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Platform Statements — DNC
Wednesday September 05, 2012
DNC 2012: Palestine
Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel. The parties have agreed that Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations. It should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths.
CATEGORIES: 2012 DNC Palestine
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Wednesday September 05, 2012
DNC 2012: Middle East
Elsewhere in the region, President Obama is committed to maintaining robust security cooperation with Gulf Cooperation Council states and our other partners aimed at deterring aggression, checking Iran’s destabilizing activities, ensuring the free flow of commerce essential to the global economy and building a regional security architecture to counter terrorism, proliferation, ballistic missiles, piracy and other common threats.
CATEGORIES: 2012 DNC Middle East
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Wednesday September 05, 2012
DNC 2012: Palestine
President Obama and the Democratic Party maintain an unshakable commitment to Israel’s security. A strong and secure Israel is vital to the United States not simply because we share strategic interests, but also because we share common values. For this reason, despite budgetary constraints, the President has worked with Congress to increase security assistance to Israel every single year since taking office, providing nearly $10 billion in the past three years. The administration has also worked to ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region. And we have deepened defense cooperation and funded the Iron Dome system to help Israel address its most pressing threats, including the growing danger posed by rockets and missiles emanating from the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Syria and Iran. The President’s consistent support for Israel’s right to defend itself and his steadfast opposition to any attempt to delegitimize Israel on the world stage, are further evidence of our enduring commitment to Israel’s security.
CATEGORIES: 2012 DNC Palestine
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Wednesday September 05, 2012
DNC 2012: Middle East
Then-Senator Obama pledged during the 2008 campaign to responsibly end the war in Iraq, saying it was imperative to “be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in” – and that is precisely what he has done. For over half a decade, our focus on Iraq meant we had taken our eye off of al-Qaeda, and it had cost us thousands of lives, a trillion dollars and severely strained our key alliances. When President Obama took office, there were over 140,000 American troops in harm’s way in Iraq. Today, all those forces are out of Iraq, and there are no American bases there either. The Iraqi people, in continued partnership with the United States, now have the opportunity to build a better future.
CATEGORIES: 2012 DNC Middle East
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Wednesday September 05, 2012
DNC 2012: Arab Spring
Across the Middle East and North Africa, we have stood with the people demanding political change and seeking their rights during the Arab Spring. Since the beginning of the protests in Tunisia, the United States has consistently opposed violence against innocent civilians, supported a set of universal rights for the people of the region, and supported processes of political and economic reform.
CATEGORIES: 2012 DNC Foreign Policy/Arab Spring
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Wednesday September 05, 2012
DNC 2012: Foreign Policy
As we continue to perfect our union here at home, setting an example for others to follow, we will also continue to champion universal rights abroad. We recognize that different cultures and traditions give life to these values in distinct ways, and each country will inevitably chart its own course. America will not impose any system of government on another country. But we also know that the sovereignty of nations cannot strangle the liberty of individuals. So as people around the world yearn for greater freedom, we will continue to support progress toward more accountable, democratic governance and the exercise of universal rights. We will do so through a variety of means – by speaking out for universal rights, bolstering fragile democracies and civil society and supporting the dignity that comes with development.
CATEGORIES: 2012 DNC Foreign Policy/Arab Spring
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Wednesday September 05, 2012
DNC 2012: Equal Rights
We believe in an America where everybody gets a fair shot and everybody plays by the same set of rules. At the core of the Democratic Party is the principle that no one should face discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status. Democrats support our civil rights statutes and we have stepped up enforcement of laws that prohibit discrimination in the workplace and other settings. We are committed to ending racial, ethnic, and religious profiling and requiring federal, state, and local enforcement agencies to take steps to eliminate the practice. We are committed to equal opportunity for all Americans and to making sure that every American is treated equally under the law.
CATEGORIES: 2012 DNC Equal Rights/Ending Discrimination
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Wednesday September 05, 2012
DNC 2012: Terrorism
President Obama and the Democratic Party understood that the war in Iraq distracted us from confronting many of the most fundamental national security challenges facing the United States, including the danger posed by international terrorist organizations that threaten the American homeland. As the Bush administration shifted its focus to Iraq, Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda established permanent safe havens across the border from Afghanistan, in Pakistan. President Obama’s decision to end the Iraq war freed up military and intelligence resources to re-focus on this fight and enabled us to shift to a much more effective approach to counterterrorism.
CATEGORIES: (Counter) Terrorism 2012 DNC
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Wednesday September 05, 2012
DNC 2012: Foreign Policy
As we rebalance our foreign policy, we have rebuilt our relationships around the world. From Europe and Asia to the Middle East, Africa and the Americas, we have strengthened the alliances and partnerships that are so central to global security, and we have taken steps to reinvigorate international institutions. All the while, we have built the foundation for sustained American leadership by growing our economy, preserving our unrivaled military strength and advancing our values.
CATEGORIES: 2012 DNC Foreign Policy/Arab Spring
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Wednesday September 05, 2012
DNC 2012: Terrorism
Under the leadership of President Obama and the Democratic Party, the tide of war is now receding, and America is looking ahead to a new future. We have responsibly ended the war in Iraq. We have struck major blows against al-Qaeda, bringing Osama bin Laden and other senior al-Qaeda leaders to justice and putting the terrorist organization on the path to defeat. And we have reversed the momentum of the Taliban and established the conditions to draw down our forces in Afghanistan.
CATEGORIES: (Counter) Terrorism 2012 DNC
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Looking at Iran by James Zogby
Kahlil Gibran Awards Gala - April 16, 2013
