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Which country was mentioned most at the foreign-policy debate?
Answer: Iran. For evidence that the United States is still disproportionately focused on the Middle East despite all the talk about the pivot (or should I say "strategic rebalancing?") toward the Asia-Pacific region, look no further than the country mentions at tonight’s foreign-policy debate: Iran: 47 China: 35 Israel: 34 Afghanistan: 29 Syria: 28 Pakistan: ...

Answer: Iran.
For evidence that the United States is still disproportionately focused on the Middle East despite all the talk about the pivot (or should I say "strategic rebalancing?") toward the Asia-Pacific region, look no further than the country mentions at tonight’s foreign-policy debate:
- Iran: 47
- China: 35
- Israel: 34
- Afghanistan: 29
- Syria: 28
- Pakistan: 25
- Iraq: 22
- Libya: 12
- Egypt: 11
- Russia: 10
- Mali: 4
- Turkey: 3
- Great Britain/United Kingdom: 2
- Greece: 2
- Lebanon: 2
- Saudi Arabia: 2
- Cuba: 1
- France: 1
- North Korea: 1
- Qatar: 1
- Somalia: 1
- Yemen: 1
The surprise of the night? Romney’s four references to Mali (in the context of al Qaeda’s resurgence), a country he hasn’t mentioned in his major foreign-policy addresses or even in his campaign website’s Africa section. The Republican candidate clearly studied up on al Qaeda’s new franchises.
Update: Thanks to our readers for spotting a few other country mentions. The candidates and moderator also referenced Japan, Poland, and Tunisia — one time each.
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