Foreign policy in GOP race

Foreign policy still lags far behind the discussion of domestic issues as the Republican candidates continue debating each other. But when it does arise, the final four candidates in the race seem to divide into two camps -- intervene big time on one side, stay out of it on the other side.

"We have one candidate, Ron Paul, whose a principled noninterventionist, and then we have three candidates -- Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum -- that are all activist internationalists who want to use American power aggressively overseas to contest the perils they see," James Lindsay with the Council on Foreign Relations told CNN.

The race to the nomination for Romney, Gingrich and Santorum is not likely to turn on foreign policy Lindsay told CNN. "They may not be in the same ZIP Code on all issues, but they are in the same city," he said.

But despite the broad similarities, some more subtle differences over policy and criticism of the Obama administration's handling of foreign policy still play out. Here is a look at how the remaining White House hopefuls view some of the toughest international issues likely to take a prominent role over the next year.

Iran

Perhaps no issue is as geopolitically challenging in the near term than the international standoff with Iran over the country's nuclear program. Likewise, no other foreign policy topic has generated as much heated rhetoric on the campaign trail.

Santorum, who has labeled President Barack Obama's handling of the situation a "colossal failure," does not mince words over the possible use of U.S. military power to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb. "I will make a clear declaration to the Iranian government," he said at a rally in Coral Springs, Florida, this week, "that you either open your facilities, you begin to dismantle this nuclear program, or we will dismantle it for you."

For the former Pennsylvania senator, the Islamic Republic is a regime "just as radical as the people who run al Qaeda." Allowing Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon would enable it to "spread a reign of terror around not just the Middle East, but here in America, here in Florida, here across Western civilization," he said at the same rally.

When asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer last month how a President Gingrich would respond to a call from the Israeli government advising on an imminent strike on Iran's nuclear complex, the former speaker of the House said his reply would be "How can we help you?" Gingrich went on to say, "All the world can decide is whether they help us peacefully stop it or they force us to use violence, but Iran is not going to get a nuclear weapon."

At Monday's debate in Tampa, Gingrich said the recent decision to postpone large-scale joint military exercises with Israel showed great "weakness" on the part of the Obama administration.

The exercises were to come at a time when Iran threatens to shut the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which one fifth of the global oil trade passes through.

"I think there's a very grave danger that the Iranians think that in fact this president is so weak," they could close the Strait if Hormuz without consequence after cancellation of the military exercises, Gingrich said.

Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to the United States, said the decision to postpone the exercises was made jointly with the United States and "stemmed solely from technical issues." He went on to call the announcement "routine."

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, is also on the record as saying it is unacceptable for Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and would pursue a policy to stop its advancement.

Recent Iranian provocations over the Strait of Hormuz have also laid bear weaknesses in the U.S. Navy that must be addressed Romney says. "It is appropriate and essential for our military, for our Navy to maintain open seas," he said. "We want [Iran] to see that we're so strong," the regime would not contemplate closing the Strait he said.

Paul has taken a sharply different tack and distanced himself from his competitors when it comes to handling Iraq's nuclear program. "You know what I really fear?" the U.S. representative from Texas asked at a debate last month. "It's another Iraq coming. It's war propaganda going on," he said.

For Paul, the current atmosphere is somewhat analogous to the 2003 lead up to the Iraq war that eventually revealed Iraq was not pursuing a weapons of mass destruction program. "To me, the greatest danger is that we will have a president that will overreact," he said.

He has also referred to the tightening of sanctions against Iran an "act of war" that could damage the global economy by diminishing the flow of oil.

Afghanistan and Pakistan

With the war in Iraq over, and the military component of the war in Afghanistan on track to finish in 2014, the gloves have come off when the GOP candidates discuss Obama's handling of Afghanistan.

Part of the administration's strategy has been to pursue a dialog with certain members of the Taliban, maintaining military force alone cannot end the war. In Monday's debate, Romney disagreed and said the war can be won without talking to the Taliban by "beating them" instead. Making certain the Afghan Army is trained to hold off the Taliban is the answer he said.

Romney says the administration has made victory in Afghanistan difficult by announcing a withdraw date for troops, drawing down surge troops this past year and not having greater oversight over presidential elections in Afghanistan that many saw as somewhat fraudulent.

Obama has "failed in executing a policy in Afghanistan that would optimize our prospects of success," he said.

While supporting also supporting a robust U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, Gingrich says a more muscular approach toward Pakistan is necessary. With Osama bin Laden having lived in Pakistan for years, along with the presence of Islamic militants in the border regions near Afghanistan, Pakistan must come to grips with the reality, Gingrich said.

During CNN's national security debate in November, Gingrich said the rules of engagement should change, with U.S. troops in Afghanistan granted permission to conduct hot pursuit of militants running into Pakistan.