I support a national security strategy that protects us from enemies of the United States and restores our standing in the international community.

Terrorism — We need to stop thinking about a war on terrorism. Terrorism is a tactic and we cannot fight a war against a tactic. Instead, terrorism must be treated as what it is: crime. And those who commit crimes against Americans should face justice. While we must be ever vigilant in protecting our borders, we cannot allow terrorists to force us to live in fear.

Iraq — The war in Iraq was one of choice. It was sold to the American people under false pretenses and we must be careful to not let ourselves be fooled into such a mistake again. That being stated, when we entered their country we accepted certain duties to the Iraqi people. It is our responsibility to help them as they make the transition to an independent nation. But we must allow that process to develop naturally. The United States should not be in the business of nation building. We’re not very good at it and we cannot afford it.

Afghanistan — As we move forces out of Iraq, it is important that we provide support to the Afghan people. But we need to begin transitioning our presence to that of humanitarian aid and infrastructural support as Afghans step up and take control of their own destiny.

Israel — Israel has been a true friend to the United States and it is essential that we continue to stand by her. While it is important to encourage Israel to continue its diplomatic efforts to negotiate with the Palestinians and neighboring Arab nations, we must make clear our resolve to confront any aggressive actions against Israel.

Dependence on foreign oil — Let’s face it, the primary reason we focus so much attention on the Middle East is our dependence on its oil resources. The cost of oil is not just what we pay at the gas pump. There is the added surcharge of maintaining a military presence in the Middle East to keep the pipe flowing. And both the price of a barrel of oil and the cost of troop involvement are getting higher. Why not divert these resources to new ways of powering our country? In the long run it will be far cheaper if we make the smart choices now and focus our resources on alternative energy methods. Reliance on Middle Eastern oil is simply not sustainable and will only cost us more and more. We should invest that money in the development of solar, wind and other new energy sources. That is the future and we need to start planning for it now.