OBAMA on the
Size of the Military
“I strongly support the expansion of our ground forces by adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines." (Apr '07)
OBAMA on Iran
Would "take no options off the table
when it comes to preventing [Iran] from using nuclear weapons or
obtaining nuclear weapons, and that would include any threats directed
at Israel or any of our allies in the region." (Apr '08)
"[L]aunching some missile strikes into Iran is not the
optimal position for us to be in given the ongoing war in Iraq. On the
other hand, having a radical Muslim theocracy in possession of nuclear
weapons is worse. So I guess my instinct would be to err on not having
those weapons in the possession of the ruling clerics of Iran." (Oct '06)
"It is important to have tough sanctions
on Iran, particularly on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which
supports terrorism," (Oct '07)
"[T]he big question is going to be, if
Iran is resistant to these pressures [to stop its nuclear program],
including economic sanctions, which I hope will be imposed if they do
not cooperate, at what point . . . if any, are we going to take
military action?" (Sep '04)
OBAMA on Israel's Occupation of Palestine
"[W]e must preserve our total commitment to our unique
defense relationship with Israel by fully funding military assistance
and ... related missile defense programs, he said. This would help
Israel maintain its military edge and deter and repel attacks from as
far as Tehran and as close as Gaza." (Mar '07)
Said the 2008 violence in Gaza was the
result of Hamas’ decision to launch rocket attacks on Israeli
civilians, and Israel has a right to defend itself (Mar '08) and that the US should not meet with (the democratically elected) Hamas (Mar '08) |
OBAMA on War
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"I am not opposed to all wars, I'm opposed to dumb wars."
(Oct '02) |
"The truth is that my foreign policy is actually a
return to the traditional bipartisan realistic policy of George Bush's
father, of John F. Kennedy, of, in someways, Ronald Reagan." (Mar '08)
"No President should ever hesitate to use force unilaterally if
necessary to protect ourselves and our vital interests when we are
attacked or imminently threatened."
(Apr '07)
OBAMA on Pakistan
"Military strikes on Pakistan should not be ruled out if violent Islamic extremists were to take over" (Sep '04)
Said the United States must be willing to strike al Qaeda targets inside Pakistan (Apr '07)
OBAMA on Afghanistan
Was "a strong supporter of the war in Afghanistan". (Aug '07)
Supports a military 'surge' in Afghanistan. (May '08)
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OBAMA on Iraq
"There’s not much of a difference between my position and George Bush’s position" on Iraq. (Jul '04)
Would not pledge to have all troops out of Iraq by the end of his first-term. (Sep '07)
Would not rule out using mercenaries (private military companies) like Blackwater in Iraq. (Feb '08)
Two weeks after the Iraq war started he said, we "absolutely want to
make sure that the troops have sufficient support to be able to win." (Mar '03)
Said that US troops should be "relieved of the burden of policing
someone else's civil war," and that Iraqis need "to take responsibility
for their own future.” (Jan '08)
Miscellaneous OBAMA
Voted for Patriot Act II. (Mar '06)
Voted for building a fence along
the U.S./Mexican border. (Sep '06)
Said the government must crack down on employers who hire 'illegal immigrants'. (Sep '06)
Said the embargo on Cuba
should end because it failed to
overthrow Castro. (Jan '04)
Supported Israel's war against
Lebanon. (Aug '06)
Voted to allow credit card
companies to raise interest rates
to over 30%. (Mar '05)
Voted to expand NAFTA to Peru.
(Oct '07)
Voted for Bush’s 2005 energy
bill which sent billions of dollars
in subsidies to oil companies. (Jun '05)
Because he was campaigning he skipped the vote on Attorney General Michael Mukasey. (Nov '07)
Voted for Robert Gates (of the Iran-Contra scandal) to be Defense Secretary. (Dec '06)
Supports the death penalty. (Feb '07)
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