GOP Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney accused the White House of leaking classified information about the U.S. military raid that killed Osama bin Laden and called for a special counsel to investigate. He made these remarks at the Veterans of Foreign War Convention in Reno, Nevada.
"This conduct is contemptible. It betrays our national interest. It compromises our men and women in the field. And it demands a full and prompt investigation by a special counsel, with explanation and consequence," he said. "Obama appointees, who are accountable to President Obama's Attorney General, should not be responsible for investigating the leaks coming from the Obama White House."
He also cited Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Dianne Feinstein's remarks on intelligence leaks to the World Affairs Council Monday, "I think the White House has to understand that some of this is coming from their ranks.”
The former Governor also outlined his foreign policy on the future U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan. "As president, my goal in Afghanistan will be to complete a successful transition to Afghan security forces by the end of 2014. I will evaluate conditions on the ground and solicit the best advice of our military commanders. And I will affirm that my duty is not to my political prospects, but to the security of the nation."
He later criticized President Obama for his stance on the upcoming cuts in the military. "Today, we are just months away from an arbitrary, across-the-board budget reduction that would saddle the military with a trillion dollars in cuts, severely shrink our force structure, and impair our ability to meet and deter threats. Don’t bother trying to find a serious military rationale behind any of that, unless that rationale is wishful thinking. Strategy is not driving President Obama’s massive defense cuts. In fact, his own Secretary of Defense warned that these reductions would be 'devastating.' And he is right. That devastation starts at home. These cuts would only weaken an already stretched VA system and impair our solemn commitment that every veteran receives care second to none. I will not allow that to happen."
Romney will begin an overseas trip to the United Kingdom, Israel and Poland beginning Wednesday.