Bill Bradley on Foreign Policy

Ask OPEC for more oil production

Q: What would you do to bring down gas prices?
A: The reason they’re high now is because we asked OPEC to raise oil prices in hopes of helping Russia be able to sell its oil on the international market. I think that now in California and across this country, oil prices are skyrocketing and we need action. Frankly, we needed action about six months ago. We need to go to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, those countries that we defended in the Gulf War, and needed to tell them to increase their oil production. Source: Democrat debate in Los Angeles Mar 1, 2000

Iraq: Isolate Saddam diplomatically; loosen grip on oil

Q: Should we take a harder line against Saddam Hussein or to try accommodation? A: [We should] try to loosen Saddam’s grip on the oil pipeline. The fact is that he has the capacity now in OPEC to reduce production, which increases price. That’s precisely what’s happened now. Specifically, I think the most important thing is to diplomatically isolate Saddam. I would not let sanctions go. I would keep sanctions on and try to keep him pinned down and surrounded through diplomatic effort. Source: Democrat Debate in Manchester NH Jan 26, 2000

Move towards new post-Cold War stability & mentality

Q: What is the most challenging foreign policy issue to face the next president? A: I think the most important challenge in the international arena is maintaining strategic stability that now exists between China, Japan, Russia, Europe and the US. If we have any disruption of that, there’ll be another arms race. Second, I think we need to take our defense budget and move it more to a post-Cold War defense budget. We’re still locked in the Cold War with a lot of assumptions that should change to meet the new threats, like nuclear proliferation, biological and chemical weapons, like cyberwar, & terrorism. Source: Democrat Debate in Johnston Iowa Jan 8, 2000

Russia: Missed opportunity to disarm & communicate

Our relations with Russia over the last 8 years [indicate] a missed opportunity. They came, they wanted to know what to do. We have not pushed hard enough for reduction of strategic nuclear weapons. I believe that we sent IMF money to Russia knowing that corruption was rampant. And we have failed to communicate with the Russian people. We need more efforts to reach out, we need more exchange programs, we need straighter talk. And we need to be very clear about condemning the war in Chechnya. Source: Democratic Debate in Durham, NH Jan 5, 2000

East Timor worked; use UN instead of US elsewhere

Q: Expound upon East Timor, please. A: I feel that our involvement in East Timor was appropriate. It’s maybe even an example of where future involvements could head. We have 32 ethnic wars in the world today. There is no way that we have the resources or the wisdom to be involved in all 32. We need to find ways of using multilateral institutions like the UN, regional institutions like NATO or in Southeast Asia, to deal with problems; we don’t take the full responsibility, but we play a part. Source: Democrat Debate at Dartmouth College Oct 28, 1999

Puerto Rico: Support their expressed will; provide more aid

As long as the people of Puerto Rico continue to support Commonwealth status, I will respect their autonomous status
Should the people choose another status [by plebiscite], I will respect and support their decision
Puerto Rico still needs special tools to further develop its economy and to attract new investment. I propose to find new, flexible incentives that will achieve the highest possible rate of economic growth.

Source: Statement on Puerto Rico Aug 17, 1999

Foster middle-class abroad; focus on 5 key countries

[The challenge for the US] is to get more middle class people in the world [so] they’d be buying more of our exports. Achieving that means prudent management of international economic policy as well as our domestic economy. The key to our foreign policy is to have the right policy and the right relationship with five countries in the world-that is, Mexico, Japan, China, Russia, and Germany. If we get those big questions right, then the world is going to be a safer place. Source: www.billbradley.com/ “On Role in the World” 5/19/99 May 19, 1999

US has an obligation to lead the world.

I believe, as the most powerful nation in the world today, we have an obligation to give the world a map to democracy, a sense of physical security against blatant aggression, and a set of economic institutions that allow more people a chance... Source: www.billbradley.com/pages/message/index.html 12/15/98 Dec 15, 1998

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