Herman Cain's presidential campaign has released its "Vision For Foreign Policy & National Security," a tidy seven-page summary of the candidate's take on exactly twenty countries, accompanied by an even tidier map classifying the states in Cain's own terms.
Canada, in Cain terminology, is a "Friend and Ally," Brazil, merely a "Friend," and the UK is "Our Special Relationship." Venezuela, Iran, Syria, and North Korea are each deemed an "Adversary Regime," while Russia is a "Rival," China a "Competitor," and Libya is "Clarity Needed."
Cain brands Egypt "Danger and Opportunity," noting in the memo that "Under President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt was a friend. With Mubarak shoved out by Arab Spring protests – with help from President Obama – Egypt could be a nightmare unfolding."
The document contains a similarly sympathetic description of the decades-long autocratic leader of Yemen ("Strategic Partner"), President Saleh, who stepped down, at least formally, last week after ten months of protests -- although Cain doesn't acknowledge his resignation:
A key U.S. ally in the fight against terrorism, President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been battling Iranian-backed rebels in the north and an Al Qaeda-backed secessionist movement in the south.He has been working closely with U.S. covert operatives to combat Al Qaeda itself. Taking the path of least resistance in the face of Al Qaeda-backed protestors, President Obama has insisted that Saleh step down.
