Monday, June 22, 2015

Presidential Race 2016 Candidate Profile – Lincoln Chafee, D.




Presidential Race 2016 Candidate Profile – Lincoln Chafee, D.
Chafee blames the West's foreign policy for provoking Islamic terrorism and opposed the declaration of a global war on Islamic terrorism.
By Ryan Mauro Wed, June 3, 2015
The presidential race for 2016 is gearing up and candidates are preparing themselves for the upcoming campaign. As each candidate announces their intention to run, Clarion Project will provide a summary of each candidate’s positions on issues relating to Islamic extremism in order to help our readers make the most informed possible choice on voting day. Should there be any significant changes, we intend to update our readers on the positions of any given candidate.
Lincoln Chafee
As Clarion is a bipartisan organization, we will not be endorsing any party or any candidate. All information provided is intended as informative only and should not be taken as evidence of Clarion’s preference for any given candidate.

Former Rhode Island Governor and Senator Lincoln Chafee announced his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination on June 3, 2015. The following is the Clarion Project's compilation of Governor Chafee's positions on Islamist extremism. It will be updated as the campaign develops.

Relevant Experience
One-term Rhode Island Senator as a Republican (1999-2007).One-term Rhode Island Governor as an Independent (2011-2015). Since 2013 identifies as a Democrat.

View of Islamism
  • Blames the West's foreign policy for provoking Islamic terrorism.
  • "[I]n September 2001, those of us who wanted to know what drove bin Laden's rage against us were looked upon with suspicion. Bin Laden had talked extensively about 3 grievances: American military bases near the holy sites of Mecca and Medina, in his native Saudi Arabia; the plight of the Palestinians under Israeli occupation in Gaza and the West Bank; and the misery of the Iraqi people living under U.N. sanctions."—Chafee's book, "Against the Tide."
  • Does not believe that Islamist terrorists are motivated by a hatred of Western democracy and freedom. "He [President Bush] said, 'Americans are asking why do they hate us? They hate our freedoms. Our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote.' He had not invested 10 seconds in the central admonition of Sun-Tzu: Know your enemy. He said not a word to address the presence of American troops near Mecca and Medina, or the Palestinian question, or sanctions against Iraq."
  • Opposed the declaration of a global war on Islamic terrorism. "I felt differently. We needed to find and destroy this small band of international criminals, disarm their propaganda machine, and use hard-nosed police work to prevent future attacks."—Chafee's book, "Against the Tide."
  • "I think we're using [the term] 'terrorism' too much. And it's coming down to it's too much jihad, too much crusade. We should talk about them as criminals," he said in a discussion about the trial of the Boston Marathon bomber.
  • Blames the Bush Administration, which he called "extremist," for the enemy governments' pursuits of weapons of mass destruction, despite the fact that their WMD programs existed long before 2000.
  • "With an extremist White House in power today, we have many unstable, hostile regimes springing to acquiring nuclear weapons."—Chafee's book, "Against the Tide."
  • He hopes that "eventually a Gorbachev is going to come along" in the Middle East.

Iran
  • Supports the nuclear deal with Iran.
  • Opposes military action to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
  • Opposed Congress' designation of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist group.
  • Says that Secretary of State Clinton's policy towards Iran was too hawkish. "Her approach to Iran as to the secretary of state, her approach to Syria, Libya, Russia, Venezuela, it is all very close to the 'neocon' approach: muscular, unilateral. I don’t think that is in our long-term best interest. We need a new approach.”

Iraq, Syria & ISIS
  • The Islamic State should be fought with a containment strategy that relies on regional allies.
  • Says that Secretary of State Clinton's policy towards Syria was too hawkish. "Her approach to Iran as to the secretary of state, her approach to Syria, Libya, Russia, Venezuela, it is all very close to the 'neocon' approach: muscular, unilateral. I don’t think that is in our long-term best interest. We need a new approach.”
  • Opposed potential U.S. airstrikes on the Syrian regime in 2013 in retaliation for its crossing the "red line" of using chemical weapons.
  • He was the only Republican Senator to vote against authorizing the war in Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein.

Libya
  • Says that Secretary of State Clinton's policy towards Libya was too hawkish. "Her approach to Iran as to the secretary of state, her approach to Syria, Libya, Russia, Venezuela, it is all very close to the 'neocon' approach: muscular, unilateral. I don’t think that is in our long-term best interest. We need a new approach.”

Palestinian Terrorism and Israel
  • Sits on the advisory council of J-Street, an organization that is sometimes accused of blaming Israel for the conflict in the Middle East and supporting a softer approach towards Iran and Hamas. It has opposed Israeli military operations against Hamas and supports peace negotiations with Hamas. It has fought against sanctions on Iran and supports the nuclear deal. 
  • Opposed Israel's operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006.

Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln D. Chafee is a presidential candidate for the 2016 presidential election, was a supporter for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a national co-chair for the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a member of the Democratic Governors Association, a spokesman for the Republicans for Obama, and a board member for NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Note: Barack Obama was the candidate for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign, the candidate for the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign, and an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.
Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.
R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Newton N. Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Commercial Club of Chicago, Members Directory A-Z (Past Research)
Tuesday, December 17, 2013       
Kathleen L. Brown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and Jerry Brown’s sister.
Jerry Brown is Kathleen L. Brown’s brother, the California state government governor, and a member of the Democratic Governors Association.
James A. Leach was a member, leadership committee for the Republicans for Obama, a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and the chairman for Common Cause.
Jessica Tuchman Mathews was the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).
Ed Griffin’s interview with Norman Dodd in 1982
(The investigation into the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace uncovered the plans for population control by involving the United States in war)
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and a contributor for MoveOn.org.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), the Common Cause, and Media Matters.
Ilyse Hogue was a director of political advocacy for MoveOn.org, is a senior adviser for Media Matters, and the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Lincoln D. Chafee was a board member for NARAL Pro-Choice America, a supporter for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a national co-chair for the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a member of the Democratic Governors Association, a spokesman for the Republicans for Obama, and is a presidential candidate for the 2016 presidential election.
NARAL Pro-Choice America is a national partner with America Votes.
Planned Parenthood Action Fund is a national partner with America Votes.
Cecile Richards was the founder & president of America Votes, is the president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.










































 












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