Kerry Vows to Rebuild Alliances, Confront Terrorism

The United States political climate is heating up as the November presidential election nears. Presumptive democratic candidate for president John F. Kerry viscerally attacked current president George W. Bush about matters of foreign policy yesterday, saying actions taken over the course of Bush's term had undermined a legacy of cooperative US leadership that had stood for decades. Kerry’s accusations included decreased national security due to incompetent actions after 9/11 and in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. Kerry’s address was a mixture of harsh words for Al-Qaeda and other terror groups – “we will use every resource of our power to destroy” – and criticism of Bush’s unilateralist approach to doing so – “‘If a man continually blusters, if he lacks civility, a big stick will not save him from trouble,’” he said, quoting former US president Theodore Roosevelt. Aside from criticism of Bush, Kerry also outlined his own views on foreign policy, citing four “imperatives” for the US: re-establishing alliances damaged by the buildup to war in Iraq, revamping the armed forces to handle modern threats, harnessing American “soft power” to ease foreign diplomacy and provide security, and unchaining US interests from Middle Eastern oil. Kerry emphasized the need for multilateral organizations and reinforced his long-standing support for international groups such as the United Nations and NATO. Bush has recently been more active in enlisting the support of the UN; a US- and UK-sponsored resolution is pending there. The democratic nominee said the cost in US lives and credibility would be greatly reduced through a “humbler and more solicitous approach” to diplomacy, and said as president he would “de-emphasize” pre-emptive strikes as a military option. The candidates’ conflicting ideologies seem to presage a divisive electoral fight. –YaleGlobal