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Sestak said America is less safe today, because sectarian violence broke out in Iraq and a "breeding ground" for terrorists now exists. He said the remedy is not military, but political.
After the event, Sestak said when troops withdraw, the U.S. should instead provide military support from outside Iraq. He added that some special forces may go into Iraq for short periods of time, if necessary.
Sestak, who claims he never would have supported the Iraq war, said Rumsfeld should exit his defense post. As for North Korea, Sestak would like to see international talks continue under U.S. leadership. President George W. Bush urged North Korea to return to six-party talks -- including China, Russia, South Korea and Japan. China currently heads the talks.
The Bush administration has made it clear it will not negotiate one-on-one with North Korean leaders. "We should not just be saying, ‘No, we’re not going to talk,’" Sestak said.
The U.S. said it believed North Korea attempted to detonate a nuclear device, but "something went wrong," and the blast was relatively small.
Wednesday, a spokesman for Republican incumbent Curt Weldon, of Thornbury, said bi-lateral talks with North Korea should continue, but engaging in direct talks with the country would only reward them. Spokesman Michael Puppio also criticized Sestak’s call for a dated troop withdrawal.
"Curt does not support the establishment for an arbitrary deadline for the withdrawal of troops," Puppio said. "A deadline only emboldens the terrorists and those who are looking to follow the soldiers home to our shores."
Weldon voted for the war in 2002. At that time, intelligence reports indicated Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Later, it was learned the weapons did not exist.
Wednesday, Weldon visited two 7th District businesses with Deputy Secretary of Commerce Dr. David Sampson. Their first stop was in West Chester at Cephalon Inc. Weldon and Sampson also toured Engineered Arresting Systems Corp. in Aston.
