WASHINGTON, July 22 (AFP) - Senator John Kerry goes into the presidential campaign as one of the Democratic Party's most experienced foreign policy hands. Here is a sampling of his views:

Global strategy
"It's time for a new national security policy guided by four new imperatives: First, we must launch and lead a new era of alliances for the post 9-11 world. Second, we must modernize the world's most powerful military to meet the new threats. Third, in addition to our military might, we must deploy all that is in America's arsenal -- our diplomacy, our intelligence system, our economic power, and the appeal of our values and ideas. Fourth and finally, to secure our full independence and freedom, we must free America from its dangerous dependence on Mideast oil." -- Speech in Seattle, Washington, May 27, 2004

War on terrorism
"The war on terror is occasionally military, and it will continue to be for a long time. ... But it's primarily an intelligence and law-enforcement operation that requires cooperation around the world." -- Candidates' debate in South Carolina, January 29, 2004

Iraq
"We still have an opportunity to prevent Iraq from becoming a failed state and a haven for global terrorists and Islamic extremists. ... But if we are to reduce the overwhelming military and financial burden America is bearing and maximize the chances of success, we will need help from others. Getting that help will require not only convincing our friends and allies that we share an interest in preventing failure but also giving them a meaningful voice and role in Iraqi affairs." -- Op-ed piece in the Washington Post, July 4, 2004

Afghanistan
"We must end the Bush administration's delay in expanding NATO forces and deploying them outside of Kabul. We must accelerate the training for the Afghan army and police. ... As president, I will reverse the explosion in the growth of opium by doubling our counter-narcotics assistance to the Karzai government and by reinvigorating the UN regional drug-control program." -- Speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, December 3, 2003

Iran
"A nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable. An America, whose interest and allies could be on the target list, must no longer sit on the sidelines. It is critical that we work with our allies to resolve those issues. ... We will oppose the construction in any new countries of any new facilities to make nuclear materials, and lead a global effort to prevent the export of the necessary technology to Iran." -- Speech in West Palm Beach, Florida, June 1, 2004

North Korea nuclear talks
"We should maintain the six-party talks, but we must also be prepared to talk directly with North Korea. This problem is too urgent to allow China, or others at the table, to speak for us. And we must be prepared to negotiate a comprehensive agreement that addresses the full range of issues of concern to us and our allies." -- Speech in West Palm Beach, Florida, June 1, 2004

Darfur
"This administration must stop equivocating. These government-sponsored atrocities should be called by their rightful name -- genocide. The government of Sudan and the people of Darfur must understand that America stands prepared to act, in concert with our allies and the UN, to prevent the further loss of innocent lives." -- Speech before the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 15, 2004

Middle East conflict
"The people of Israel should also know that, as president, my commitment to a safe and secure Jewish state will be unwavering. For nineteen years, this is a pledge I have kept in the United States Senate -- whether through my votes on economic aid, military security, or the location of the US Embassy. And it is one I will continue to keep over the next four years." -- Speech in Washington, DC, May 3, 2004

Saudi Arabia
"If we are serious about energy independence, then we can finally be serious about confronting the role of Saudi Arabia in financing and providing ideological support of al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. We cannot continue this administration's kid-glove approach to the supply and laundering of terrorist money." -- Speech in Seattle, Washington, May 27, 2004

Environment
"We will return America to its rightful role as a leader in the global battle against climate change, poverty and the spread of disease. Global problems know no boundaries. The Earth is a small planet where wind and water, poison and pollution, know no borders." -- Speech in New Hampshire, October 20, 2003.