Defense
Today we face a 21st century international security environment with new challenges and threats: terrorism and nuclear proliferation, the prevalence of unconventional warfare, and more. Minnesotans need a national defense that’s suited to today’s environment, not the Cold War. We need a defense budget that reflects our real national security priorities, not wasteful parochial interests or bloated programs left over from the Cold War. When we went to war in Iraq, we took our attention off Afghanistan, where the actual terrorist threat was. Now we’re finally rectifying that. We’re responsibly bringing our involvement in Iraq to a conclusion, while renewing our efforts in Afghanistan. It’s not going to be easy, and the Afghans themselves have to step up. But it is in our vital national interests to work toward a stable Afghanistan and region.
