GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney criticized President Barack Obama’s handing of the war in Afghanistan yesterday as Republicans met in Tampa to plan their party’s platform on matters including the military.
The defense-related discussions came as both Democrats and Republicans prepared for their parties’ respective nominating conventions, starting with the Republican National Convention in Tampa next week. The Democratic National Convention will be in Charlotte, N.C. in two weeks.
Some military analysts have said the presidential campaign has not had enough discussion of national-security issues. With attacks against U.S. troops by Afghan security officials continuing, though, both Romney and Obama were forced to talk about the war yesterday. Still, some pundits say they are skeptical the candidates will delve deeply into defense matters, including the Pentagon’s budget, before the November election..
A military veteran asked Romney and running mate Paul Ryan yesterday what they would do about the “damn mess in Afghanistan.”
Romney, addressing a campaign rally in Manchester, N.H., in response charged Obama has not clearly told the public about the missions and goals of the war in Afghanistan.
“When I become commander in chief, if I’m so lucky, I will address the American people about these issues,” Romney said. “And with regards to Afghanistan, I will do everything in my power to transition from our military to their military as soon as possible, bring our men and women home, and do so in a way consistent with our mission–which is to keep Afghanistan from being overrun by a new entity that would allow Afghanistan to be a launching point for terror again like it was on 9/11.”
Obama, addressing reporters at a White House press conference yesterday, said he and other officials are “watching with deep concern” the so-called green-on-blue attacks of Afghan security officials on U.S. troops.
He talked of his conversations on the matter with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, who is visiting Afghanistan, and said he plans to reach out to Afghani President Hamid Karzai as well.
“We are already doing a range of things, and we’re seeing some success when it comes to better counterintelligence, making sure that the vetting process for Afghan troops is stronger,” Obama said, noting a military program to ensure troops aren’t in isolated situations that make them more vulnerable. “But obviously we’re going to have to do more, because there has been an uptick over the last 12 months on this,” he said.
The high-level comments on Afghanistan came as the Republican National Convention’s Platform Committee met in Tampa for the first of two days of debate on the party’s platform. The full convention will vote on the document–which spells out the party’s values and policy stances on matters including national security–when it convenes next week.
The 100-plus members of the GOP platform committee debated past press time during televised deliberations.
The Platform Committee has collected hundreds of suggestions from the public about defense and foreign-policy matters on its website. The proposed additions to the party’s platform are organized under the categories Strong National Defense, Global Threats and the War on Terror, Foreign Aid, Democracy and Human Rights, and Veterans.