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Alan speaks with House Armed Services Committee ranking member Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) about the state of our national security.
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You're -- -- congressman Adam Smith of the state.
The elections and now -- served its ranking member of the house armed services committee served in the Washington state senate.
Prior to that comes with thank you symmetrical and on tonight grabbed me -- president Biden will be at -- -- -- show Thursday it tomorrow understand it.
On a foreign policy.
On Obama's foreign policy and detailing.
We've confronted our enemies and perhaps firmed up similarly -- -- their allies.
Obviously I'm I'm supporter the president made no bones about it you are so we're -- may -- a little -- side here in this conversation I don't know how.
Republicans.
Stand up to an untested -- on -- -- -- Mitt Romney who's been all over the place with no real plan he's articulate.
He had no I think it was actually actually marker rubio did a big much ballyhooed speech today that there's really nothing.
I mean it's the interest thing that you know Marco Rubio who has virtually no foreign policy spirit themselves sort of the designated Republican to speak on these issues I think.
From the substance.
And -- the speech which wasn't much you concede they really don't have much to offer and I think you know Democrats can be very proud of president's record on national security on foreign policy.
Not just because of what you know getting Osama bin Laden and have to be you know success that we had at you know taking down a number of al-Qaeda operatives.
I'm in a variety of different places but also the president has done exactly would said he was gonna do which was engaged.
Not rely on the military said he was gonna get out of -- -- out of Iraq.
He said he was gonna prioritize Afghanistan fix it and get out of there he's working on has a plan to get -- out.
From that for Mitt Romney all you hear is sort of vague criticism and infrequently comments that -- out of touch with where -- Orally -- -- that Afghanistan is is what it caller brought this up just a short time ago we're talking make any and 2014 -- Give -- the money for ten years after that and I wonder if that's putting good money after bad after all what we truly -- in Afghanistan.
Well the whole and I think the president the biggest thing the president did when he first announced -- she was deported -- realistic framework.
He didn't come out and say you know we're gonna pacify Afghanistan we're gonna have a perfect democracy.
You know we're gonna get rid of all extremism he basically said you know we needed government Afghanistan to make sure the Taliban and al-Qaeda doesn't come back a miserable.
Of stability.
Many working hard to achieve that -- to maintain that minimum stability after we leave.
You know we're gonna have try to help that government and not a -- it it's it's a tough part of the world the Karzai government is admittedly weak not a great partner.
But we're training their forces in trying to get ourselves the place -- Who can responsibly get out and be reasonably confident that it will did not descend back -- -- chaos -- in Afghanistan or -- ever be confident that -- really -- you're right we can't -- confident -- I I guess the way I would put it would be you know give ourselves the best possible chance to have that be the outcome.
There are no guarantees not part.
On the other hand of them running against a Mitt Romney -- -- -- no new vision for -- -- with a Marco Rubio is auditioning it sounds like you for the number two spot on the ticket.
And -- and I'm Ronnie wrote an op Ed piece not long ago but what he would do in Iran.
Which included the things -- Obama's already doing.
-- I think -- the Republicans are very short on specific that are only criticism seems to be.
Well you know the world's not perfect place so therefore it must be president Obama's -- you know Iran has not you know totally given up their nuclear ambitions.
They don't offer any plan for how you could -- there -- other than what the president has very smartly done and all these cases.
And -- on the very example the president has this truck the right balance the look -- progressives one of the things we have to be saying you're also.
-- while it's important to point out -- successes the president has had in terms of taking the fight.
A two -- at this series it's also important very important to point out to wish -- key issue on.
In to raise the very legitimate concern of how many wars would president Romney get us into.
You know his talk on Iran seems to -- pushing us towards.
You know military confrontation that we don't need yes Senator John McCain has been outspoken about the fact that we should.
You know start instituting no fly zone to military action in Syria.
I think is a great contrast to be drawn here that President Obama understands the limitations military power.
It is much more interest -- -- using international institutions diplomacy and Smart.
Policy.
To -- advance -- interest with how all of the election.
Other Republicans and I'm almost like I'm watching can you top this during some of the debates who would be the hawkish the most hawkish uncertain issues John McCain.
Leo and top Republican in the armed services committee in the senate.
Has condemned Obama not about for not providing Syria's opposition -- weapons to battle of the government should we be more proactive in that regard.
I don't think there's a good option there to be that.
Because the problem in Syria is -- at the Syrian regime has not been isolated in the same way that Qaddafi wasn't Libya.
I mean you've got nations like Russia and China -- are still to varying degrees.
It's not supporting -- Syrian regime at least preventing the rest of the world uniting against them in the Arab world -- bit more divided we don't count.
-- universal opinion saying Tom help we will support you.
An -- -- that support it makes any military action unlikely to be successful.
We have to try to continue to build an international support -- that the stock regime is doing is clearly off all.
He's basically saying he will kill as many of his own citizens that they can't be killed stay in power.
But that's the thing there's a lot of awful things going on -- a whole lot of different parts of the world.
US military action that's not -- there really make those things better and I think having more -- our foreign policy is it.
But a critical promise that President Obama made these demonstrated that I think a very wise and successful -- -- I worry what I hear things like that market we're Marco Rubio said it is foreign policy speech.
And I've -- to -- I'm I'm baffled -- -- he gave a foreign policy speech but he says.
You know we just may have to use a military option in Iran well of course we know that the president is certainly indicated that's more of one of many things on the table.
But the more we say that are we encouraging.
-- you know whatever country we may have and our sites.
To develop that weapons they would need to combat such an act on our.
They -- back -- and the rhetoric has to be you know very very careful here in the Republicans have not been careful Republicans -- all but said you know we.
To use military option.
Because nothing else was -- to work even wall there's considerable evidence that our ramp up sanctions.
Aren't working in fact you know that this.
The minister of defense and Israel -- of the head of the Israeli military.
-- just yesterday did you know he he is he does not feel that -- will develop nuclear weapon because he thinks that the policy of sanctions is discouraging them from doing.
You know and certainly and I -- met with beat them Israeli military leader before.
He is no shrinking -- and nor does he have any illusions about -- -- just understands what's going on over there a lot better than Republican candidates for president.
Which I think with congressman Smith of Washington.
And must we be duly concerned about what might happen between -- -- in Israel between now and the election.
You know -- I I don't think we have but yes we should be concerned about it because you know -- -- it could cause such a huge huge conflagration and -- part of the world.
And lead to you know a great deal bloodshed instability so you know does does does this if it does happen it would be great how likely is -- to -- I don't think it's very likely -- I think.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Number two they have not made the decision to build on its.
And -- -- -- the sanctions are putting them in a very very bad spot and making them recalculate that thinking.
So you know I I I don't think we need to rush toward -- actually have to put pressure on them.
Iran with a nuclear weapon is completely unacceptable.
Containment of that cannot be a policy.
Under this country should -- who should stop them getting a nuclear weapon.
But I think the very aggressive sanctions and also beat the international cooperation that President Obama has been able to get -- implementing those sanctions has proven fact.
It just me crazy when I hear that none of those will be part of the rhetoric during the campaign that the -- has -- on an apology tour.
Karl Rove -- written about that the Wall Street Journal we hope we've heard running and and I'm sure they'll -- bring that up again went that's not what he did at all.
And yet how do you fight that -- -- you -- you can hear it over and over again between now and November.
Evan writing it for sixteen years as a member there -- services committee that's always the default position of the Republicans in terms criticizing Democrats regardless of the facts.
But in this case the facts are and -- went on our side.
The president has not tropical fight he is not -- of advancing our interest but he is not you know he is not blind which struck militarily.
-- understands that's not the best way to advance our interest.
Certainly the fact that he was able to get Osama bin Laden -- many Republicans had given up on.
The fact that he has consistently been able take the fight al-Qaeda senior leadership continue to put pressure on Iran -- that he won't trade school fight where necessary.
But he also understands that the US cannot simply throw its weight around the world to get its way.
The year allies we need friends we need to rely an international institutions because that better protects -- That's not what we spent that strike.
What is early -- like right now with Israel -- Netanyahu in particular.
You know I think it's giving them.
Better I think the fact that the president has been so clearly strong on dealing with Iran's nuclear weapons threat to to the sanctions policy depression and it's getting better.
And certainly you know it -- it was stopped and in some parts that I think you know prime minister Netanyahu -- some.
Some things that -- conducive to that relationship but I think the president is you know.
100% behind Israel.
You know there's specific relationship between Benjamin Netanyahu in the president's one thing one thing that's not in any question as the president the strong supporter of Israel.
Is that it over her -- again.
An outside opinion the opposite that the president reflect critical allies that that we have to protect.
In our budget is reflected down in his support for Israel was reflected.
-- and appreciate you coming on the program tonight I hope we can talk again as the campaign rolls on thank you for you know -- -- -- -- thank you rivers.
