Posted By Josh Rogin Share

If and when Texas Governor Rick Perry declares his candidacy for president, he will stake out a position on foreign policy and national security issues that one foreign policy hand familiar with his thinking described as a "hawk internationalist" profile.

Perry, who has no formal campaign policy team because he has not yet announced that he is running, has however held an increasing number of meetings with foreign policy experts of all stripes. These meetings, which have sometimes gone on for hours, have helped Perry brush up on a range of issues, from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to proliferation, from Middle East policy to international trade, according to those familiar with the meetings. The experts that he has reached out to include former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Doug Feith, former NSC strategy guru William Luti, former Assistant U.S. Attorney and National Review columnist Andrew McCarthy, former Pentagon official Charles "Cully" Stimson, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe Daniel Fata, former Pentagon China official Dan Blumenthal, the Heritage Foundation's Asia expert Peter Brookes, and former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalizad.

Politico reported that Donald Rumsfeld helped Perry set up the initial meeting with Feith, Luti, McCarthy, and Fata (Stimson was invited but couldn't attend), but there have been several more since then and the Perry team is continuing to fly in experts to meet with the governor in Texas.

Foreign policy hands with knowledge of the prospective candidate's identity, which is still taking shape, told The Cable that Perry is planning to stake out political territory as a defense-minded but internationally engaged candidate, contrasting himself with the realism of Jon Huntsman, the ever-changing stance of Mitt Romney, or the Tea Party budget cutting focus of Michelle Bachmann and Ron Paul.

"He will distinguish himself from other Republicans as a hawk internationalist, embracing American exceptionalism and the unique role we must play in confronting the many threats we face," one foreign policy advisor with knowledge of Perry's thinking told The Cable. "He has no sympathy for the neo-isolationist impulses emanating from some quarters of the Republican Party."

If that sounds like the foreign policy stance of Tim Pawlenty, that's because it is. Pawlenty also supports an unapologetic and assertive foreign policy that rejects calls for retrenchment. But Perry is also planning to add his record on international trade to that set of ideas.

"He is a free market, free investment, free trade governor who has had tremendous success as governor of Texas attracting investment into Texas from all over the world," the foreign policy hand said, pointing out that Perry has traveled to China, Mexico, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Qatar, Turkey, France, and Sweden as governor.

As for Middle East politics, during his 2009 race against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX), Perry told a group of journalists, "My faith requires me to support Israel." He also said that the Obama administration is "out of tune with America" on the question of Israel.

Perry also talked about his time working with the Israel Defense Forces when he was in the Air Force. In August 2009, he traveled to Israel to receive the "Defender of Jerusalem Award."

Back in 2009, Perry also was forced to defend his decision to entice Citgo, Venezuela's state-controlled oil firm, to relocate its U.S. headquarters from Oklahoma to Texas. "Dictators come and dictators go," Perry said at the time, but "Citgo will be around long after Chavez is gone."

As FP's Passport blog pointed out, Perry recently disparaged President Barack Obama's speech on the Middle East, called for higher defense budgets, warned about the rise of China, criticized the effort to reset relations with Russia, and said that North Korea and Iran represent "an imminent threat with their nuclear ambitions."

For Republicans outside the Perryverse, his approach to foreign policy and national security appear to be a natural extension of his personality: aggressive, unapologetic, and instinctive... all of the traits Republicans see as lacking in the Obama's foreign policy.

"He's a cowboy," said Michael Goldfarb, former senior staffer on John McCain's presidential campaign. "You have to assume he'd shoot first and ask questions later -- which would be nice after four years of a leading from behind, too little too late foreign policy."

Getty Images

 

WGADGET

12:14 AM ET

August 11, 2011

"Hawk Internationalist"

So he's a GLOBAL warmonger? Just what America needs to lead us into WWIII.

NOT.

Ron Paul 2012

 

FLATSTOMACH

7:08 AM ET

August 11, 2011

Preying like a hawk?

Is he another American Hawk who loves to prey upon the weak in the name of peace.

http://www.getaflat-stomach.com/

 

DICKERSON3870

4:58 PM ET

August 11, 2011

"he traveled to Israel to receive 'Defender of Jerusalem' award"

ALSO SEE: Governor Perry's trip to Israel in question ~ WeAreAustin(dot)com, 11/23/09

(excerpt) The city of Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world and it has a new defender: Texas Governor Rick Perry.
In August, Perry was given the "Defender of Jerusalem" award. So Perry and his wife flew first class to Israel at more than $5,000 per ticket. The governor's security detail of four Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers was also along for the trip.
They all took the 7,000 mile journey to accept the award at a time when the governor was asking everyone else in state government to cut back on travel. During a speech in Houston, Perry directed state agencies to "curtail taxpayer funded travel."
According to state documents, the taxpayers' bill just to take Perry's security officers on the 5-day trip was more than $70,000. The breakdown includes $17,000 for rooms at the swanky King David Hotel, nearly $13,000 for food and more than 350 hours of overtime...

SOURCE - http://weareaustin.com/fulltext?nxd_id=38942&nxd_85116_start=15

 

DEIST

3:53 PM ET

August 12, 2011

Rick Perry seems to be just another neoconservative

Thanks for an important article! This shows Perry is nothing but just another neoconservative. Like all politicians, when they "shoot first and ask questions later," it's not them doing the shooting, it some 17-30 year-old American. And it's not the politicians who get wounded or killed, either.

The way Perry courts the religious right and Zionist Christians, show the Biblical use by the neocons. Here's an article about the neocons being grounded in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible: http://www.deism.com/neoconsbible.htm

Progress! Bob Johnson
www.deism.com

 

MAXWELLS

3:14 AM ET

August 14, 2011

President Perry

It will be nice to have a President that may intimidate others rather than having him bow-down before them.

 

MICHAEL RIVERO

8:50 PM ET

August 14, 2011

Another "Rapturemaniac!"

"As for Middle East politics, during his 2009 race against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX), Perry told a group of journalists, "My faith requires me to support Israel." "

Oh great; another deranged politician who thinks the voices in his head are coming from an invisible man in the clouds nobody else can see or hear and ready to set the entire world on fire so that Jesus will come down and invite him up to the Big House when it's all over!

Governor Perry, the rest of us don't share your faith. And under the prohibition of the First Amendment, you may not force your religious delusions on the rest of us. Your job is to take care of Americans and Americans ONLY, no matter what the voices in your head are saying. If you want to support Israel as a private citizen, or move to Israel to personally kill Muslims, go right ahead. But right now America needs leaders who will put America first, second, and third, and your statement (and your intervention as Governor to demand Gaza aid workers be punished) proves you fail that test.

 

WTH

3:39 AM ET

August 15, 2011

Rick Perry, is a

Rick Perry, is a Bilderberger. If you don't know what it is, look it up.

 

WTH

4:28 AM ET

August 15, 2011

Perry told a group of

Perry told a group of journalists, "My faith requires me to support Israel."

This is what changed my mind on Israel... an article from 2001: "Netanyahu:"I know what America is. America is a thing you can move very easily, move it in the right direction. They won't get in the way."

Compare this with the 2001 statement of then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon:

On October 3, 2001, I.A.P. News reported that according to Israel Radio (in Hebrew) Kol Yisrael an acrimonious argument erupted during the Israeli cabinet weekly session last week between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his foreign Minister Shimon Peres. Peres warned Sharon that refusing to heed incessant American requests for a cease-fire with the Palestinians would endanger Israeli interests and "turn the US against us." Sharon reportedly fired back at Peres, saying:

"Every time we do something you tell me Americans will do this and will do that. I want to tell you something very clear, don't worry about American pressure on Israel, we, the Jewish people control America, and the Americans know it."

Not quite a week before September 11, 2001, Wendell Solomons of Sri Lanka, who hosts the "World City" forum, posted a letter quoting many sources with the subject: "Israel is on some kind of countdown." It was months later that I remembered this and found the letter and posted it to frameup.

On September 11, it wasn't as clear to me who did 9-11. I suggested anti-globalists, anarchists, organized crime involving high finance, or an Israeli "frame-up" ( I did not yet know the word "false-flag.") However I did see as early as Netyanyahu -- who in an interview in Israel on the day of the attack, that the effect of the terrorist event would be "very good for Israel."

I too, after seeing the capital that Wolfowitz was making out of the event, could see clearly what Netyanyahu meant: September 11 got Ariel Sharon out of a very unpopular spot his murderous and inhuman intifada policies against Palestine and Lebanon -- were getting him. I also noted that Wolfowitz, Perle and others were very quick in blaming Osama bin Laden and in concluding that Saddam Huessein's regime would have to be taken down. No one -- not one -- in the mainstream national news media at the time commented on this rush to judgement. -- Richard Eastman

From: Dr. Gunther Kümel
Subject: The tail that wags the dog rocks the cradle of mass-murder

Netanyahu: The US Is Easily Manipulated

The video was shot in 2001, apparently without Netanyahu's knowledge [Channel 10] Source: Al Jazeera English

A recently-revealed tape has shown Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, discussing ways to undermine the Oslo Accords and calling the United States "easy" to manipulate.

The video was filmed in 2001, apparently without Netanyahu's knowledge, during a meeting with Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. It aired on Friday night on Israel's Channel 10, and several translations have been posted online.

At one point on the tape, Netanyahu threatens a "broad attack" against the Palestinian Authority. "The main thing, first of all, is to hit them. Not just one blow, but blows that are so painful that the price will be too heavy to be borne," Netanyahu said. "A broad attack on the Palestinian Authority."

The tape was shot during the early stages of the second intifada, when violence between Israelis and Palestinians was escalating. Netanyahu was speaking with settlers who lost family members to Palestinian attacks."

 

MATHALIE

4:53 PM ET

September 4, 2011

Governor Perry, the rest of

Governor Perry, the rest of us don't share your faith. And under the prohibition of the First Amendment, you may not force your religious delusions on the rest of us. Your job is to take care of Americans and Americans ONLY, no matter what the voices in your head are saying. If you want to support Israel as a private citizen, sázky or move to Israel to personally kill Muslims, go right ahead. But right now America needs leaders who will put America first, second, and third, and your statement (and your intervention as Governor to demand Gaza aid workers be punished) proves you fail that test.

 

John Hudson reports on national security and foreign policy from the Pentagon to Foggy Bottom, the White House to Embassy Row, for The Cable.

Enter your email address to get The Cable delivered to your inbox each night:

Delivered by FeedBurner