Highlights of Mitt Romney's VMI Speech 10/8/12
* Mourns 15 VMI brave graduates who have lost their lives on our behalf and prays for blessings upon VMI men and women who are currently serving in harm's way.
* Highlights legendary VMI Graduate George Marshall (Former Army Chief of Army, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense) who helped vanquish facism and restore Europe.
* GM's commitment to peace was borne of the costs of war. "The only way human beings can win a war is to prevent it." - Still true today
* Regards and mourns Ambassador Stevens and other three Americans lost lives. Calls the attackers murderers.
* Correctly regards the correlation between the Benghazi attacks and the 9/11 date of the attacks -- "The attack on our consulate there on September 11th, 2012, was likely the work of forces affiliated with those that attacked our homeland on September 11th, 2001."
* "This latest (Libya) assault cant be blamed on a reprehensible video insulting Islam, despite the administrations attempts to convince us of that for so long."
* "After the attack on our consulate, tens of thousands of Libyans...marched, unarmed, to the terrorist compound and then they burned it to the ground. As one Libyan woman said, We are not going to go from darkness to darkness."
* Statesmen like Marshall rallied our nation to rise to its responsibilities as the leader of the free world. We helped our friends to build and sustain free societies and free markets. We defended our friends and ourselves from our common enemies. We led. We led.
* Nobody else but the murderers are to be blamed for Ambassador Stevens's murder.
* Obama's policies have emboldened Iran.
* Iranian agents plotted to kill Saudi Ambassador in DC.
* 2009: When Iranians took to the street, looking for freeedom; Obama was silent.
* President Obama has not signed one new free trade agreement during his term.
* As Middle East dictators have fallen; Obama has not offered proper security and economical means to build strong democracies and economies.
* Obama has given away many great gains achieved in Iraq.
* Obama idle as 30,000 men, women and children massacred in Syria
* "Al-Qaida still growing --Obama claims, "the tide of war is receding." Romney counter point: " its clear that the risk of conflict in the region is higher now than when the president took office."
* "The greater tragedy of it all is that we are missing an historic opportunity to win new friends who share our values in the Middle East -- friends who are fighting for their own futures against the very same violent extremists and evil tyrants and angry mobs who seek to harm us."
* Missle Defense: "There will be no flexibility with Vladimir Putin!"
* "No enemy that attacks America will question our resolve to defeat them. And no one anywhere, friend or foe, will doubt Americas capability to back up our words."
* IRAN ON NOTICE: YOU WILL NOT GET NUKES ON MY WATCH.
* Pledged to roll back Obama's deep and arbitrary spending cuts to the military.
* "The size of our Navy is at levels not seen since 1916!" Commitment: To build 15 ships and 3 submarines per year.
* "I will call on our NATO allies to keep the greatest military alliance in history strong by honoring their commitment to each devote 2 percent of their GDP to security spending. Today only three of the 28 NATO nations meet this benchmark."
* "Ill make it clear to the recipients of our aid that in return for our material support, they must meet the responsibilities of every decent, modern government: to respect the rights of all of their citizens, including women and minorities; to ensure space for civil society, a free media, political parties and an independent judiciary; and to abide by their international commitments to protect our diplomats and our property."
* Call for clear conditions on aid to Egypt.
* "We should be working no less vigorously through our international partners to support the many Syrians who would deliver that defeat to Iran, rather than sitting on the sidelines. Its essential that we develop influence with those forces in Syria that will one day lead a country that sits at the heart of the Middle East."
* Afghanistan "Ill pursue a real and successful transition to Afghan security forces by the end of 2014."
* "I will affirm that my duty is not to protect my political prospects but to protect the security of the nation."
* "Ill recommit America to the goal of a democratic, prosperous Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with the Jewish state of Israel."
* Condemnation of Hugo Chavez, Castro brothers, Putin and China as threats to freedom.
* "I believe that if America doesnt lead, others will -- others who dont share our interests and our values -- and the world would grow darker, for our friends and for us. Americas security and the cause of freedom cannot afford four more years like the last four years."
* Nations seek a Great America.
[youtube]0LLukykDuq4[/youtube]
Full Transcript: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/u...a-military-institute.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
* Mourns 15 VMI brave graduates who have lost their lives on our behalf and prays for blessings upon VMI men and women who are currently serving in harm's way.
* Highlights legendary VMI Graduate George Marshall (Former Army Chief of Army, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense) who helped vanquish facism and restore Europe.
* GM's commitment to peace was borne of the costs of war. "The only way human beings can win a war is to prevent it." - Still true today
* Regards and mourns Ambassador Stevens and other three Americans lost lives. Calls the attackers murderers.
* Correctly regards the correlation between the Benghazi attacks and the 9/11 date of the attacks -- "The attack on our consulate there on September 11th, 2012, was likely the work of forces affiliated with those that attacked our homeland on September 11th, 2001."
* "This latest (Libya) assault cant be blamed on a reprehensible video insulting Islam, despite the administrations attempts to convince us of that for so long."
* "After the attack on our consulate, tens of thousands of Libyans...marched, unarmed, to the terrorist compound and then they burned it to the ground. As one Libyan woman said, We are not going to go from darkness to darkness."
* Statesmen like Marshall rallied our nation to rise to its responsibilities as the leader of the free world. We helped our friends to build and sustain free societies and free markets. We defended our friends and ourselves from our common enemies. We led. We led.
* Nobody else but the murderers are to be blamed for Ambassador Stevens's murder.
* Obama's policies have emboldened Iran.
* Iranian agents plotted to kill Saudi Ambassador in DC.
* 2009: When Iranians took to the street, looking for freeedom; Obama was silent.
* President Obama has not signed one new free trade agreement during his term.
* As Middle East dictators have fallen; Obama has not offered proper security and economical means to build strong democracies and economies.
* Obama has given away many great gains achieved in Iraq.
* Obama idle as 30,000 men, women and children massacred in Syria
* "Al-Qaida still growing --Obama claims, "the tide of war is receding." Romney counter point: " its clear that the risk of conflict in the region is higher now than when the president took office."
* "The greater tragedy of it all is that we are missing an historic opportunity to win new friends who share our values in the Middle East -- friends who are fighting for their own futures against the very same violent extremists and evil tyrants and angry mobs who seek to harm us."
* Missle Defense: "There will be no flexibility with Vladimir Putin!"
* "No enemy that attacks America will question our resolve to defeat them. And no one anywhere, friend or foe, will doubt Americas capability to back up our words."
* IRAN ON NOTICE: YOU WILL NOT GET NUKES ON MY WATCH.
* Pledged to roll back Obama's deep and arbitrary spending cuts to the military.
* "The size of our Navy is at levels not seen since 1916!" Commitment: To build 15 ships and 3 submarines per year.
* "I will call on our NATO allies to keep the greatest military alliance in history strong by honoring their commitment to each devote 2 percent of their GDP to security spending. Today only three of the 28 NATO nations meet this benchmark."
* "Ill make it clear to the recipients of our aid that in return for our material support, they must meet the responsibilities of every decent, modern government: to respect the rights of all of their citizens, including women and minorities; to ensure space for civil society, a free media, political parties and an independent judiciary; and to abide by their international commitments to protect our diplomats and our property."
* Call for clear conditions on aid to Egypt.
* "We should be working no less vigorously through our international partners to support the many Syrians who would deliver that defeat to Iran, rather than sitting on the sidelines. Its essential that we develop influence with those forces in Syria that will one day lead a country that sits at the heart of the Middle East."
* Afghanistan "Ill pursue a real and successful transition to Afghan security forces by the end of 2014."
* "I will affirm that my duty is not to protect my political prospects but to protect the security of the nation."
* "Ill recommit America to the goal of a democratic, prosperous Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with the Jewish state of Israel."
* Condemnation of Hugo Chavez, Castro brothers, Putin and China as threats to freedom.
* "I believe that if America doesnt lead, others will -- others who dont share our interests and our values -- and the world would grow darker, for our friends and for us. Americas security and the cause of freedom cannot afford four more years like the last four years."
* Nations seek a Great America.
[youtube]0LLukykDuq4[/youtube]
Full Transcript: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/u...a-military-institute.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
