Foreign Policy

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) recommended Read more...

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday disputed former Russian president Vladimir Putin

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited the Japanese city of Hiroshima Tuesday, making her the highest ranking member of the United States government to visit the city.

Pelosi laid flowers at the memorial of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, which occurred on August 6, 1945.

"The visit to Hiroshima is a powerful reminder of the destructiveness of war, underscoring the urgency for all nations to promote peace and to build a better world," Pelosi wrote in the site's guest book.

The House Speaker is in Japan for a G8 meeting of parliamentary leaders.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) celebrated news Friday that the U.S. and Iraq have agreed to a troop withdrawal time line, but blasted President Bush and his Republican colleague for blocking previous attempts pushing for withdrawal.

"While the Administration has spent the last two years doing everything in its power to block a change in course that would made America more secure, it appears the Bush Administration is finally inching toward adopting key elements of the strategy long advocated by Senate Democrats on Iraq

At the request of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-Calif.) and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) traveled to Georgia today to meet with its president, prime minister, and other leaders.

Both congressmen pledged support for U.S. Georgia in its conflict with Russia.

"We came here with the strong belief that Russian troops must leave Georgia as promised," Berman said.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) today cautioned that this presidential election could mark a turning point in U.S. defense policy, as it will be the first wartime presidential transition since the Vietnam era.

"This will be the first Presidential transition to occur during a time of war in many years. In addition, the next administration will face enormous budget pressures caused by an increase in the national debt that will have nearly doubled since 2001," Skelton said.

Skelton used the cautionary comment to introduce his list of the top 10 defense-related challenges the next administration will face. Skelton cautioned that the next president--whether it be Barack Obama or John McCain--must address the list of broad policy concerns in order to protect the U.S. and respect its military men and women.

The list included rebuilding America's foreign policy credibility, refocusing military efforts on Afghanistan, withdrawing from Iraq, maintaining troop readiness, reforming Defense Department coordination with the State Department, determining budget priorities for maintaining vs. modernizing equipment, and developing a more comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy that includes "communications strategies" and development assistance.

Skelton said those challenges will "require sustained spending and the partnership of the Congress" with the new administration, regardless of which party takes the White House.

President Bush will send Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Georgia to support its efforts in the face of Russian military actions.

Bush said Wednesday that Rice travel to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, "where she will personally convey America's unwavering support for Georgia's democratic government."

"On this trip, she will continue our efforts to rally the free world in the defense of a free Georgia," Bush added. Rice will also meet in France with President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has been trying to mediate talks between Georgian and Russian officials.

Secretary of Defense Bob Gates will also begin a "humanitarian mission to the people of Georgia headed by the United States military," Bush said. "This mission will be vigorous and ongoing."

Bush again stated his support for Georgia's sovereignty and called on Russia to halt military action in the former Soviet state. Though Russian President Dmitri Medvedev had called for halt to military action, Bush said that he has received reports that Russian operations have continued.

"Russia has stated that changing the government of Georgia is not its goal," Bush said. "The United States and the world expect Russia to honor that commitment. Russia has also stated that it has halted military operations and agreed to a provisional cease-fire. Unfortunately, we're receiving reports of Russian actions that are inconsistent with these statements."

President Bush said that though he addresses a "full range" of issues whenever he meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao, he can't "read his mind."

Bush made the remark when asked by NBC's Bob Costas Monday whether he talks about Americans' human rights concerns with the Chinese leader. Bush said that "it's hard to tell" whether Hu is receptive.

"All I can tell you is, is that it is best to be in the position where a leader will listen to you. I went to church here, and I'm sure the cynics say, well, you know, it was just a state-sponsored church," Bush said.

He added: "On the other hand, it gave me a chance to say to the Chinese people, religion won't hurt you, you ought to welcome religious people. And it gave me a chance to say to the government, why don't you register the underground churches and give them a chance to flourish? And he listened politely. I can't read his mind, but I do know that every time I met with him I pressed the point."

Bush said that it's better for future U.S. presidents to remain engaged with China "and understand that we can have a cooperative and constructive, yet candid relationship."

Responding to a question about the conflict between Russia and Georgia, Bush said that he has spoken to both Russian leaders who attended the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies.

"I said this violence is unacceptable -- I not only said it to [Prime Minister] Vladimir Putin, I've said it to the president of the country, Dmitriy Medvedev," Bush said. "And my administration has been engaged with both sides in this, trying to get a cease-fire, and saying that the status quo ante for all troops should be August 6th. And, look, I expressed my grave concern about the disproportionate response of Russia and that we strongly condemn bombing outside of South Ossetia."

"It was just interesting to me that here we are trying to promote peace and harmony and we're witnessing a conflict take place," Bush said.

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) kept after China Wednesday for what he sees as government spying on hotel guests.

Brownback, on CNN, repeated his concerns that China is going to use a security system set up in hotels to spy and gather information on guests staying in Beijing during next month's Olympics. He said that the spying system and China's decision to censor large parts of the Internet for foreign journalists goes against their previous pledges to keep things open.

"But this is just totally outside of what they agreed to do in the Olympics," he said. "They agreed to host an open Olympics. This is this big coming-out party for China to the world, and then they are doing something like this."

When Brownback was asked whether he thought giving the games to Beijing is a mistake, he said, "Well, if they're not going to monitor their agreements, I think it is. I don't think the president should go. He think he should spend his time meeting with Darfur refugees or refugees from North Korea. China is the biggest enabler of human rights abuses around the world today for the number of countries that they block for. And I think we ought to highlight that instead of the accomplishments of China, what they're doing against human rights."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she was glad to see talks between U.S. and Iran over the Islamic state's nuclear program, but she questioned that the tone of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a recent interview.

"Well, first I was chilled by his, sort of, smirk and laughter when he was talking about -- was asked about the processing of nuclear materials. That is no laughing matter," she said Monday on NBC's "Today" after seeing an interview with Ahmadinejad. "So I don't know what his point was there."

She added: "This does represent an opening in terms of him saying he'll try to find common ground."

Pelosi also said that the negotiations, which involve five other countries and were joined by the United States last weekend, were "very important."

"Remove all doubt or any excuse that he may have that there hasn't been some engagement, some communication," she said. "But it's not just the United States, mind you, it's many countries, leading countries, in the world coming together... and just saying, 'If you say you don't want a bomb, then here's a way to prove that.'"