Barack Obama foreign policy

Main article: Political positions of Barack Obama

Further information: Foreign policy of the Barack Obama administration

Obama's overall foreign policy philosophy has been postulated as "The Obama Doctrine" by Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne, which Dionne explains as "a form of realism unafraid to deploy American power but mindful that its use must be tempered by practical limits and a dose of self-awareness."

Overview

His first major speech on foreign policy was delivered on April 23, 2007 to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. He identified the problems that he believes the current foreign policy has caused, and the five ways the United States can lead again, focused on "common security", "common humanity", and remaining "a beacon of freedom and justice for the world":

• "Bringing a responsible end" to the war in Iraq and refocusing on the broader region.
• "Building the first truly 21st century military and showing wisdom in how we deploy it."
• "Marshalling a global effort" to secure, destroy, and stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
• "Rebuild and construct the alliances and partnerships necessary to meet common challenges and confront common threats," including global warming.
• "Invest in our common humanity" through foreign aid and supporting the "pillars of a sustainable democracy – a strong legislature, an independent judiciary, the rule of law, a vibrant civil society, a free press, and an honest police force."

During the speech Obama called for an expansion of the United States Armed Forces "by adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines", an idea previously introduced by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

In a Washington, DC speech entitled "A New Strategy for a New World" delivered July 15, 2008, Obama stated five main foreign policy goals:

• ending the war in Iraq responsibly;
• finishing the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban;
• securing all nuclear weapons and materials from terrorists and rogue states;
• achieving true energy security; and,
• rebuilding our alliances to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Foreign policy advisors

Barack Obama is currently advised on foreign policy by a support group of approximately 300 people organized into 20 teams based upon subject. A core group of advisors, led by Susan E. Rice and Anthony Lake, filters hundreds of papers and messages daily to provide the President with more concise positions on foreign policy and more specific reactions to international developments. Obama's foreign policy advisers have included Richard Danzig, Mark Lippert, Gregory Craig, Denis McDonough, Daniel Shapiro, Scott Gration, Sarah Sewall, Ivo Daalder, Jeffrey Bader, Mark Brzezinski, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Richard Clarke, Roger Cressey, Philip Gordon, Lawrence Korb, James Ludes, Robert Malley, Bruce Riedel, Dennis Ross, Mona Sutphen, and Samantha Power (resigned March 7, 2008).

Foreign policy issues

Diplomacy and negotiations

Obama's campaign website states:

The United States is trapped by the Bush-Cheney approach to diplomacy that refuses to talk to leaders we don't like. Not talking doesn't make us look tough — it makes us look arrogant, it denies us opportunities to make progress, and it makes it harder for America to rally international support for our leadership.

Obama is willing to meet with the leaders of all nations, friend and foe. He will do the careful preparation necessary, but will signal that America is ready to come to the table, and that he is willing to lead.

Returning to that theme on May 18, 2008, Obama told a crowd in Pendleton, Oregon that "strong countries and strong presidents talk to their adversaries. ... That’s what Reagan did with Gorbachev." He continued, "Iran, Cuba, Venezuela — these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don’t pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us. And yet we were willing to talk to the Soviet Union at the time when they were saying, 'We’re going to wipe you off the planet.'"

After Senator John McCain criticized those remarks as evidence of Obama's "inexperience and reckless judgment," Obama responded that the United States should have "the courage and confidence" to talk to its adversaries. "Demanding that a country meets all your conditions before you meet with them, that’s not a strategy. It’s just naive, wishful thinking."

Intelligence

In a broad foreign policy address at Chicago's DePaul University on October 2, 2007, Obama touched on intelligence concerns and government secrecy, saying:

I'll turn the page on a growing empire of classified information, and restore the balance we've lost between the necessarily secret and the necessity of openness in a democratic society by creating a new National Declassification Center. We'll protect sources and methods, but we won't use sources and methods as pretexts to hide the truth.

Obama proposes giving the Director of National Intelligence a fixed term independent of Presidential control as one means of depoliticizing the intelligence process and reforming the U.S. intelligence community. In a 2007 article appearing in Foreign Affairs, Obama wrote, "...we should institutionalize the practice of developing competitive assessments of critical threats and strengthen our methodologies of (intelligence) analysis.

He originally opposed efforts to include any legal immunity, especially retroactive immunity, for government officials and telecommunications firms alleged to have taken part in the Bush administration's warrantless eavesdropping program as part of legislation to modernize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. However, on June 20, 2008, Obama issued a statement saying that he would support the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 passed the previous week by the House of Representatives, although he would attempt to have a retroactive immunity provision included in the bill removed before it came to a Senate floor vote. Obama's decision to vote in favor of a bill containing an immunity provision attracted criticism from some of his activist supporters. Obama voted for an amendment to strip retroactive immunity from the bill, but the amendment failed to pass. On July 9, he voted for the entire FISA amendments bill which still included retroactive immunity.

Military

Obama said he would institute an "Independent Defense Priorities Board," cut investments from an “unproven missile defense system,” "set a goal for a world without nuclear weapons," "work with Russia to take our ICBM's off hair trigger alert" and "slow the development of Future Combat Systems."

On April 23, 2007 Barack Obama addressed the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and called for an expansion of the United States Armed Forces "by adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines", an idea previously introduced by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and "providing them with the first-rate equipment, armor, training, and incentives they deserve"; despite his incentives to slow the development of Future Combat Systems. This plan was eventually made manifest in the form of the Grow the Army initiative.

Although he opposes reviving the military draft, Obama favors changing the Selective Service requirements so that women as well as men must register at age 18.

Nuclear proliferation

Obama has spoken out against nuclear proliferation. According to his campaign website, Obama will "crack down on nuclear proliferation by strengthening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty." Obama has also vowed to stop the development of new American nuclear arms, pursuing an ultimate goal of "a world without nuclear weapons."

Foreign aid

Obama is the principal sponsor of the Global Poverty Act of 2007 (S.2433), co-sponsored by Senators Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA). It calls for a "comprehensive strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty". A similar bill, H.R. 1302, was passed by the House of Representatives on September 25, 2007. On August 6, 2008 the Republican National Committee also described the bill as costing $845 billion. The Congressional Budget Office, however, has stated that "implementing S. 2433 would cost less than $1 million per year...."

Countries and regions

Afghanistan

Obama announced a plan — if elected — to deploy an additional 7,000 troops to Afghanistan. "As president, I would pursue a new strategy, and begin by providing at least two additional combat brigades to support our effort in Afghanistan" "We need more troops, more helicopters, better intelligence-gathering and more nonmilitary assistance to accomplish the mission there" "I would not hold our military, our resources and our foreign policy hostage to a misguided desire to maintain permanent bases in Iraq," Obama said on July 14, 2008.

After meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris on July 25 as part of a world tour, Obama said in the joint news conference with Sarkozy, "Afghanistan is a war that we have to win" because al-Qaeda and the radical Islamic Taliban movement cannot be allowed to establish new havens for planning "terrorist attacks . . . that could affect Paris or New York." Obama declared that there were no effective options to this policy, saying, "So we don't have a choice; we've got to finish the job." Obama said the United States "needs to send two additional brigades at least" to Afghanistan and praised Sarkozy for his willingness to send more French troops to that country.

Africa

"Ultimately, a new generation of Africans have to recognize the international community, the international relief organizations or the United States can't help Africa if its own leaders are undermining the possibilities of progress," Obama said.

"The United States must continue to stand strongly against the Mugabe government’s abuses of power in Zimbabwe. We must join with our European allies, the United Nations, and – most importantly – the countries and institutions of the region to press for positive change in Zimbabwe", Obama said on March 15, 2007.

Obama paid tribute to South Africa's ANC fight for freedom, saying they taught lessons to the world and helped inspire his own political career. "If it wasn't for some of the activities that happened here, I might not be involved in politics and might not be doing what I am doing in the United States," he said.

In a nationally televised speech at the University of Nairobi, he spoke forcefully on the influence of ethnic rivalries and corruption in Kenya. The speech touched off a public debate among rival leaders, some formally challenging Obama's remarks as unfair and improper, others defending his positions.

Obama expressed his concerns about the growing number of systematic sexual assaults against women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since Congo Civil War erupted. In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the The Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security and Democracy Promotion Act, the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor, which identifies such systematic sexual violence as a particular threat in Congo.

Antarctica

Obama wants to amend the Antarctic Treaty to make mandatory what had been voluntary restrictions on tourism to Antarctica in order to help protect its fragile environment.

Armenian genocide

On October 31, 2008 Obama issued a statement to Armenians for Obama including the passage: "Barack Obama shares with Armenian Americans a principled commitment to ending genocide. That starts with acknowledging the tragic instances of genocide in world history…Barack Obama strongly supports passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106 and S.Res.106) and will recognize the Armenian Genocide."

On January 19, 2008 Obama announced that as a U.S. Senator, he has stood with the Armenian American community in calling for Turkey's acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide, and supports its recognition. In 2006, Obama criticized Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for firing United States Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, after he used the term "genocide" to describe Turkey's killing of hundreds of thousands of Armenians. Obama said that he shared with Evans his "firmly held conviction that the Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence".

On June, 2008 Obama restated his commitment to U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide in a letter to ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. "I share your view that the United States must recognize the events of 1915 to 1923, carried out by the Ottoman Empire, as genocide. As you know, this resulted in the deportation of nearly 2,000,000 Armenians, of whom 1,500,000 men, women, and children were killed", wrote Obama.

In 2007 Obama supported House Resolution 106 which recognized the killings as genocide.

Cuba

In an August opinion piece in the Miami Herald, he stated: "A democratic opening in Cuba is, and should be, the foremost objective of our policy." He then went on to note: "We need a clear strategy to achieve it – one that takes some limited steps now to spread the message of freedom on the island, but preserves our ability to bargain on behalf of democracy with a post-Fidel government." More to the point, his administration would recognize that "bilateral talks would be the best means of promoting Cuban freedom." In a speech before the Cuban American National Foundation in Miami Obama hardened his position, vowing to maintain the economic embargo against Cuba and not to begin normalizing relations with the US until the island nation took "significant steps towards democracy" including the "freeing of all political prisoners". He characterized his position as "strong, smart, and principled" diplomacy.

According to Hillary Clinton's written statement during her Senate confirmation hearings for Secretary of State, Obama believes in lifting the restrictions on Cuban-Americans making visits and sending cash to their families in Cuba. She reaffirmed that he has no current intention to remove the embargo itself.

China

On March 20, 2008 Obama criticized his rivals for undermining America’s security: "Because of the Bush-McCain policies, our debt has ballooned. This is creating problems in our fragile economy." "It also means we’re having to pay for this war with loans from China. Having China as our banker isn’t good for our economy, it isn’t good for our global leadership, and it isn’t good for our national security. History teaches us that for a nation to remain a preeminent military power, it must remain a preeminent economic power."

Obama appealed to China on grounds of co-operation and increased friendship following Obama's election victory on November 4, 2008. On November 8, 2008, Hu Jintao and Barack Obama had a phone conversation in which the Chinese President congratulated Obama on his recent election victory. During the conversation both parties agreed that the development of US-China relations is not only in the interest of both nations, but also in the interests of the world. But many think Obama administration is too weak to China on many issues from human rights, environment, to currency, and is incautious to short-term and long-term security concerns with the rival and threat.

Darfur

Obama addressing the Save Darfur rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on April 30, 2006.

In a December 2005 Washington Post opinion column, and at the Save Darfur rally in April 2006, Obama called for more assertive action to oppose genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. He has divested $180,000 in personal holdings of Sudan-related stock, and has urged divestment from companies doing business in Iran. In the July–August 2007 issue of Foreign Affairs, Obama called for an outward looking post-Iraq War foreign policy and the renewal of American military, diplomatic, and moral leadership in the world. Saying "we can neither retreat from the world nor try to bully it into submission," he called on Americans to "lead the world, by deed and by example."

Europe

Obama said he would "ask more from our European allies" to win the struggle in Afghanistan. "You can't have a situation where the United States is called upon to do the dirty work, or the United States and Britain are called upon to do the dirty work, and nobody else wants to engage in actual firefights with the Taliban."

India

Barack Obama has pledged to "build a close strategic partnership" between US and India if elected. "Already, in communities across this country, Indian Americans are lifting up our economy and creating jobs," he said. "Leading entrepreneurs, innovators, lawyers, doctors, engineers, and hardworking professionals are adding to the richness and success of the American society." "Too often, flawed strategies like racial profiling have had a disproportionate effect on Indian Americans. Too often, restrictions at our borders have prevented entry for many students and family members who seek nothing more than opportunity and reunification with loved ones", Obama argued in an article he has written for India Abroad. Obama said in an interview with IANS he would support "comprehensive immigration reform", including the H-1B visa programme "to attract some of the world most talented people to America". "We know that we cannot and should not put up walls around our economy."

Iran

During his 2004 Senate campaign, Obama stated that he had not ruled out military action against Iran. In a meeting with the Chicago Tribune editorial board, Obama stated: "The big question is going to be, if Iran is resistant to these pressures, including economic sanctions, which I hope will be imposed if they do not cooperate, at what point are we going to take military action, if any?" Obama stressed that he would only use force as a last resort. Obama has not declared a change in this stance since the 2004 campaign. In 2006, he called on Iran to "take some ownership for creating some stability" in Iraq.

In an interview with NBC's Tim Russert on October 22, 2006, Obama said, "I think that military options have to be on the table when you're dealing with rogue states that have shown constant hostility towards the United States. The point that I would make, though, is that we have not explored all of our options...We have not explored any kind of dialogue with either Iran or North Korea, and I think that has been a mistake. As a consequence, we have almost no leverage over them."

Speaking to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on March 2, 2007, Obama stated that he regards Iran's government as "a threat to all of us," stating that the US "should take no option, including military action, off the table. Sustained and aggressive diplomacy combined with tough sanctions should be our primary means to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons." Diplomacy would include "more determined U.S. diplomacy at the United Nations," "harnessing the collective power of our friends in Europe who are Iran's major trading partners," and "a cooperative strategy with Gulf States who supply Iran with much of the energy resources it needs." He formulated a strategy of "direct engagement with Iran similar to the meetings we conducted with the Soviets at the height of the Cold War."

In a September 2007 speech in Iowa, Obama voiced concern over Bush administration policy on Iran:

...we hear eerie echoes of the run-up to the war in Iraq in the way that the President and Vice President talk about Iran. ... They issue veiled threats. They suggest that the time for diplomacy and pressure is running out when we haven't even tried direct diplomacy. Well George Bush and Dick Cheney must hear — loud and clear — from the American people and the Congress: you don't have our support, and you don't have our authorization for another war.

Obama has criticized Hillary Clinton for supporting the Kyl-Lieberman amendment, which would classify the Iranian Quds Force as a terrorist organization, saying the measure could enable Bush to launch military action against Iran. While specifying that he "would have supported a stand-alone piece of legislation identifying the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization." Obama stated that he would have voted against the Kyl-Lieberman amendment if he had not been in New Hampshire campaigning. The Clinton campaign has countered that this was inconsistent with Obama's co-sponsorship of a 2006 Iran sanctions bill which contained a similar designation. In a June 2008 speech to AIPAC Obama endorsed a boycott of "firms associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, whose Quds force has rightly been labeled a terrorist organization."

On June 4, 2008, Obama spoke at an AIPAC conference where he stated that the Iraq war had endangered Israel because Iran posed a much greater threat. During his speech, Obama stated that "There's no greater threat to Israel or to the peace and stability of the region than Iran" and pledged that "I will do everything in my power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”

After meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris on July 25 as part of a world tour, Obama issued his strongest warning yet to Tehran with Sarkozy at his side. Obama urged Iran to "end its illicit nuclear program" or face increased pressure from a unified international community, saying that the Iranian government should not "wait for the next president" before accepting proposals to resolve the current stalemate with Western countries.

Obama said that the world faced an "extraordinarily grave situation" from Iran's pursuit of a uranium enrichment program, which the United States and its allies fear could be used eventually to build nuclear weapons. Obama said that he had found "uniform concern about Iran" in his meetings with leaders in the Middle East and Europe on his trip.

In July 2008, Obama warned Iran that "A nuclear Iran would pose a grave threat and the world must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon." Obama said no options were "off the table" in dealing with a nuclear threat from Iran but that the country should be offered diplomatic incentives in the form of "big carrots" as well as punitive measures or threats in the form of "big sticks." Obama said, "I think there are opportunities for us to mobilize a much more serious regime of sanctions on Iran, but also to offer them the possibility of improved relations in the international community if they stand down on these nuclear weapons."

In December 2008, Obama gave an interview on Sunday's "Meet the Press" with host Tom Brokaw. During the interview Obama stated that Iran's "threats against Israel are contrary to everything that we believe in and what the international community should accept" and that the United States needs to "ratchet up tough but direct diplomacy with Iran" and make it clear to the Iranians that their development of nuclear weapons and their funding of terrorist organizations "like Hamas and Hezbollah," and threats against Israel are "unacceptable."

Iraq

Obama was an early opponent of Bush administration policies on Iraq, when many Democratic leaders supported the Congressional joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War. Obama was not yet in the United States Senate, and therefore unable to vote on the joint resolution. On October 2, 2002, the day President Bush and Congress agreed on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War, Illinois State Senator Obama addressed the first high-profile Chicago anti-Iraq War rally in Federal Plaza at noon and said: "I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars. [...] You want a fight, President Bush? Let's finish the fight with Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings."

During a July 2004 interview reported by The New York Times when asked how he would have acted in regard to the Iraq resolution in 2002, Obama answered "What would I have done? I don't know. What I know is that from my vantage point the case [against invading Iraq] was not made" and that he was "not privy to Senate Intelligence reports," using it as a reason to support John Kerry and John Edwards in the 2004 election. Obama defended his words on a later edition of Meet the Press saying that he made the statement because it was during the middle of an election in which his party's presidential nominees had both voted to authorize the war and noting that he was openly opposed to the war as early as 2002.

Speaking before the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in November 2006, he said: "The days of using the war on terror as a political football are over. [...] It is time to give Iraqis their country back, and it is time to refocus America's efforts on the wider struggle yet to be won." In his speech Obama also called for a phased withdrawal of American troops starting in 2007, and an opening of diplomatic dialogue with Iraq's neighbors, Syria and Iran.

On January 30, 2007, Obama introduced the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007 into Congress. Among other things, the Act calls for capping the level of troops in Iraq at January 2007 levels, and for commencing a phased redeployment of US forces from Iraq "with the goal of removing all combat brigades from Iraq by March 31, 2008, a date that is consistent with the expectation of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group. Announcing the act on the Senate floor, Obama stated that "no amount of American soldiers can solve the political differences at the heart of somebody else's civil war."

David Petraeus gives an aerial tour of Baghdad to Barack Obama and Chuck Hagel.

Obama has not supported cutting funding to the war as a way to end U.S. involvement in the conflict. He stated that, "Once we were in, we were going to have some responsibility to try to make it work as best we can". Obama was however one of 14 senators who voted against the successful passage of H.R.2206 in May 2007, a bill meant to provide continued funding for the Iraq war free from any withdrawal deadlines.

In an interview with BBC's HARDtalk on March 6, 2008, Obama foreign policy adviser Samantha Power stated that Obama's pledge to "have all [US] combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months" was a "best case scenario" that "he will revisit when he becomes president." She continued, saying that "what we can take seriously is that he will try to get US forces out of Iraq as quickly and responsibly as possible."

Although Obama had previously said he wanted all the U.S. troops out of Iraq within 16 months of becoming President, after he won the primary, he said he might "refine" that promise.

On July 3, 2008 Obama reasserted his position on withdrawal saying "I have always said I would listen to commanders on the ground. I have always said the pace of withdrawal would be dictated by the safety and security of our troops and the need to maintain stability. That assessment has not changed and when I go to Iraq and I have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I’m sure I’ll have more information and will continue to refine my policies."

On July 14, 2008, Obama said he would set a goal of having all U.S. combat brigades out of Iraq by summer 2010 and shift more resources to fighting Taliban in Afghanistan. "We can safely redeploy our combat brigades at a pace that would remove them in 16 months" "That would be the summer of 2010 -- two years from now, and more than seven years after the war began," Obama said on July 14, 2008.

During his 2008 election campaign, Obama promised he would provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries.

Israel

Speaking to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on March 2, 2007, Obama called Israel "our strongest ally in the region," and stated: "We must preserve our total commitment to our unique defense relationship with Israel by fully funding military assistance and continuing work on the Arrow and related missile defense programs." On the Palestinian Authority's newly agreed (but short-lived) unity government, Obama said: "We should all be concerned about the agreement negotiated among Palestinians in Mecca last month."

Obama denounced former President Jimmy Carter for meeting with Hamas representatives in Egypt. Obama said, "We must not negotiate with a terrorist group intent on Israel's destruction. We should only sit down with Hamas if they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist, and abide by past agreements."

In June 2008, Obama became the first presidential candidate ever to publicly back the traditional Israeli position that Jerusalem remain forever undivided under Israel rule. "Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided," Obama declared on June 4, 2008. Days later, he said, "obviously, it's going to be up to the parties to negotiate a range of these issues. And Jerusalem will be part of those negotiations."

On a July 2008 world tour focused on trouble spots for U.S. national security interests, Obama met with Israeli president Shimon Peres, prime minister Ehud Olmert, opposition party leader Benjamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas and prime minister Salam Fayyad. Obama reiterated that Jerusalem should be the capital of Israel, but that territorial disputes regarding that city and elsewhere needed to be resolved without direct U.S. involvement. "That’s an issue that has to be dealt with by the parties involved, the Palestinians and the Israelis, and it is not the job of the United States to dictate the form in which that will take, but rather to support the efforts that are being made right now to resolve these very difficult issues that have a long history." On the same trip, Obama said, "The state of Israel faces determined enemies who seek its destruction, but it also has a friend and ally in the United States that will always stand by the people of Israel."

Obama's selection for his Vice-Presidential candidate, Joe Biden, has stressed that Obama is strongly pro-Israel. In a speech in September 2008, Biden stated "I am chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. I give you my word as a Biden, I would not have given up that job to be Barack Obama's vice president if I didn't in my gut and in my heart and in my head know that Barack Obama is exactly where I am on Israel. And he is...I promise you ... we will make [Israel] more secure."

In February 2009, following his inauguration, Obama announced that the United States would boycott the 2009 Durban Review Conference due to concerns that, like its predecessor, the 2001 World Conference against Racism, the conference might become a platform for anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. The decision was praised by the National Post, a conservative newspaper, where columnist Jonathan Kay stated that this decision "signifies that — contrary to overheated campaign propaganda contained in GOP smear-campaign email blasts — Obama is hardly soft on the Israeli file."

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Obama meets with leaders of major American Jewish Organizations, including Malcolm Hoenlein, March 1, 2011

Referring to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in January 2006, Obama denounced Hamas while praising former Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon. At a meeting with then Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom on the eve of Hamas' sweeping election victory, Obama stated that Sharon's role in the conflict had always been "absolutely important and constructive." At a meeting with Palestinian students two days later, Obama stated opposition to Hamas in favor of rival party Fatah, noting his desire to "consolidate behind a single government with a single authority that can then negotiate as a reliable partner with Israel." In a comment aimed at Hamas, he said that "the U.S. will always side with Israel if Israel is threatened with destruction."

In March 2007, Obama told Democratic activists in Iowa, "Nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian people. ...if we could get some movement among Palestinian leadership, what I'd like to see is a loosening up of some of the restrictions on providing aid directly to the Palestinian people."

Obama has also discussed in more general terms his views about the Palestinians vis-à-vis the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On June 4, 2007, he stated that:

...resolution [to the conflict] and a better life for all people... is something that can be achieved, but it's going to require some soul-searching on the Palestinian side. They have to recognize Israel's right to exist; they have to renounce violence and terrorism as a tool to achieve their political ends; they have to abide by agreements. In that context, I think the Israelis will gladly say, "Let's move forward negotiations that would allow them to live side by side with the Palestinians in peace and security."

Obama was also a co-sponsor of the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006, which in part calls on "members of the international community to avoid contact with and refrain from financially supporting the terrorist organization Hamas until it agrees to recognize Israel, renounce violence, disarm, and accept prior agreements, including the Roadmap."

On April 7, 2009, Obama spoke to university students at a round table in Istanbul, Turkey in which he stated that he was committed to achieving a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians and praised Turkey for its role as a peace broker during the conflict. Obama stated that:

"It will depend on young people like you being open to new ideas and new possibilities and it will require young people like you never to stereotype or assume the worst about other people. In the Muslim world, this notion that somehow everything is the fault of the Israelis lacks balance -- because there's two sides to every question. That doesn't mean that sometimes one side has done something wrong and should not be condemned. But it does mean there's always two sides to an issue. I say the same thing to my Jewish friends, which is you have to see the perspective of the Palestinians. Learning to stand in somebody else's shoes to see through their eyes, that's how peace begins. And it's up to you to make that happen."

2006 Israel-Hezbollah War

Obama defended Israel's response to the killing of eight Israeli soldiers and kidnapping of two others near the border with Lebanon, telling NBC's Tim Russert on August 22, 2006, "I don't think there is any nation that would not have reacted the way Israel did after two soldiers had been snatched. I support Israel's response to take some action in protecting themselves."

Discussing the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War Obama said, "don't fault Israel for wanting to rid their border with Lebanon from those Katyusha missiles that can fire in and harm Israeli citizens, so I think that any cease fire would have to be premised on the removal of those missiles."

Kosovo

Obama's reaction to Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence in 2008 was that the "announcement of independence by the leadership of Kosovo ends a chain of events that began with the bloody break-up of the former Yugoslavia. Kosovo’s independence is a unique situation resulting from the irreparable rupture Slobodan Milosevic’s actions caused; it is in no way a precedent for anyone else in the region or around the world." He expressed hope that "Serbia and Kosovo can emerge as models of democratic and economic growth, and their people can know a bright future." The Obama administration has expressed strong support for Kosovar independence, and Obama dispatched Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to meet with the republic's leaders to affirm his administration's commitment to seeking greater international recognition for the state.

Middle East

Main article: Middle Eastern foreign policy of the Barack Obama administration

In his first formal television interview as President, Obama addressed the Muslim world through an Arabic-language satellite TV network Al-Arabiya. He expressed interest and a commitment to repair relations that have continued to deteriorate under the previous administration. He called for a new partnership with the Muslim world, "based on mutual respect and mutual interest." The American envoy to the region is former Sen. George J. Mitchell.

Pakistan

In an address on national security to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars on August 1, 2007, Obama stated that as President he would consider military action in Pakistan in order to attack al-Qaeda, even if the Pakistani government did not give approval. Obama said, "I will not hesitate to use military force to take out terrorists who pose a direct threat to America." He also said "As President, I would deploy at least two additional brigades to Afghanistan to reinforce our counter-terrorism operations".

On August 1, 2007 Obama declared in a foreign policy speech that the United States must be willing to strike al Qaeda targets inside Pakistan, with or without the consent of the Pakistani government. He said, "If we have actionable intelligence about high value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will". On the same day in response, then-White House press secretary Tony Snow highlighted the policy's shift from the position established by the Bush Administration, he said: "Our approach to Pakistan is one that not only respects the sovereignty of Pakistan as a sovereign government, but is also designed to work in a way where we are working in cooperation with the local government".

After weeks of discourse surrounding the policy, Obama said there was misreporting of his comments, saying that, "I never called for an invasion of Pakistan or Afghanistan." He clarified that rather than a surge in the number of troops in Iraq, there needs to be a "diplomatic surge" and that if there were "actionable intelligence reports" showing al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, the U.S. troops as a last resort should enter and try to capture terrorists. That would happen, he added, only if "the Pakistani government was unable or unwilling" to go after the terrorists.

Obama has said that he would hold Pakistan accountable for the massive military aid it has received from Washington if he were elected to the White House. He said his administration will increase pressure on Pakistan to come to terms with terrorist safe havens along its northern border with Afghanistan. He noted that the US was providing Pakistan military aid which he said was being misused by that country to prepare for a war against India. However former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had said '"Wherever there is a threat to Pakistan, we will use it [equipment provided by the US] there. If the threat comes from al-Qaeda or Taliban, it will be used there. If the threat comes from India, we will most surely use it there,".

In December 2009, President Obama in a speech on a policy about Pakistan said 'In the past, we too often defined our relationship with Pakistan narrowly. Those days are over... The Pakistani people must know America will remain a strong supporter of Pakistan's security and prosperity long after the guns have fallen silent, so that the great potential of its people can be unleashed'.

In January 2010, Obama sought to increase funds to Pakistan; these funds would 'promote economic and political stability in strategically important regions where the United States has special security interests'.; in october last year Obama signed $7.5 Billion aid bill for Pakistan over the next 5 years. Obama also sought $3.1 billion of aid for Pakistan to defeat al-Qaeda in the 2010 fiscal year.

South Ossetia

"I wholeheartedly condemn the violation of Georgia's sovereignty. I think it is important at this point for all sides to show restraint and to stop this arms conflict. Georgia's territorial integrity needs to be preserved and now is the time for direct talks," Obama said on August 8, 2008. Moscow sent tanks into the pro-Russian separatist region of South Ossetia when Georgia, a staunch U.S. ally, launched a military offensive to retake the breakaway province.

Zimbabwe

Obama supports Zimbabweean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and congratulated him upon his swearing-in as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, but he has historically been a critic of President Robert Mugabe. Obama's position is that sanctions should remain against the Zimbabwean government until Mugabe shows signs of cooperating with Tsvangirai.

See also

• Comparison of United States presidential candidates, 2008
• List of Barack Obama presidential campaign endorsements, 2008
• Middle Eastern foreign policy of the Barack Obama administration
• Obama Doctrine
• Political positions of Joe Biden

External links

Official sites

• BarackObama.com - Answer Center
• BarackObama.com - Issues
• Obama Senate.gov - Issues

Topic pages and databases

General

• Chicago Tribune - Candidate coverage
• On the Issues - Issue positions
• Project Vote Smart - Candidate information, including issue positions

Disability issues

• Obama answers questions on disability issues

Environment

• Obama & environmental issues: Comprehensive review from the League of Conservation Voters.

Foreign affairs

• "Renewing American Leadership" - detailed article article by Barack Obama in Foreign Affairs
• Barack Obama's positions on top foreign policy issues - extensive material documented by the Council on Foreign Relations

Health care

• 2008 Presidential Candidate Health Plan Report Card issued by the National Physicians Alliance
• 2008 Presidential Candidates' Health Reform Proposals from The Commonwealth Fund

Israel and the Middle East conflict

• Obama on Zionism and Hamas - extensive interview with Jeffrey Goldberg
• Speech by Senator Barack Obama
• McCain, Obama positions on Mideast issues Associated Press June 6, 2008