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Statement by Governor Mitt Romney on Senator Hillary Clinton and National Security

September 27, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Kevin Madden (857) 288-6390

Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney issued the following statement regarding last night's Democratic presidential debate and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) on national security:

"Once again, Senator Clinton has demonstrated a fundamental weakness when it comes to our country's national security. When presented with a national security scenario at last night's debate, she vacillated and stated clearly that she would not give our men and women the tools they need to gain critical information. As President, I believe that when it comes to saving American lives we should and must use enhanced interrogation techniques."

Background:


- At Last Night's Democratic Debate, Senator Clinton Said She Would Not Give Our Men And Women The Tools They Need To Prevent An Attack. RUSSERT: "Senator Clinton, this is the number three man in Al Qaida. We know there's a bomb about to go off, and we have three days, and we know this guy knows where it is. Should there be a presidential exception to allow torture in that kind of situation?" CLINTON: "You know, Tim, I agree with what Joe and Barack have said. As a matter of policy it cannot be American policy period. I met with those same three- and four-star retired generals, and their principal point – in addition to the values that are so important for our country to exhibit – is that there is very little evidence that it works. Now, there are a lot of other things that we need to be doing that I wish we were: better intelligence; making, you know, our country better respected around the world; working to have more allies. But these hypotheticals are very dangerous because they open a great big hole in what should be an attitude that our country and our president takes toward the appropriate treatment of everyone. And I think it's dangerous to go down this path." (MSNBC's Democratic Presidential Debate, Dartmouth, NH, 9/26/07)

- Governor Romney: "[T]here's no question but that in a setting like that where you have a ticking bomb that the president of the United States – not the CIA interrogator, the president of the United States -- has to make the call. And enhanced interrogation techniques have to be used – not torture but enhanced interrogation techniques, yes." (Fox News Channel, Republican Presidential Candidate Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/15/07)

Mitt Romney, Statement by Governor Mitt Romney on Senator Hillary Clinton and National Security Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/296015

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