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Joseph Lieberman on Foreign Policy
Tighten Cuban trade embargo but help exiles
“I will not rest until we all do what we can to achieve for the people of that great island the freedom that we treasure in the United States of America,” Lieberman said of communist Cuba. Lieberman has
the strongest record of supporting exile causes of any national candidate. The Connecticut senator consistently voted to tighten the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba, and to prevent food and medicine sales to the island.
US must not withdraw troops and retreat into isolationism
Lieberman said, “If Bush thinks he’s going to pull soldiers out of peacekeeping in Europe, he hasn’t learned the lessons of the two world wars and the Cold War. He will truly wound the strongest military alliance in the history of the world. He will hurt
the credibility & strength of the US around the world. He will raise questions about whether we are going back to an isolationist orientation. You’ve got to consider the extraordinary experience that Gore has had in foreign policy and military matters.”
Cuba Libre, Free Cuba!
Lieberman said, “Al Gore and I believe that a free and democratic Cuba is in the interests of the United States. As long as the good Lord gives me breath, I will say, ‘Cuba Libre,’ free Cuba!”
Gore will continue critical role in peace process
Q: Do you agree with US Middle East policy?LIEBERMAN: America has a national strategic and a principled interest in peace in the Middle East. Al Gore has played a critical role in advancing that process. These peoples have come centuries forward in the last seven years. I pray that the unrest in the last week will not make it hard for them to go back to the peace table. We’ve been on a very constructive course in the Middle East, played a unique role, and Al Gore and I will continue to do that.
CHENEY: We made significant breakthroughs at the end of the Bush administration because of the Gulf War. By virtue of the end of the Cold War, the Soviets were no longer a factor. My guess is that the next administration is going to have to come to grips with the current state of affairs. I think it’s very important that we have a president with firm leadership who has the kind of track record of dealing straight with people, so that friends respect us and adversaries fear us.
US helped depose Milosevic and should continue to help Serbs
Q: If Milosevic prevails, would you support his overthrow? LIEBERMAN: The encouraging news is that the state news agency is reporting that Mr. Kostunica is the president-elect and there are reports that Milosevic has actually left Belgrade. That is a very happy ending to a terrible story. If that does not happen, then I think the United States, with its European allies, ought to everything we can to encourage the people of Serbia to do exactly what they’ve been doing over the last few days. I’m very proud on this night of the leadership role the United States played in the effort to stop his aggression and genocide in Bosnia and Kosovo. It was a matter of principle and America’s national interests and values. Vice President Gore played a critical role in leading the administration to do the right thing in the Balkans. Hopefully tonight we are seeing the final results of that bold effort.
Iran: Enforce non-proliferation on Russia & others
[We should] use whatever authority we have to deter and prevent Iran from developing the capacity to strike us and our allies. That is the other side of the American effort to protect ourselves from the serious threat to our security from the
proliferation of ballistic missile capacity and weapons of mass destruction. The kinds of weapons that are being developed would allow Iran to threaten friendly Arab states, making it harder for them to cooperate with the US. They would raise the risks to US military forces in the region, and would threaten the free flow of oil in this critical region, which could create crises in places far from the Persian Gulf.
We must act to try to prevent this from happening. [This bill] requires reports on the transfer of certain goods, services, or technologies to Iran. This applies to any entities anywhere in the world, including Russia. It authorizes the President to impose measures against these entities but does not mandate him to do so.
Supported NATO expansion; arms to Israel & Saudis
Lieberman was one of the leaders in the fight for the Gulf war resolution in January 1991. Presciently, he called for “final victory” over Saddam Hussein. He is a strong supporter of Israel but favored F-15 sales to Saudi Arabia in 1992; in spring 1998
he spoke against an American ultimatum to Israel. He favored US ground troops in Bosnia. He backed NATO expansion in Eastern Europe. In 1998 he successfully led a fight for sanctions to stop Russia from exporting missile technology to Iran.
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