Obama names foreign policy panel

Published: Thursday, 19 June 2008, 9:49AM

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has named a panel of former US officials to advise him on foreign policy.

Enlisting the group of seasoned experts as advisers, who include Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Defence Secretary William Perry, may help the Illinois senator bolster his foreign policy credentials.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Obama said: "We're going to have a wide-ranging discussion about the national security challenges facing the United States.

"We're fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We continue to face grave threats, not only from terrorism, but also nuclear proliferation, climate change, poverty, genocide and disease."

Republican rival John McCain, a Vietnam War hero and former prisoner of war who has been outspoken on national security issues, has made his foreign policy experience a centrepiece of his campaign.

But Mr Obama has likened Mr McCain's foreign policy to that of President George W Bush. He said the Republican president's approach was based on ideology, while he would follow a "pragmatic" approach focused on "using all elements of American power to protect our people and to advance our interests".

Mr McCain's campaign has sought to portray Mr Obama as weak on national security and has criticised his call for greater engagement with US adversaries such as Iran and Syria.

A senior McCain adviser on Monday accused Mr Obama of having a pre-9/11 mindset. In response, Mr Obama accused Republicans of trying to use terrorism as a club and seeking to distract from the foreign policy failures of the Bush administration.

After the foreign policy meeting, Mr Obama met separately with a few dozen retired admirals and generals to discuss military affairs and Iraq and Afghanistan.

While Mr Obama and Mr McCain face almost five months of intense campaigning before Americans vote, speculation over their running mates and who might fill senior positions in their potential administrations is already in full swing.

There has been speculation that Mr Obama may be looking for a vice-presidential running mate with a military background.

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