Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty gave a speech this morning outlining his foreign policy positions at the Council of Foreign Relations in New York City. Pawlenty told the audience that President Obama "has failed to formulate and carry out an effective and coherent strategy in response" to the spring uprisings across North Africa and the Middle East.
Some GOP presidential candidates have taken a more isolationist view. For instance, former Governor Mitt Romney said U.S. troops in Afghanistan should start returning home.
Pawlenty has criticized President Obama for not acting soon enough when Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi violently responded to protestors. “It is time for the administration to use all tools at its disposal to pressure al-Qaddafi to stop the violence and to step down,” he wrote on his Facebook page before the U.S. and NATO took military action.
Pawlenty announced his presidential bid in March.