Campaign Statements — War on Terror
Tuesday May 01, 2012
“There will be difficult days ahead. But as we move forward with our transition, I’m confident that Afghan forces will grow stronger, the Afghan people will take control of their future. With [the Strategic Partner Agreement], I am confident that the Afghan people will understand that the United States will stand by them, and they will know that the United States can achieve our goal of destroying al Qaeda and denying it a safe haven, but at the same time, we have the capacity to wind down this war and usher in a new era of peace here in Afghanistan.”
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CATEGORIES: Afghanistan | Barack Obama | War on Terror |
Tuesday May 01, 2012
“The United States has not come here to claim resources or to claim territory. We came with a very clear mission: We came to destroy al Qaeda. And we have enormous respect for Afghan sovereignty and the dignity of the Afghan people. Together, we’re now committed to replacing war with peace and pursuing a more hopeful future as equal partners.
To borrow words from this agreement, we are committed to seeking a future of justice, peace, security, and opportunity. And I’m confident that although our challenges are not yet behind us, that the future before us is bright.”
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CATEGORIES: Afghanistan | Barack Obama | War on Terror |
Tuesday May 01, 2012
“Neither Americans nor the Afghan people asked for this war. Yet, for a decade, we’ve stood together to drive al Qaeda from its camps, to battle an insurgency, and to give the people of Afghanistan the possibility to live in peace and in dignity. The wages of war have been great for both our nations. But today, with the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement, we look forward to a future of peace.
Together, we’ve made much progress. We’ve reached an agreement to transition detention facilities to Afghan control, and to put Afghans in the lead on special operations. And today, we’re agreeing to be long-term partners in combating terrorism, and training Afghan security forces, strengthening democratic institutions and supporting development, and protecting human rights of all Afghans. With this agreement, the Afghan people in the world should know that Afghanistan has a friend and a partner in the United States.”
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CATEGORIES: Afghanistan | Barack Obama | War on Terror |
Monday April 30, 2012
“As we move forward, some people will ask why we need a firm timeline. The answer is clear: our goal is not to build a country in America’s image, or to eradicate every vestige of the Taliban. These objectives would require many more years, many more dollars, and most importantly, many more American lives. Our goal is to destroy Al Qaeda, and we are on a path to do exactly that. Afghans want to assert their sovereignty and build a lasting peace. That requires a clear timeline to wind down the war.
Others will ask: why don’t we leave immediately. That answer is also clear. We must give Afghanistan the opportunity to stabilize, otherwise our gains could be lost and Al Qaeda could establish itself once more. As commander in chief, I refuse to let that happen.”
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CATEGORIES: Afghanistan | Barack Obama | War on Terror |
Monday April 30, 2012
“In coordination with the Afghan government, my administration has been in direct discussions with the Taliban. We’ve made it clear that they can be a part of this future if they break with Al Qaeda, renounce violence, and abide by Afghan laws. Many members of the Taliban, from foot soldiers to leaders, have indicated an interest in reconciliation. The path to peace is now set before them. Those who refuse to walk it will face strong Afghan security forces backed by the United States and our allies.”
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CATEGORIES: Afghanistan | Barack Obama | War on Terror |
Monday April 30, 2012
“Over the last three years, the tide has turned. We broke the Taliban’s momentum. We built strong Afghan security forces. We devastated Al Qaeda’s leadership, taking out over 20 of their top 30 leaders. And one year ago, from a base here in Afghanistan, our troops launched the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. The goal that I set to defeat Al Qaeda and deny it a chance to rebuild is now within our reach.”
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CATEGORIES: Afghanistan | Barack Obama | War on Terror |
Monday April 30, 2012
“Let us remember why we came here. It was here, in Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden established a safe harbor for his terrorist organization. It was here in Afghanistan where Al Qaeda brought new recruits, trained them, plotted acts of terror. It was here, from within these borders, that Al Qaeda launched the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 innocent men, women, and children. So ten years ago, the United States and our allies went to war to make sure that Al Qaeda would never again use this country to launch attacks against us. Despite initial success, for a number of reasons, this war has taken longer than most anticipated.”
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CATEGORIES: Afghanistan | Barack Obama | War on Terror |
Saturday April 28, 2012
“Hillary and I, we’ve spent the last 3½ years cleaning up after other folks’ messes. And by the way, we’re starting to get them pretty cleaned up. The war in Iraq is over. We’re transitioning in Afghanistan. We’ve got the strongest allies we’ve ever seen. And Al Qaida is on the ropes. So we’ve done what we said we’d do.
But when you’ve got the leading contender, the presumptive nominee, on the other side suddenly saying our number-one enemy isn’t Al Qaida, it’s Russia. I don’t make that up. I’m suddenly thinking, what—maybe I didn’t check the calendar this morning. I didn’t know we were back in 1975.”
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CATEGORIES: Afghanistan | Barack Obama | Iraq | War on Terror |
Wednesday February 22, 2012
“You know, I’ve tried the moral argument. I’ve tried the constitutional argument on these issues. And they don’t go so well. But there’s an economic argument, as well.
As a matter of fact, Al Qaeda has had a plan to bog us down in the Middle East and bankrupt this country. That’s exactly what they’re doing. We’ve spent $4 trillion of debt in the last 10 years being bogged down in the Middle East.
The neoconservatives who now want us to be in Syria, want us to go to Iran, have another war, and we don’t have the money. Today gasoline hit $6 a gallon in Florida. And we don’t have the money.
So I don’t believe I’m going to get the conversion on the moral and the constitutional arguments in the near future. But I’ll tell you what, I’m going to win this argument for economic reasons. Just remember, when the Soviets left, they left not because we had to fight them. They left because they bankrupted this country and we better wake up, because that is what we’re doing here. We’re destroying our currency and we have a financial crisis on our hands.”
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CATEGORIES: Iran | Ron Paul | War on Terror |
Wednesday February 22, 2012
“But because now we have accepted now for 10 years that we’re allowed to start war, we call pre-emptive war, preventive war. Well, that’s an aggressive war. I believe in the Christian just war theory that you have to morally justify the wars in defense. Now, if we’re defending our country—and we need to defend, believe me—with men and women will be in combat and defending our country, and that’s the way it should be. But when it’s an offensive war, going where we shouldn’t be, that’s quite a bit different. So it’s the foreign policy that needs to be examined.”
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CATEGORIES: American Exceptionalism | Ron Paul | War on Terror |
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Looking at Iran by James Zogby
Kahlil Gibran Awards Gala - April 16, 2013
