美国2012年大选副总统候选人电视辩论

doing is rejecting claims for — calls for more security in our barracks, in our Marine — we need Marines in Benghazi when the commander on the ground says we need more forces for security. There were requests for extra security. Those requests were not honored.

Look, this was the anniversary of 9/11. It was Libya, a country we knew we had al-Qaida cells there. As we know, al-Qaida and its affiliates are on the rise in northern Africa. And we did not give our ambassador in Benghazi a Marine detachment? Of course there is an investigation so we can make sure that this never happens again. But when it comes to speaking up for our values, we should not apologize for those.

Here is the problem. Look at all the various issues out there and that's unraveling before our eyes. The vice president talks about sanctions on Iran. They got — we've had four —

MS. RADDATZ: Let's move to Iran. I'd actually like to move to Iran because there is really no bigger national security — REP. RYAN: Absolutely.

MS. RADDATZ: — this country is facing. Both President Obama and Governor Romney have said they will prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, even if that means military action. Last week former Defense Secretary Bob Gates said a strike on Iran's facilities would not work and, quote, could prove catastrophic, haunting us for generations. Can the two of you be absolutely clear and specific to the American people how effective would a military strike be? Congressman Ryan.

REP. RYAN: We cannot allow Iran to gain a nuclear weapons capability.

Now, let's take a look at where we've gone — come from. When Barack Obama was elected, they had enough fissile material, nuclear material, to make one bomb. Now they have enough for five. They're racing toward a nuclear weapon. They're four years closer toward a nuclear weapons capability. We've had four different sanctions at the U.N. on Iran, three from the Bush

administration, one here. And the only reason we got it is because Russia watered it down and prevented the — the sanctions from hitting the central bank.

Mitt Romney proposed these sanctions in 2007. In Congress, I've been fighting for these sanctions since 2009. The administration was blocking us every step of the way.

Only because we had strong bipartisan support for these tough sanctions were we able to overrule their objections and put them in spite of the administration. Imagine what would have happened if we had these sanctions in place earlier. You think Iran's not brazen? Look at what they're doing. They're stepping up their terrorist attacks. They tried a terrorist attack in the United States last year when they tried to blow up the Saudi ambassador at a restaurant in Washington, D.C. And talk about credibility. When this administration says that all options are on the table, they send out senior administration officials that send all these mixed signals.

5

And so in order solve this peacefully, which is everybody's goal, you have to have the ayatollahs change their minds. Look at where they are. They're moving faster toward a nuclear weapon. It's because this administration has no credibility on this issue. It's because this administration watered down sanctions, delayed sanctions, tried to stop us from putting the tough sanctions in place. Now we have them in place because of Congress. They say the military option's on the table but it's not being viewed as credible, and the key is to do this peacefully, is to make sure that we have credibility. Under a Romney administration, we will have credibility on this issue. MS. RADDATZ: Vice President Biden.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: Incredible. (Chuckles.)

Look, imagine had we let the Republican Congress work out the sanctions. You think there's any possibility the entire world would have joined us, Russia and China, all of our allies? These are the most crippling sanctions in the history of sanctions, period, period.

When Governor Romney's asked about it, he said, we got to keep these sanctions. When they said, well, you're talking about doing more, what are you — are you — you're going to go to war? Is that you want to do now?

REP. RYAN: We want to prevent war!

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: (Inaudible) — and I — the interesting thing is, how they're going to prevent war. How are they going to prevent war if they say that there's nothing more that we — that they say we should do than what we've already done, number one?

And number two, with regard to the ability of the United States to take action militarily, it is — it is not in my purview to talk about classified information.

But we feel quite confident we could deal a serious blow to the Iranians. But number two, the Iranians are — the Israelis and the United States — our military and intelligence communities are absolutely the same exact place in terms of how close — how close the Iranians are to getting a nuclear weapon. They are a good way away. There is no difference between our view and theirs. When my friend talks about fissile material, they have to take this highly enriched uranium, get it from 20 percent up. Then they have to be able to have something to put it in. There is no weapon that the Iranians have at this point. Both the Israelis and we know we'll know if they start the

process of building a weapon. So all this bluster I keep hearing, all this loose talk — what are they talking about? Are you talking about to be more credible? What — what more can the president do? Stand before the United Nations, tell the whole world, directly communicate to the ayatollah: We will not let them acquire a nuclear weapon, period, unless he's talking about going to war. REP. RYAN: Martha, let's just — MS. RADDATZ: Congressman Ryan.

REP. RYAN: — let's look at this from the view of the ayatollahs. What do they see? They see this administration trying to water down sanctions in Congress for over two years. They're moving

6

faster toward a nuclear weapon; they're spinning the centrifuges faster. They see us saying, when we come into the administration, when they're sworn in, we need more space with our ally Israel. They see President Obama in New York City the same day Bibi Netanyahu is, and he's — instead of meeting with him goes on a — on a daily talk show. They see — when we say that these options are on the table, the secretary of defense walked them back. They are not changing their mind. That's what we have to do, is change their mind so they stop pursuing nuclear weapons, and they're going faster.

MS. RADDATZ: How will you do it so quickly? Look, you both saw Benjamin Netanyahu hold up that picture of a bomb with the red line and talking about the red line being in spring. So can you solve this — if the Romney-Ryan ticket is elected, can you solve this in two months before spring and avoid nuclear —

REP. RYAN: We — we can debate a timeline. MS. RADDATZ: (Inaudible.)

REP. RYAN: We can debate the timeline, whether there's — it's that short a time or longer. I — I agree that it's probably longer. Number two, it's all about credibility. MS. RADDATZ: You don't agree with that bomb and what the Israelis — VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: No, look — (inaudible) —

REP. RYAN: (Inaudible) — look, we — we both — (inaudible) — MS. RADDATZ: Vice President Biden.

REP. RYAN: I don't want to go into classified stuff, but we both agree that to do this peacefully, you've got to get them to change their minds. They're not changing their minds, and look at what this administration does —

MS. RADDATZ: But what do you do — (inaudible) —

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: Let me tell you what the ayatollah sees. REP. RYAN: You have to have credibility.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: The ayatollah sees his economy being crippled. The ayatollah sees that there are 50 percent fewer exports of oil. He sees the currency going into the tank. He sees the economy going into free fall, and he sees the world for the first time totally united in opposition to him getting a nuclear weapon.

Now, with regard to Bibi, he's been my friend for 39 years. The president has met with Bibi a dozen times. He's spoken to Bibi Netanyahu as much as he's spoken to anybody. The idea that we're not — I was in a — just before he went to the U.N., I was in a conference call with the — with the president, with him talking to Bibi, for well over an hour in — in — in — in — in stark relief and detail about what was going on. This is a bunch of stuff. Look, here's the deal —

7

MS. RADDATZ: What does that mean, \VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, it means it's simply inaccurate. REP. RYAN: It's Irish. (Chuckles.)

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: It is. (Laughter.) We Irish call it malarkey. MS. RADDATZ: Thanks for the translation. OK.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: No, we Irish call it malarkey. (Laughter.) But last thing: the

secretary of defense has made it absolutely clear. He didn't walk anything back. We will not allow the Iranians to get a nuclear weapon. What Bibi held up there was when they get to the point where they can enrich uranium enough to put into a weapon, they don't have a weapon to put it into.

Let's all calm down a little bit here. Iran is more isolated today than when we took office. It was on the ascendancy when we took office. It is totally isolated. MS. RADDATZ: Congressman Ryan —

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: I don't know what world you guys are in. MS. RADDATZ: Congressman Ryan —

REP. RYAN: Thank — thank heavens we have these sanctions in place. It's in spite of their opposition.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: (Chuckles.) Oh, God.

REP. RYAN: They have given 20 waivers to this sanction. And all I have to point to are the results. They're four years closer toward a nuclear weapon. I think that case speaks for itself. MS. RADDATZ: Can you tell the American people what's worse —

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: By the way, they're — no, no, they are not four years closer to a nuclear weapon.

MS. RADDATZ: — another war in the Middle East or —

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: They're — they're closer to being able to get enough fissile material to put in a weapon if they had a weapon. But —

MS. RADDATZ: You're acting a little bit like they don't want one, though.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: Oh, I didn't say — no, I'm not saying — (look?), facts matter, Martha. You're a foreign policy expert. Facts matter. All this loose talk about them — all they have to do is get to — enrich uranium in a certain amount and they have a weapon — not true. Not true. They are more — and if we ever have to take action, unlike where we took office, we will have the world behind us, and that matters. That matters.

8