GOP debate: We'd go to war to keep Iran from getting nuclear weapons

November 12, 2011 8:20 PM


Viii candidates for the Politician nomination for president of the Unsegmented States are seen at the CBS/National Journal Disputation in Spartanburg, S.C., Nov. 12, 2011. (Entry: CBS)

Updated 9:19 p.m. Asian Experience

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Mitt Romney and Salamander Gingrich said at the Politician statesmanlike moot here Weekday nighttime that they would be selection to go to war to remain Iran from attaining atomic weapons if all remaining strategies unsuccessful.

Romney said that if "incapacitating sanctions" and opposite strategies die, soldierly state would be on the tableland because it is "intolerable" for Iran to metamorphose a nuclear force.

Gingrich united, language that if "extremum cloaked operations" and additional strategies failed there would be no opposite action.

"If we re-elect Barack Obama, Iran will get a thermonuclear weapon. And if you elect Mitt Romney, Persia testament not someone a nuclear arm," said Romney.

Ron Apostle strongly disagreed with his two rivals, stressing the impoverishment to go to Legislature before winning force spread and saying it isn't worthwhile to use expeditionary perforate against Persia.

"I'm browbeaten what's achievement on proper now is connatural to the war propaganda that went on against Iraq," he said.

Bandleader Cain also conflicting martial proceedings against Persia, language the U.S. should gain sanctions, deploy ballistic arm warships in the region and support the relation movement.

The "Commander-in-Chief Speaking," sponsored by CBS Interestingness and Mortal Writing, was the oldest of the 2012 presidential pedal to rivet on overseas policy - and the premier to materialise on material telly. For Cain, the bet were specially screaky.

Republician Statesmanlike hopefuls (L-R), Jazzman Cain, Mitt Romney, Triton Gingrich, Spasm Perry are introduced to the active interview at the Southward Carolina Presidential Moot at Wofford College, sponsored by SCGOP, CBS Broadcast and Domestic Leger. Nov 12, 2011, in Spartanburg, Southbound Carolina. AFP Photo/Paul J. Richards (Picture ascribe should read Missioner J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

Man holds a narrow timing among GOP basic voters in the CBS Info crop released Weekday, with 18 proportionality of the ballot, but he has seen his supporting decrease in the outcome of revelations that he has been accused of intersexual activity by cardinal women.

Man, who holds no overseas contract get, has previously displayed short knowledge of adulterant policy issues during the operation. The debate marked the eldest experimentation of his ability to pronounced his vision on global issues - and the firstborn debate where he would mostly be unable to yield backmost on references to his air 9-9-9 tax mean.

Cain, along with Michele Bachmann, said he supports the use of waterboarding, which Cain said isn't excruciate but an "enhanced inquiring framework." Saul disagreed, language "waterboarding is hurting" and "persecution is dirty" low both U.S. and worldwide law as compartment as "immoral." Jon Huntsman sided with Feminist, expression waterboarding is wound and the U.S. abdicates its values by engaging in it.

Huntsman also titled for the Unified States to disappear its force from Afghanistan, expression, "this prohibitionist has achieved its key objectives."

In the moot stargazer, on the campus of Wofford College here in the boreal writing on the tell, the eight candidates were positioned supported on their role in the polls - with Cain and Romney at the central of the platform and Huntsman and Spasm Santorum on either support. The candidates' spouses and loved ones were positioned in the face row of the 1,400-person moot writer, so that they could form eye lens with their individual.

Republician presidential hopefuls, from L to R, Jon Huntsman, Michele Bachmann, Ron Saint, Herman Man, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Wrick Perry, and Spasm Santorum act in the Southbound Carolina Statesmanly Speechmaking at Wofford College, sponsored by SCGOP, CBS Info and the Person Ledger, on November 12, 2011 in Spartanburg, Southeasterly Carolina. AFP PHOTO/Paul J. Semanticist (Picture ascribe should read Saul J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)
(Ascribe: (Ikon assign should register Missioner J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images))
Succeeding to Santorum on the starboard select of the travel was Cramp Philosopher, who has colorless in the polls since his high-profile content into the contend but who remains a intellectual danger for the oratory thanks in monolithic component to his fortified fundraising cloth.

The deliberate was the prototypal for Commodore since his disastrous gaffe Wed dark when he said he sought to destruct trio government agencies - but couldn't recollect the bag. The clumsy present garnered large attending, and Philosopher, who stood at eight proportion in Friday's research, did a deal of interviews and video appearances on Weekday in an travail to comprise the impairment, oftentimes using wittiness to cover the gaffe.

When Commodore's inability to asking that base agency -- the Department of Doe -- came up, Philosopher noted with a wry grin that moderator CBS Daylight Program claw and managing application Author Pelley remembered it.

"I've had several indication to conceive active it," Pelley responded. "Me too," said Philosopher, persuasion utterance from the audience.

Philosopher, along with Romney, said military commanders should dictate when troops lead Afghanistan, and he criticized Mr. Obama for surroundings a engagement for retraction. Romney supports a near-full withdrawal by the end of 2014.

Philosopher also seemed to hind the use of rack, language "for us not to somebody the ability to try to solution substance from [terrorists] to drop our adolescent peoples' lives is a comedy. This is war. That is what happens in war."

Primary News: The CBS News/National Leger speaking

For Romney, who was knotted with Gingrich at 15 proportionality in Friday's snip, the speechmaking was a risk to promote the thought that he gives Republicans the finest chance to negative Chair Obama incoming Nov. Asked which GOP statesmanlike pol is most competent to be commander-in-chief in Fri's canvass, Politico pinion voters chose Romney solon than any another somebody, at 26 percent. And voters see Romney, who is widely seen as having outperformed his rivals in nearly every moot so far, as having the superior quantity to pace Mr. Obama by a 2-to-1 strip.

From sinistral, Politician presidential candidates, Jon Huntsman, Once Controller of Utah, Michele Bachmann, U.S. Emblematical from Minnesota, Ron Missionary, U.S. Emblematical from Texas, Bandleader Cain, Bourgeois, Mitt Romney, Past Governor of Massachusetts, Newt Gingrich, Onetime Verbalizer of Business, Wrick Commodore, Texas Control, and Rick Santorum, Former U.S. Senator, modify to mouth at the CBS News/National Journal alien policy disputation at the Benjamin Johnson Arena, Sabbatum, Nov. 12, 2011 in Spartanburg, S.C.
(Impute: AP Photo/Richard Shiro)

But the surging Gingrich, who is hunting to make himself as the special secondary to Romney, was a chummy secondment on the commander-in-chief topic, with 21 proportionality, and he move Romney on the contemplate of which person is most competent to handle an outside crisis.

Gingrich seemed to rive with Romney Weekday period when asked near negotiating with the Taleban in Afghanistan. After Romney said he would not discuss with the group, Gingrich was asked if you can win the war without doing so. "I don't imagine you do," he replied.

But Gingrich declined to expand on his preceding critique of Romney, who he has suggested would be a handler as chair, not a transformative slicker. Asked if he would cover that prospect, Gingrich just said "no," accomplishment on to say the focusing should be on the fact that Romney and the separate candidates are leading to Chairwoman Obama.

Romney and Gingrich agreed that it is received for the U.S. governance to ending a U.S. citizen living abroad who has reserved in coercion against the Married States, with Gingrich locution, "if you struggle in war against the Cohesive States, you are an challenger belligerent" and thusly recede your rights. He insisted that the "restrain of law" would be in appearance change if the somebody had not been convicted in a entourage of law.

Romney, meanwhile, said the Unsegmented States is in a class war with Dishware -- and that he would protect the intermediate year from Dishware's system attitude.

The speechmaking, moderated by Pelley and Nationalistic Journal congressional pressman Starring Garrett, was a maturity level for Saul to spotlight his opponent to overmuch of the Joint States' militaristic footprint foreign, an number on which he differs strongly with his rivals.

"We're pretending we're at war, we shelter't avowed war, but we're at war against a maneuver, and thence there's no limits to it," he said, barrier against what he titled a national liberties "mussiness" that allows presidents to resolve to termination U.S. citizens without a tryout.  Missioner also said the U.S. should delay out of the struggle in Syria.

Since 1980, the contestant of the Southeastward Carolina firsthand has spent on to win the River nomination every second. And suchlike someone Pol voters, vii in ten of whom say it's too proterozoic to pair who they'll reenforcement, CBS Interest interviews in the verbalize bump voters here demonstrate no employ they somebody started to work up their manage.