You're watching...
Former Governor Jon Huntsman, (R-Utah), weighs in on how the Presidential candidates have handled unrest in the Middle East.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
-- Libya Jon Huntsman the former ambassador to two different nations Singapore.
And China as well -- former governor of the state of Utah he's with us from Washington DC today thank you governor for for coming on.
I I noticed in your statement -- you put out a statement and offer your condolences.
After the terrible tragedy -- Investor Stephens was killed those three other Americans that you said at the end of that that this is above all reminded the politics should end at the water's edge.
How do you think things have been handled specially by -- governor Romney you read against the Republican primary.
Well look -- let's just start with this premise.
America's looking for a little bit of unity during a time of need and upheaval in crisis overseas.
This is not a time of finger pointing or cheap shots I think the American people are looking for a ball ball.
-- clear articulation.
Of what America's interest are in North Africa and the Middle East.
And how we begin to put the pieces together everybody knows it's broken.
Everybody knows we're experiencing some unprecedented times but where do we go from here it's a perfect opportunity for governor Romney.
To step up and to provide a roadmap based on clarity based on US priorities of the region.
Based on what our expectations are going forward and that's a -- think that I think is completely with.
During this time.
Prices I wanna get to that where do we go from here question -- what least one question on.
I'm China for you in a moment but just -- follow up real quick it sounds like you're saying that you don't think governor Romney's handled it well so far so fair.
Well I don't think there's a roadmap I'd there's not a clear regional vision in terms of what the United States wants to see out of our interaction with.
North Africa and the Middle East.
Alicia start with this premise.
I think what were experiencing is historic in proportion.
A lot of the instability is to be expected if you like in this period to the end of the Ottoman Empire back in 19901920.
There's going to be a period where we need to step back and make sure that US interest in our values are properly articulated and above all.
You can't have a relationship with nation states if diplomats are going to be protected.
It is the duty in the responsibility of host governments people don't realize -- host governments to protect our personnel and our embassy there the external.
Ring of security we provide internal security through the United States Marine Corps.
And this ought to be the fundamental starting place and from there what do we want -- of these relationships longer term.
We want stability.
We want free trade and commerce we want the trade routes open we want help on counterterrorism.
We want support for our alliances in the region above all Israel and that means Egypt.
It needs to live up to its commitments if it doesn't than we -- to be talking about how you withdraw financial so -- this.
Does that mean that you don't think or how do you think President Obama.
For whom you worked as ambassador to China your most recent position -- Republican Iran.
For the Republican nomination present this time around but do you how do you think President Obama.
Has handled things.
Since all the news broke and you think he needs to be more aggressive in dealing with as you described in -- host countries.
Listen there was an appropriate expression of our condolences.
Toward the family is who lost loved ones the Stephens family and three others.
The president talked about taking after those who were the perpetrators.
Of these murders.
That's something that all Americans ought to be able to rally around.
Where's the president.
Has not given any kind of clear articulation.
Is where we go from here and how we begin to put the pieces back together again.
OK I would argue that the president has not fully used or economic levers of power in the region why is -- that we're -- instability in part.
It's because we have pockets of despair we have high unemployment we've got a lot of people with not much to do so you turn to radicalism that's gotta be addressed how.
How would you address that had you well -- how would you address admitted you were president -- what how would you address that specific issue.
Well I would as a former trade negotiator -- I used to be the US trade ambassador I was involved in free trade with Singapore the United States.
-- on India.
The early agreement with Korea.
What -- why is -- that we have more of a stable relationship with Jordan we've got a strong economic relationship there's a whole lot more that we can do.
Beyond Jordan and beyond Israel which goes back in 1975 free trade agreement to use our economic influence in the region it's good for us.
It speaks to growth and it's good for work.
The region in terms of providing more in the way of opportunity and let's face -- longer term.
That's going to be the only real fix and solution.
Are live pictures again outside the us embassy Cairo Egypt this -- small.
Group of well just in this particular shot protesters -- different.
Camera angle that we had earlier today but I got a husband for what you guide you wanna ask you the one question that I mentioned about China and everybody's been talking about the next president of China.
-- -- vision paying and the idea that.
It's supposedly disappeared the nobody's seen him in public for a few weeks.
And I don't Reuters had a report supposedly had a bad back or whatever the case might be but what if anything do you know about this situation what do you make -- -- Would help.
Let -- say that it's not altogether uncommon for senior Chinese leaders.
To take leave for -- The spotlight has never been on changing -- like it is today and so those absences or are noticed.
My guess is that this weekend we're likely to see him reemerge.
With a lot of work that's been done over the last week or so on the eighteenth party political transition.
So what October you have your a decade old transitioned once -- every ten years.
Not 2000 people who are -- get together and they're gonna populated the central committee probably.
200 people.
And they're then going to figure out the 25 people who will be in the Politburo and then -- seven people who will be in the standing committee of the Politburo.
This takes a lot of a work.
There in the final phase -- this point.
So I'm not altogether.
Surprised that you've got some senior people who were taking some time off and looking into that I'd be surprised -- -- something more than that.
We'll look a law will look out form this weekend and I'd.
-- we covered a lot of ground -- governor Huntsman thank you very.
