Our national security requires eternal vigilance.  

With keen awareness of the generations whose sacrifice has allowed our freedom to thrive, we must remain vigilant to the greatest challenge that faces us in the 21st century: terrorism spawned by radical Islamic extremism. 

• In confronting this threat, our policy should avoid a September 10th mindset and recognize first and foremost that we are at war. 
• Acts of terrorism should be recognized as acts of war, and not as routine criminal matters or acts of “workplace violence.” 
• We need to renew our commitment to a strong national defense and intelligence operations. The Obama administration instead has floundered from one policy to another. 
  • Following harsh condemnation of the Guantanamo detention facility on the campaign trail, President Obama signed an executive order shutting down the facility immediately upon taking office, only to have to reverse his position in the face of the policy’s failure.
  • After promising to move forward with plans for a “third site” ballistic missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, the administration abandoned its European allies, caved to Russian pressure, and cancelled the defense system without getting concessions for the U.S. in return.
  • The administration’s approach to the Middle East has been a failure.  In his 2009 speech in Cairo, President Obama announced a “new beginning.”  It has more resembled a bad ending.  Egypt was the first of several Middle Eastern nations to fall into political turmoil.  The administration has proven incapable of adopting a policy regarding the Middle East as the region grows more unstable by the day.
  • Our undefined and weak foreign policy has alienated our allies and emboldened our enemies as the Middle East grows more extreme and dangerous.
  • Despite what former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says, it does make a difference what happened in Benghazi.  Four Americans gave their lives serving our country, and a House report issued by five committee chairmen concluded that the administration responded with “a deliberately misleading and incomplete narrative” that minimized the role played by terrorist groups.  The people deserve the truth, but over a year later, the administration continues to stonewall.
• Reducing our dependence on foreign oil and seeking alternative energy sources will advance our national security interests.
• Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East, shares and reinforces America’s security interests and deserves our full support.  I will demand that they get it, along with recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital—a claim supported by U.S. law, the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995.            
• An existential threat to Israel and our other allies in the Middle East and Europe would be posed by a nuclear Iran, which would seriously impede our efforts to bring stability to the region.  Sanctions against Iran should be expanded and enforced to further isolate the regime until it complies with its obligations.  If they fail to do so, Israel cannot be expected to wait for a catastrophic attack before acting to ensure its survival.
• Throughout the world, we should stand by our allies and stand up to our enemies with the confidence that has long marked the greatest defender of liberty the world has ever seen.