Issue Position: Foreign Policy

Issue Position

Afghanistan

The situation in Afghanistan is dire. More American soldiers have lost their lives this year than any to date in this eight-year war. The violence threatens to destabilize Afghanistan's nuclear-armed neighbor, Pakistan, raising the possibility of a nuclear weapon falling into rogue hands. We must not allow the region to slip further into chaos -- too much is at stake.

In a perfect world, our troops would be at home with their families and this war would be over. But Alexi knows that we are not dealing with a perfect world; we are dealing with perhaps the most complex, dangerous region in the world -- a region from which the attacks of September 11th were launched, and where nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of fanatics and terrorists.

Alexi supports the President's decision to increase troop levels as part of a larger military and political strategy to defeat the Taliban insurgency and permanently expel al Qaeda from Afghanistan. This is not, and should not be, an open-ended commitment. Our military presence in Afghanistan should be aimed at preventing the Taliban from establishing a base from which to destabilize Pakistan, giving the Afghanis an opportunity to develop a government that works, and training and enabling the Afghanis to secure their own borders and to keep al Qaeda and the Taliban out of the region themselves.

Iran

The greatest single threat to peace in the Middle East is Iran. Iran's funding and facilitation of terror, including through its proxies Hamas and Hezbollah, greatly destabilize the region. Iran's activities threaten not only Israel, but also the U.S. and the rest of the world. Alexi believes we must stand firmly and unequivocally with Israel against Iranian aggression, and recognizes the urgency of addressing the risks posed by Iran's nuclear program. Alexi supports President Obama's position that a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable and believes our efforts should include using diplomatic tools, but with a concrete timetable coupled with the threat of targeted economic sanctions if Iran does not end its illicit nuclear program.

The last six months have shown that the people of Iran are eager for democratic reforms and respect for human rights. Just as the Iranian regime is murdering peaceful protesters, it is reneging on a promise made to the U.N. Security Council last month that it would ship most of its low-enriched uranium abroad in exchange for fuel for a research reactor. In its attempt to shift the focus from its own failings, the regime continues its campaign against Israel's right to exist, and supports the work of terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah. These are not the actions of a government that respects the will of its people or international rule of law.

Targeted military strikes at key nuclear facilities should be considered only as a last resort. In the short-term, the U.S. should immediately adopt a comprehensive set of policies that would encourage the Iranian government to abandon its nuclear ambitions, discourage companies from aiding the Iranian energy sector, and empower Iranian citizens in their fight for basic rights.

Effective sanctions that target the government, not the people

* The first round of sanctions should be targeted at the Revolutionary Guards, a branch of Iran's military that now oversees nearly a third of the country's economy and is critical to propping up the current regime. The Guards' control everything from the nation's nuclear program to a multibillion-dollar array of businesses.
* The U.S. government should publish a verified list of all companies doing business with the Revolutionary Guard and Iran's energy sector so that Americans can make informed decisions about their investments. The government should also consider higher tax rates on investment returns made from companies that profit from business with the Guard. As State Treasurer, I have championed successful efforts to divest the State's pension funds from companies doing business with the Iranian government or helping to tap the country's oil and mineral resources.
* The U.S. Senate should immediately pass the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2009 to strengthen the President's ability to impose sanctions on companies providing refined petroleum to Iran or helping Iran expand its own refining capacity.

Enabling the grassroots democratic movement

* The internet has become a critically important space for political expression and organizing in Iran. As grassroots groups grow in power, the government is more frequently cutting access to websites that help advocates to communicate with one another, with the Iranian diaspora and with the international media. I support the passage of legislation to prohibit the U.S. government from contracting with companies that export sensitive communications jamming or monitoring technology to Iran, and would support efforts to make the names of those companies public so that state and local governments can take similar action.
* American tech experts and nonprofits have enabled Iranian citizens to communicate safely during times of civil unrest by establishing proxy Internet servers. During peak times, Iranian servers were not able to meet the demand from local Internet users looking for safe entry-points to the Internet. The US government, through the Department of State and US Agency for International Development, should direct foreign assistance money to assist citizen-driven efforts to purchase additional proxy servers in Canada and Europe.
* Despite the blanket sanctions against U.S. businesses doing work in Iran, the U.S. government should allow certain technology companies to do pro bono work that provides critical free speech services to Iranian democracy advocates. The demand for these services is strong and currently requires Iranian organizers to contract with a Canadian or European firm, which in term contracts with an American firm. This process adds vulnerabilities that are easily exploited by the Revolutionary Guard.

Iraq

Alexi believes that America's military resources in the Middle East are best spent combating the threat of al Qaeda, which is regrouping in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He supports the President's plan to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq by the end of 2010, with a complete withdrawal of U.S. personnel by the end of 2011. Our exit must be done responsibly and help ensure that we leave Iraq with a viable and credible democracy.

Israel

Our first commitment in the Middle East must be the security of Israel, our strongest ally in the region. Our governments are similarly based on beliefs in democracy and freedom -- values that continue to be threatened by extremism and hate. The United States and Israel must remain unwavering partners in the shared struggle against terrorism and violence.
Peace in the Middle East

* The United States must actively support Israel in our shared goal of creating peace with its Arab neighbors. Alexi supports a two-state solution, with the Jewish State of Israel and a moderate Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace. These efforts are crucial to securing Israel's safety and provide an important step towards diffusing radicalism in the Middle East. The international community should continue to isolate Hamas while supporting moderate Palestinian leadership.
* The core issues must be negotiated by the Israelis and Palestinians themselves, without the imposition of solutions by outsiders. Arab states can and must play a positive role in the search for peace, by recognizing Israel's right to exist, normalizing their relations with Israel and supporting moderate Palestinian leaders who work to end incitement and are committed to peace.

Israel's Right to Self Defense

* Alexi is deeply committed to the safety and security of Israel, which continues to face existential threats by its neighbors and remains on the front line of the war on terror. Alexi is committed to helping Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East, maintain its qualitative military edge.

Foreign aid

* Alexi supports foreign aid to Israel and will fight for the requisite appropriations defined in the Memorandum of Understanding agreed upon by the United States and Israel. Continuing the annual foreign aid package that involves both military and economic assistance to Israel is important to Israel's continued safety and security.
* Alexi supports direct aid to the Palestinian families who are in need by bypassing any Hamas-led government. Healthier Palestinian families are good for the security and prosperity of both Israel and the Palestinian people.

Poland

Poland is an important ally abroad and Polish immigrants are indispensable members of our communities here at home.

Since joining NATO in 1997, Poland has become a key strategic partner. Alexi is grateful to Poland for standing by the American partnership and for its courageous contributions in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, Poland is helping NATO to provide security and stability, paving the way for reconstruction and effective governance. Alexi greatly appreciates the additional 600 troops Poland has pledged to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. While security collaboration between our countries is a core underpinning of NATO's article 5 commitment to mutual defense, Alexi supports other strategies to strengthen the bond and promote collaboration between America and Poland.

Collaborate on banking and financial stabilization in the region

* Poland has long been an economic innovator in the region. During the early 1990's, the Balcerowicz program provided a model of economic reform and privatization for the rest of post-communist Central Europe. Today Poland is one of a few countries whose economy still has positive growth. The soundness of Polish banking and finance provide regional stability and a model for regional growth.
* Alexi supports further measures to strengthen the fundamentals of the Polish economy and spearhead efforts to support regional financial reform and stabilization. The U.S. and Poland should set up a bilateral working group--similar to the U.S.-Japan Working Group set up earlier this decade--to identify steps to strengthen economies in the region.

Make the visa waiver program easier and friendlier

* Poland was excluded from America's visa waiver program expansion in October 2008. Alexi's parents immigrated to America from Greece -- a country that was also unfairly excluded from the visa waiver program. Alexi knows the unnecessary, cumbersome hoops friends and relatives must jump through to visit.
* Current law requires that less than 10 percent of the visa applications by a country be rejected before it qualifies for membership. Poland has made great strides in decreasing its visa refusal rate and has modernized its passports to meet program standards. Alexi supports waiving the visa application fee -- currently a non-refundable $100 even for those rejected -- and working with Poland to help it achieve an acceptable status in the program.

Support Ukraine

* Ukraine's recent presidential elections were a promising sign. The elections threatened to divide the country between east and west, accelerated by the financial crisis, which had disproportionately impacted eastern Ukraine. Hopefully the run-off election will further unify the country.
* The United States and the countries of Central Europe should continue high-level engagement with Ukraine. Poland as should help facilitate Kiev's Western integration. Alexi believes the United States should endorse and provide support for the E.U. Eastern Partnership Project, which Poland and Sweden have pioneered to bolster the Union's ties with eastern neighbors, with a view to putting a least some on the path to E.U. membership. American backing would give this relationship constructive meaning.

Spur Investment and Innovation in Renewable Energy

* Illinois has long been a leader in energy innovation. Now is the time for international collaboration and coordination on the renewable research agenda. Poland has an excellent tradition in chemistry and the sciences. The U.S. should begin discussions with the Poles about possibly merging efforts on biofuels and the development of cellulosic ethanol. After the first oil crisis in the 1970s, the International Energy Agency took steps toward coordinating U.S.-European-Japanese energy policies. It's time to build on that foundation.

Southeastern Europe

Alexi believes that U.S. national security depends on stability in Southeastern Europe, where NATO and the EU border some of the world’s most volatile flashpoints. To further such stability, Alexi believes that the U.S. must encourage (a) an end to the 35 year Turkish occupation of Cyprus and its reunification as a bi-zonal, bicommunal federation; (b) the restoration of full religious freedom and legal rights to the Ecumenical Patriarchate – the home of the world’s second largest Christian church – in Istanbul, Turkey; and (c) advances in Greco-Turkish relations and the relationship between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Cyprus

Alexi agrees with Vice President Joe Biden that the continued occupation of Cyprus is a "truly unresolved and unremitting injustice" and that the U.S.'s relations with Turkey should be "influenced by how the Cyprus problem is solved, namely by full withdrawal of Turkey."
Relations with the U.S.

The Republic of Cyprus has proven itself a reliable partner to the United States on issues of international concern, including countering terrorist-related activities and threats to international peace and security. Cyprus -- with the world's sixth largest ship registry -- was the first European Union country to permit the U.S. navy to board and search ships bearing its flag if they are thought to carry WMD-related material. Throughout the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Cyprus has provided over-flight and landing rights to U.S. aircraft and port access for U.S. ships. Furthermore, during the Lebanon crisis of 2006, Cyprus served as the principal transit location for thousands of U.S. citizens evacuating Lebanon. In 2009, the Republic of Cyprus, in close cooperation with the U.S., halted a shipment of arms believed intended for Hamas from Iran.
The basis for a just and lasting solution

Alexi agrees with the numerous UN Security Council Resolutions that a reunified Cyprus should be a bi-zonal, bicommunal federation with a single sovereignty, single international personality, single citizenship and with political equality.

The current negotiation process should be completely of Cypriot ownership -- with Greek and Turkish Cypriots determining their own fates and futures. The imposition of artificial timetables by non-Cypriot actors is unacceptable. The role of the United States and the international community -- especially Cyprus' neighbors Greece and Turkey -- is to provide assistance and support the process. Difficult issues like property, refugees, land, and security must be settled between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities themselves. In a reunified Cyprus, all Cypriot citizens should be guaranteed the full rights and benefits of European Union citizenship.
Turkey's responsibilities

Turkey must give the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community the necessary freedom and support to negotiate a solution within the U.N. established framework. It must also facilitate that solution by removing its 40,000 occupation troops -- whose presence has been roundly condemned by the United Nations and the European Union and remains as perhaps the greatest obstacle to peace in Cyprus. Those troops should be instead used to bolster our efforts in Afghanistan.

In order to show good faith in this peace process, Turkey must also immediately recognize the Republic of Cyprus. Turkey is presently in the position of not recognizing a member of the European Union while pursuing EU membership. This has adversely affected U.S. national security interests, as Turkey actively blocks NATO/EU military cooperation because it refuses to recognize Cyprus.
Religious Freedom

Alexi is deeply concerned that policies of the Turkish government pose a grave threat to the future of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the spiritual home of the world's second largest Christian Church. The Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul, Turkey is the spiritual head of 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, including millions of American citizens, and one of the great moral leaders in the world today. Stronger American support for the religious freedom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is needed to prevent a religious tragedy of historic magnitude.
The Ecumenical Patriarch

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has become the leading moral voice on one of the greatest issues of our time, protecting the environment and rescuing a planet in peril. By insisting that ecological questions are essentially spiritual ones, the "Green Patriarch" -- as he was dubbed by former Vice President Al Gore -- has given greater impetus for environmental action. The Ecumenical Patriarchate has also become a crucial link between Christians and the Muslim world. Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew gathered international religious leaders and produced the first condemnation of the attacks as "anti-religious" that included Muslim leaders.
Protecting the Ecumenical Patriarchate

Turkey, which occupies a place in the Western alliance and aspires to European Union membership, must immediately demonstrate a commitment to religious freedom. Alexi, an Orthodox Christian who values his First Amendment right to religious freedom, believes that such a commitment must at a minimum be demonstrated by: (1) Turkey's cessation of all government interference in the election of the Ecumenical Patriarch; (2) Turkey's recognition of the legal status of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as well as the Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches and the Jewish religious minority in Turkey; (3) Turkey's recognition of the canonical, historical and ecclesiastical title "ecumenical" with regards to the Patriarchate; (4) Turkey allowing the training of Orthodox Christian clergy and re-opening the Halki School of Theology; (5) Turkey restoring the property rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and its institutions, including the restitution for and/or return of thousands of confiscated properties.
Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: Promoting Stability in the Balkans

Alexi supports the UN-led negotiations between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (the FYROM) on a mutually-acceptable name that leads to greater stability in the Balkans.
Mistakes of the Bush Administration

Alexi believes that the State Department's decision on November 4, 2004, to recognize the FYROM as the "Republic of Macedonia" was counter-productive and actually has undermined the UN-led negotiations, has made Skopje more obstinate, and has precluded the FYROM from fulfilling key conditions for entering NATO.

Alexi supported Senate Resolution 300/House Resolution 356, which urged that the FYROM work with Greece within the framework of the United Nations process to reach a mutually‐acceptable official name for that country and achieve longstanding United States and United Nations policy goals, and urged members of the Illinois delegation and political allies -- including then Senator Obama and Majority Whip Dick Durbin, to become sponsors.
Going Forward

Alexi believes that the eventual membership of the FYROM into NATO is a key US policy goal. To that end, Skopje must prove that it can have amicable relations with the NATO members that border it, including Greece, a long-standing and critical ally of the US. It must cease all provocative actions that even hint of irredentism, including adopting a name that is not mutually acceptable and continuing hostile propaganda against Greece.

Alexi believes that the US should persuade the FYROM to negotiate in good faith with Greece to resolve the name issue and to cease immediately its propaganda against Greece. If the FYROM refuses to cooperate, the United States must consider withdrawing its 2004 recognition of the FYROM as the "Republic of Macedonia." Once a mutually acceptable denomination for the FYROM has been reached in the UN-sponsored talks, the US should recognize that state by that denomination only.

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