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Beto O`Rourke on War & Peace
Democratic candidate for President; Texas Senator nominee
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Withdraw from Afghanistan within four years
Q [to Mayor Pete Buttigieg]: There are currently about 14,000 U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan. You've said "One thing everybody can agree on is that we're getting out of Afghanistan." Will you withdraw all U.S. servicemembers by the end of your
first year in office?BUTTIGIEG: We will withdraw. We have to.
Q: In your first year?
BUTTIGIEG: Yes.
Q [to Rep. beto O'Rourke]: Would you withdraw all 14,000 U.S. servicemembers from Afghanistan during your first year in office as president?
O'ROURKE: I would in my first term in office. Agree that there is nothing about perpetuating this war, already in its 18th year, that will make it any better.
We've satisfied the reasons for our involvement in Afghanistan in the first place. And it's time to bring those servicemembers back home from Afghanistan, but also from Iraq, also from Yemen, and Somalia, and Libya, and Syria.
Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit)
, Jul 30, 2019
End U.S. wars in Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, and Syria
It's time to bring those servicemembers back home from Afghanistan, but also from Iraq, also from Yemen, and Somalia, and Libya, and Syria. There is no reason for us to be at war all over the world tonight. As president, I will end those wars, and we
will not start new wars. We will not send more U.S. servicemembers overseas to sacrifice their lives and to take the lives of others in our name. We can resolve these challenges peacefully and diplomatically.
Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit)
, Jul 30, 2019
Bring the troops home from post-9-11 wars
Beto O`Rourke on Overseas Deployments: Bring the troops home.EIGHT CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: John Delaney; Tulsi Gabbard; Kirsten Gillibrand; Kamala Harris; John Hickenlooper; Jay Inslee; Bernard Sanders;
Elizabeth Warren.
Many Democratic candidates have called for bringing U.S. troops home from America's post-9/11 wars without delay.
Source: Politico "2020Dems on the Issues"
, Jul 17, 2019
Deal with conflicts diplomatically or fight wars for years
I'm going to make sure that we end the wars in Afghanistan, and Iraq, and Syria, and Somalia, and Yemen and Libya. We've got to find a way to peacefully, diplomatically convene other players and stakeholders in these regions to resolve otherwise
intractable problems or else let's expect to find ourselves at war 10, 15, 20 years from now. I will not put the life of an American service member on the line unless that is the option of last resort. There are other options available to us.
Source: NPR Morning Edition, "Election 2020: Opening Arguments"
, Jun 14, 2019
End war in Afghanistan; even work with Taliban
We've got to end our war in Afghanistan. We've got to make sure that we satisfy the conditions that first led us to go to war in the first place. That those who perpetrated 9/11 are brought to justice.
That Afghanistan is never again used to stage attacks on the United States of America or Americans.
Now it is time for us to work with the partners in the region to produce a lasting peace and stability and bring our U.S. service members back home.Sometimes, you don't have the fortune of working just with your allies, your friends,
or the people with whom you agree. In order to produce peace, you sometimes have to negotiate and work with your enemies. And that's true for Afghanistan.
Source: CBS Face the Nation 2019 interview of presidential hopefuls
, May 26, 2019
Default should be to pursue peace, not war
I'm suspicious of a national security team that has so often called for war. The body count on both sides will not be measured in the hundreds or the thousands but the tens or hundreds of thousands. If there is a peaceful alternative to this -- and
I know that there is -- then we must do everything within our power to pursue it. I'd stick up for our values, make sure that we defend our allies, protect the lives of our fellow Americans. But do that peacefully where we can.
Source: CBS Face the Nation 2019 interview of presidential hopefuls
, May 26, 2019
Discuss U.S. policy in Syria in a more meaningful way
Afghanistan and Syria: It is not clear where O'Rourke stands on President Donald Trump's proposed withdrawal from Afghanistan and Syria.
O'Rourke has said he thinks U.S. policy in Syria should be debated and discussed in a more meaningful way. It is not clear if he supports troop withdrawal from the country. Likewise it is not clear if he would withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
, Mar 14, 2019
Nuclear treaty was best path to prevent Iranian nukes
Q: Iran: Support Trump's withdrawal from treaty that limits Iran's nuclear capability in return for lifting economic sanctions?Ted Cruz (R): Yes. Applauded withdrawal, saying agreement didn't sufficiently rein in Iran's nuclear program.
Beto O'Rourke (D): No. Agreement, while imperfect, was "best path to keep Iran from having nuclear weapons."
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Texas Senate race
, Oct 9, 2018
We need to think before acting in Mideast
When we're not clear with ourselves, with the American people about what our goals are and what we're willing to sacrifice to achieve them, then we are setting ourselves up for certain failure. That, to me, describes our approach to the Middle East.
It's easy to criticize and hard to prescribe a solution, but I think that begins with some humility about whether it's ours to solve and maybe we should rethink what our goals are in that region.
Source: El Paso Inc. on 2018 Texas Senate race
, Jul 18, 2016
Page last updated: Dec 15, 2019