Campaign Statements — Jon Huntsman

Saturday January 07, 2012

“Civil war is around the corner in Afghanistan.”

“I think civil war is around the corner in Afghanistan. And I don’t want to be the president who invests another penny in a civil war. And I don’t want to be the president who sends another man or woman into harm’s way that we don’t—we’re not able to bring back alive.”

CATEGORIES: Afghanistan | Jon Huntsman | War on Terror |

Saturday January 07, 2012

“I don’t want to be nation building in Southwest Asia.”

“You know we’ve been at the war on terror for 10 years now, we’ve been in Afghanistan. And I say we’ve got a lot to show for our efforts…The Taliban is no longer in power. We’ve run out al Qaeda, they’re now in sanctuaries. We’ve had free elections. Osama bin Laden is no longer around. We have strengthened civil society. We’ve helped the military. We’ve helped the police. I believe it’s time to come home. And I would say within the first year of my administration…I would want to draw them down. And I want to recognize Afghanistan for what it is. It is not a counter insurgency. I don’t want to be nation building in Southwest Asia when this nation is in such need of repair.”

CATEGORIES: Afghanistan | Jon Huntsman | War on Terror |

Thursday December 15, 2011

“Nobody is coming anymore. There is nothing to come for.”

“But in terms of immigration, and illegal immigration, this president has so screwed up this economy, nobody is coming anymore. There is nothing to come for. I mean, there’s not a problem today. Just take a look at the numbers coming across.

I mean, the numbers, it was posted the other day, lowest in four decades. So I say, you know, we have got to secure the border, of course. We have got to deal with the 11, 12 million people who are here. But let’s not lose sight of the fact that legal immigration is an engine of growth for this country. Half of the Fortune 500 companies in this country today were founded by immigrants.”

CATEGORIES: Immigration | Jon Huntsman |

Tuesday November 22, 2011

“Our interest in the Middle East in Israel.”

“I think we do our national interests a disservice by jumping in too soon and taking up sides with people we don’t fully understand, Islamist groups, pan-Arab groups. Our interest in the Middle East is Israel. And our interest is to ensure that Israel—that Iran does not go nuclear.”

CATEGORIES: Iran | Israel/Palestine | Jon Huntsman | War on Terror |

Tuesday November 22, 2011

“An expanded drone program is something that would serve our national interest.”

“And an expanded drone program is something that would serve our national interest…I think it must be done. And I think it must be consistent with recognizing the reality on the ground of what we need out of Afghanistan—we don’t need 100,000 troops in Afghanistan.We don’t need to nation-build in Afghanistan when this nation so desperately needs to be built….We need something in Afghanistan. We need Special Forces and drones.”

CATEGORIES: Afghanistan | Jon Huntsman | War on Terror |

Saturday January 01, 2011

“Like Iran, Syria has worked to subvert progress toward stable, democratic governance in Iraq”

“Like Iran, Syria has worked to subvert progress toward stable, democratic governance in Iraq and threatens both Israel and broader regional stability through its support of terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas. Syria continues to manipulate Lebanese politics in a manner that is both destabilizing for the region and that threatens Israel’s security interests.”

CATEGORIES: The Arab Spring | Jon Huntsman | Official Statements |

Saturday January 01, 2011

“[The Egyptian military] offers…protection against the emergence of a radical Islamic government”

“Egypt has been a stalwart partner to the United States through its role in combating terrorism and supporting a stable Middle East, and the United States should maintain its policy of aid to Egypt. The United States should support an orderly transition to democratic government managed by the interim military-backed government, which offers the greatest protection against the emergence of a radical Islamic government in that country.”

CATEGORIES: The Arab Spring | Jon Huntsman | Official Statements |

Saturday January 01, 2011

“The U.S.-Israeli relationship has suffered under mismanagement by President Obama”

“The United States and Israel share a special bond rooted in history and solidified over more than five decades of partnership.  Israel is an ally, a fellow democracy, and shares many of America’s values and interests. Unfortunately, the U.S.-Israeli relationship has suffered under mismanagement by President Obama and both nations must now work to improve ties.”

CATEGORIES: Israel/Palestine | Jon Huntsman | Official Statements |

Saturday January 01, 2011

“Americans should recognize the limitations…to influence the final outcome in [Arab] societies”

“Americans should recognize the limitations on the United States’ ability to influence the final outcome in these societies, and U.S. policymakers should anticipate a variety of outcomes in these countries, including the possibility of the emergence of governments that are less receptive to U.S. interests than might be hoped, and plan for such contingencies accordingly.”

CATEGORIES: The Arab Spring | Jon Huntsman | Official Statements |