Jon Huntsman - Libya
Summary
Governor Huntsman has stated that he did not support military action in Libya and that he would not have initiated such action if he were President. He has stated that Libya was not core to our national security interests.
George Stephanopoulis Interview
In May of 2011, Governor Huntsman was interviewed by George Stephanopoulis and states that he would not have gone into Libya. He states that it was not important to our national security interests.
George Stephanopoulos: But I'm asking what you think about him now. Do you believe he's a remarkable leader, and are you in sync with his foreign policy?
Jon Huntsman: History will show how effective he is. In terms of foreign policy, we have a generational opportunity, George, to reset our position in the world. And it must be done based upon our deployments in all corners of the world, wherever we find ourselves, how affordable those deployments are, whether it's a good use of our young men and women. Whether it's in our core national security and interest. We're fighting an enemy that is far different than any we have got before. It's a nontraditional kind of war, and I think we need to step back, recalibrate how we go about protecting our borders and protecting our people, and resetting our position in the world.
George Stephanopoulos: But what does that mean? Is the President fighting that war effectively today?
Jon Huntsman: It means that we have too much in the way of boots on the ground in corners of the world where we probably don't need it. It means that we must prepare for an asymmetrical kind of response. It means that we probably don't need to be in certain parts of the Middle East where there are domestic revolutions playing out. Where we probably just ought to let them play out.
George Stephanopoulos: Is that Libya?
Jon Huntsman: Libya would be among them.
George Stephanopoulos: You'd stop enforcing the no-fly zone?
Jon Huntsman: Well, I would have chosen from the beginning not to intervene in Libya. I would say that is not core to our national security interest.