Huckabee Talks Foreign Policy With CBS News

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Mike Huckabee

CBS News' Joy Lin reports:

(AP)

In a foreign policy speech last week, Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee launched into his main point of disagreement with the Bush administration's handling of Middle East politics after Sept. 11. "This administration's bunker mentality has been counter-productive both at home and abroad," said Huckabee. "They have done as poor a job of communicating and consulting with other countries as they have with the American people."

Huckabee elaborated on those comments in an interview yesterday with CBS News.

"The greatest challenge we face in this country is understanding the war that we are in from the perspective of the enemy, not from our own Westernized perspective, and that gives me great concern because I think a lot of Americans want to Westernize the mindset of Islamic jihadists," said Huckabee. The former Arkansas governor and ordained Baptist minister told CBS News that the war is with an enemy that is "theological in his nature" and "unlike wars that we've ever fought."

Click here to listen to the interview.

In his speech last week, Huckabee reiterated his support for General Petraeus and the surge in Iraq. But he argued that the Bush Administration failed to utilize all its diplomatic tools in combating the threat of Islamic extremism and made poor strategic decisions based on faulty intelligence. Huckabee also said the current administration had failed to engage in a discussion with the American public about the nature of the enemy. He differentiated between Al Qaeda, which he said must be destroyed "as a movement" because its leaders would never engage in rational dialogue, and Iran, which Huckabee believes can be "contained as a nation."

"We have to realize that there is something driving the views that are being built upon by Al Qaeda," Huckabee told CBS News. "And it really goes back to the teachings of Sayyid Qutb and if we don't understand how he helped to shape this concept of taking the entire Islam faith back to a 7th century mindset, and what that would mean in terms of domination and really control of the world, we won't understand just how ferverently committed the members of Al Qaeda really are."

When told that the depth of the conversation he was proposing to have with the American public might be too complex for politics, Huckabee responded, "but it's the kind of conversation that a person who is running for president needs to be able to have."

"I think it's time for all of us, whether we're Democrat or Republican, to start seeking to speak truth, rather than just to talk politics," said Huckabee, who stated that he has more domestic policy experience than any other presidential candidate. "There's much more at stake than the next election. The future of our grandchildren and generations to come is literally at stake, and we can't afford just political talk anymore."

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by paulthompso1 October 7, 2007 1:19 AM EDT: The one ''pie chart'' that I can remember that Ross Perot used was one that illustrated that 51% of Americans work for the gov''t on a federal, state or local level. Not to mention the suppliers that sell these ''employees'' their pencils to their airplanes. That is exactly why Ron Paul cannot win...51% of America will not vote themselves out of a job or a pay raise. I know Ron Paul''s and your intentions are good...but we have created a monster that will not die, it''s called the US Government. Now, Huckabee can beat Hillary. He has Vision, Character, Leadership, is Wise enough to know that there are many more unknowns today...the more we know...the more we know we don''t know! And our founders believed in a Creator...it is in the Constitution! Again, Ron Paul cannot win the Presidency...his ideas need to be heard and we need to do what we can to reduce the risks that he calls our attention to. Huckabee can win the Presidency.; Reply to this comment


by vote4paul October 6, 2007 7:00 PM EDT: *** STOP THE WAR & END CORPORATE CORRUPTION ***

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Rudy GIULIANI Contributors: Bankers / Hedge Funds!
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Ron Pauls Money Is From the People! We have someone who is NOT Paid Off By Special Interest or Bankers Money!!!
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If you ever want this War to End Vote Ron Paul 2008, No One Else Is Going To End It!
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues

Ron Paul Will:

** Stop Iraq War Immediately
** Eliminate IRS
** Eliminate Federal Reserve
** Eliminate Government Wasteful Spending
** Restore America''s Work Force & Values
** Restore America''s Freedom!

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It''s Not About Democrat Or Republican. It Is About
the People And Ron Paul Is America''s Last Hope!

********* VOTE RON PAUL 2008! *********

Join A ReVoLuTiOn Group In Your City:
http://ronpaul.meetup.com/cities/; Reply to this comment


by arkrepublica October 6, 2007 6:17 PM EDT: I agree with cbcrowe3..Religious fanatics are dangerous. But if I remember correctly. Mike Huckabee said that G-d speaks through him. And that the almighty personally directs him. I think it''s clear that Mr.Huckabee is living in some sort of Messianic fantasyland. He himself is a dangerous religious extremist.

And I won''t even get into the fact that he is far from color blind on issues regarding race and equality. And then there is his foreign policy. Mr. Huckabee thought it was a great idea to lease Arkansas state property to the Mexican Government for the sake of promoting stronger ties and increased immigration. This is real estate that was bought and paid for my hard working Arkansas taxpayers. He gave away this property for ONE DOLLAR. He should have gotten $5,000.00 per month for that property. But apparently he thinks the Mexicans are more important than the Americans.

And then we have his failures everywhere else. He''s NOT conservative. Because what is conservative about higher taxes, the expansion of government, the imposition of the state in our home lives, and wasteful spending?

If Huckabee is so great then where are his supporters? Where''s the money?; Reply to this comment


by arkrepublica October 6, 2007 6:14 PM EDT: I agree with cbcrowe3..Religious fanatics are dangerous. But if I remember correctly. Mike Huckabee said that G-d speaks through him. And that the almighty personally directs him. I think it''s clear that Mr.Huckabee is living in some sort of Messianic fantasyland. He himself is a dangerous religious extremist.

And I won''t even get into the fact that he is far from color blind on issues regarding race and equality. And then there is his foreign policy. Mr. Huckabee thought it was a great idea to lease Arkansas state property to the Mexican Government for the sake of promoting stronger ties and increased immigration. This is real estate that was bought and paid for my hard working Arkansas taxpayers. He gave away this property for ONE DOLLAR. He should have gotten $5,000.00 per month for that property. But apparently he thinks the Mexicans are more important than the Americans.

And then we have his failures everywhere else. He''s NOT conservative. Because what is conservative about higher taxes, the expansion of government, the imposition of the state in our home lives, and wasteful spending?

If Huckabee is so great then where are his supporters? Where''s the money?; Reply to this comment


by arkrepublica October 6, 2007 6:12 PM EDT: I agree with cbcrowe3..Religious fanatics are dangerous. But if I remember correctly. Mike Huckabee said that G-d speaks through him. And that the almighy personally directs him. I think it''s clear that Mr.Huckabee is living in some sort of Messianic fantasyland. He himself is a dangerous religious extremist.

And I won''t even get into the fact that he is far from color blind on issues regarding race and equality. And then there is his foreign policy. Mr. Huckabee thought it was a great idea to lease Arkansas state property to the Mexican Government for the sake of promoting stronger ties and increased immigration. This is real estate that was bought and paid for my hard working Arkansas taxpayers. He gave away this property for ONE DOLLAR. He should have gotten $5,000.00 per month for that property. But apparently he thinks the Mexicans are more important than the Americans.

And then we have his failures everywhere else. He''s NOT conservative. Because what is conservative about higher taxes, the expansion of government, the imposition of the state in our home lives, and wasteful spending?

If Huckabee is so great then where are his supporters? Where''s the money?; Reply to this comment


by arkrepublica October 6, 2007 6:10 PM EDT: I agree with cbcrowe3..Religious fanatics are dangerous. But if I remember correctly. Mike Huckabee said that G-d speaks through him. And that the almighy personally directs him. I think it''s clear that Mr.Huckabee is living in some sort of Messianic fantasyland. He himself is a dangerous religious extremist.

And I won''t even get into the fact that he is far from color blind on issues regarding race and equality. And then there is his foreign policy. Mr. Huckabee thought it was a great idea to lease Arkansas state property to the Mexican Government for the sake of promoting stronger ties and increased immigration. This is real estate that was bought and paid for my hard working Arkansas taxpayers. He gave away this property for ONE DOLLAR. He should have gotten $5,000.00 per month for that property. But apparently he thinks the Mexicans are more important than the Americans.

And then we have his failures everywhere else. He''s NOT conservative. Because what is conservative about higher taxes, the expansion of government, the imposition of the state in our home lives, and wasteful spending?

If Huckabee is so great then where are his supporters? Where''s the money?; Reply to this comment


by memekiller October 6, 2007 3:29 AM EDT: On the other hand:

Ron Paul Says Obama Shouldn''t Be Condemned Over Flag-Pin Flap
By Greg Sargent - October 5, 2007, 4:26PM
Ron Paul has now become the first Republican Presidential candidate to say that Barack Obama shouldn''t be condemned for saying that he won''t wear an American flag pin because so doing is inferior to "true patriotism":

"A lot of people might condemn him," said Paul, "I''m neither going to condemn him nor praise him because I don''t know his inner motivation."
"He may be very, very sincere in what he is saying," he added.

Dems Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson have both dismissed this whole thing as a non-issue. But as best we can determine, Paul is the only Republican who has as of yet.

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/10/_ron_paul_says_obama_shouldnt_be_condemned_over_flagpin_flap.php; Reply to this comment


by memekiller October 5, 2007 9:10 PM EDT: RON PAUL....Speaking of Ron Paul, check out the Unabomber-esque fundraising letter he recently sent out to his supporters. Hoo boy.

It really says something when a guy who drones on about "fiat money," thinks we ought to abolish the Federal Reserve, claims the UN wants to confiscate our guns, and apparently believes that Canada is conspiring to annex us, often sounds like the sanest Republican on the stage.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2007_10/012194.php; Reply to this comment


by gkc99 October 5, 2007 8:12 PM EDT: Oh no, we''ve faced enemies like Al Queda before, religious fanatics who are anti-freedom, and Huckabee is one of them. Just look at his burning eyes. He''s Osama with a crucifix.; Reply to this comment


by memerider October 5, 2007 7:52 PM EDT: Huckabee probably doesn''t have a chance of becoming president, and I''m very different from him theologically speaking. He and I agree that Islam is not your typical Western religion. He''s the first presidential candidate who comes out and admits that Islam is not a religion, per se, but a totalitarian political form that is tightly coupled with what we in the West consider "religion." And it crosses national bounderies, and is already here, thriving in our country. This is the time when we need to examine the basic concepts of "belief" and "religion," and really examine how Islam spreads, and what about it makes it so easy to radicalize people.; Reply to this comment