As a candidate for Congress in 2008, your views on war and peace issues are very important to Iowa voters. Please return this questionnaire, by March 7, 2008, to STAR*PAC, via email to: STARPACNational@aol.com or by U.S. Mail to Box 561, Des Moines, Iowa 50302. Feel free to add more comments in response to any of the questions or to provide other information about your views on US foreign and military policy. Thank you very much.
Candidates' Name: Rob Hubler Date Completed: 2-18-08
Terrorism
1. Please state your thoughts on what are the root causes of terrorism, and what steps the U.S. should take to decrease the threat and build a future free of terrorism. Please discuss your reaction to the idea that some citizens of other nations may perceive U.S. policies and actions as a form of terror.
Poverty, religious fundamentalism, the conflict between the Israelis and the
Palestinians, lack of education, autocratic regimes, and poor employment
opportunities are some of the major causes of terrorism. Combating terrorism
requires - but is not limited to - good intelligence, special operations,
investment in law enforcement, diplomacy, foreign aid, and port and border
security. Citizens of other nations may indeed perceive U.S. policies and
actions around the world as a form of terror. It is worth noting that after the
earthquake in Pakistan in 2005, when the United States undertook a massive
humanitarian assistance operation, Pakistanis held a more favorable view of the U.S. than at any time since 9/11. Foreign aid is a very good tool for changing People's views of America and its policies throughout the world. Additionally, foreign aid can assist in improving education and expanding opportunities to areas where people are often drawn to terrorism because they have little hope in the future.
2. Please discuss your views on the Homeland Security program.
Homeland Security is a very real and serious issue for the United States.
However, it is my strong belief that we should never sacrifice our civil
liberties in the name of security. Freedom is indeed what makes America a great
nation.
3. What is your position on this statement: “The US Iraq occupation is creating more terrorists and hatred around the world”?
__X_ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
Iraq:
4. Iraq – Bush Administration justification of the War:
What is your position on this statement: “The current administration has changed and continues to change the justification for the Iraq war, that is, starting with weapons of mass destruction, to toppling Saddam Hussein, to providing a democratic Iraq government, to now stating that we can't leave because there will be massive bloodshed from sectarian violence.”
_X__ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
5. Do you think the Administration intentionally misled the American people and distorted the record to sway public opinion and lead us into war?
The Bush Administration not only misled but also lied to the American people to
lead us into war. We should have never invaded Iraq, and I opposed this war from the start. We should have given more time to the United Nations and to weapons inspectors in Iraq. The intelligence and the facts were indeed being fixed around the policy, and the end result is one of the worst foreign policy
disasters that this nation has ever seen. Intelligence was carefully selected
and exaggerated, public opinion was manipulated, and fear was used as a tool to sell military action (“But we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom
cloud.”).
6. Should Congress hire a prosecutor to begin immediate impeachment proceedings of Vice President Cheney and President Bush?
It is my belief that now is not the time for impeachment. We need to focus our
energy, resources, and political capital on electing a Democratic President.
Impeachment would grind government down to a halt, effectively shutting it down, and divert attention from the important issues of the upcoming Presidential Election. However, when a new President has been elected, I would support a full investigation to ascertain whether crimes that can be prosecuted were committed, and to discover what steps to take to ensure that the same mistakes are not repeated again in the future.
Iraq: The Aftermath
7. The U.S. is spending about 2 billion dollars per week in Iraq, with hundreds of Iraqis and soldiers dying. We hope that Congress can bring this war to a close soon. What is your position on the following four statements?
a. Begin immediate and orderly withdrawal of troops from Iraq.”
__X_ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
b. “Begin immediate replacement of U.S. troops and contractors with international stabilization forces.”
__X_ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
It is important to note that the U.N. and other nations do not want to be
involved in Iraq. This is a problem that must be addressed.
c. “Prohibit any permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq.”
_X__ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
d. Authorize a wide array of non-military U.S. bilateral and multilateral assistance for reconstruction and reconciliation in Iraq, including a compensation fund for Iraqi noncombatant civilian casualties.
__X_ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
8. The U.S. has a responsibility to provide financial and humanitarian aid for at least four million Iraqis who are either displaced in their own country or have become refugees in surrounding countries.
_X__ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
Iran:
9. What should be our relationship with Iran?
Our relationship with Iran must change. Sanctions are an important tool, but
alone they will not be sufficient. We must not take military options off of the
table with Iran so that an effective carrot and stick approach can be conducted.
Iran must be engaged, and diplomatic efforts need to vastly improve.
Additionally, real incentives must be offered to the Iranians in exchange for
verifiable concessions - namely, a full halt to their nuclear program and an end
to their state's sponsorship of terrorism. Leadership on this issue has been
sadly lacking. To continue doing nothing as the Bush Administration has done is not an effective policy. It is not a policy at all. Effective diplomacy to form a real and strong coalition of nations willing to work together to enforce sanctions and put pressure on the Iranians is also needed.
Military Spending:
10. The Administration proposed $623 billion for FY 2008 military spending, more than the world's next 30 countries combined. What are your views?
“I believe the military budget should be.”
[ ] increased by about $ __________ billion
[ ] maintained at about its current level
[ ] decreased by about $__________ billion
I believe the military budget should be cut but pointing to an exact figure of how much is a difficult task. Unfortunately there is great waste in military spending, and working to identify and eliminate this waste is a giant step in the right direction. We need to get funding to the right programs (such as the Special Forces, one of the most important tools in confronting the new challenges that this nation faces) and eliminate funding to outdated and unnecessary programs. We have also seen reprehensible abuses of the system when dealing with military contractors that must be addressed and halted. Gary Hart's book “America Can Win” offers several recommendations for military reform that should be implemented.
11. What is your position on this statement: “I favor reducing military
spending and dedicating more resources to meeting essential human needs and providing critical human services”?
_X__ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
National Security Policy and Strategy:
National Security Agency:
12. What is your view regarding President Bush admitting at his December 16, 2005, press conference that he did order the NSA (National Security Agency) to spy on American citizens?
We have seen the erosion of our civil liberties under the Bush Administration,
and his admission of ordering the NSA to spy on American citizens is but just
one glaring example. Warrantless wiretapping is not consistent with our
Constitution. Immunity for telecommunications companies that aided in the
domestic spying should not be granted. Steps must be taken to reverse this
extremely worrying trend in policy. We can and must ensure our safety without sacrificing our civil liberties.
Preemptive war strategy:
The Administration claims that a dangerous combination of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction requires and justifies a new strategy of first strike or preemptive military attack. The doctrine as declared in the September 2002 report, The National Strategy of the Unites States of America, states: “We will not hesitate to act alone, if necessary, to exercise our right of self-defense by acting preemptively against such terrorists.”
13. What is your position on this statement: “Congress should reverse the policy that approves presidential power to initiate first-strike attack and preemptive war against perceived enemies?"
_X__ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
Nuclear Weapons:
At the height of the cold war, when every possibility existed for imminent attack, President Kennedy noted that “in an age where a single nuclear weapon contains almost 10 times the explosive force of all the allied air forces in WW II, nuclear war makes no sense” and that “the deadly poisons produced by a nuclear exchange would be carried by wind and water and soil and seed to the far corners of the globe and to generations yet unborn.”
14. What is your position on this Nuclear de-alert statement? “I support Admiral Stansfield Turner's proposal that the U.S. should take the initiative to create a reciprocal reduction in nuclear alert status by separating warheads from delivery systems and moving the components hundreds of miles away to storage sites monitored by verification teams.”
_X__ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
15. The Administration advocates new types of “usable” nuclear weapons such as “bunker busters” and low yield “tactical” nuclear weapons. What is your position on this statement? "I will support continued development of new generations of nuclear weapons."
___ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree __X_Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
Using nuclear weapons:
The Administration Nuclear Posture Review suggests possible first use of nuclear weapons against countries without nuclear weapons, such as Syria, Libya and Iran, or possibly in confrontations between China and Taiwan or on the Korean Peninsula.
16. What is your position on this statement: “I support the Nuclear Posture Review's suggestion of possible first use of nuclear weapons by the U.S.”?
___ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree _X__Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
Nuclear Non-Proliferation:
17. What is your position on this statement: “I favor the U.S. helping to pay the costs of another country (such as Russia or North Korea) to dismantle its nuclear weapons program”?
_X__ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
18. What is your position on this statement: “If elected I will press for ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which would reinforce arms control agreements across the world and help prevent proliferation of nuclear weapons”?
_X__ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
World-wide Nuclear Weapon Production:
19. What is your position on this statement: “The U.S. should not question other countries about their development of nuclear weapons until we ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.”
_X__ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
I strongly agree that the U.S. should not question other countries about their
development of nuclear weapons until we ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty. Ratification needs to be a priority and conducted with all speed.
However, there must be a transition period where questions are still asked of
nations like North Korea.
The U.S. role in the world:
20. What policy and action do you advocate for responding to North Korea?
We must continue to engage North Korea in dialogue, and offering incentives to them to cease their nuclear program. International disarmament talks have
stalled lately, and every effort must be put into diplomacy to change this. Oil
aid and political concessions in return for real and verifiable disarmament must
continue to be pursued aggressively.
21. What would you do to work with Israel and the Palestinians to help end or minimize the longstanding, bitter conflict between the two communities?
The United States needs to make a real commitment to a two state solution to the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Both sides need to be pressured and encouraged to make this commitment and really work to see it come to fruition. President Bush has proposed a two state solution, but we have seen no leadership or commitment on this issue from this Administration. A strong leadership position from the United States is absolutely vital.
22. What is your position on this statement: “The U.S. must develop an anti-missile defense system”?
___ Strongly Agree ___Agree _X__ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
United Nations and International Cooperation:
23. What is your position on this statement: “I support using the United Nations as the primary route/vehicle for dealing with ethnic cleansing, civil war, and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction”?
___ Strongly Agree _X__Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
I do support using the U.N. for dealing with ethnic cleansing, civil wars, and
W.M.D.'s. However, the U.N. is often unable to act due to a variety of reasons. Other avenues must also be pursued. For example, the U.N.-mandated and NATO-led KFOR presence in Kosovo has been very effective in maintaining peace and security. African Union missions also have potential.
24. What is your position on this statement? “I am committed to the U.S. fulfilling all its funding obligations in support of the U.N.”
_X_ Strongly Agree ___Agree ___ Disagree ___Strongly Disagree ___ Undecided
Conventional Weapons Sales:
25. Please discuss your views on whether our government should be promoting and underwriting weapons sales and the selling of the latest high tech U.S. weaponry to the international community.
Serious concerns are being raised about the major arms deal with Saudi Arabia
that President Bush is hoping to soon seal. Weapons sales to the international
community need to be carefully evaluated, and in many cases stopped.
Charges of war crimes in an international court of law:
In a speech on September 6, 2006, George W. Bush admitted to criminal violations of the 1996 War Crimes Act. He implicitly admitted authorizing disappearances, extrajudicial imprisonment, torture, transporting prisoners between countries and denying the International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisoners.
These are all serious violations of the Geneva Conventions. The War Crimes Act makes grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and all violations of Common Article 3 punishable by fines, imprisonment or, if death results to the victim, the death penalty.
26. In light of these grave violations of international law, would you be willing to support bringing charges against this administration for war crimes in an international court of law once a new president take office?
No nation should be exempt from international law. Violators of international law must be held accountable.
