Obama campaign, DNC push back on Romney over al Qaeda

{mosads}Romney did not mention al Qaeda in his speech, but the subsequent fact sheet on Romney’s foreign policy released by his campaign said Romney’s mission in Afghanistan “is to eliminate al Qaeda from the region and degrade the Taliban and other insurgent groups to the point where they are not existential threats to the Afghan government and do not destabilize Pakistan.”

Romney criticized Obama in his speech for compromising the U.S. military with vague goals and allowing for potential defense cuts as part of deficit-reduction negotiations. “This is very simple: If you do not want America to be the strongest nation on Earth, I am not your president. You have that president today,” Romney said, advocating an increase in defense spending to rebuild the military following Obama’s administration.

Although Romney blasted Obama over what he characterized as damaging military and foreign policies, Romney did credit Obama for a victory against al Qaeda at the end of September when news broke of the successful drone strike that killed terrorist Anwar Al-Awlaki. 

“The killing of Anwar al-Awlaki is a major victory in our fight against Islamist terrorism and proper justice for the numerous attacks and plots he inspired or planned against America,” Romney said in a statement commending Obama for “continued efforts to keep Americans safe.”

However, Romney has blasted Obama’s actions in the region as putting troops and the mission’s success at greater risk.

According to two of Romney’s defense and foreign policy advisers, Romney’s criticism of Obama’s actions in the region is based at least partially on his decision to withdrawal troops from Afghanistan and Iraq against the suggestions of his “generals on the ground.”

Romney thinks Obama’s withdrawal is “precipitous,” Romney adviser Richard Williamson said Thursday on MSNBC.

Romney adviser, former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), also speaking on MSNBC said Friday: “The decision that the president made about withdrawal of troops in September 2012 was done without the consultation or support of the military. I think General [David] Patraeus, [then-commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan], and Admiral [Mike] Mullen, [then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff], have made that clear.”

Coleman also said Obama had no experience “whatsoever dealing with military affairs” and made his decision based on political considerations instead of the input of generals.

A spokesman for the Democratic National Committee also cited Mullen in his defense of Obama. Former DNC Chairman Don Fowler referenced Mullen and former Defense Secretary Robert Gates as two people who have shaped Obama’s strong national defense. Fowler said it would be impossible to question Mullen’s “legitimacy” to speak on issues of defense.

“I doubt al Qaeda doubts Obama’s resolve,” Fowler said in a DNC conference call responding to Reomney’s speech. “He takes second place to no one in his commitment to defend America.”

In May, Navy SEALs killed al Qaeda leader bin Laden in a raid that supporters have hailed as one of Obama’s first-term accomplishments.