Romney blasts Obama on foreign policy

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney offered a sweeping critique of President Barack Obama's handling of Middle East threats Monday in a foreign policy address in which he tried to present himself as a credible alternative.

Romney departed from his focus on the economy to talk about how he would handle foreign policy if elected Nov. 6. The speech allowed Romney to lay out his national security positions ahead of his Oct. 16 debate with Obama, which will include discussion of foreign policy.

His aim was to portray himself as having the presidential stature needed for the world stage, and he sought to convince Americans that he would project strong American leadership around the world.

In a speech to cadets at the Virginia Military Institute, Romney raised questions about Obama's handling of Libya and accused him of failing to use U.S. diplomacy to shape events in Iran, Iraq, Israel, and elsewhere.

"The president is fond of saying that 'The tide of war is receding,'" Romney said. "And I want to believe him as much as anyone. But when we look at the Middle East today ... it is clear that the risk of conflict in the region is higher now than when the president took office."