Hillary Clinton Releases Blueprint For Her Foreign Policy

Hillary Clinton drew out her blueprint for the foreign policy of a future Clinton White House in a recent article in Foreign Affairs. She starts out to say that a great nation needs respect from the rest of the world and, “the Bush administration has squandered the respect, trust, and confidence of even our closest allies and friends.” “To reclaim our proper place in the world, the United States must be stronger, and our policies must be smarter,” Clinton writes. “I will rebuild our power and ensure that the United States is committed to building a world we want, rather than simply defending against a world we fear.” She offers ways to restore America’s global leadership and says, “Ending the war in Iraq is the first step.” She said she would end the Bush policy of isolating the enemy and instead use diplomacy. “True statesmanship requires that we engage with our adversaries, not for the sake of talking but because robust diplomacy is a prerequisite to achieving our aims,” Clinton wrote. She takes a tough stand on Iran saying, “If Iran does not comply with its own commitments and the will of the international community, all options must remain on the table.” She then sets out a series of conditions for Iran that sounds a lot like the Bush administration. Clinton writes, “if Iran is in fact willing to end its nuclear weapons program, renounce sponsorship of terrorism, support Middle East peace, and play a constructive role in stabilizing Iraq, the United States should be prepared to offer Iran a carefully calibrated package of incentives.” Clinton would try to set good examples to rouge states like Iran and North Korea by “taking dramatic steps to reduce our nuclear arsenal,” which would, “help the United States regain the moral high ground.” Not only is it important to engage with adversaries but Clinton wants to strengthen our ties with our allies. She claims she wants to revive the American idea which will make America great again.
Alan Cosgrove