keywords: john mccain, presidential candidate, foreign policy speech, denver, colorado
Synopsis: Senator John McCain delivered his first major Foreign Policy Speech as the Republican Presidential Candidate at the University of Denver, Denver, Colorado on May 27, 2008. The focus of the speech was the global spread of nuclear weapons and other nuclear issues McCain was interrupted several times by anti-war protesters. His response to them the second time was “I will never surrender- I will never surrender in Iraq”. He vowed that American soldiers would win the victory in Iraq and return home with their honor and dignity intact... (read more)
Today we also need to apply our spirit of optimism, energy, and innovation to a crisis that has been building for decades but is now coming to a head: the global spread of nuclear weapons. Forty-five years ago, President John F. Kennedy asked the American people to imagine what the world would look like if nuclear weapons spread beyond the few powers that then held them to the many other nations that sought them. "Stop and think for a moment," he said, "what it would mean to have nuclear weapons in so many hands, in the hands of countries large and small, stable and unstable, responsible and irresponsible, scattered throughout the world." If that happened, he warned, "there would be no rest for anyone."
President Ahmadinejad has threatened to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, and represents a threat to every country in the region - one we cannot ignore or minimize.
I believe we should also begin a dialogue with China on strategic and nuclear issues. We have important shared interests with China and should begin discussing ways to achieve the greatest possible transparency and cooperation on nuclear force structure and doctrine.
As we improve the national and multilateral tools to catch and reverse illicit nuclear programs, I am convinced civilian nuclear energy can be a critical part of our fight against global warming. Civilian nuclear power provides a way for the United States and other responsible nations to achieve energy independence and reduce our dependence on foreign oil and gas.
