On Iraq

Republican nominee Sarah Palin insisted that “we have a good plan” in Iraq. She further declared that the success of the surge was “proven” and claimed incorrectly that American forces in Iraq were back down to pre-surge levels. She also praised General David Petraeus as a “great American hero,” and insisted that there was a plan in place for withdrawal.

Democratic nominee Joe Biden claimed that the deal presently being negotiated by President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki was essentially Senator Barack Obama’s plan. He also insisted that there needs to be a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq, which Gov. Palin condemned as “a white flag of surrender.”

Sen. Biden promised “we will end this war,” while Gov. Palin insisted that the US military commanders would be the ones who will tell the President when the war is finished. Gov. Palin also claimed “deep respect” for her opponent’s family and their service in Iraq. Her respect for Sen. Obama, however, she said was a different matter. Sen. Biden retorted that Senator John McCain had been “dead wrong” on the war in Iraq.

Sen. Biden also insisted his vote in favor of the use of force in Iraq was not really a vote in favor of war, to which Gov. Palin quipped that the Senator “was for it before he was against it.”

Later, the two clashed on whether the war in Iraq was the center of the war on terrorism. Sen. Biden predicted that any future attack against the homeland would come from Afghanistan or Pakistan, while Gov. Palin maintained that both Gen. Petraeus and al-Qaeda agree that Iraq is the real center of the conflict.

On Iran

Both candidates agreed that Iran could not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. Gov. Palin went the extra mile, declaring Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad “not sane” and insisting that Iran couldn’t even be allowed a civilian nuclear energy program. She also attacked Sen. Obama for saying he would meet with Ahmadinejad without preconditions.

Sen. Biden denied the charge, insisting that Sen. Obama would not meet with the Iranian President without certain preconditions being met. He also claimed that Iran was not close to getting a usable nuclear weapon, however in a later comment he claimed the nation was drawing “closer to a bomb.”

On Pakistan

Both candidates likewise agreed that stability in Pakistan was a major concern. Sen. Biden went further in this declaration however, warning that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal was a threat to Israel and that a stable government needs to be established there to win the hearts and minds of the tribal area residents.

On Afghanistan

The two candidates clashed bitterly regarding a quote by General David McKiernan regarding whether or not “surge principles” in Afghanistan would be successful. Sen. Biden maintained correctly that Gen. McKiernan cautioned that an Iraq-style surge would not be successful in Afghanistan, while Gov. Palin insisted that the quotes in no way meant that an adaptation of “surge principles” to Afghanistan might not work.

Sen. Biden called for “more money” and “more troops” in Afghanistan, while Gov. Palin attacked Sen. Obama as “reckless” for pointing out that US forces had killed Afghan civilians in air raids.

On Israel

Both candidates declared their love for Israel, with Sen. Biden claiming to be “Israel’s best friend” in the United States Senate. Biden also condemned the Bush Administration’s policy on Israel as an “abject failure” and bragged that he and Sen. Obama had opposed the elections in the West Bank which brought Hamas to power. He also supported a call to place NATO troops in Lebanon to protect Israel from Hezbollah, and said the failure to do so had led to Hezbollah gaining a legitimate role in Lebanon’s government.

Gov. Palin, meanwhile, said that the US must take steps to assure Israel that it will never allow a “Second Holocaust,” which she accused Iran of plotting. She also praised Israel as a “peace-seeking nation” and cited their relationships with Jordan and Egypt as a successful track record of making peace with their neighbors.

On Sudan

Sen. Biden expressed his support for military intervention in Darfur, responding to a question about whether Americans would support it with “the American public has a stomach for success” and saying that “we should rally the world” to halt the genocide in Darfur. Gov. Palin gave a slightly more reserved “all options are on the table” comment with respect to the situation in Darfur, while trumpeting her efforts to divest the Alaska Permanent Fund from Sudanese investments.

On Bosnia

Sen. Biden used his support for US military intervention in Bosnia during the 1990s as an example of a successful US war he helped to start. He called himself a “catalyst for change” and termed the situation “genocide,” insisting that the Bosnian strategy “worked.” He also claimed that Bosnia and Kosovo have “relatively stable” governments.

On Nuclear Arms Control

Gov. Palin insisted that dictatorships which hate America for its tolerance mustn’t be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. In particular she mentioned Iran and North Korea. She said a nuclear attack would be “the end all be all” of too many people, and claimed that America’s nuclear arsenal was simply for deterrent purposes, which she termed a “safe, stable way to use nuclear weapons.”

Sen. Biden attacked Sen. McCain for opposing American participation in the test ban treaty, saying that the world needs a “nuclear arms control regime.”

What Was Missing:

Conspicuously absent from the debate was any substantive mentioning of Russia, the expansion of NATO, the war in Georgia, or the prospect of a new Cold War. Also unmentioned were the US role in the conflict in Somalia, the role of AFRICOM, or any foreign policy with respect to Venezuela, Colombia, or any other nation in South America.

Now attention falls to an interview with CBS News‘ Katie Couric, in which she spoke at length about her foreign policy credentials, her position on Pakistan and why we still shouldn’t second guess Israel.

On foreign policy experience she cited again her close proximity to Russia and Canada, and trade missions which had been sent back and forth. She also used the question to once again raise the prospect of Russia as a threat to national security, warning that “as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America,” it will be through Alaska.

Regarding the war on terror, she sees this as an opportunity “to be able to usher in democratic values and ideals around the world.” She also declared “we need this nation building effort.” She seemed particularly interested with the opportunity presented by Pakistan’s new government, saying it was a chance to “forge better, tighter, more productive relationships.” She then said “I’m sure that President Zardari too will agree with us” as they commit to fighting this terror war.

Relations between Pakistan and the United States have been worsening in recent days as the Bush Administration has stepped up unilateral strikes on Pakistan’s soil. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said on Tuesday that he does not believe the Pakistani government can back such actions, though he did insist the strikes would continue.

But her harshest words were left, as in the past, for the Iranian government which she says “seek(s) to destroy America.” She once again condemned Democratic Presidential nominee Barrack Obama for supporting unconditional talks with Iran, though she did open the door to talks with Syria, provided they met certain unspecified preconditions.

She also elaborated on her prior comments about second-guessing Israel on a decision to attack Iran, claiming that doing so would “send a message that we would allow a second Holocaust.” She condemned Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s speech to the United Nations earlier this week, and said “if hearing him doesn’t allow Americans to commit more solidly to protecting the friends and allies that we need, especially there in the Mideast then nothing will.”

She also warned that if Americans “are not waking up to understand what it is he (President Ahmadinejad) represents,” we risk being lulled into a “false sense of security” which she likened to the one that preceded September 11.

Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin was a relatively late invitee, and after her participation was announced Senator Hillary Clinton, who reportedly was booked months in advance, canceled her appearance last week. Shortly after, the organizers disinvited Governor Palin, claiming to fear for their tax-exempt status if they didn’t have “equal representation of candidates” at the rally.

But the disinvitation did not prevent the McCain campaign from releasing the speech Governor Palin intended to give to the public. In the speech, she was to declare Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a threat to the entire world and accused his government of seeking nuclear weapons. She called for additional sanctions against the Iranian government and called for President Ahmadinejad to be “held accountable for inciting genocide” under international law.

But she didn’t stop there, citing Iran as a new reason to continue the war in Iraq, claiming “if we retreat without leaving a stable Iraq, Iran’s nuclear ambitions will be bolstered.” She also accused the Iranian President of dreaming “of being an agent in a ‘Final Solution’ – the elimination of the Jewish people.”

President Ahmadinejad has many times harshly criticized the Israeli government, and has often predicted its impending collapse. Yet last week, defending comments made in August by Iranian Vice President Mashal, Ahmadinejad insisted that he has no hostility toward the Israeli people, but rather the “Zionist regime.”

The interview revealed today further aspects of Sarah Palin’s position on foreign policy, first explored in her RNC speech last week. She said she had already spoken to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and had given him assurances of her commitment to Georgia, and believed “we’ve got to keep an eye on Russia”. She said she was in favor of NATO membership for both Georgia and the Ukraine, and when asked if this would require the US to go to war if war broke out between Russia and Georgian again, the governor said “Perhaps so. I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally”.

On other matters, Palin declared her somwhat muted support for “anticipatory self-defense,” her commitment to preventing a nuclear Iran, and insisted she would not “second guess” Israel if it decided to attack Iran. In a question regarding the use of US ground troops in Pakistan without the permission of the Pakistani government she said “I believe that America has to exercise all options in order to stop the terrorists”.

She also clarified her previous comments that the plan for the Iraq War was God’s plan, saying she was attempting to reference a quote from Abraham Lincoln that said his greatest concern was to be on God’s side. She said that she would never presume to speak for God, or claim to know what His will was.

Twice in her speech, she declared victory in Iraq to be “within sight”, and praised Senator McCain for having the “sheer guts” to defend the unpopular war though many predicted it would cost him voter support. She likewise lauded McCain’s war experience and chastised her Democrat opponents for their lack of military service. She also claimed that McCain had been granted special wisdom and compassion from his service and detention “by the grace of God”.

Beyond Iraq, the Alaska Governor appeared to see threats everywhere, cautioning the crowd against “dangerous foreign powers” who don’t have America’s best interest at heart. She accused Russia of “wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus,” presumably referring to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, though the recent war with Georgia did not leave Russia in control of any territory near this pipeline. She also said Russia was “using energy as a weapon,” in a segment of her speech focused on energy independence.

She also promised “to confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies,” though Iran has only threatened to do this if they are attacked. Presumably also referring to Iran, she spoke of “terrorist states” which are “seeking nuclear weapons without delay,” and condemned Democratic presidential nominee Barrack Obama for saying he would meet with them without preconditions.

Finally, she warned that terrorists may disrupt Saudi Arabia’s oil supply, and warned that al-Qaeda “still plot(s) to inflict catastrophic harm on America,” while mocking Obama for being “worried that someone won’t read ‘em their rights”.

Between her eagerness to confront these “dangerous foreign powers,” her disdain for unconditional diplomacy, and her dismissive attitude toward very legitimate concerns about the treatment of detainees in US military custody many are left wondering: is Sarah Palin the new face of neoconservative foreign policy?