Obama’s First 100 Days

By Suzia van Swol, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) joined military leaders, interrogators, prosecutors, military experts and activists today to discuss how President Obama has tackled national security and international human rights issues during his first 100 days in office. Hagel, who endorsed Obama and traveled with him to the Middle East the presidential campaign, spoke at a conference hosted by Human Rights First in Washington, D.C.

Hagel said Obama’s efforts in Afghanistan, including plans to send as many as 17,000 additional troops, is “the smart thing, the right thing to do.”

Hagel said Obama is building a platform of relationships by reaching out to foreign countries to forge cooperation and common purpose in order to deal with “the great issues of our time.”

“We are in a world today that is essentially a global community,” said Hagel, adding that America must set a standard with regards to foreign relations.

The worst thing that any government can do for its people is to “try to cover things up,” said Hagel and he emphasized a need for accountability, transparency and clarity.

Hagel discussed some of his own foreign policy opinions including North Korea. Hagel said the question to ask is: “How do you most affectively influence the behavior of a government?” Hagel outlined bombing and sanctions as possible options but said that in North Korea’s case, six party talks “is the right process.” Six-party talks with the U.S., China, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, and Russia are meant to find a peaceful solution to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. The talks originally resulted from North Korea’s decision decision to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to limit the spread of nuclear weapons.

Hagel warned that we have a very “unpredictable, unstable situation in North Korea that could affect a lot of things.” He went on to state that he believes “Bush was correct in initiating those six party talks.”