Issues: Obama on foreign policy and defense

October 10, 9:28 PMMiami Law & Politics ExaminerJorge Luna

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“Our country's greatest military asset is the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States. When we do send our men and women into harm's way, we must also clearly define the mission, prescribe concrete political and military objectives, seek out advice of our military commanders, evaluate the intelligence, plan accordingly, and ensure that our troops have the resources, support, and equipment they need to protect themselves and fulfill their mission.”

—    Barack Obama, Chicago Foreign Affairs Council, April 23, 2007

In his speeches, Senator Barack Obama has made clear from the outset, that the development of his foreign and defense policies has benefitted from George W. Bush’s excellent example – on what NOT to do.  Barack Obama’s plan is a rejection of the Bush model as it has been carried out for most of the last 8 years. 

On his official website, Obama explains that America’s military is dealing with the ill effects of:

• A national security structure that was developed and organized in the late 1940s to win the Cold War and is no longer flexible enough to deal with today’s security concerns;
• Servicemen and women who are under-resourced and asked to do too much by a policy that has too often taken their sacrifice for granted at incredible cost to themselves and their families;
• Recruiting and retention problems have been swept under the rug by an administration that does not understand the value of service to our nation; and
• A system that has ignored our veterans and wounded soldiers.

 
America is also dealing with the effects of foreign policy decisions that have isolated us and given our enemies a reason to target us:

• A refusal to have substantive conversations with anyone other than our best friends which has been proven wrong in countries like Cuba (still Communist after 50 years) and the Soviet Union (which fell from the grip of Communism AFTER substantial dialogue occurred.)
• A “war-first” mentality that gives no incentive to our enemies to do anything other than prepare for a threatened invasion or participate in terrorism.
• The politicizing of the intelligence community so that honest and real analysis is discouraged, while agreement at all costs was rewarded.
• A partisan “with us or against us” attitude at home.
• A negligence of our friends in Latin America combined with ineffective belligerence towards our adversaries.

So how does Obama plan to right the ship?  Among the highlights:

An investment in a 21st century armed forces, not by purchasing the most expensive toys, but with effective use of our resources, such as foreign language, cultural awareness, and human intelligence training, a glaring need to this day in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Further, he plans to assure the integration of civilian personnel so that our soldiers, experts at the art of war, can benefit from the assistance of experts – in most everything else.

Obama will emphasize service to one’s country and increase the size of the armed forces, fully equipping them BEFORE they are put in harm’s way, with body armor, appropriate weaponry, and safe transport vehicles.  Unmanned drones will be used more often and more effectively.

He will reform contracting and eliminate “no-bid” contracts so that the Halliburton’s don’t get rich at the expense of our taxpayers, and more importantly, our troops well-being.

He plans a phased, thought-out withdrawal of Iraq which will allow Obama to restore the readiness and flexibility of the armed forces, including the National Guard. 

And finally, he will restore our alliances, especially NATO, so that common concerns are dealt with a united response.

Of course, restoring alliances and increasing good will is the centerpiece of Obama’s foreign policy plan. To do so, he will rebuild the diplomatic links that are currently being neglected, promote democracy by speaking to leaders, not only of friendly countries, but of those who distrust and dislike us. He will seek out new friends and trading partners. He will help those fighting the ravages of natural acts or needing protection from the ravages of their own people. 

The U.S. will lead in the fights against poverty, AIDS, and nuclear proliferation. Finally, the Obama administration will take special interest in places such as Darfur, Latin America, Israel, and Asia.

Finally, Senator Obama plans on investing in alternative forms of energy so as to reduce or eliminate or dependance on foreign oil within 10 years.