Campaign Status:
As of late February, 2007, Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani had declared his intention to enter the race many times, but posted no formal announcement.
War on Terrorism:
In a 2004 address to the Council on Foreign Relations, Giuliani laid out his view that the September 11 attacks prompted the recognition, expressed by President Bush, that international terrorism was a threat. He lauded the President's decision to take an offensive (rather than defensive) attitude toward what he characterizes as "ultimate evil and evil intent."
Giuliani further argued that reducing international terrorism, specifically the capabilities of Al Qaeda, requires taking away its "pillars of support." This includes arresting members, seizing financial assets, passing the USA Patriot act and creating "a decent government in Iraq." Giuliani also made it clear he saw Saddam Hussein as a"pillar"supporting international terrorism.
Giuliani further argued the importance of national "determination and will to continue the war on terrorism." At this and many other moments, Giuliani invokes his experience on September 11, 2001 and in the attacks' aftermath, to make his claim.
War in Iraq
Giuliani supports both the war, as well as the Bush Administration's decision to send supplemental troops to Iraq in early 2007. However, as a February 2007 New York Times article pointed out, "Mr. Giuliani has been alone [among Republican candidates] in saying that such a strategy may not succeed, potentially providing him cover should the situation in Iraq deteriorate further. And he has put the strategy in a broader context that plays down the importance of Iraq."
Giuliani drew a connection between Saddam Hussein and 9/11 in his 2004 Republican National Convention speech, as he has elsewhere. In a February, 2007 campaign speech in California, Giuliani said to the audience that U.S. withdrawal from Iraq could make it a "massive headquarters for terrorism."
Homeland Security
Giuliani is known for the reassuringly strong leadership role he took as New York City's mayor following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, and because of that role he is strongly associated with homeland security. Giuliani is a strong supporter of the Department of Homeland security, as well, although in 2006 he publicly declared his anger when New York City's share of anti-terror grant money was cut by $80 million.
Critics, such as political issues blogger Steve Benen, observe that the reputation for strength is not the same as having demonstrated experience in security planning or policy:
Giuliani’s one perceived strength is the one area of his background in which he has literally no experience or expertise. Indeed, security matters are probably Giuliani’s weakest link: he did, after all, put NYC’s emergency-response team in a known-terrorist target, and named Bernie Kerik his top local law enforcement official.
(Bernard Kerik served as an NYC political appointee under Giuliani; his nomination for Homeland Security Dept. secretary in 2004 was withdrawn when he was discovered to have hired an illegal nanny, faced a lawsuit for sexual harassment, and sustained a few other irregularities on his record.)
Giuliani has not, as of February 2007, advanced a platform for national security.
For more on Giuliani's views, See:
- Giuliani on Civil Liberties (Civil Liberties, Tom Head)
- Giuliani on Foreign Policy (U.S. Foreign Policy, Keith Porter)