[Peace-discuss] Sarai Palin Straight Talk Express on the Bush Doctrine

[C. G. Estabrook]

I think its important to try to separate the form (altho' that's politically 
important, too) of this interview from the content.  Look at what Palin actually 
  said about foreign policy and war, and tell me if you can find any substantive 
difference with Obama's positions.  I can't.  --CGE

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The governor advocated for the admittance of Georgia and Ukraine into NATO. When 
Gibson said if under the NATO treaty, the United States would have to go to war 
if Russia again invaded Georgia, Palin responded: "Perhaps so. I mean, that is 
the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, 
you're going to be expected to be called upon and help. "And we've got to keep 
an eye on Russia. For Russia to have exerted such pressure in terms of invading 
a smaller democratic country, unprovoked, is unacceptable," she told Gibson.
	"Let me speak specifically about a credential that I do bring to this table, 
Charlie, and that's with the energy independence that I've been working on for 
these years as the governor of this state that produces nearly 20 percent of the 
U.S. domestic supply of energy, that I worked on as chairman of the Alaska Oil 
and Gas Conservation Commission, overseeing the oil and gas development in our 
state to produce more for the United States... but I want you to not lose sight 
of the fact that energy is a foundation of national security. It's that 
important. It's that significant," she said.
	Palin said that she believed a nuclear Iran presented a threat to "everyone in 
the world" and that if Israel's existence was threatened by those weapons it had 
a right to defend itself.  "We have got to make sure that these weapons of mass 
destruction, that nuclear weapons are not given to those hands of [Iranian 
President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad, not that he would use them, but that he would 
allow terrorists to be able to use them," she said.  "Well, first, we are 
friends with Israel and I don't think that we should second-guess the measures 
that Israel has to take to defend themselves and for their security."
	When asked whether the United States should be able to invade Pakistan in 
pursuit of terrorists along the Afghanistan border, Palin demured. "Is that a 
yes," asked Gibson. "That you think we have the right to go across the border 
with or without the approval of the Pakistani government, to go after terrorists 
who are in the Waziristan area?" Palin responded, saying: "I believe that 
America has to exercise all options in order to stop the terrorists who are hell 
bent on destroying America and our allies. We have got to have all options out 
there on the table."
	"I would never presume to know God's will or to speak God's words. But what 
Abraham Lincoln had said, and that's a repeat in my comments, was let us not 
pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we 
are on God's side."
	"Charlie, if there is legitimate and enough intelligence that tells us that a 
strike is imminent against American people, we have every right to defend our 
country. In fact, the president has the obligation, the duty to defend..."

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/politics&id=6385821

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