- Iraq remains a costly, controversial war. According to government estimates, the U.S. has spent about $640 billion on fighting terrorism since September 11 with most of the money going to the war in Iraq.
- The U.S. has about 140,000 troops in Iraq and another 23,500 in Afghanistan, and the combined operations have strained the U.S. military. To meet the demands of fighting the two wars, the military has repeatedly extended tours of duty for active personnel and called on members of the reserve to serve abroad.
- Very few mourn Saddam Hussein, but Americans differ on whether Iraq actually posed a serious threat under his leadership. No meaningful evidence of weapons of mass destruction was ever found in Iraq, nor was Hussein implicated in the attacks of September 11.
- Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader behind 9/11, remains at large. Most experts believe he is hiding in the mountainous region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, but they are divided over the degree to which bin Laden still plans and directs terrorist activity.
For the past five years, the questions about the Iraq war – was it the right decision? Are we winning? How long will it take? – have dominated foreign policy and the public's attention. And the Iraq war is still going on, with 140,000 American troops engaged. But it is only one of the many challenges facing the United States worldwide.
This year, the world's problems continue to push in on the United States, even on issues that most people would consider "domestic." The high price of energy is closely linked to the use of foreign oil, and the United States depends on unstable parts of the world to get it. The mortgage crisis and credit crunch at home are spreading to markets worldwide. The war in Afghanistan continues, and may, in fact, be getting more difficult to win. And Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda terrorist network still exist and still pose a potential threat.
The Iraq war has been the main foreign policy topic in this year's election, but there are lots of international challenges that voters may want to factor in to their decisions. There are many ideas about what to do about foreign affairs, but here are three different directions a lot of politicians talk about. Consider the pros and cons and see what makes sense to you.
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Here’s a sampling of what some influential people have said about American foreign policy, past and present.
"And we must face the fact that the United States is neither omnipotent or omniscient—that we are only 6 percent of the world’s population—that we cannot impose our will upon the other 94 percent of mankind—that we cannot right every wrong or reverse every adversity—and that, therefore, there cannot be an American solution to every world problem."
"History teaches that wars begin when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap. To keep the peace, we and our allies must be strong enough to convince any potential aggressor that war could bring no benefit, only disaster."
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