Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has opened up a new attack on President Obama’s foreign policy just over a week before the two hold their first debate. Campaigning on Monday in Colorado, Romney criticized Obama for referring to the latest Middle East unrest as “bumps in the road.” Romney also vowed a foreign policy that he said would “shape” Middle East politics, not just react to it.

Mitt Romney: “'Bumps in the road'? We had an ambassador assassinated. We had a Muslim Brotherhood member elected to the presidency of Egypt. Twenty thousand people have been killed in Syria. We have tumult in Pakistan. And of course Iran is that much closer to having the capacity to build a nuclear weapon. This is time for a president who will shape events in the Middle East, not just be merciful or be at mercy of the events in the Middle East. I will get America on track to have the kind of leadership we need so we can shape the future of this part of the world and keep America strong.”