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US election debate: Candidates spar on foreign policy US election debate: Candidates spar on foreign policy
(35 minutes later)
By Jude Sheerin BBC News, Boca Raton, FloridaBy Jude Sheerin BBC News, Boca Raton, Florida
US President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney are clashing over national security, in the third and final presidential debate.US President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney are clashing over national security, in the third and final presidential debate.
Mr Romney said the US under President Obama had allowed a "rising tide of chaos" to sweep the Middle East.Mr Romney said the US under President Obama had allowed a "rising tide of chaos" to sweep the Middle East.
But Mr Obama accused his rival of inconsistent policies on Iraq and Afghanistan that would bring "wrong and reckless leadership".But Mr Obama accused his rival of inconsistent policies on Iraq and Afghanistan that would bring "wrong and reckless leadership".
The two candidates are in a dead heat with two weeks until the election.The two candidates are in a dead heat with two weeks until the election.
Mr Romney highlighted civilian deaths in Syria, the Muslim Brotherhood taking power in Egypt, the rise of al-Qaeda affiliates in North Africa, Iran's nuclear programme, and last month's Libya US consulate attack as examples of the "tumult" that the Obama administration had allowed to overtake the region.Mr Romney highlighted civilian deaths in Syria, the Muslim Brotherhood taking power in Egypt, the rise of al-Qaeda affiliates in North Africa, Iran's nuclear programme, and last month's Libya US consulate attack as examples of the "tumult" that the Obama administration had allowed to overtake the region.
"I congratulate him on taking out Osama bin Laden and taking on the leadership of al-Qaeda," the former Massachusetts governor said.
"But we can't kill our way out of this. ... We must have a comprehensive strategy."
'Policies of the 1980s'
But Mr Obama hit back.But Mr Obama hit back.
The president said he was glad Mr Romney had recognised the threat posed by al-Qaeda, reminding the former Massachusetts governor that he had earlier this year cast Russia as America's number one geopolitical foe. The president said he was glad Mr Romney had recognised the threat posed by al-Qaeda, reminding him that he had earlier this year cast Russia as America's number one geopolitical foe.
An NBC poll on Sunday put the men in a dead heat, href="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Sections/A_Politics/nbc_oct_poll.pdf" >each with 47% support. rel="stylesheet" rev="stylesheet" href="http://static.bbci.co.uk/modules/twitter/0.1.64/css/gel_preset.css"/> rel="stylesheet" rev="stylesheet" href="http://static.bbci.co.uk/modules/twitter/0.1.64/css/gel_single_account.css"/>
Monday's debate at Lynn University is moderated by CBS News' veteran presenter Bob Schieffer. href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23LynnDebate" target="_blank">#LynnDebate.Romney - WOULD bring troops home by end of 2014 href="http://twitter.com/BBCNewsUS" target="_blank">@BBCNewsUS
Talks with Iran? href="http://twitter.com/BBCMarkMardell/status/260562412049166337" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">10 Minutes ago href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=260562412049166337" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=260562412049166337" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=260562412049166337" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply">
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    • Mr Obama aims to stress his commander-in-chief credentials as the man who killed Osama Bin Laden and ended the Iraq war, analysts say, while trying to portray Mr Romney as lacking the experience to steer the nation through a crisis. href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23LynnDebate" target="_blank">#LynnDebate.Obama comes back hard and strong on Israel after Romney repeats"apology tour href="http://twitter.com/BBCNewsUS" target="_blank">@BBCNewsUS
    Polling suggests Mr Obama has a small advantage in voter perceptions about which candidate is best prepared to handle US foreign policy in a chaotic world. href="http://twitter.com/BBCMarkMardell/status/260560855165456386" title="View this Tweet on Twitter">16 Minutes ago href="https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=260560855165456386" title="Favourite on Twitter" class="wi_favourite"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=260560855165456386" title="Retweet on Twitter" class="wi_retweet"> href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=260560855165456386" title="Reply on Twitter" class="wi_reply">
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    • For his part, Mr Romney is expected to push his campaign's position that US foreign policy is "unravelling before our very eyes". href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23LynnDebate" target="_blank">#LynnDebate.Obama "nothing Guv says is true" Says apology tour is "biggest whopper of the campaign. href="http://twitter.com/BBCNewsUS" target="_blank">@BBCNewsUS
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    • #LynnDebate.How many times has Romney said "peace"and "peaceful" tonight ?@BBCNewsUS
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    "Mitt Romney knows how to lead... he is qualified to be commander-in-chief," Republican Senator and 2008 presidential candidate John McCain told the BBC ahead of the debate. "Governor, when it comes to our foreign policy you seem to want the policies of the 1980s, just like you want to import the social policies of the 1950s and the economic policies in the 1920s," the president said.
    "He is just like Ronald Reagan - he believes in American exceptionalism." Mr Obama said Mr Romney had backed the Iraq invasion, even though there were no weapons of mass destruction.
    At a confrontational second debate in New York last week, Mr Romney said the 11 September attack on the US consulate in Benghazi - which killed four Americans including the US ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens - and wider anti-American violence in the Middle East were symptomatic of Mr Obama's leadership failure. He also accused him of having advocated a continued troop presence in Iraq, opposing nuclear treaties with Russia, even when they had broad bipartisan backing, and of flip-flopping over whether the US should have a timeline for leaving Afghanistan.
    The Republican candidate accused Mr Obama of initially downplaying the role of radical Islamists in the Benghazi attack - in order to show the Obama administration had had a successful anti-terrorist track record. "What we need to do with respect to the Middle East is strong, steady leadership, not wrong and reckless leadership that is all over the map," Mr Obama said. "And unfortunately, that's the kind of opinion that you've offered throughout this campaign."
    Mr Obama countered that he had denounced the killing as "an act of terror", snapping that Mr Romney should "check the transcript" rather than trying to score political points from the tragedy. Mr Romney hit back, accusing Mr Obama of going on an "apology tour" of the Middle East when he came into office, which he said had made America look weak, and of allowing Iran to get four years closer to a nuclear bomb.
    In what the BBC's Jude Sheerin described as a possible preview to Mr Romney's debate argument, Mr McCain said Mr Obama had "allowed the consulate in Benghazi to become a death trap" and then deceived the American people about the nature of the attack. Dead heat
    "I knew Chris Stevens very well," Mr McCain told our correspondent. "I was a good friend of his. His death didn't have to happen. There were plenty of reports about the security problems." But the president said the claim about an apology tour was "the biggest whopper told during the campaign" and insisted that he would defend Israel from Iran.
    The former Massachusetts governor has also accused the president of not being firm enough in support of America's principal Middle Eastern ally, Israel. An NBC poll on Sunday put the men in a dead heat, href="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Sections/A_Politics/nbc_oct_poll.pdf" >each with 47% support.
    Mr Obama has a chilly relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and has refused to bow to Israeli pressure to issue ultimatums to Iran over its nuclear programme. Monday's debate at Lynn University is moderated by CBS News' veteran presenter Bob Schieffer.
    On such issues, Mr Romney has not spelt out what he would do differently - except be tougher. He has raised Iran's quest for nuclear weapons - which Tehran denies - as evidence of President Obama's lack of leadership.
    During the weekend, reports surfaced that the White House was open to one-on-one talks with Iran - but that there were no talks planned. The president routinely says a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable, but also praises the people of Iran.
    Mr Romney will likely use the reports to show Mr Obama as weak, says the BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington.
    While Mr Obama sees China as a competitor in the global market, Mr Romney has been more outspoken on the emerging global superpower, saying Beijing cheats by manipulating the value of its currency against the US dollar - and that he will crack down.
    But the millionaire businessman has also stumbled on international issues, managing to upset as many people as he impressed during a tour of Europe and Israel this summer.
    Much as Monday's debate is about foreign policy, the candidates will use any opportunity to highlight the strengths of their economic policies, analysts say.Much as Monday's debate is about foreign policy, the candidates will use any opportunity to highlight the strengths of their economic policies, analysts say.
    Economy and jobs
    A lacklustre performance by Mr Obama in the opening debate in Denver, Colorado, on 3 October gave Mr Romney a campaign boost.A lacklustre performance by Mr Obama in the opening debate in Denver, Colorado, on 3 October gave Mr Romney a campaign boost.
    But in their second face-off in New York last week, a more aggressive Barack Obama buried the memory of a poor first showing as he came out swinging on the economy, tax and foreign policy.But in their second face-off in New York last week, a more aggressive Barack Obama buried the memory of a poor first showing as he came out swinging on the economy, tax and foreign policy.
    After Monday night's showdown, both candidates will be returning to the campaign trail for a gruelling final two weeks of wooing voters in swing states.After Monday night's showdown, both candidates will be returning to the campaign trail for a gruelling final two weeks of wooing voters in swing states.
    Because the presidency is decided through state-by-state contests, campaigns are focused on the nine or so states that are not essentially decided.Because the presidency is decided through state-by-state contests, campaigns are focused on the nine or so states that are not essentially decided.
    Certain states, such as Ohio, Virginia and Florida - where the key issues for voters remains the economy and jobs - are seen as particularly essential to both candidates' hopes of winning.Certain states, such as Ohio, Virginia and Florida - where the key issues for voters remains the economy and jobs - are seen as particularly essential to both candidates' hopes of winning.
    The system can lead to a candidate winning the popular vote but losing the presidency, as former Vice-president Al Gore did in 2000.The system can lead to a candidate winning the popular vote but losing the presidency, as former Vice-president Al Gore did in 2000.