 |
|
|
|
|
Republicans
on Homeland Security:
- Implementation
of the Homeland Security Department
- President Bush nominated Gov. Tom Ridge to head the new department.
Ridge was confirmed by a 94-0 vote in the Senate.
- The Bush administration, under new authority granted under
the Homeland Security Act, has sought to limit union activity
in the new Transportation Security Agency.
- President Bush at first resisted the idea of a new department,
but has now fully embraced it.
- Missile
defense
- The White House says a missile defense program should be a
priority because of new threats the United States now faces.
- The president says the United States was correct to withdraw
from the 1972 ABM treaty because it was based on a "doctrine
of Cold War deterrence."
- The Bush administration claims the treaty withdrawal has allowed
the United States to conduct research that is vital to fielding
a viable missile defense program.
- The administration has said the United States will deploy
its missile defense system in stages and rely on allies for
help in its implementation.
Republicans
on Iraq:
-
Republicans argue Saddam has defied the international community
since the end of the Gulf War and has broken all of his agreements
to abide by United Nations resolutions.
-
The Bush administration has said time is running out for Saddam's
regime.
-
GOP leaders have reiterated the fact that the president has
been given broad authority by Congress to use military force
against Iraq.
-
Republicans have argued that the security of the United States
and the countries in the Middle East depends on regime change
and disarmament in Iraq.
-
The Bush administration has said the burden of proof is on Iraq
to prove it has disarmed and is cooperating with U.N. inspectors.
-
Secretary of State Colin Powell has said a "body of evidence
that suggests Iraq is not disarming and is not cooperating with
efforts of the United Nations inspectors" now exists. He
says the inspections have turned up undeclared offensive chemical
weapons. He also says the U.S. already has the authority it
needs from the U.N. to use force if necessary to disarm Iraq.
-
President Bush has said Iraq has not proven it is serious about
disarming.
-
The Bush administration has said that the Security Council and
President Bush will each have to make a decision on how to proceed
when inspectors offer their report on Jan. 27
-
President Bush has said the United States prefers to act multilaterally
but reserves the option to, if necessary, act alone or with
"like-minded nations" to disarm Iraq.
-
The Bush administration has said the United States is comfortable
with idea of exiling Saddam Hussein and the top echelon of Iraqi
leadership.
Republicans
on North Korea:
-
The Bush administration contends North Korea caused the current
problem by secretly violating the terms of a 1994 agreement
with the United States in which it said it would abandon its
nuclear program.
-
President Bush has said the United States is committed to a
diplomatic solution to the problem of North Korea's nuclear
capability.
-
Bush administration officials have said the situation in North
Korea is not comparable to Iraq.
-
The White House says the United States is working with North
Korea's neighbors and the United Nations to solve the problem.
-
Bush administration officials have said the United States is
willing to provide aid to North Korea if North Korea adheres
to its obligations.
Republicans
on War on Terrorism:
-
The administration sees the Iraq and North Korea problems as
part of a worldwide war on terror, believing that those nations
could sponsor terrorist groups or sell weapons to terrorists.
-
The United States has taken on the task of rebuilding Afghanistan
after removing the Taliban regime, which supported Osama bin
Laden's Al-Qaida network.
-
The Bush administration continues to highlight ongoing efforts
at home and abroad to fight terrorism.
-
The Bush administration has used broad new authority granted
to the federal government with the passage of the USA Patriot
Act and the Homeland Security Act. Court challenges to some
of the administration's tactics have been defeated.
-
The Defense Department has said that the data-mining research
effort, known as "Total Awareness Information" and
run by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is purely
for "research and development and has no intention of collecting
data on individuals." The department has further said that
the effort will inform law enforcement agencies how best to
use their own computer technology.
- The
Bush administration has said that the special registration policy
for male immigrants from some Middle Eastern countries, which
has been criticized by Democrats, helps the United States identify
criminals and terrorists, thus assuring the security of both
American citizens and immigrants living in the United States.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
