Published: September 11, 2008 01:27 pm      

Rice on national security: 'It's time to go after the terrorists'

OKLAHOMA CITY — Sen. Andrew Rice, Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, announced his plan today to fight terrorism and keep America safe.



Standing with Oklahoma veterans, he urged a responsible withdrawal of American troops from Iraq so they can be redeployed against Al Qaeda where the terrorist network has revived its forces in Pakistan and Afghanistan.



"Our national security has been weakened by the reckless and out of touch policies of the Bush/Inhofe years," Rice said. "By politicizing the war and focusing so much of our superior military strength on Iraq, a country that didn't attack us, the Bush and Inhofe took their eyes off the ball and allowed new threats to emerge."



Rice said that "all Oklahomans have a stake in national security, whether they are Republican or Democrat". I believe we need to take politics out of defense and foreign policy."



He said the next President and the next Congress face the task of restoring America's standing as a world leader and rebuilding military readiness for the 21st century.



"Bin Laden is still at large and our military commanders in Afghanistan have told Congress they can't get needed troops on the ground because of our commitment in Iraq," Rice said. "The consequences of the Bush/Inhofe war of choice in Iraq are coming home to roost."



In addition to troop redeployment, Rice issued a five-point plan that includes adding another 100,000 troops to Marine and Army forces; ending America's dependence on foreign oil; meeting the nuclear threat and strengthening Oklahoma's military installations.



"As a veteran of Afghanistan, I know firsthand how important the fight against al-Qaeda is," said Sen. Tom Ivester, D-Elk City, co-chairman of the Oklahoma Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. "The question now is, how do we move forward and find solutions? The partisanship in Washington has no place in this fight, Andrew Rice will bring new energy and a bi-partisan commitment to work for all Oklahomans."



"As your U.S. Senator, I plan to work across party lines to get things done," Rice said. "The War on Terror is not a Democratic versus Republican issue." Rice's brother, David, was killed in the attacks of September 11, 2001. Since then, he has been working with organizations and legislators to find ways to re-direct our resources towards a national security policy that targets the terrorists who attacked America that day.



-- Full Policy Below --







ANDREW RICE ON NATIONAL SECURITY



Andrew Rice believes our national security has been weakened by the reckless and out of touch policies of the Bush years. By focusing so much of our superior military strength on Iraq, the Bush Administration and Jim Inhofe, took their eye off the ball and allowed new threats to emerge.



Senator Rice recalls that America's military and intelligence capabilities were at their peak during the months before the start of the Iraq War. Our troops routed the Taliban from Afghanistan and forced Bin Laden and al Qaeda to leave their mountain hideaways in Pakistan. The U.S. still enjoyed robust support around the world.



Today, five years of war in Iraq have exhausted the goodwill of foreign leaders and left America with an entirely new set of challenges. The consequences of the Bush-Inhofe war of choice in Iraq are coming home to roost:



• al Qaeda and other terrorist groups have grown in strength in the mountains along the Pakistan/Afghanistan border and according to U.S. intelligence estimates, Bin Laden is plotting new attacks against the United States;



• the Taliban terrorist group that American troops successfully defeated in Afghanistan in 2002 has returned to the country in greater strength and is now boldly attacking American and NATO troops;



• The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff recently told Congress that American commanders in Afghanistan have requested at least 10,000 more combat troops to fight the rejuvenated Taliban but they are not available because of our commitment in Iraq;



• oil states like Iran and Russia view the U.S. as much weaker than in 2000 and are emboldened to threaten their neighbors and expand their nuclear capability;



• America's dependence on foreign oil as our single source of fuel led to record fuel prices this summer and further enriched countries like Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Russia and Venezuela;



The next President and the next Congress face the task of restoring America's standing as a world leader and rebuilding military readiness to assure our national security in the 21st century. Senator Rice will work to take the politics out of defense and foreign policy. Every Oklahoman and every American have a stake in keeping our country safe and strong no matter whether they are Democrat or Republican.



Senator Rice supports a tough AND smart defense policy that includes responsible withdrawal of our troops from Iraq so we can take the fight to the terrorists where they live; expansion of the U.S. Army, Marines and Special Forces by at least 100,000 troops; and, a new energy policy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. As U.S. Senator, Andrew Rice will support a 21st century national security policy based on five principles.



1. Redeploy Troops from Iraq to the Afghanistan-Pakistan region: Nowhere is the challenge from terrorism stronger than in the unstable region along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan. June, 2008, was the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the war begain in 2001. Senator Rice has long advocated a responsible withdrawal of U.S. forces in Iraq so we can go on the offensive, track down Bin Laden and destroy al Qaeda and the Taliban once and for all. In addition, America must win the hearts and minds of Afghanis by making their communities more secure with effective intelligence, reconstruction assistance and counternarcotics operations. As current Defense Secretary Robert Gates says: "we can't capture and kill our way to victory".



2. Strengthen the U.S. military: American troops have performed exceptionally well throughout the war on terror. They've done everything that's been asked of them and more. However, they are overstretched according to U.S. commanders. Navy Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress last July that more troops are needed to meet the growing insurgency in Afghanistan but the Pentagon does not have sufficient forces because they are committed to the war in Iraq. As U.S. Senator, Andrew Rice will work to grow the Army and Marine Corps by 100,000 troops by improving recruitment and retention and properly rewarding military service. He will also ensure that our soldiers are equipped with the very best weapons, armor and training to ensure their superiority on the battlefield.



3. Break America's addiction to foreign oil: America's rising dependency on foreign oil now transfers nearly $200 billion a year from U.S. consumers to oil states, some of which helps fund Osama Bin Laden and al Qaeda. Our dependence makes us highly vulnerable to supply and price shocks caused by conflict in major oil producing regions. Senator Rice believes that our foreign oil dependency may be just as critical to America's national security as terrorism. He has endorsed the bipartisan "Gang of 10" proposal by five Democratic and five Republican U.S. Senators to gain energy independence from foreign oil. It opens additional acreage in the Gulf of Mexico for drilling and requires all new production to be used domestically. It supports nuclear energy and promises loan guarantees for development of clean coal-to-liquid fuel plants that can achieve lower carbon emissions than the petroleum plants they would be replacing. Most importantly, it shifts U.S. tax incentives away from big oil companies to entrepreneurs for development of clean, alternative energies, which can create thousands of new jobs in Oklahoma.



4. Meet the nuclear threat: There is no greater responsibility of the government than protecting the American people from a nuclear attack. With Russia, Pakistan and North Korea attempting to expand their nuclear arsenals and countries like Iran seeking to establish theirs, a U.S. national security policy for the 21st century must be aimed at preventing nuclear proliferation. Senator Rice supports the Nunn-Lugar program which is designed to prevent nuclear weapons from the old Soviet Union and other unstable countries from falling into the hands of dangerous dictators or terrorists. Senator Rice supports the recent missile defense agreement between the U.S. and Poland as a clear message to our allies and Russia that we will stand with our NATO allies against any nuclear threat.



5. Oklahoma is critical to America's military readiness: With five military installations across Oklahoma, our state remains a key contributor to America's national defense. More than 47,000 active duty, reserve and national guard personnel are currently stationed in Oklahoma and Department of Defense spending in the state currently tops $4 billion a year. As U.S. Senator, Andrew Rice will maintain the Oklahoma Congressional delegation's commitment to ensuring the long-term vitality of Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, Fort Sill Field Artillery Training Center in Lawton, Altus Air Force Base, Vance Air Force Base in Enid and the McAlester Army Ammunitions Depot.