As Senator, Lee Jones will work to maintain America’s good standing with our current allies while striving to create new international partnerships in the quest to address the world’s most complicated challenges.  Lee will ensure that America’s military is well equipped and otherwise prepared to perform the tasks required of it for the security of the U.S. and its interests.  As well, Lee looks to bring America back to its position of high moral standing within the international community.  Lee Jones will work to;

• Improve tangible homeland security strategies for increased protection of those living within America’s borders 
• End the occupation of Iraq and to develop strategies for supporting an Iraqi-led plan for stabilizing and rebuilding the nation
• Reach out to members of the international community to develop long-lasting and mutually beneficial partnerships with other nations
• Address and end the global war on terror by focusing on Afghanistan and other territories known to be harboring Al Qaeda operatives and other extremists
• Ensure America’s military is staffed and equipped to maintain its best potential and secure the safety of Americans

Iraq

The war in Iraq ended long ago, but the United States is now adrift in an occupation that is without lasting progress and without a strategic plan for exit.  Lee Jones will work to end the occupation of Iraq, which has left the U.S. financially burdened and desperate for a long-term solution to help develop Iraq as a stable nation in which we have an ally. 

Lee Jones believes that the Iraqi government has only made minimal progress in realizing sovereignty for its nation.  While Lee understands that the U.S. must fervently support the people of Iraq in their journey toward that sovereignty, the government of Iraq must realize that only the people of Iraq can shape their future – not the United States.  Lee supports the idea that as the Iraqi government continues to fail to meet benchmarks set forth by its own policies and those of the U.S., and as it continues to regress in the progress that has already been achieved, the U.S. must limit how much support can be given.

Lee Jones is firmly convinced that the occupation of Iraq has opened “closed” borders to terrorists and extremists and allowed them to travel freely across the region to spread death and fear among innocent and law abiding peoples. 

As Senator, Lee Jones would urge Congress and the new administration to end the occupation of Iraq and seek the assistance of neighboring governments to monitor and thwart terrorists within the region.  Lee believes this effort is best accomplished by;

• Withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraq within one year, while retaining adequate security troop strength to protect the U.S. embassy and its personnel and to allow humanitarian workers in assisting with the care and education of Iraqi citizens
• Prohibiting permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq that would preclude the long-term stationing of U.S. forces in the country
• Convening a regional peace conference to expand diplomacy with all nations in the region, including the governments of Iran and Syria, in order to develop and implement a political solution to violence in Iraq and the region

The War on Terror

Lee Jones believes the United States has become stagnant in the global war on terror and he will therefore work to find innovative new strategies for securing our nation and preventing terrorist attacks.  Lee is convinced that the current administration’s approach to the war on terror has in fact floundered in its effort to reduce the threat of terrorism. Lee Jones will work to replace the current doctrine with both short and long-term strategies to unify U.S. intelligence and security efforts with the international community to improve and redirect intelligence so we can root out and shut down terrorist cells and their leaders before they have the opportunity to strike. Lee will work to ensure that homeland security is improved upon and the citizens of the U.S. are safer, without jeopardizing individuals’ constitutional rights.

As Senator, Lee Jones will encourage preventative and diverse measures to protect against terrorist attacks and improve the overall security of the U.S. by working to;

• Expand quick response teams to initiate anticipatory action against imminent terrorist threats in vital regions and allied nations, especially within the Middle East
• Increase security at all U.S. ports and strategic points along the U.S. borders as well as at soft installations like chemical plants, sports arenas and computer networks
• Increase the number of border patrol agents to secure our porous borders and reduce the likelihood of terrorists entering the U.S. from Mexico or Canada
• Encourage partnerships between the U.S. and other governments to ensure the best intelligence is reaching security agents standing ready to defuse any terrorist action
• Improve protection and equipment for first responders, including firefighters and police, and increase civil preparedness by expanding citizen recruitment, involvement and training to be the eyes and ears of the nation at home

Restoring America’s Moral Leadership

In recent years, America’s influential world standing has ebbed to the point where many in the world look upon us unfavorably.  The international community is now wary to follow the United States to new heights of prosperity and greatness, and we ourselves now question the path we must take to regain the strength we once championed throughout the world.  Lee Jones knows that the United States, as powerful as it is, can never be so great as to exclude the help and expertise of other nations.

Lee is confident the United States can regain its well deserved and previously held status as a nation of prosperous, generous and globally conscious citizens working with allies throughout the world to achieve unequivocal progress for the future.

As Senator, Lee would work to bring America’s allies to the table to address international issues and would encourage the U.S. extension of diplomacy to other nations worldwide.

• Strengthen alliances with the United Kingdom, Japan and nations of the European Union
• Increase alliances within Latin America to encourage economic development and the improvement of human and democratic rights
• Expand dialogue with nations such as Iran and North Korea
• Encourage democratic and humanitarian rights worldwide
• Encourage China to adopt international laws governing trade, climate change and human rights
• Promote India’s path toward democracy and stability with increased participation in the U.N. Security Council and the world arena
• Emphasize deteriorating conditions in Darfur and Uganda and address the urgent need to bring the worsening crises to and end, while recommitting efforts to increase social and economic development programs for Africa

Maintaining America’s Military

Lee Jones is committed to the priority of modernizing America’s military to making our armed forces stronger and capable of facing new and recurring threats against the United States and its allies.  

As Senator, Lee will work to ensure that our military is prepared at all times to anticipate and respond to any threats against the U.S.  Lee Jones wills support a policy that will;

• Rebuild the military to perform well-defined tasks and missions while maintaining domestic troops levels to contain any and all threats that confront the nation at home
• Establish a basic military management doctrine staffed by military professionals who will oversee tactics and operations, while civilian leadership maintains authority in broad strategic and political decisions
• Increase incentives and benefits, as well as standards for military recruitment to meet the needs of America’s armed forces
• Maintain equipment and competitive systems to provide more than adequate protection for all troops
• Modernize the military to eliminate waste and redundancy and to make a more effective fighting force for today and the future
• Invest in “green” technologies for the military to improve energy efficiency, increased innovation, reduced spending and reliance on foreign suppliers
• Reduce and eliminate waste and fraud in the military, as well as weapons systems that have dubious and unproven capabilities
• Reform compensation policies in the Department of Defense to encourage results instead of bureaucracy and cronyism
• Establish a national security budget that includes all security activities government-wide to eliminate redundancies, ensure accountability and coordinate many different agencies