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With our country starkly divided by an increasingly unpopular war, the 2008 Presidential candidates' positions on foreign relations and national security are prime selling points in the contentious election. Each man has accused the other of being out of step with the American public and the international community, and each has campaigned extensively on their positions on the war in Iraq, the Isreali-Palestinian conflict, and strategies to deal with burgeoning nuclear threats in Iran and North Korea. The most dramatic difference between the two senators' plans hinge on the use of diplomacy, and the role of military force in international conflict resolution.

Sen. McCain advocates keeping troops on the ground in Iraq for the long term, famously stating at a campaign event in Derry, NH that he would be "fine" if American troops stayed in Iraq for "a hundred years". His plan includes building permanent bases in Iraq and stationing troops there as part of an American military presence in the Middle East. Sen. Obama has run on an aggressive plan to bring troops home, with full withdrawal within 16 months of his inauguration according to his official website. Obama has also promised not to leave any permanent bases, and to leave only a handful of troops to secure American embassies and interests.

The candidates' differences on Iran generally boil down to a disagreement on whether or not it is appropriate to enter into discussions with the nation's controversial leadership. Obama has indicated that he is willing to sit down with Iranian president Ahmadinejad and work out a diplomatic solution to the Middle Eastern nation's nuclear ambitions. McCain has attacked his opponent for his position, claiming that Iran is a major threat to U.S. national security and that talks should not happen until Iran promises to cease nuclear enrichment. McCain has indicated that military force is "on the table" in regards to Iran, while Obama has indicated he is unwilling to jump to a military solution without exhausting talks.

Obama's willingness to engage in diplomacy also extends to other nations, such as Cuba, which has been under U.S. embargo since 1963. McCain strongly opposes normalization of relations with Cuba due to its communist regime. The two men similarly disagree on North Korea and on Russia, with McCain going so far as to calling for Russia to be ejected from the G-8. Obama has expressed concern about the turn Russia has made away from democracy, but indicated he would

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