Foreign policy views
2008-12-01 14:04
Washington - Here are some views on foreign policy issues expressed by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Iraq
"Ending the war in Iraq is the first step toward restoring
the United States' global leadership," Clinton wrote a year ago
in an article in Foreign Affairs magazine. US troops had to
be brought home safely and stability restored to the region,
she said.
But on the campaign trail, Clinton was more reluctant than
Obama to commit to a firm timetable for withdrawing US troops
from Iraq. She refused to apologise for her 2002 Senate vote
authorising the war, but did say she would like to have that
vote back to do over.
Afghanistan, Pakistan and al-Qaeda
During the race for the Democratic presidential nomination,
Clinton, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said
the United States should focus more on improving security in
Afghanistan. She has called for greater US troop deployments
there. She also has suggested a US envoy who could shuttle
between the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan to help them in
their efforts against a resurgent Taliban and al-Qaeda presence
in their countries.
Iran
A big question for Obama's secretary of state will be how
to approach Iran. The Bush administration, which accuses Iran
of seeking to build a nuclear bomb and helping militant groups
in Iraq, has generally shunned contacts with Tehran.
During the presidential primary season, Clinton charged
that Obama's willingness to meet leaders of Iran, Syria and
North Korea was evidence of his naivete about foreign policy.
She has threatened to "obliterate" Iran if it uses nuclear
weapons against Israel.
But Clinton also has argued for engaging Iran, Syria and
other countries of the region in talks about the future of
Iraq. And one of her top foreign policy advisers, Richard
Holbrooke, a former assistant secretary of state, suggested
recently that US contacts with Iran should start through
private and confidential channels to determine if there is a
basis for continuing.
Middle East
Clinton stresses the need for Arab-Israeli peace, but is
considered a favourite of the pro-Israel lobby in the United
States. She says the fundamentals are a Palestinian state in
Gaza and the West Bank in return for a declaration that the
conflict is over, recognition of Israel's right to exist,
guarantees of Israeli security, diplomatic recognition of
Israel and normalisation of its relations with Arab states.
"US diplomacy is critical in helping to resolve this
conflict," she said in her article in Foreign Affairs in
November-December 2007. She said the United States should help
get Arab support for a Palestinian leadership that is willing
to engage in a dialogue with the Israelis.
Russia and arms control
"I think she would probably be tough-minded toward Russia,"
said Kim Holmes, vice president of foreign and defence policy
studies at the Heritage Foundation. "She has a reputation of
being tough-minded generally, she is known and respected for
that."
Clinton has, however, criticized the Bush administration's
"obsessive" focus on "expensive and unproven missile defence
technology" - one of the major points of contention recently
in the US relationship with Russia.
She favours further reducing US and Russian nuclear
arsenals.
China and North Korea
Clinton has said the US relationship with China will be
the most important bilateral relationship in the world this
century. Noting China's support was important in reaching a
multilateral deal to disable North Korea's nuclear facilities,
she says "We should build on this framework to establish a
northeast Asian security regime."
Trade
Like Obama, Clinton has said the United States should
either renegotiate or "opt out" of the North American Free
Trade Agreement that was reached with Canada and Mexico during
her husband's administration. She also has called for a
"timeout" from new trade agreements and a top-to-bottom review
of trade policy.