Military

A National Security Comparison

John Kerry for President

Kerry-Edwards vs. Bush-Cheney

Restoring America’s Alliances	Shattered alliances, alienated close allies, and made us less safe. America and American troops paying most costs of Iraq war.	Launch a New Era of Alliances for a post 9-11 world, to restore America's place in the world and make us safer.
Preventing the Spread of Dangerous Weapons	Stood by as North Korea and Iran further developed nuclear programs. Bush administration will take up to 13 years to finish the job of securing former Soviet weapons and materials at current pace.	Comprehensive plan to secure nuclear weapons and nuclear materials worldwide. Will secure all nuclear weapons and materials in the former Soviet Union and complete Global Cleanout of bomb material within four years.
Strengthening America’s Military to Meet New Threats	Failed to adequately plan for wars of the 21st century. Sent troops into Iraq without proper equipment and supplies.	Strengthen our military, including doubling our Special Forces capability to fight the war on terror; improve our technology; and task our National Guard with Homeland Security. Add 40,000 new soldiers to the active-duty Army -- not to increase the number of soldiers in Iraq -- but to prevent and prepare for other possible conflicts.
Achieving Energy Independence From Mideast Oil	Ignored our increasing and dangerous reliance on Mideast oil. Refuses to get serious with Saudi Arabia about its role in funding terrorism.	Detailed plan to end America's dangerous dependence on Mideast oil to secure our full independence and freedom. Will stop using kid-gloves with countries that launder money for terrorism.

Taking the Burden off the American Military & Taxpayer	Go it alone strategy means United States has contributed nearly 90% of forces on the ground and paid the vast majority of costs. No strategy to relieve the burden on the American military and taxpayer.	Plan to internationalize the security and reconstruction effort by making Iraq part of NATO's global mission and by involving allies in rebuilding the country, providing troops and financial commitments.
Planning for Iraq’s Future	Has failed to present a plan to secure Iraq's future. Ignored post-war planning recommendations of its own State Department. Of the $18.4 billion allocated for reconstruction by Congress, less than $350 million had been spent as of June, and more than half of that was for security and law enforcement.	Strategy to implement an international effort to coordinate reconstruction efforts, draft the national constitution, and organize elections. Work with allies to forgive Iraq's multi-billion dollar debts. 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.
Building Security In Iraq	Current training programs are lagging far behind schedule. As of late June, the Iraqi army was one-third the size U.S. officials promised it would be, and seventy percent of police officers had not received training.	Launch a massive training effort to build a professional Iraqi security force, including a major role for NATO.

Fighting the War on Terrorism	Failed to go after bin Laden at Tora Bora. Pursued ad hoc strategy. Own Secretary of Defense says we lack metrics to measure success. Ignored the advice of military experts. Single focus on Iraq - let Afghanistan become the forgotten front of the war on terror.	Launch a bold, comprehensive strategy to disrupt and destroy terrorist networks, double our Special Forces capability to fight the war on terror, reform our intelligence, crack down on terrorist financing, secure our homeland and prevent the emergence of new terrorists.
Building Bridges to Arab and Muslim Countries	Alienated large portions of the Arab and Muslim world against America. Administration's actions have squandered American credibility.	A plan to win the war of ideas in Arab and Muslim countries.
Making Bold Intelligence Reforms	Has taken no real action on critical reforms. Basic coordination of agencies, databases still not finished with no central system in place.	A Plan that demands accountability, separates analysis and operations, and creates a Director of National Intelligence with real control of all national intelligence personnel and budgets.

Protecting the Homeland	Failed to fund critical homeland security programs. Cut security training at nuclear facilities, killed chemical plant security plan.	Plan to keep America safe. Will give our first responders all the tools they need. Detailed port security & bio-terrorism strategies.