Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) gives an address on American foreign policy at the Brookings Institution on April 25, 2012 in Washington, DC. Rubio is widely considered to be a possible running mate for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Photograph by: Brendan Hoffman , Getty Images
WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Marco Rubio said on Wednesday the United States should create a “safe haven” for the Syrian opposition but stopped short of urging Washington to arm the rebels, suggesting they were not yet organized enough.
The potential Republican vice presidential candidate gave a lengthy foreign policy speech that stressed a more active U.S. role in the world but that echoed U.S. President Barack Obama’s positions in some respects, notably on Syria and Iran.
Rubio had tart words for Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he “might talk tough, but he knows he is weak,” and for China, saying that “for now, it would be foolish to be confident in the idea that China can be counted on to defend and support global economic and political freedom.”
Speaking at the Brookings Institution think tank, Rubio urged a more muscular U.S. response on Syria, saying others see it as a test of U.S. leadership and will conclude Washington “is no longer a reliable security partner” if it does not step up.
“The most powerful and influential nation in the world cannot ask smaller, more vulnerable nations to take risks while we stand on the sidelines,” he said.
The potential Republican vice presidential candidate gave a lengthy foreign policy speech that stressed a more active U.S. role in the world but that echoed U.S. President Barack Obama’s positions in some respects, notably on Syria and Iran.
Rubio had tart words for Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he “might talk tough, but he knows he is weak,” and for China, saying that “for now, it would be foolish to be confident in the idea that China can be counted on to defend and support global economic and political freedom.”
Speaking at the Brookings Institution think tank, Rubio urged a more muscular U.S. response on Syria, saying others see it as a test of U.S. leadership and will conclude Washington “is no longer a reliable security partner” if it does not step up.
“The most powerful and influential nation in the world cannot ask smaller, more vulnerable nations to take risks while we stand on the sidelines,” he said.
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