former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and U.S. Foreign Policy

Who Is He?: Rudy Giuliani was born May 28, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Manhattan College and the New York University School of Law. He served as Associate Attorney General in the Reagan Administration and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York among other government positions. He gained fame prosecuting high profile cases of insider trading and organized crime families. In 1993, he was elected Mayor of New York City and served through 2001. He is best remembered for his presence and leadership during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He was Time Magazine's 2001 Person of the Year.

International Experience: The job of running New York City, with the United Nations and Wall Street making it a truly global city, involves a considerable amount of international diplomacy. In 1995, Giuliani said Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was a terrorist and had him ejected from Lincoln Center. The 9/11 attacks thrust Giuliani onto a global stage, hosting visits from major heads of state from around the world. When a Saudi prince implied the attacks should cause the United States to change its Middle East policies, Giuliani rejected his $10 million relief effort donation.

Foreign Policy Positions: In a 2004 speech, Giuliani said the U.S. losses in Iraq were "difficult to bear" but "absolutely necessary." He was an original member of James Baker's Iraq Study Group, but he stepped down long before the group issued its recommendations. An Israeli newspaper declared Giuliani the 2008 U.S. presidential candidate "best for Israel." His position on a number of other foreign policy issues is unclear.