Romney: A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE MISSION IN IRAQ

"All Americans want U.S. troops to come home as soon as possible. But walking away now or dividing Iraq up into parts and walking away later would present grave risks to the United States and the world. Iran could seize the Shiite south, al Qaeda could dominate the Sunni west, and Kurdish nationalism could destabilize the border with Turkey. A regional conflict could ensue, perhaps even requiring the return of U.S. troops under far worse circumstances." – Governor Romney (Governor Mitt Romney, "Rising To A New Generation Of Global Challenges," Foreign Affairs, July/August 2007)

Governor Romney Has Always Been A Strong Supporter Of The Surge.
On The Same Day The President Announced The Surge Strategy, Governor Romney Stated That He Supported Additional Troops. "I agree with the President: Our strategy in Iraq must change. Our military mission, for the first time, must include securing the civilian population from violence and terror. It is impossible to defeat the insurgency without first providing security for the Iraqi people. Civilian security is the precondition for any political and economic reconstruction. In consultation with Generals, military experts and troops who have served on the ground in Iraq, I believe securing Iraqi civilians requires additional troops." (Romney For President, "Governor Mitt Romney On Iraq," Press Release, 1/10/07)

Governor Romney: "My view is that the troop surge is the right course for us now. I know we've made a lot of errors as a nation in managing the conflict over the last three or four years. But I think the troop surge is the right course." (Howie Carr Show, 8/2/07)

Governor Romney: "A number of mistakes have been made and those mistakes have contributed to some of the challenges we now face. … I’m glad we’re seeing a change in strategy. I’m glad we’re adding to the mission of our military the protection of the safety of citizens in and around Baghdad." (Adam Nagourney, "Romney: Clinton's Wrong About Bush," The New York Times, 1/29/07)

Governor Romney Believes America Must Remain Committed To The Mission In Iraq:
Governor Romney Believes That "Walking Away" From The Conflict In Iraq Would "Present Grave Risks" To The U.S. "All Americans want U.S. troops to come home as soon as possible. But walking away now or dividing Iraq up into parts and walking away later would present grave risks to the United States and the world. Iran could seize the Shiite south, al Qaeda could dominate the Sunni west, and Kurdish nationalism could destabilize the border with Turkey. A regional conflict could ensue, perhaps even requiring the return of U.S. troops under far worse circumstances." (Governor Mitt Romney, "Rising To A New Generation Of Global Challenges," Foreign Affairs, July/August 2007)

Governor Romney: "Well, a President Romney is not going to set a specific timeline that would suggest that we don`t care whether al Qaeda is playing a major role in that country or not. It is critically important to America and the world that al Qaeda not have a safe haven in the nation of Iraq. And, so, to set an artificial deadline which ignores whether or not al Qaeda is being successful is, in my view, a position which would – which should disqualify someone as a potential president -- president of the country." (Fox News' "You World," 9/12/07)

Governor Romney: "We obviously want our troops home as soon as we can have them home, but we don’t want to have them home and lay behind us a safe haven that could become a huge threat to the entire world, and us in particular." ("The Hugh Hewitt Show," 9/14/07)

Governor Romney Traveled To Iraq In 2006 To Meet With The Troops:
In May 2006, Governor Romney Traveled To Iraq. "Traveling under tight security, Governor Mitt Romney yesterday wrapped up an unannounced, one-day trip to Iraq to visit troops from Massachusetts, and warned against a 'cut and run' pullout from the war-torn country." (Frank Phillps, "Romney Makes Surprise Stop In Baghdad," The Boston Globe, 5/25/06)

Governor Romney: "It Would Be A Severed Mistake For Us To Cut And Run." "'It would be a severe mistake for us to cut and run,' the governor said yesterday in a telephone interview from Kuwait City just hours after he arrived from Baghdad. The potential sectarian strife that could ensue if the United States pulled out suddenly, he said, 'could lead to a humanitarian disaster.'" (Frank Phillps, "Romney Makes Surprise Stop In Baghdad," The Boston Globe, 5/25/06)

Governor Romney Believes There Needed To Be Changes In Iraq Strategy:
Governor Romney: "We've removed Saddam Hussein but, afterward, I'm afraid to report that we were underprepared and underplanned and undermanaged and undermanned." (Governor Mitt Romney, Remarks At The Conservative Political Action Conference, Washington, D.C., 3/2/07)

In September 2006, Governor Romney Said "My Inclination Would Be More Boots On The Ground." "During his speech, Romney rejected suggestions that the United States should pull troops out of Iraq, even suggesting that more troops may be needed. 'My inclination would be more boots on the ground, not less,' said Romney. 'If we were to withdraw precipitously, we would have a very significant threat of a full-scale civil war with massive casualties.'" (Mike Glover, "Romney Receives Backing In Iowa For 2006 And Perhaps 2008," The Associated Press, 9/28/06)

In February 2006: Governor Romney Said He Doesn't Believe There Were Enough Troops On The Ground. GOVERNOR ROMNEY: "I think also that we haven't had sufficient troops following the period of major conflict, and so those are not new or novel observations. I think the president would agree there's a benefit that comes with hindsight. And yet I supported the president at the time that he entered into Iraq and believed that he had the kind of information he needed to have to make that decision." (Fox News' "Fox News Sunday," 2/26/06)

In October 2004, Governor Romney Said "Looking Back Over The Last Several Months, I Wish We Had Done Some Things Differently." "Mr. Romney said he regrets some things that have happened in Iraq. 'Looking back over the last several months, I wish we had done some things differently. Of course there are mistakes made in the fog of war, as it is called. Had we known what we know today many things would have been done differently, I am sure,' the governor said." (John J. Monahan, "Iraq War Deepens Political Differences," Sunday Telegram, 10/10/04)

Governor Romney Supported The Persian Gulf War:
In 1994, Then-Republican Senatorial Candidate Mitt Romney Stated His Support For "America's Participation In Gulf War." (Romney For U.S. Senate, Campaign Flier, 1994)

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: GOVERNOR ROMNEY DISCUSSES THE SITUATION IN PAKISTAN

Governor Romney On Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes" (12/27/07):

Rich Lowry: "This isn't news to you, obviously, but I have to let our viewers know in the interest of full disclosure that my magazine, National Review, endorsed you two weeks ago. But let me ask you about Pakistan. Governor, just how worrisome is the situation to you? What do you think the Bush administration’s next move should be because obviously this was a big blow to its policy, which was premised recently on getting Benazir Bhutto back there and hoping that she became prime minister?"

Governor Romney: "We certainly want to see the progress toward democratization in Pakistan continue. It's very much the hope of the people of this country that we'll see stability return to Pakistan and that they will be able to proceed with elections and have a democratically elected leadership. That's what we hope we'll see. Obviously, things could unravel in some way. We could have some period of tension and disruption, but that's something which we don't want to see.

"This really underscores the fact, of course, that what's occurring in Iraq and Afghanistan is not unique to those areas alone, that there is a radical, violent Jihadist effort throughout the world that's trying to topple not just Western governments but moderate governments in the world of Islam. We as a nation are going to have to work together with other nations to help moderate voices within the world of Islam with a wide array of support. But this is something we're going to have to do not just in Pakistan and Afghanistan and Iraq, but everywhere from Indonesia to Nigeria. There’s a big amount of work ahead to help Muslims become strong enough to reject the extreme within them."

To watch Governor Romney, please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYch2qUiReE

Governor Romney On NBC's "Today" Show (12/28/07):
NBC's Ann Curry: "Most analysts would say, Governor, that the events of yesterday will help your chief opponents, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. Are you concerned, are you worried that your campaign will be impacted negatively?"

Governor Mitt Romney: "I think we have to put the events of the world at a higher level than thinking about local politics, but I do believe as well that people recognize that what we want in a leader is a person who can actually guide America in a very challenging time. You look back to the – one of the great foreign policy leaders of our nation was Ronald Reagan. He was a governor, not a so-called foreign policy expert. He was a person who knew how to make difficult decisions and how to lead in times of crisis. I think if you look at my life's experience you'll recognize that's what I bring to the table."

Curry: "Ronald Reagan was not elected at a time of war. Why should voters embrace you without having – not seeing you having had a lot of foreign policy credentials? Why should they embrace you as leading this nation in this very challenging time in our world's history?"

Governor Romney: "Well, certainly Ronald Reagan was elected at a time of the Cold War and the Cold War was the greatest challenge that was faced by this nation in the last half of the last century, so it was a very critical time. Ronald Reagan took on the spread of Soviet-style communism throughout the world and he was successful, not because he was a general himself and thought he could mastermind our military strategy, but instead because he had the skills of leadership that allowed him to bring together brilliant people, to chart a course that would overcome Soviet expansionism and it worked. My life's experience is likewise, being a strategist in the private sector, in the Olympics and also in running a state. That kind of leadership skill I think is exactly what America needs right now."

To watch Governor Romney, please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdfaZqg9LcQ

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: GOVERNOR ROMNEY ADDRESSES THE TRAGIC EVENTS IN PAKISTAN

Fox News' "Big Story"
December 27, 2007

Governor Romney On Today's Events In Pakistan:

Fox News' John Gibson: "Governor, if you were president, what would President Romney do today?"

Governor Mitt Romney: "Well, first of all, of course, you call together your national security advisers, make sure that you have information coming directly from Pakistan from firsthand sources. You want to get up-to-date information. You probably also make a direct call to Mr. Musharraf, General Musharraf, to understand his perspective. You gather information from our CIA bureau chief in Islamabad and other places in the world to make sure that we understand what's happening, and then you consider all the options that we have, all of the resources that might be applied to encourage greater stability to return to Pakistan in a time of great sorrow. There was progress being made towards a democratization, and that progress is now very much in question given the assassination of Madam Bhutto."
…

Gibson: "Governor, obviously Benazir Bhutto murdered. If it is Al-Qaeda, and Al-Qaeda has made a claim of responsibility, but if it turns out it is Al-Qaeda, what should the U.S. do?"

Governor Romney: "Well, I think what's happened in Pakistan has made more clear in the mind of the American public and perhaps some of our Democratic colleagues as well that what we're dealing with in the global war on terror, this war against violent Jihadism, is not just an effort in Iraq or even extended to Afghanistan, but this is a worldwide effort on the part of violent Jihadists who have as the their intent the collapse of all nations, Islamic as well as Western. The attacks are not just on Americans and American leaders or even Western leaders, it does include leaders within the world of Islam. There have been death threats and death attacks against General Musharraf. There have been attacks and threats of attack against Madam Bhutto before, so we're facing a world which sees a dramatic growth in violent Jihad, and we're going to have to gather together the civilized nations of the world to help strengthen the ability of moderate, modern Islamic people and leaders for them to reject the extreme, because ultimately, only Muslims are going to be able to reject violent radical Jihadism."
…

Gibson: "Governor, if I can just return to Ms. Bhutto for a moment, did this event today in Pakistan change the primary races that you're involved in, in a dramatic way?"

Governor Romney: "I don't believe that events of this nature change the nature of a primary, but of course, far more important than what impact this might have on a primary race is what impact this has on the world. And so the consequences in our election here pale in comparison to the to the consequences in terms of the loss of human life, and the instability in Pakistan, which may lead to a loss of even greater life there, and the threats to global peace. In the overall context of things, the politics here are going to have to take a backseat to the most important developments there."

To watch Governor Romney, please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myyvS3nQvJo