should be adequete to meet their important mission.

Dan's Record

Iran

Iran is the world's principal state-sponsor of terrorism. It is interfering with stabilization efforts in Iraq, undermining the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, stifling democracy in Lebanon, and it has been deceiving International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the international community about the extent and the purpose of its nuclear program for decades. Furthermore, since being elected in June 2005, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has aggressively pursued an extremist foreign policy that not only directly threatens military action by a nuclear-armed Iran against Israel, but also vows that "anybody [widely understood to be a reference to the United States and Western Europe] who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nations' fury."

Some in Congress, the Administration and international diplomatic circles still believe that Iran can be reasoned with much the same way that leaders in Europe thought Hitler could be reasoned with before World War Two. Yet, time and time again, Iran has scorned diplomatic and economic propositions offered by the international community to renounce terrorism and give up its nuclear ambitions. Iran's strategic plan is blatantly obvious: with one hand it is stringing along diplomatic negotiations with the world's powers, while with the hand behind its back it continues to pursue nuclear research. Unless the world wakes up to this problem soon and holds the regime in Iran accountable for its threatening behavior, there is no doubt that the world - particularly Israel and the United States - will be forced to deal with the deadly consequences of having a radical anti-American, anti-Western, anti-Israel regime, armed with nuclear weapons and entrenched as the dominant power in the Middle East.

I believe that we should cultivate U.S. support among the Iranian population and substantially increase democracy promotion efforts that encourage the population to demand more moderate leadership. Also, we should increase communication through TV, radio, and the Internet to widely disseminate information inside Iran about the regime's repression and corruption. In addition, we should provide more effective assistance to Iranian dissidents and pro-democracy Non-Governmental Organizations here in the United States and abroad. In the end though, the bottom line is that Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon.

Iraq

The United States is now in a war in Iraq that, despite the reasons we got there, we now must win.  We cannot precipitously leave Iraq, which will most likely create a larger region-wide problem.

I supported the "Surge" of forces in Iraq.  This Surge has succeeded.  Violence in Iraq is at an all time low.  The policies that helped bring peace to Iraq today must be continued until it is prudent to bring our troops home.

Israel

The creation of the state of Israel is a remarkable story of a great people who forged out of a barren desert a new and dynamic society, and created a unique and vital economic, political, cultural, and intellectual life.  This happened despite the heavy costs of seven wars, unrelenting terrorism, frequent international ostracism, and economic boycotts. As a result, in a particularly volatile part of the world, today Israel stands alone as the only Nation in the entire Middle East with a vibrant and functioning pluralistic and democratic system that guarantees the freedoms of speech and of the press, free, fair, and open elections, and respect for the rule of law.

For well over 50 years, based on our mutually-shared democratic values, common strategic interests, and moral bonds of friendship and mutual respect, the United States and Israel have created and maintained a special relationship. The State of Israel has been an unwavering friend and ally of the United States. And most recently, Israel has stood in complete solidarity with the United States in the Global War on Terror.

Helping Israel survive and thrive is not only in the United States’ best strategic interests it is simply the right thing to do. The Middle East's unstable mixture of unconventional weaponry, advanced military technology, political instability, and radical fundamentalism threatens both Israel's security and America's vital interests in the region and around the world. Consequently, it is all the more important that America's commitment toward Israel be unquestioned. Our strong commitment helps Israel take risks for peace and makes it clear to Israel's neighbors that Israel is a permanent reality that must be dealt with directly. Our dedication to Israel must take many shapes. We must continue financial aid to Israel. We must help Israel maintain her qualitative military edge. We must actively support a peace process that recognizes Israel’s right to exist and guarantees the safety of her borders. And we must maintain our support for a united Jerusalem as Israel's capital.


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