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Natonal security knowledge Hassan’s fatal flaw

By Staff | Jan 17, 2016

America faces threats all across the globe, and it is now more important than ever that we have leaders who are capable and well-equipped to make choices that will keep our nation safe. As I observed Gov. Maggie Hassan’s responses to several national security questions over the last few weeks, it became quickly apparent that she is not qualified to be that leader.

Whether it’s our response to ISIS or how to approach Syrian refugee resettlements in the U.S. – or even other national security issues like the Iran nuclear deal or Guantanamo Bay – Gov. Hassan either doesn’t understand the full issue or is unable to make the right decisions to keep our country safe.

First, Gov. Hassan displayed a stunning lack of understanding about the threat ISIS poses to our country when she told reporters that she thinks ISIS declared war on us when they attacked Paris. Not only is she apparently unaware that the New Hampshire National Guard has been serving overseas in the fight against ISIS for months, but her comments indicate she is also ignorant of thwarted attempts by ISIS to attack our homeland, the Americans who were brutally killed at the hands of ISIS, and the thousands of individuals displaced by the growing unrest in the Middle East that ISIS is perpetuating. ISIS is not a new threat – it’s one that has been growing due to an insufficient response from the Obama administration.

Second, given concerns that ISIS could be infiltrating Syrian refugees and news that the Paris attackers may have abused the refugee system to enter France, there are obviously well-founded concerns about refugee resettlement in the U.S. Additionally, top security officials have told Congress that the refugee vetting process cannot determine with absolute certainty that those entering the U.S. have no ties to ISIS.

It’s hard to tell from Gov. Hassan’s muddled statements on this issue where she actually stands. In October, she said we should welcome refugees. Then after the Paris attacks, she said we needed more information about who was responsible (even though ISIS had already claimed responsibility). After many elected officials – including Senator Kelly Ayotte – called for suspending the Syrian refugee program, Hassan declared there should be a "halt" to the program. But in the face of publish backlash from her supporters, she later backpedaled and said there should only be a "pause." Hassan’s evolving positions on Syrian refugees betray her real motivations – she’ll put political convenience ahead of doing what’s right.

It seems that pattern holds true with her support for the president’s dangerously flawed Iran nuclear deal as well. Her first action as a Senate candidate was to throw her support behind this agreement – obviously vying for the support of Washington Democrats. But after recent developments, Hassan has been painfully silent. In the past few months, Iran has tested two ballistic missiles in direct violation of an existing UN Security Council resolution. But just like President Obama, Gov. Hassan hasn’t said what the U.S. response should be. It’s deeply troubling, but incredibly revealing, that Iran is already violating international agreements, casting serious doubts on whether Tehran will hold up its end of the nuclear deal.

Finally, Gov. Hassan has also signaled her openness to closing Guantanamo Bay, where the 9/11 suspects and other dangerous terrorists are held. The president is intent on closing the prison and transferring the remaining terrorists abroad or to U.S. soil, despite the fact that 30 percent of former Guantanamo detainees are known or suspected to have reengaged in terrorism after their release. Following recent reports that a Gitmo detainee transferred under Obama is now serving as the spokesman for a dangerous al Qaeda group, Gov. Hassan should tell New Hampshire voters whether she still supports the president’s dangerous plan.

National security isn’t the kind of issue where you can fake a working knowledge. Keeping our country safe requires expertise and understanding, and at a minimum, it requires an ability to listen to those who know better than you. What we don’t need is another politician who speaks before they understand the full situation, chooses a position based on their polling numbers, or simply refuses to answer questions that aren’t politically convenient.

Hassan’s bungled responses to these issues underscore her lack of experience and knowledge about foreign policy and national security issues at a critical time for New Hampshire and our nation. We’d be far better off to re-elect a proven leader like Kelly Ayotte who knows – and does – what it takes to keep us safe.

Gary Lambert lives in Nashua.

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