The Hill News

During her first foreign trip in 2011, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) slammed President Obama's green energy policy as a "social engineering" project that hurts the U.S. economy. 

She also accused Obama of "dithering" in his handling of the uprisings in the Middle East.

Palin -- a potential 2012 presidential candidate -- said that she favors an "all of the above" energy plan that includes domestic oil drilling and nuclear power. Without mentioning it by name, she criticized the Obama administration for restricting domestic drilling and said that his green jobs agenda is fatally flawed.

{mosads}"This push for green energy at the expense of conventional, reliable sources is not a credible energy policy," Palin said during her address at the India Today Conclave in the capital city of New Delhi.

And when it comes to unrest in Libya, Egypt, Bahrain and other nations, Palin said if she were in charge, "there would have been more decisiveness and less dithering."

The 2008 vice presidential nominee's visit to India again stirred speculation that she would enter the 2012 race, and her speech indicated that she would use energy and foreign policy as wedge issues against Obama should she choose to run for president.

The former Alaska governor touted her knowledge of energy issues, rattling off her accomplishments as governor and before that as an energy regulator in her home state. 

Her speech comes after President Obama's energy policies have come under withering criticism from many Republicans amid a spike in gas and oil prices.

The president has called for a safety review of U.S. nuclear power faciliti! es in the wake of Japan's nuclear crisis. Obama has not, however, called for a moratorium on new nuclear power projects.

"Energy is the key," Palin said. "I'm a true believer in environmental conservation and stewardship of the land ... I am as a conservationist in favor of an all of the above approach when it comes to energy."

Despite her claim the White House is "dithering," Palin agreed with Obama's decision not to send in ground troop to Libya, saying the U.S. could accomplish its mission through other means.

"We do not necessarily need to have troops on the ground," she said.

-- This post was updated at 1:51 p.m.