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Romney Campaign Press Release - America Can't Afford Four More Years Of "Bumps In The Road" Abroad

October 08, 2012

"After nearly four years in office, President Obama's foreign policy is unraveling and America's safety and security is threatened. Iran is marching toward nuclear weapons capability and mobs have threatened our embassies abroad. And while our enemies have grown stronger, the President has left our nation's closest ally in the Middle East, Israel, increasingly isolated. As president, Mitt Romney will restore our nation's leadership in the world and reverse President Obama's policies of weakness and decline." — Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

President Obama's Foreign Policy Is Unraveling In The Middle East And America's Security Is Threatened Throughout The World

President Obama, On His Foreign Policy In The Middle East: "I Was Pretty Certain And Continue To Be Pretty Certain That There Are Going To Be Bumps In The Road..." KROFT: "Have the events that took place in the Middle East, the recent events in the Middle East given you any pause about your support for the governments that have come to power following the Arab Spring?" OBAMA: "Well, I'd said even at the time that this is going to be a rocky path. ... But I was pretty certain and continue to be pretty certain that there are going to be bumps in the road because-- you know, in a lot of these places-- the one organizing principle-- has been Islam." (CBS's "60 Minutes," 9/23/12)

Recent Unrest In The Middle East Has Called "Into Question Central Tenets" Of President Obama's Middle East Policies. "The upheaval over an anti-Islam video has suddenly become Mr. Obama's most serious foreign policy crisis of the election season, and analysts say it is calling into question central tenets of his Middle East policy. Did he do enough throughout the Arab Spring to help the transition to democracy from autocracy? Has he drawn a hard enough line against Islamic extremists? Did his administration fail to address security concerns? Has his outreach to the Muslim world yielded any lasting benefits?" (Peter Baker and Mark Landler, "U.S. Is Preparing For A Long Siege Of Arab Unrest," The New York Times, 9/15/12)

"The White House Is Girding Itself For An Extended Period Of Turmoil That Will Test The Security Of American Diplomatic Missions..." "After days of anti-American violence across the Muslim world, the White House is girding itself for an extended period of turmoil that will test the security of American diplomatic missions and President Obama's ability to shape the forces of change in the Middle East. Although the tumult subsided Saturday, senior administration officials said they had concluded that the sometimes violent protests in Muslim countries may presage a period of sustained instability with unpredictable diplomatic and political consequences." (Peter Baker and Mark Landler, "U.S. Is Preparing For A Long Siege Of Arab Unrest," The New York Times, 9/15/12)

  • Even Allies Of President Obama Have Questioned Whether The Obama Administration Has Provided Adequate Protection For Americans Serving In Diplomatic Posts Abroad. "The Benghazi attack calls into question the accuracy of intelligence-gathering and whether vulnerable American personnel overseas are receiving adequate protection. Even allies of the president like Senator John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have petitioned the White House for more information about how the government protects diplomatic installations abroad." (Mark Landler, "Shifting Reports On Libya Killings May Cost Obama," The New York Times, 9/28/12)

President Obama "Has Been Roundly Criticized For Lacking An Overall Strategy" In The Middle East. "The president has been roundly criticized for lacking an overall strategy in the region as protests have spread, governments have been toppled and violence has escalated. But Obama and his staff have repeatedly warned of the dangers of the perception that the United States is intervening in Arab countries." (Sam Youngman, "Obama Considering 'Targeted Sanctions,' Against Syria," The Hill, 4/25/11)

For Weeks, The Obama Administration Has Struggled To Offer Consistent Accounts Of The Terrorist Attack On Our Diplomatic Mission In Libya:

For Weeks Following The Terrorist Attacks In Libya, President Obama And His Advisers Offered "Shifting Accounts Of The Fatal Attacks." "The Obama administration's shifting accounts of the fatal attack on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, have left President Obama suddenly exposed on national security and foreign policy, a field where he had enjoyed a seemingly unassailable advantage over Mitt Romney in the presidential race." (Mark Landler, "Shifting Reports On Libya Killings May Cost Obama," The New York Times, 9/28/12)

  • "After First Describing The Attack As A Spontaneous Demonstration Run Amok, Administration Officials Now Describe It As A Terrorist Act..." "After first describing the attack as a spontaneous demonstration run amok, administration officials now describe it as a terrorist act with possible involvement by Al Qaeda. The changing accounts prompted the spokesman for the nation's top intelligence official, James R. Clapper Jr., to issue a statement on Friday acknowledging that American intelligence agencies 'revised our initial assessment to reflect new information indicating that it was a deliberate and organized terrorist attack carried out by extremists.'" (Mark Landler, "Shifting Reports On Libya Killings May Cost Obama," The New York Times, 9/28/12)

USA Today: "In Fact, Every Aspect Of The Early Account — Peddled Most Prominently By U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice — Has Unraveled." "Three weeks after an attack in Libya killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans, we now know that it did not spring from a spontaneous protest, spurred by an anti-Muslim video, as the Obama administration originally described it. In fact, every aspect of the early account — peddled most prominently by U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice — has unraveled." (Editorial, "Shifting Libya Attack Story Raises Red Flags," USA Today, 10/1/12)

President Obama's Foreign Policy Failures Have Left Iran Emboldened And Moving Toward Nuclear Weapon Capability:

President Obama's "Early Overtures To Iran Were Rejected" And Iran's Nuclear Program Has Expanded. "Obama's early overtures to Iran were rejected, and the expansion of Tehran's nuclear program, which it says is purely peaceful, has created tension between Washington and Israel, which sees a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its existence." (Matt Spetalnick and Mark Felsenthal, "Obama Warns Iran On Nuclear Bid, Containment 'No Option'," Reuters, 9/25/12)

Iran Has Succeeded In "Adding Thousands Of Centrifuge Machines To Its Underground Facility" And Has Grown Its Uranium Stockpile. "No firm dates for new negotiations have been set, and Middle East analysts say no breakthrough is likely until after the November election. Meanwhile, Iran's success in adding thousands of centrifuge machines to its underground facility — and the inexorable growth of its uranium stockpile — continues to stoke fears of an Israeli airstrike. It has also left the White House vulnerable to Republican charges that administration policies, while well-intentioned, have ultimately been fruitless." (Joby Warrick, "Obama's Policy On Iran Bears Some Fruit, But Nuclear Program Still Advances," The Washington Post, 9/24/12)

The Washington Post: "The Result Is That President Obama Is Not Even Leading From Behind On Iran; He Is Simply Behind." "The result is that President Obama is not even leading from behind on Iran; he is simply behind. At the forefront of the Western effort to pressure Tehran is French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who issued a statement Monday calling on the European Union, the United States, Japan, Canada and 'other willing countries' to 'immediately freeze the assets of Iran's central bank' and suspend purchases of Iranian oil." (Editorial, "More Half-Measures From Obama Administration On Iran," The Washington Post, 11/22/11)

And While Our Nation's Security Is Threatened, President Obama Has Put Distance Between America And Its Closest Ally In The Middle East:

"Obama Has Had A Shaky Relationship With Israel And Its Leaders." "Mr. Obama has had a shaky relationship with Israel and its leaders. In 2011, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a rare public rebuke of Mr. Obama at the White House over the president's comments that peace negotiations should resume based on Israel's borders before it gained new territory in the 1967 Six Day War." (Jared A. Favole, "Obama Attacked Over Party Platform On Jerusalem," The Wall Street Journal, 9/4/12)

  • During President Obama's Time In Office, Israel Has Become "More Isolated Than Ever." "Obama's inability to bring Israelis and Palestinians together is especially problematic today, as the Arab Middle East remakes itself and Israel, more isolated than ever, weighs a military strike against Iran." (Scott Wilson, "Where Obama Failed On Forging Peace In The Middle East," The Washington Post, 7/14/12)

President Obama Has Not Visited Israel Since Taking Office. "Obama visited Israel in 2008 while he was a presidential candidate but has not been back since. He has been to 30 countries, so far, as commander-in-chief, including Ghana, Ireland and El Salvador." (Cameron Joseph, "GOP: Romney Can Shame Obama, Boost Foreign Policy Credentials With Israel Trip," The Hill, 5/14/12)

President Obama Has Referred To Israel As Merely "One Of Our Closest Allies In The Region." OBAMA: "Now I feel an obligation, not pressure but obligation, to make sure that we're in close consultation with the Israelis-- on these issues. Because it affects them deeply. They're one of our closest allies in the region. And we've got an Iranian regime that has said horrible things that directly threaten Israel's existence." (CBS's "60 Minutes," 9/23/12)

The Democratic National Convention Began With "Confusion And Dissent" After Party Officials Initially Removed Recognition Of Jerusalem As Israel's Capital From The Party Platform. "The second night of the Democratic National Convention began in confusion and dissent Wednesday over a last-minute effort to reinsert language in the party's platform invoking God and affirming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, an embarrassing episode that marred what otherwise has been a highflying gathering." (Matea Gold and Christi Parsons, "Democrats Stumble On Party Platform Language," Los Angeles Times, 9/6/12)

  • Democrats' Last-Minute Efforts To Backtrack And Reinsert References To Jerusalem Into The Platform "Triggered Booing By Delegates." "The second night of the Democratic National Convention began in confusion and dissent Wednesday over a last-minute effort to reinsert language in the party's platform invoking God and affirming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, an embarrassing episode that marred what otherwise has been a highflying gathering. The maneuver triggered booing by delegates in Time Warner Cable Arena and raised questions about how President Obama's campaign overlooked the omissions in the drafting process..." (Matea Gold and Christi Parsons, "Democrats Stumble On Party Platform Language," Los Angeles Times, 9/6/12)

Mitt Romney, Romney Campaign Press Release - America Can't Afford Four More Years Of "Bumps In The Road" Abroad Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/303477

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