Republican panel adopts platform calling for allies to meet ‘common defense’ investment obligations

A Republican Party committee on Monday adopted a new policy platform calling for the United States' allies to fulfill their obligations to invest in "common defense," as former President Donald Trump is stepping up his reelection campaign. The Republican National Committee's platform committee endorsed the 2024 GOP platform entailing 20 promises related to key election-season issues, including defense, trade, immigration and abortion rights, to achieve Trump's oft-repeated goal to "make America great again." The promises include making America's military "the strongest and most powerful in the world," ending inflation, stopping the "migration invasion," making the U.S. the world's dominant energy producer, preventing "World War Three" and building an Iron Dome missile defense shield over the entire country. The promises fall in line with what Trump has stressed during his campaign to face President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 general election. The platform was unveiled as Biden has been under growing pressur e to drop out of the race following his woeful debate performance last month. "Republicans will strengthen alliances by ensuring that our allies must meet their obligations to invest in our common defense and by restoring peace to Europe. We will stand with Israel and seek peace in the Middle East," the platform document read. "We will rebuild our alliance network in the region to ensure a future of peace, stability and prosperity. Likewise, we will champion strong, sovereign and independent nations in the Indo-Pacific, thriving in peace and commerce with others," it added. The document detailed policy directions in 10 chapters, including one about achieving "peace through strength." It claimed that the Biden administration's foreign policy has "made us (America) less safe and a laughingstock all over the world." "The Republican plan is to return peace through strength, rebuilding our military and alliances, countering China, defeating terrorism, building an Iron Dome missile defense shield, promoting Am erican values, securing our Homeland and Borders, and reviving our defense industrial base," it said. The document stressed that Republicans will promote a foreign policy "centered on the most essential American interests," and that they will ensure America's military is the "most modern, lethal and powerful" force in the world. On the defense industrial base, it said that equipment and parts critical to American security "must be made in the USA." Touching on trade, it said that Republicans will support Trump-proposed "baseline" tariffs on imported goods and respond to "unfair trading practices." On abortion rights, the platform said, "We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied life or liberty without due process, and that the states are, therefore, free to pass laws protecting those rights." This reinforces Trump's position that this issue should be determined by each state, reports said. There was no mention of North Korea or th e Korean Peninsula in the document. The platform is to be finalized by the full party convention body next week. Source: Yonhap News Agency