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| Romney campaign uses anti-US unrest to paint Obama as foreign policy failure | Romney campaign uses anti-US unrest to paint Obama as foreign policy failure |
| (7 days later) | |
| The Republican presidential campaign has used the backdrop of the spreading anti-US protests in the Middle East to accuse Barack Obama of a failure of leadership through weakness in confronting danger and betrayal of America's closest ally in the region, Israel. | The Republican presidential campaign has used the backdrop of the spreading anti-US protests in the Middle East to accuse Barack Obama of a failure of leadership through weakness in confronting danger and betrayal of America's closest ally in the region, Israel. |
| Mitt Romney spurned criticism that he distastefully exploited for political gain the deaths of four Americans, including the US ambassador to Libya, in an attack on Tuesday, to press home criticism that the president is more willing to apologise to enemies than support friends. | Mitt Romney spurned criticism that he distastefully exploited for political gain the deaths of four Americans, including the US ambassador to Libya, in an attack on Tuesday, to press home criticism that the president is more willing to apologise to enemies than support friends. |
| He was joined by his Republican running mate, Paul Ryan, who accused Obama of a "lack of moral clarity" and firmness in his foreign policy in confronting evil. | He was joined by his Republican running mate, Paul Ryan, who accused Obama of a "lack of moral clarity" and firmness in his foreign policy in confronting evil. |
| Ryan told the conservative Values Voter Summit in Washington the president is weak in support of America's friends and in confronting its enemies. | Ryan told the conservative Values Voter Summit in Washington the president is weak in support of America's friends and in confronting its enemies. |
| "Look across that region today, and what do we see? The slaughter of brave dissidents in Syria. Mobs storming American embassies and consulates. Iran four years closer to gaining a nuclear weapon. Israel, our best ally in the region, treated with indifference bordering on contempt by the Obama administration," he said. "Amid all these threats and dangers, what we do not see is steady, consistent American leadership. In the days ahead, and in the years ahead, American foreign policy needs moral clarity and firmness of purpose. Only by the confident exercise of American influence are evil and violence overcome." | "Look across that region today, and what do we see? The slaughter of brave dissidents in Syria. Mobs storming American embassies and consulates. Iran four years closer to gaining a nuclear weapon. Israel, our best ally in the region, treated with indifference bordering on contempt by the Obama administration," he said. "Amid all these threats and dangers, what we do not see is steady, consistent American leadership. In the days ahead, and in the years ahead, American foreign policy needs moral clarity and firmness of purpose. Only by the confident exercise of American influence are evil and violence overcome." |
| But Ryan did not say what kind of "moral clarity" Romney would provide as president. | But Ryan did not say what kind of "moral clarity" Romney would provide as president. |
| For his part, Romney attacked Obama for declining to meet the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, when he is in the US later this month. The Republican candidate called the move "an extraordinarily confusing and troubling decision". | For his part, Romney attacked Obama for declining to meet the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, when he is in the US later this month. The Republican candidate called the move "an extraordinarily confusing and troubling decision". |
| "This is our closest ally and best friend in the Middle East," Romney said at a New York fundraiser. "It stands between a nuclear Iran in some respects and a region that would have more stability without a nuclear Iran. And yet when the prime minister of Israel says, 'I'm going to be in New York. Can we meet?' And the president says, 'No, I'm too busy,' I can't imagine that circumstance. I don't know what the president is trying to send to the world in terms of a message but it does send a message." | "This is our closest ally and best friend in the Middle East," Romney said at a New York fundraiser. "It stands between a nuclear Iran in some respects and a region that would have more stability without a nuclear Iran. And yet when the prime minister of Israel says, 'I'm going to be in New York. Can we meet?' And the president says, 'No, I'm too busy,' I can't imagine that circumstance. I don't know what the president is trying to send to the world in terms of a message but it does send a message." |
| The White House has denied the president snubbed Netanyahu, saying it was merely a matter of logistics because they will not be in New York at the same time. Israeli officials have said Netanyahu offered to travel to Washington but was rebuffed. The White House denied it. However, the spat was seen as further evidence of the deepening divide between Washington and Jerusalem over how far to go in confronting Iran over its nuclear programme. | The White House has denied the president snubbed Netanyahu, saying it was merely a matter of logistics because they will not be in New York at the same time. Israeli officials have said Netanyahu offered to travel to Washington but was rebuffed. The White House denied it. However, the spat was seen as further evidence of the deepening divide between Washington and Jerusalem over how far to go in confronting Iran over its nuclear programme. |
| One of Romney's foreign policy advisers, Richard Williamson, described Obama's handling of the Middle East crisis as "amateur hour" and blamed it on the fact that respect of the US has fallen. | One of Romney's foreign policy advisers, Richard Williamson, described Obama's handling of the Middle East crisis as "amateur hour" and blamed it on the fact that respect of the US has fallen. |
| "There's a pretty compelling story that if you had a President Romney, you'd be in a different situation," he told the Washington Post. | "There's a pretty compelling story that if you had a President Romney, you'd be in a different situation," he told the Washington Post. |
| Other Republicans have accused the president of being too distracted by campaigning to focus sufficiently on the growing Middle East crisis. | Other Republicans have accused the president of being too distracted by campaigning to focus sufficiently on the growing Middle East crisis. |
| "They've got to get out of campaign mode and get into leadership mode," said Congressman Randy Forbes, a member of the House of Representatives armed services committee, told Fox News. "And they really haven't done that, they haven't done it in this situation." | "They've got to get out of campaign mode and get into leadership mode," said Congressman Randy Forbes, a member of the House of Representatives armed services committee, told Fox News. "And they really haven't done that, they haven't done it in this situation." |
| The White House quickly accused Romney of exploiting a tragic situation for electoral gain. | The White House quickly accused Romney of exploiting a tragic situation for electoral gain. |
| "It is astonishing that the Romney campaign continues to shamelessly politicise a sensitive international situation," the Obama campaign said. "The fact is that any president of either party is going to be confronted by crises while in office, and Governor Romney continues to demonstrate that he is not at all prepared to manage them." | "It is astonishing that the Romney campaign continues to shamelessly politicise a sensitive international situation," the Obama campaign said. "The fact is that any president of either party is going to be confronted by crises while in office, and Governor Romney continues to demonstrate that he is not at all prepared to manage them." |
| The president and US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, were expected to speak at a ceremony later on Friday for the arrival of the bodies of the four Americans killed in the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, including the American ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens. | The president and US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, were expected to speak at a ceremony later on Friday for the arrival of the bodies of the four Americans killed in the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, including the American ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens. |
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