Sen. Casey talks foreign policy

Nearly 150 solemn faces filled a room at the Rivers Club Downtown to hear Sen. Bob Casey,… Nearly 150 solemn faces filled a room at the Rivers Club Downtown to hear Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., speak about volatile international affairs at the World Affairs Council’s Luncheon Discussion on Friday.

These members of the WAC had the opportunity to hear Casey – Pennsylvania’s first-term junior senator – address issues in Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Slovakia.

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Casey spoke about the uncertainty of military and diplomatic progress in Iraq.

In his most recent visit to Iraq, Casey realized the importance of a political victory in Iraq for a “sustainable stability.”

“I think we failed to match our military surge with a diplomatic surge,” Casey said after his remark about the one-year anniversary of President Bush’s call for increased troop levels in Iraq.

“Our troops cannot force a foreign government to be stable. They cannot force the Iraqi national police to put aside their deep-seated, sectarian views and their corruption,” Casey said.

For these reasons, Casey supports a phased redeployment of troops from Iraq by the end of this year.

“I think we must redeploy our troops in a manner that assures the United States help prevent any spread of the sectarian violence beyond its borders.”

Casey fears that the violence in Iraq will spread to its neighbors.

“I am under no illusions that the redeployment of our forces will usher in peace and stability in Iraq. The violence there may well worsen in the short term,” he said.

“However, after five years I see no reasonable prospect that our military forces can impose a working solution in Iraq, and frankly, nor should they be required to do that. No Americans have been asked to referee a civil war like this.”

In his speech, Casey was adamant about being proactive in the War on Terror and engaging other nations in its cause.

“We know that there are terrorists in scores of countries plotting every day against the United States. They don’t all reside only in Iraq. Some in Washington seem to believe that. I believe that we need to hunt down and kill terrorists who do harm to the American people wherever we find them in the world,” Casey said.

Casey also spoke about redirecting military efforts toward Iran.

“It is time to change course in Iraq, if only to insure that we are ready to face other determined adversaries and rivals around the world.”

On the Senate floor on Oct. 4, Casey described a plan to diplomatically isolate Iran by putting pressure on Iran’s energy sector and continuing efforts in favor of stronger financial sanctions.

Casey did not only speak of enemies. He addressed discrepancies with one of the United States’ allies in the hunt for terrorism – Pakistan.

“I believe that the administration has made the fatal mistake of basing its entire policy on one person alone, General Musharraf, even as the Pakistani people have made clear in recent years there is strong opposition to his strong authoritarian rule,” Casey said.

“We continue to cling to an outdated notion that only General Musharraf can deliver stability in Pakistan even after all the evidence indicates the exact opposite.”

Casey also believes the issue of terrorists acquiring nuclear weapons from former Soviet states is not discussed enough.

He referenced a case where three people were arrested for allegedly attempting to sell one kilogram of nuclear material for about $1 million.

He outlined a plan for reducing the threat of black-market nuclear weapons. He called for the United States to work with other countries to “lock down” nuclear materials so that terrorists cannot acquire them.

“We are making progress on this front,” Casey said. “The production of nuclear weapons and the production of nuclear-grade uranium and plutonium that gives those weapons their explosive power remain the capacity limited to national governments. It would be very difficult if not impossible for a terrorist to build a nuclear weapon from scratch.”

Though most attendees seemed to be pleased with the quality of Casey’s speech, some were disappointed that Casey did not address the North Korean threat and that he only had time to answer four questions.

WAC member John Bauerlein spoke to Casey after his speech and was dissatisfied by Casey’s general rhetoric.

“I didn’t get a sense of permanent commitment. That’s what I look for in a leader, finding commonalities. I don’t know where he stands,” Bauerlein said.

The goal of the WAC is to increase understanding of international affairs by bringing in speakers like Casey and hosting discussions, said WAC President and GSPIA professor Schuyler Foerster.

“Obviously, a program with a policy expert is different than one with a political figure. With the latter, what is important is his or her perspective on the issue since he or she is making decisions that shape policy,” Foerster said.

In the coming weeks the WAC will continue its Luncheon Discussion series with guest speakers Steve Clemons, director of the American Political Strategy Program, and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., in February.