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Real threat of proliferation of nuclear weapons: Romney

The Republican presidential candidate says threat real given the instability in Pakistan and violence in Syria

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Press Trust of India Florida

Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate, has said that there is a real threat of proliferation of nuclear weapons given the instability in Pakistan and violence in Syria.

"Instability in Pakistan and horrific violence in Syria, and with North Korea having shared nuclear technology, the threat of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction continues to be very real," Mitt Romney said in his remarks to the American Legion in Indianapolis, Indiana.

"And we are still at war in Afghanistan. We still have uniformed men and women in conflict, risking their lives just as you once did. All of this and more is happening around the world right now," he said.

 

"And yet, for the past four years, Obama has allowed the American leadership to diminish. In dealings with other nations, he has given trust where it is not earned, insult where it is not deserved, and apology where it is not due," he alleged.

The world, Romney said, continues to be a dangerous place.

"Major powers are rapidly adding to their military capabilities, sometimes with intentions very different from our own," he said.

The regime in Tehran leads chants of "death to America" and is drawing closer to nuclear weapons capability, he added.

Referring to his recent overseas trip to Great Britain, Israel, and Poland, Romney said the highlights of the trip were not just the places he visited but the meetings he had with great champions of freedom like Benjamin Netanyahu, David Cameron, and Lech Walesa.

Romney said a fundamental principle of American foreign policy has long been to work closely with its allies so that they can deter aggression before it breaks out into open conflict.

"We used to nurture our alliances and stand up for our common values. But when it comes to friends and allies like Poland, the Czech Republic, and Israel...And with nations that oppose us like Iran and Cuba...President Obama has moved in the opposite direction," Romney alleged.

Romney said that the US foreign policy should take a page from the US Marine Corp: No better friend, no worse enemy.

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First Published: Aug 30 2012 | 10:57 AM IST

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