John Kerry 2004 On The Issues
Strength & Security For A New World
America was born in
pursuit of an idea - that a free people with diverse beliefs can govern
themselves in peace.
Throughout our history, we have forged powerful alliances to defend,
encourage, and promote that idea around the world. Through two World
Wars, the Cold War, the Gulf War and Kosovo, America led instead of
going it alone. We respected the world - and the world respected us.
Today, our leadership has walked away from more than a century of
American leadership in the world to embrace a new - and dangerously
ineffective - American disregard for the world. They bully instead of
persuade. They act alone when they could assemble a team. They confuse
leadership with going it alone. They fail to understand that real
leadership means standing by your principles and rallying others to join
you.
John Kerry and John Edwards believe in a better, stronger America - an
America that is respected, not just feared. An America that listens and
leads - that cherishes freedom, safeguards our people, uplifts others,
forges alliances, and deserves respect. This is the America they believe
in. This is the America they are fighting for. And this is the America
we can be.
Today, we face three great challenges above all others - First, to win
the global war against terror; Second, to stop the spread of nuclear,
biological and chemical weapons; Third, to promote democracy, freedom,
and opportunity around the world, starting by winning the peace in Iraq.
To meet these challenges, John Kerry's national security policy will be
guided by four imperatives:
Launch And Lead A New Era Of Alliances
The threat of terrorism demands alliances on a global scale - to utilize
every available resource to get the terrorists before they can strike at
us. As president, John Kerry will lead a coalition of the able - because
no force on earth is more able than the United States and its allies.
Modernize The World's Most Powerful Military To Meet New Threats
John Kerry and John Edwards have a plan to transform the world's most
powerful military to better address the modern threats of terrorism and
proliferation, while ensuring that we have enough properly trained and
equipped troops to meet our enduring strategic and regional missions.
Deploy All That Is In America's Arsenal
The war on terror cannot be won by military might alone. As president,
John Kerry will deploy all the forces in America's arsenal - our
diplomacy, our intelligence system, our economic power, and the appeal
of our values and ideas - to make America more secure and prevent a new
generation of terrorists from emerging.
Free America From Its Dangerous Dependence On Mideast Oil
To secure our full independence and freedom, we must free America from
its dangerous dependence on Mideast oil. By tapping American ingenuity,
we can achieve that goal while growing our economy and protecting our
environment.
Winning The Peace In Iraq
More than a year ago, President Bush stood on an aircraft carrier under
a banner that proclaimed "mission accomplished." But today we know that
the mission is not accomplished, hostilities have not ended and our men
and women in uniform stand almost alone with the target squarely on
their backs.
Our military performed brilliantly in the war's first mission: ending
the regime of Saddam Hussein. Today, Americans share a desire for Iraqis
to live with the blessings of democracy and security. John Kerry and
John Edwards have a practical plan to win the peace in Iraq and bring
our troops home.
We must change course in Iraq. Having gone to war, we cannot afford to
fail at peace. The United States must take immediate measures to prevent
Iraq from becoming a failed state that inevitably would become a haven
for terrorists and a destabilizing force in the Middle East.
John Kerry and John Edwards will make the creation of a stable and
secure environment in Iraq our immediate priority in order to lay the
foundations for sustainable democracy. That is the right way to get the
job done and bring our troops home. John Kerry and John Edwards believe
the following principles should guide American policy in Iraq right now
and that if these steps are not taken, options in the future will become
more limited. This needs to be an urgent agenda to:
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Internationalize, because others must
share the burden;
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Train Iraqis, because they must be
responsible for their own security;
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Move forward with reconstruction
because that's an important way to stop the spread of terror; and
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Help Iraqis achieve a viable
government, because it is up to them to run their own country.
INTERNATIONALIZING TO SHARE THE BURDEN
After insulting allies and shredding alliances, this President does not
have the trust and confidence to bring others to our side in Iraq. But
we must rebuild and lead strong alliances so that others will share the
burden with us in Iraq and elsewhere.
John Kerry and John Edwards believe the
President needs to:
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Persuade NATO to make the security of
Iraq one of its global missions and to deploy a portion of the force
needed to secure and win the peace in Iraq.
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Convene a summit of the world's major
powers as well as states in the region, and key Arab and Muslim
nations, followed by a standing Contact Group to consult on the way
forward, and press them to make good on the steps called for in UN
Security Council Resolution 1546: providing troops; providing
trainers for Iraq's security forces; providing a special brigade to
protect the U.N. mission; and providing more financial assistance
and real debt relief. Offer potential troop contributors specific
and relatively low-risk but critical roles, such as training Iraqi
security personnel and securing Iraq's borders.
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Give other countries a stake in Iraq's
future by encouraging them to help develop Iraq's oil resources and
by letting them bid on contracts instead of locking them out of the
reconstruction process.
TRAINING IRAQI SECURITY FORCES
Last February, Secretary Rumsfeld claimed that more than 210,000 Iraqis
were in uniform. Two weeks ago, he admitted that claim was off by more
than 50 percent. Iraq, he said, now has 95,000 trained security forces.
Neither number bears any relationship to the facts. By the
administration's own minimal standards, just 5,000 soldiers have been
fully trained. And of the 32,000 police now in uniform, not one has
completed a 24-week field-training program.
John Kerry and John Edwards believe the President needs to:
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Provide incentives to improve and
accelerate military and police recruitment.
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Expand urgently the security forces
training program inside and outside Iraq by establishing a single,
common template for police training and another for military
training, and enlisting our NATO allies to open training centers in
their countries.
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Recruit thousands of qualified trainers
from our allies, especially those who have no troops in Iraq.
Strengthen the vetting of Iraqi recruits, double classroom training
time, and require follow-on field training.
DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING A
RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM THAT BRINGS MORE BENEFITS TO THE IRAQI PEOPLE
The Bush administration admitted that its plan was a failure when it
asked Congress for permission to radically revise spending priorities in
Iraq. It took 17 months for them to understand that security is a
priority; 17 months to figure out that boosting oil production is
critical; 17 months to conclude that an Iraqi with a job is less likely
to shoot at our soldiers. One year ago, the administration asked for and
received $18 billion to help the Iraqis and relieve the conditions that
contribute to the insurgency. Today, just 5 percent of those funds have
actually been spent.
John Kerry and John Edwards believe the President needs to:
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Internationalize the non-Iraqi
reconstruction personnel in Iraq to share the costs and burdens, end
the continuing perception of a U.S. occupation, and help coordinate
reconstruction efforts, draft the constitution and organize
elections.
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Order U.S. officials to cut through the
red tape, reassess the whole reconstruction package and act on
high-visibility, quick impact projects on the local level.
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Work with our allies to forgive Iraq's
multi-billion dollar debts.
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Use more Iraqi contractors and workers,
instead of big corporations like Halliburton.
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Stop paying companies under
investigation for fraud or corruption.
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Fire the civilians in the Pentagon
responsible for mismanaging the reconstruction effort.
TAKING ESSENTIAL STEPS TO HOLD PROMISED
ELECTIONS NEXT YEAR AND PUT IRAQ ON PATH TO DEMOCRACY
Credible elections are key to producing an Iraqi government that has the
support of the Iraqi people and an assembly to write a Constitution that
yields a viable power sharing arrangement. Because Iraqis have no
experience holding free and fair elections, the President agreed six
months ago that the U.N. must play a central role. Yet today, just four
months before Iraqis are supposed to go to the polls, the U.N. Secretary
General and administration officials themselves say the elections are in
grave doubt because the security situation is so bad. Not a single
country has offered troops to protect the U.N. elections mission, and
the U.N. has less than 25 percent of the staff it needs in Iraq to get
the job done.
John Kerry and John Edwards believe the President needs to:
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Recruit troops from our friends and
allies for a U.N. protection force, and train Iraqis to manage and
guard the polling places that need to be opened so that U.S forces
do not have to bear that burden alone.
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Disburse immediately critical funds for
election preparations.
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Convene a regional conference with
Iraq's neighbors in order to secure a pledge of respect for Iraq's
borders and non-interference in Iraq's internal affairs.
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Help Iraqis establish a constitutional
process for negotiating long-term power sharing arrangements between
Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites.
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Invest in long-term capacity-building
and training for political parties and civil society groups.
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Prioritize training for the legal and
judicial sectors.
Strengthening America's Military
John Kerry and John Edwards believe that we must strengthen our military
to meet the new threats of the 21st century. Today's American military
is the best in the world, but tomorrow's military must be better still -
stronger, faster, better armed, and never again stretched so thin. John
Kerry and John Edwards will send a clear message to every man and woman
in our armed forces: You will always be the best-led, best-equipped and
most respected fighting force in the world. You will be armed with the
right weapons, trained in the right skills, and fully prepared to win on
the battlefield. You will never again be sent into harm's way without
enough troops for the task or asked to fight a war without a plan to win
the peace. And you will never be given assignments which have not been
clearly defined and for which you are not professionally trained.
John Kerry and John Edwards have a specific plan to transform the
world's most powerful military to better address the 21st century
threats of terrorism and proliferation, while ensuring that America has
enough properly trained and equipped troops to meet our enduring
strategic and regional missions.
The Kerry-Edwards plan will:
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Expand America's Active Duty Forces
by 40,000 to relieve the strain on today's military.
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Double America's Special Forces
Capability and increase other specialized personnel to improve
America's ability to conduct counter-terrorism operations, perform
reconnaissance missions and gather intelligence.
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Complete the Process of
Technological Transformation by ensuring that our military has
the most modern equipment and technology available.
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Transform the National Guard for
homeland security by assigning guard units to a standing joint task
force that will prepare and execute homeland security strategies
with state and federal governments.
New Strategies To Defeat New
Threats
The greatest threat facing America in the 21st Century is the
possibility of an attack by terrorists armed with a nuclear weapon. The
most difficult step for a terrorist to take in making a nuclear weapon
is getting highly enriched uranium or plutonium. Unfortunately, there is
enough of this material to make literally thousands of nuclear weapons
sitting in inadequately secured sites in dozens of countries across the
world - some 600 tons of it is in the former Soviet Union alone. We know
that al Qaeda is already seeking this material, yet we are not doing
enough to keep it out of their hands. In fact, less nuclear weapons
material was secured in the two years after 9/11 than in the two years
prior.
As president, John Kerry will dramatically reduce the threat of nuclear
terrorism by keeping terrorists from getting dangerous weapons or
nuclear materials. Today, the pace of efforts to secure these materials
is not sufficient given the threat we face. The Kerry-Edwards strategy
uses all of our resources and the might of international alliances to
(1) safeguard existing stockpiles of nuclear weapons and materials
within four years, (2) end production of fissile materials for use in
nuclear weapons, (3) reduce existing stockpiles of nuclear weapons
materials, (4) end nuclear weapons programs in nations like North Korea
and Iran, (5) enhance international efforts to stop trafficking in
nuclear materials, and (6) make preventing nuclear terrorism a major
national priority.
Safeguard Existing Nuclear Weapons
Materials Worldwide
Under the Kerry-Edwards plan, any material that could be used in a
nuclear weapon will be treated like a nuclear weapon. To safeguard all
nuclear weapons material within four years, John Kerry will:
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Accelerate Programs To Secure All
Nuclear Weapons and Materials In The Former Soviet Union Within Four
Years. By the end of 2003, only 22 per cent of the estimated 600
tons of the vulnerable nuclear material in the former Soviet Union
had received comprehensive security upgrades, and only 43 per cent
had even had basic, quick-fix upgrades. Yet President Bush has not
made securing these vulnerable weapons and materials a priority,
allowing summit after summit with Russian President Putin to go by
without any action to overcome the bureaucratic obstacles to
improving security. At their most recent summit in September 2003,
the United States and Russia laid out an agenda for U.S.-Russian
cooperation that did not even include the subject of securing
nuclear stocks. As a result of this inaction, completing this work
will take 13 years if we continue at the current pace. John Kerry
will accelerate this work, breaking through the bureaucratic logjams
that have hampered progress so that all nuclear weapons and
materials in the former Soviet Union will be secured in four years.
John Kerry will make this a priority in our relations with Russia by
immediately working to develop a strategic plan to secure all these
weapons and materials;
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Complete a Global Cleanout Of
Potential Bomb-Making Materials In Four Years. Highly enriched
uranium that can be used to create nuclear bombs is still used to
fuel over 130 research reactors in more than 40 countries, many with
only modest security. John Kerry's plan will remove potential bomb
material provided by the Soviet Union and the United States from
vulnerable sites outside the former Soviet Union within four years.
It took the Bush administration three years to even announce their
plan to do this, and by their own schedule it would take a decade to
complete it - far too long given the gravity of the threat.
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Establish Global Standards For
Safekeeping Of Nuclear Materials. John Kerry will lead a major
multinational effort to establish and enforce an international
standard for the safe custody of nuclear weapons and materials. He
will expand the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program to
provide assistance where necessary for countries to meet this
standard. And he will re-establish American leadership in
international efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and
materials by establishing a Contact Group of nations to work
together to implement this and prevent the spread of nuclear weapons
and materials.
End Production of new Fissile Material for
Nuclear Weapons
Given the challenge of securing the thousands of nuclear weapons that
already exist, the world does not need more nuclear weapons. To end the
production of nuclear material for use in nuclear weapons, John Kerry
will:
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Negotiate a Global Ban On Production
Of Material For Nuclear Weapons. There is strong international
support for a ban on all production of highly enriched uranium and
plutonium for use in nuclear weapons that would permanently cap the
world's nuclear weapons stockpiles. Yet the Bush administration has
failed to move forward, keeping this initiative frozen in a lengthy
inter-agency review process. As president, John Kerry will
immediately ask the members of the U.N. Security Council to formally
pledge never again to produce such material for weapons. He will
then lead a broad international coalition to verifiably ban
production of such materials by any nation.
Reduce Existing Stock of Nuclear Weapons
and Materials
In the former Soviet Union alone, there are nearly 20,000 nuclear
weapons and enough nuclear material to produce 50,000 more
Hiroshima-sized bombs. We must reduce these existing stocks of nuclear
weapons and materials, and America must lead by example. To do this,
John Kerry will:
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End Development Of The New
Generation Of Nuclear Weapons. The Bush administration is
spending millions of dollars developing bunker-busters and
mini-nukes, a new generation of more "usable" nuclear weapons. As
president, John Kerry will signal to the world that America is
serious about stopping proliferation by putting an end to these
programs.
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Accelerate Reductions In U.S. and
Russian Nuclear Arsenals. As president, John Kerry will work
with the Russians to accelerate the timetable of planned and agreed
consolidation and reductions in U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals.
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Reduce Stocks Of Dangerous Highly
Enriched Uranium and Plutonium In Russia. As president, John
Kerry will work with the Russians to accelerate the "blending down"
of HEU into energy reactor fuel and speed the disposition of
plutonium, a process which is now bogged down in a bureaucratic
tangle.
End Nuclear Weapons Programs In Hostile
States Like North Korea and Iran
We must ensure that hostile states like North Korea and Iran do not have
nuclear weapons capabilities and that no nation can use the guise of
peaceful energy programs to develop them. To accomplish this goal, John
Kerry will:
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End North Korea's Nuclear Weapons
Program As a Top Priority. Our goal must be to end North Korea's
nuclear weapons program and permanently eliminate its enrichment and
reprocessing efforts. All options must remain on the table to
accomplish this. Any agreement must have rigorous verification, and
must lead to complete and irreversible elimination of North Korea's
nuclear weapons program. Despite the obvious threat, for eighteen
months we have negotiated largely over process while the North
Koreans have reportedly made enough new bomb material for 6-9 new
nuclear weapons. John Kerry believes we should continue the six
party negotiations with the North Koreans, but also be willing to
have direct bilateral talks. And we must be prepared to negotiate a
comprehensive agreement that addresses the full range of issues of
concern to us and our allies.
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Prevent Iran From Developing Nuclear
Weapons. A nuclear armed Iran is an unacceptable risk to the
national security of the United States and our allies in the region.
While we have been preoccupied in Iraq, Iran has reportedly been
moving ahead with its nuclear program. We can no longer sit on the
sidelines and leave the negotiations to the Europeans. It is
critical that we work with our allies to resolve these issues and
lead a global effort to prevent Iran from obtaining the technology
necessary to build nuclear weapons. Iran claims that its nuclear
program is only to meet its domestic energy needs. John Kerry's
proposal would call their bluff by organizing a group of states to
offer Iran the nuclear fuel they need for peaceful purposes and take
back the spent fuel so they cannot divert it to build a weapon. If
Iran does not accept this offer, their true motivations will be
clear. Under the current circumstances, John Kerry believes we
should support the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA)
efforts to discern the full extent of Iran's nuclear program, while
pushing Iran to agree to a verifiable and permanent suspension of
its enrichment and reprocessing programs. If this process fails, we
must lead the effort to ensure that the IAEA takes this issue to the
Security Council for action.
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Strengthen The Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty. As president, John Kerry will
strengthen the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty by closing the
loophole that allows countries like Iran and North Korea to develop
nuclear weapons capabilities under the guise of a peaceful, civilian
nuclear power program. He will work to create a consortium of states
that would guarantee fuel supply and removal of spent fuel to states
that agree not to have enrichment or reprocessing facilities of
their own. At the same time, he will oppose the construction of
reprocessing facilities in any countries that do not currently have
them. John Kerry will also strengthen the NPT's enforcement and
verification mechanisms by making adoption of the Additional
Protocol mandatory. And he will work with the IAEA to refocus its
mission so that there is an increased emphasis on stopping the
spread of nuclear weapons materials.
Enhance International Efforts To Stop
Trafficking In Nuclear Materials
The most effective way to prevent nuclear terrorism is to secure weapons
and materials at the source. At the same time, we should strengthen our
ability to prevent trafficking in bomb making materials and components.
To accomplish these goals, John Kerry will:
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Work With The International
Community To Strengthen Nonproliferation Measures. As president,
John Kerry will work with every country to toughen export controls,
stiffen penalties, and strengthen law enforcement and intelligence
sharing so that disasters like the A.Q. Khan network can never
happen again. And he will work through the United Nations and
international treaties to make trade in the technologies of mass
destruction an international crime, like slavery and piracy.
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Improve The Proliferation Security
Initiative (PSI). Only approximately 15 percent of the world's
50,000 large cargo ships are subject to inspection on short notice,
and fewer than 20 countries are full participants in the PSI. As
president, John Kerry will work with allies to increase
participation so that instead of relying on coalitions of the
willing, we can create the broader international framework necessary
to make such an operation more effective.
Make Preventing Nuclear Terrorism A Top National Security Priority
As president, John Kerry will make preventing nuclear terrorism a top
priority. He will:
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Appoint A Presidential Coordinator
To Prevent Nuclear Terrorism. As president, John Kerry will
appoint a Presidential Coordinator who will focus exclusively on
directing a top line effort to secure all nuclear weapons and
materials around the world and prevent a nuclear terrorist attack.
This Coordinator will be charged with marshalling all of our
resources and making certain that all of the U.S. government's
efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and materials are
prioritized and integrated into a comprehensive plan.
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Make Preventing Nuclear Terrorism A
Cabinet-Level Priority. As president, John Kerry will instruct
the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Energy to make
counter-proliferation efforts a major emphasis of their roles in
promoting national security. He will also direct the Secretary of
State to make preventing nuclear terrorism a top diplomatic
priority.
Defeating Global Terrorism
The most important choices we face are about national security. And the
most urgent national security challenge we face is the war against al
Qaeda and likeminded terrorists around the world. John Kerry has a
comprehensive strategy to win the war on terror and keep America safe.
As president, he will: (1) destroy terrorist networks – by transforming
our military and reforming our intelligence services – and prevent them
from again taking root in Afghanistan; (2) prevent nuclear terrorism;
(3) cut-off sources of terrorist financing; (4) protect the homeland by
securing America’s ports, borders, and critical infrastructure,
enhancing chemical, nuclear, aviation and rail security, defending
against bio-terrorism, and providing our first responders the resources
they need; (5) use all elements of our national power to deny new
terrorist recruits and havens and prevent terrorists from poisoning
minds around the world; (6) support democracies in the Arab and Muslim
world; and (7) restore alliances to combat terrorist networks across the
globe.
I. DESTROY TERRORIST NETWORKS. John Kerry has a stronger, smarter
strategy for destroying the terrorists before they can attack us. He
will:
Direct Effective Use of Military Force to Destroy Terrorist Networks.
Kerry will use military force to kill terrorists and destroy their
networks. He will never cede our national security to any other nation
or institution.
Transform the Military to Meet Modern Threats. Kerry will ensure
that our military is fully prepared to meet the new security challenges
by: (1) expanding our active duty forces by 40,000 soldiers so that we
have enough troops to take the fight to the terrorists wherever they
are; (2) doubling America’s Special Forces capability and increasing
other specialized personnel who are trained and equipped to destroy
terrorists; (3) completing the process of technological transformation;
(4) redirecting the National Guard to assume homeland security as an
additional mission; and (5) keeping faith with our veterans and military
families.
Reform our Intelligence Services to Prevent Terrorist Attacks.
Kerry will act immediately on the 9-11 Commission recommendations and
reform our intelligence services to better prevent terrorist attacks,
including: (1) creating a National Intelligence Director with real
control over personnel and budgets throughout the intelligence
community; (2) reorganizing the intelligence community around
issue-oriented task forces to maximize coordination and efficiency in
addressing the greatest threats we face; (3) strengthening human
intelligence by doubling the CIA’s overseas clandestine personnel; and
(4) ensuring an independent domestic intelligence capability within the
FBI.
Deny Sanctuary in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has become a forgotten
front in the war on terror. Al Qaeda is regrouping and strengthening.
Twice as many American soldiers have died in combat so far this year
than in all of last year. John Kerry will ensure that America finishes
the job we started in Afghanistan, and that the country receives the
security, political, and economic resources it needs. He will:
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Expand NATO Beyond Kabul. As
president, Kerry will exercise real leadership by getting NATO to
accelerate the expansion of the International Security Assistance
Force (ISAF) outside Kabul and commit to sustaining an expansion of
its troops beyond the election period.
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Stop the Drug Trade. Poppy
production has exploded over the past three years, fueling continued
instability. Afghanistan now accounts for 75% of global opium
production. To stop the booming drug trade, Kerry will, among other
things, double counter-narcotics assistance and expedite the growth
of an Afghan counter-narcotics force whose specific mandate is to
track down and destroy Afghanistan’s druglords as well as their drug
infrastructure and drug processing facilities.
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Expedite the Warlord Disarmament and
Reintegration Program. The presence of large warlord militias –
with as many as 60,000 fighters across the country – is the
principle cause of insecurity and a challenge to the authority of
the Karzai government. Kerry will provide increased support –
including back-up military support where necessary – to crucial
disarmament and demobilization efforts.
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Improve Security Training. Only by
strengthening Afghan security capabilities can Afghanistan be truly
safe and secure. Kerry will strengthen critical security training
initiatives, including bolstering support to the Afghan National
Army and national police training programs.
II. PREVENT NUCLEAR TERRORISM. John Kerry believes that
preventing nuclear terrorism must be our primary national security
priority. He will:
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Secure and Reduce Nuclear
Stockpiles. Kerry’s plan will safeguard existing stockpiles of
nuclear weapons and materials in the former Soviet Union within four
years, create an international partnership to establish and enforce
an international standard for the safe custody of nuclear weapons
and materials, safeguard nuclear materials at research reactors
around the world, and reduce existing stockpiles of nuclear weapons
and materials.
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Institute a Verifiable Global Ban on
the Production of New Bomb Making Materials. A Kerry
administration will end production of fissile materials for use in
nuclear weapons through a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty with real
verification mechanisms.
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Lead an International Effort to End
Nuclear Weapons Programs in North Korea and Iran.
North Korea: While the
administration has made no meaningful progress in negotiations over
the past 18 months, North Korea has reportedly quadrupled its
nuclear weapons capability. Kerry will work with our allies to
reduce tensions and get the six-party talks with North Korea back on
track. He will also be prepared to talk directly with the North
Koreans because we should speak for ourselves when our security is
at stake. And he will ensure that any final agreement leads to the
verifiable and irreversible elimination of North Korea's nuclear
weapons program and addresses the full range of issues of concern to
us and our allies.
Iran: For far too long, the Bush Administration has sat on
the sidelines while Iran has advanced its nuclear program. America
needs to lead because a nuclear armed Iran is unacceptable. John
Kerry will make clear to Iran that America will lead an
international effort to push for tough measures, including
sanctions, if Iran does not comply with the IAEA resolution by
permanently suspending its uranium enrichment program and provide
verifiable assurances that it is not trying to develop nuclear
weapons.
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Strengthen the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). As president, Kerry will work to
close the loophole in the NPT that allows countries to develop
nuclear weapons capabilities under the guise of a civilian nuclear
power program, and make adoption of the additional inspection
protocol mandatory.
III. CUT-OFF TERRORIST FINANCING. From his experience leading the
Senate’s BCCI investigation, John Kerry understands the importance of
stopping the flow of illicit funds to terrorists. He will: (1) impose
financial sanctions against any bank that fails to cooperate in the
effort to control money laundering, and, if needed, against nations; (2)
work with our allies and the World Bank and international financial
institutions to shut down the financial pipeline to terrorists; (3)
speak openly and plainly about Saudi shortcomings, and get tough with
them when it comes to allowing financing of terrorism and spreading an
anti-American ideology – there will be no sacred cows when it comes to
protecting America; and (4) pursue a plan to make America independent of
Mideast oil so that we can rely on our own innovation and ingenuity.
IV. PROTECT THE HOMELAND. Americans deserve a stronger homeland
security strategy that protects us from the threats we face. Kerry’s
comprehensive strategy addresses the critical security gaps that
continue to remain after 4 years of ineffective leadership by George W.
Bush.
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Secure America’s Ports and Borders.
Currently, the United States inspects only about 5% of the
containers coming into our country. John Kerry supports a six-fold
increase in critical initiatives to inspect cargo overseas and to
subject companies that do not meet minimum security standards
themselves to tougher inspection. Currently, these programs are
woefully under-funded and do not impose adequate barriers to
terrorists seeking to attack America. He will work with our allies
in Canada and Mexico as well as our other trade partners to
coordinate our personnel and technology to create the Smart Borders
necessary to keep commerce flowing while keeping terrorists out. And
a Kerry administration will ensure that we create a single,
effective, and integrated terrorist watch list that is accessible to
everyone who needs it, including agents along our borders and the
cops on our streets.
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Enhance Aviation. Kerry will
implement explosives screening for airplane passengers and obtain
the equipment needed to screen air cargo just as we screen passenger
baggage. To achieve these goals, he will triple the current level of
investment in the purchase and installation of explosive detection
screening equipment. He will also ensure that our airports have the
trained staff necessary to provide the strong and smarter security
America deserves.
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Expand Rail and Subway Security.
As president, John Kerry will make new investments of more than $2
billion to protect our mass transit systems and improve the security
of our rail systems, including the purchase of more surveillance
equipment and better fencing for high-risk areas.
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Secure America’s Chemical Plants and
Other Critical Infrastructure. John Kerry will require chemical
plants to develop and implement security plans, including measures
to use less dangerous chemicals where that is feasible. Kerry will
ensure security at our nuclear plants, including adequate fencing
and surveillance, as well as armed, trained, and competent security
forces. Because 85% of our critical infrastructure is owned by the
private sector, Kerry will lead the effort to establish the
public-private partnerships necessary to devise security precautions
that make sense.
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Defend against Bio-terrorism.
Kerry will: (1) make the investments America’s public health system
needs to detect bioterrorist threats to our communities, and that
our hospitals and emergency rooms need to contain bioterrorism; (2)
improve the capability for our health system to develop and
implement distribution plans for vaccines; (3) lead efforts to
increase and improve our stockpiles of medicines; and (4) expedite
development of new vaccines.
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Provide our First Responders the
Resources they Need. America’s first responders need the
equipment and manpower to do the job right. Our local officials
shouldn’t have to choose between security and public education – we
can do better. To make our homeland security strategy more
efficient, Kerry will bring the people on the front lines together
to design the standard capabilities needed to respond to a terrorist
attack. And he will work to get federal dollars to communities
faster and more efficiently.
V. DENY TERRORISTS SAFE HAVENS AND NEW RECRUITS. John Kerry knows
that to win the war on terror, America must use all elements of national
power to deny terrorists new havens and recruits and prevent terrorists
from poisoning minds around the world. America must show that we are
willing to use our economic power for the common good; to defeat abject
poverty and disease that destroy lives and create failed states in every
part of the world.
Work to Prevent Weak and Failing States from Becoming Terrorist Havens.
Kerry will work with our allies and the international community to
develop comprehensive strategies to strengthen weak states and secure
and rebuild failed states around the world.
-
Strategically Target Assistance to
Weak and Failed States. As president, Kerry will provide
strategically focused assistance to weak and failed states to help
them build democratic institutions, better secure their territories,
and achieve broad-based economic development. Kerry will help them
increase their capacity to meet the needs of their citizens for
decent, basic education, basic health and disease prevention
services and support the development of small and medium-size
enterprises.
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Develop Rapid Response Capacity.
John Kerry will develop an enlarged country-in-transition fund to
enable the U.S. government to respond swiftly to crises and
opportunities in weak and failed states. With our allies, we will
also support initiatives to increase the capacity of developing
countries and regional organizations such as the African Union and
ASEAN to respond rapidly with peacekeeping force to prevent and
resolve conflicts. The United States must provide the leadership
needed for this effort to really succeed.
-
Refocus Diplomatic, Intelligence and
Other Assets on Failed States. The 2002 National Security
Strategy stated: “America is now threatened less by conquering
states than we are by failing ones.” Yet the Bush administration’s
distribution of our diplomatic, intelligence and other assets does
not reflect that. A Kerry administration will ensure that America
has the best intelligence possible on weak and failed states.
-
Share Burden with Allies and
International Community. America cannot bear the burden of
strengthening weak states and securing and rebuilding failed states
around the world alone – our allies, regional powers and
international institutions must also do their share. Kerry will
rebuild our alliances and bring others in the international
community together to address the risks that failed states pose to
people all over the world.
-
Lead a Global Education Initiative.
Under a new Global Education Initiative, America will lead the world
to provide universal basic education by 2015. It is critical that we
not only seek to empower reformers to achieve quality public
education through the Arab and Muslim world – where a lack of
funding has helped foster radical schools that teach hate – but that
we also support a global effort for free universal education
throughout Africa and the developing world. Increasing education in
poor nations – especially for girls – has been shown to be extremely
effective in raising incomes, reducing infant mortality and
preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS.
-
Cancel the Debt of the World’s
Poorest Countries. John Kerry supports wiping clean the debts of
the world’s most heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) that are
reforming their economies and investing in their human capital. Debt
relief will give them a fresh start to invest in health, education,
and infrastructure. And Kerry will direct his Secretary of the
Treasury to initiate negotiations with the Paris Club of Official
Creditors, the World Bank, the IMF, and others with the goal of
modifying the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative to
provide substantially greater debt reduction to a broader set of
poor countries. Kerry understands that debt cancellation should not
come at the expense of future foreign aid flows to poor countries.
-
Address Global Health Priorities.
Epidemics can decimate societies and contribute to weak and failed
states, which can become safe havens and recruiting grounds for
terrorists and other criminal elements. John Kerry will invest more
in health care infrastructure in weak and failing states, and
dedicate greater attention and increased resources to training
health care professionals and community health care workers. As
president, Kerry will double the U.S. funding to fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria to $30 billion by 2008 and encourage other
countries, corporations and foundations to do their share. And in a
Kerry administration, global health policy will be driven by science
instead of ideology.
VI. SUPPORT DEMOCRACIES IN THE ARAB AND MUSLIM WORLD. We must
support the development of free and democratic societies in the Arab and
Muslim world to win the war of ideas. While countries like Egypt and
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, have at times helped us in the
hunt for individual terrorists, they have not always been good allies in
turning back the terrorists’ cause. In a Kerry administration, America
will be clear with repressive governments in the region that we expect
to see them change, not just for our sake but for their own survival.
And Kerry will restore America’s moral authority by leading by example
and by promoting respect for the rule of law.
-
Launch a Major Public Diplomacy
Initiative. Kerry will lead a major initiative in public
diplomacy to train a new generation of American scholars, diplomats,
military officers, and democracy builders who understand the Arab
and Muslim world, just as we built our knowledge of the Soviet
empire during the Cold War. And Kerry will open diplomatic posts and
invest in academic programs, scholarships and exchanges with the
Muslim world so we can build better bridges and craft more effective
policies.
-
Convene a Summit to Increase Mutual
Cooperation. As president, John Kerry will convene – and attend
– a summit with European partners and leaders from the Muslim world
to discuss how we can collectively work together to establish new
programs aimed at increasing mutual understanding, economic growth,
and the fight against terror.
VII. RESTORE ALLIANCES TO COMBAT TERRORIST NETWORKS ACROSS THE GLOBE.
Kerry will ensure that America always remains the world’s paramount
military power. He will also restore alliances to magnify our power, and
increase intelligence and law enforcement coordination so that we can
stop terrorists hidden around the world before they can strike at us.
A New Military To Meet New
Threats
Today, our military is overextended and our troops are overburdened.
John Kerry and John Edwards have a plan to transform the world's most
powerful military to better address the modern threats of terrorism and
proliferation, while ensuring that we have enough properly trained and
equipped troops to meet our enduring strategic and regional missions. To
accomplish this, they will (1) expand our active duty forces, (2) double
America's Special Forces capability and increase other specialized
personnel, (3) complete the process of technological and educational
transformation, (4) redirect the National Guard for homeland security,
and (5) enact a Military Family Bill of Rights to relieve the burden on
military families.
Expand America's Active Duty Forces
As president, John Kerry will ensure that our military has sufficient
troop strength to protect our national security without placing an undue
burden on the men and women of our armed forces. He will:
-
Add 40,000 Troops To The Active Duty
Army To Prevent And Prepare For Other Possible Conflicts (not to
increase the overall number of soldiers in Iraq). Currently, eight
of the Army's ten active duty combat divisions are either in Iraq,
preparing to go to Iraq, or recently returned from Iraq. While only
a third of the Army would typically be deployed at any one time,
under current deployment schedules 31 of our 33 active duty combat
brigades will have been deployed by the summer of 2004. The Bush
administration is relying on temporary solutions including "Stop
Loss" orders, recalling the Individual Ready Reserve and extending
tours to meet our commitments. These temporary measures have
increased the burden on our troops and their families without
addressing the underlying reality: we need more troops.
-
Streamline Various Large Weapons
Programs, emphasizing electronics, advanced sensors and
munitions in a "systems of systems" approach to transformation,
reducing total expenditures on missile defense, and further
reforming the acquisition process, this proposal can be made budget
neutral.
Double America's Special Forces Capability
and Increase Other Specialized Personnel
John Kerry and John Edwards recognize the critical role that the Special
Forces and other specialized personnel play in America's military. Today
we rely on these forces more and more to meet the new threats we face.
As president, John Kerry's plan will strengthen our force structure. He
will:
-
Double The Army's Special Forces
Capability By The End Of His First Term. As part of the 40,000
new troops, John Kerry will double overall Special Forces
capabilities in his first four years as president. His plan calls
for adding 3,500 active duty and 1,400 reserve Special Forces
personnel. This will effectively double the number of Special Forces
available to perform overseas operations, including missions with
foreign forces such as the anti-Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. The
Special Forces units will also by be manned at 115 percent, enabling
extended absences for individual long-term language and cultural
training. This over-strength will also allow for surge-capacity in
times of crisis.
-
Add A Special Operations Helicopter
Squadron To The Air Force. As president, John Kerry will add a
second special operations helicopter squadron to the Air Force,
enabling Army forces to better complete their missions.
-
Increase Active-Duty and Reserve
Civil Affairs Personnel. As president, John Kerry will increase
by 1,200 the number of civil affairs personnel - 200 active-duty and
1,000 reserves. Today's missions are increasingly dependent on civil
affairs personnel, including judges, physicians, bankers, health
inspectors, fire chiefs, and so forth - the very skills that are
needed in post-conflict situations. Active-duty civil affairs
personnel provide "quick fix" support until the appropriate
specialist teams from the reserves can be activated and deployed.
John Kerry's plan represents a 50 percent increase in active-duty
civil affairs personnel, and a 20 percent increase in reserve
personnel.
-
Increase Active-Duty Psychological
Operations Personnel. Today, 70 percent of our psychological
operations (PSYOP) personnel are Reservists. As president, John
Kerry will add 500 active duty personnel to the 4th PSYOP Group, the
only PSYOP Group in the Army. This will round out regionally focused
battalions, reduce the burden on Reservists, and provide increased
opportunities for language training.
Complete The Process of Technological and
Educational Transformation
John Kerry and John Edwards are committed to building an American
military that leverages technology and military education across the
spectrum of conflict, for every mission performed by the active duty,
National Guard or Reserve. To advance this transformation, John Kerry
will:
-
Invest In The Right Technologies.
As president, John Kerry will focus defense investment in those
capabilities vital to waging war successfully in the 21st Century.
These include:
-
Advanced communications and
information technologies, which will be vital to the full range
of military capabilities
Sensing and control technologies that will provide the
foundation for effective operation of unmanned, even robotic
systems
-
Precision weapons, including
directed energy weapons that can produce lethal and non-lethal
effects
-
Data fusion technologies that will
enable our military to act more decisively with enhanced
situational awareness and greatly improved intelligence
assessments
-
Focus On New And Existing
Challenges. As president, John Kerry will create more digital
divisions, harness the power of "network centric" warfare, and
improve tactical communications crucial to future military success
whether the next enemy is a terrorist, an outlaw regime or a
would-be peer competitor. He will also invest in new, non-lethal
technologies - like directed energy weapons that can incapacitate
the enemy without risking the lives of innocent bystanders - for use
in urban combat and stability operations so that America's forces
are equipped to win the peace as well as the war.
-
Improve Counter-Proliferation
Capabilities. As president, John Kerry will strengthen
counter-proliferation capabilities to deter, defend and protect the
United States and its allies against weapons of mass destruction. He
will create new counter-proliferation units that specialize in
finding and destroying the most dangerous weapons before they can be
used against us. These special units will be trained, equipped and
prepared to intercept and disable nuclear, chemical, and biological
weapons, and secure any related facilities. With these capabilities,
future presidents will have practical, usable military capabilities
against weapons of mass destruction rather than depending on new
nuclear weapons.
-
Educate And Train Our Forces For The
21st Century. As president, John Kerry will make sure our troops
are prepared for the tasks required of them by ensuring that all
aspects of education and training - including basic training,
weapons training, combat simulations and professional military
education - are fully supported.
Transform The National Guard for Homeland
Security
As president, John Kerry will integrate the National Guard into our
broader homeland security strategy. To accomplish this goal, he will:
-
Make Homeland Security a Primary
Mission Of The National Guard. Today, more than 165,000 Guard
and Reserve troops are on active duty. About forty percent of our
forces in Iraq are from the Guard and Reserve. Some have been on the
ground in Iraq for as many as 15 months - much longer than was
expected or promised. Large deployments of Guard members to Iraq
have actually weakened local defenses because so many members of the
Guard are first responders in their communities - fire fighters,
police officers, and emergency medical technicians.
-
Giving The Guard The Clear Mission
Of Using These Critical Skills For Homeland Security. As
president, John Kerry will assign National Guard units to a standing
joint task force, commanded by a National Guard General. This task
force will create and - if necessary - execute a coordinated
strategy to protect our homeland, working with the states and the
federal government to respond in times of crisis. Apportioned Guard
forces would retain a valid combat capability, but would be rolled
into missions that are needed to support homeland security,
including intelligence, first responder security, and chemical,
biological, radiological, and nuclear missions.
Relieve The Burden On Our Military Families
John Kerry and John Edwards believe that the need to keep faith with our
troops extends to their families. The Kerry-Edwards Military Family Bill
of Rights will provide military families with competitive pay, good
housing, decent health care, quality education for their children, first
rate training and the best possible weaponry, armor and state-of-the-art
equipment. The Military Family Bill of Rights will also provide
assistance to families affected by extended deployments, or injury or
death in the line of duty. And military families will receive the best
possible information on deployments and responsive government support
after their military service is completed.
Source:
John Kerry for President 2004 Web Site
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