The Obama and Romney Foreign Policy Agendas: A Discussion with the Candidates’ Leading Advisers

On July 23 and July 24, President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will address the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention, laying out their foreign, defense and national security agendas just weeks before the national political conventions. Following his speech, Governor Romney will depart on a multi-country overseas trip, with stops in Britain, Israel, and other possible destinations in Europe. These campaign events come as the crisis in Syria dissolves into civil war, the European economic crisis continues to unfold, and U.S. troops prepare to leave Afghanistan.

On July 25, Foreign Policy at Brookings hosted a discussion examining the foreign policy, defense and national security agendas of candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, featuring Michele Flournoy, co-chair of the National Security Advisory Committee for Obama for America and Rich Williamson, senior adviser for foreign and defense policy for Romney for President, Inc. Vice President Martin Indyk, director of Foreign Policy, provided introductory remarks. Brookings Guest Scholar Marvin Kalb moderated the discussion.

After the program, speakers took audience questions.

Watch video from the event at c-span.org »

Read Marvin Kalb’s blog post, “Obama and Romney’s Foreign Policies: Difference in Words, Not Substance?”