Republican Sen. Lugar highly critical of Bush foreign policy

[MIKE BURN]

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WASHINGTON (Reuters)



The United States risks "catastrophic terrorism" unless it repairs international alliances, expands trade and encourages global economic development, a top Republican lawmaker said in remarks to be delivered on Saturday.



U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized the Bush administration and Congress for failing to take diplomatic and economic steps to deter terrorism and focusing on military force instead.



Lugar said the Sept. 11 attacks "jarred the United States out of its complacency toward foreign threats."



But he said the "ability and will to exert U.S. leadership outside the confines of military action have been eroded by inattention, budget incrementalism, and an increasing partisanship that afflicts foreign policy decision-making."



..."To win the war against terrorism, the United States must assign U.S. economic and diplomatic capabilities the same strategic priority that we assign to military capabilities," Lugar said.



"The United States, as a nation, simply has not made this commitment," he said.



Reuters article

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I never thought I would ever call a Republican a wise man....