Secy. of State Clinton Speaking before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington, April 22nd.
SECRETARY CLINTON:
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Ranking Member. Greetings
to many friends and former colleagues. It is a pleasure to be here with
you this morning. This Committee has been the source of many advances
in our nation’s foreign policy and I look forward to working with you
to continue that tradition.
When I appeared before the Senate – that’s that other body on the other side of the Capitol – I spoke during my confirmation hearing of a commitment to pursue a policy that would enhance our nation’s security, advance our interests, and uphold our values. Today, nearly 100 days later, I am pleased to report that we have begun making progress toward achieving that goal.
I want to begin by recognizing and thanking the men and women of the State Department and USAID, who are serving our country around the clock and around the world. I’m extremely proud of their work. With their talents, and under President Obama’s leadership, we have put forward a new diplomacy powered by partnership, pragmatism, and principle.
Our priorities are clear. We are deploying the tools of diplomacy and development along with military power. We are securing historic alliances, working with emerging regional powers, and seeking new avenues of engagement. We’re addressing the existing and emerging challenges that will define our century: climate change, weak states, rogue regimes, criminal cartels, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, poverty, and disease. We’re advancing our values and our interests by promoting human rights and fostering conditions that allow every individual to live up to their God-given potential.
Now,
I know that many of your questions today will deal with longstanding
concerns: Afghanistan and Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, certainly the Middle
East, the fallout from the global financial crisis. I will speak
briefly to those, and I look forward to answering any questions you
might have.
As you know, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the
President has outlined a strategy centered on a core goal: to disrupt,
dismantle and defeat al-Qaida, and to prevent their safe return to
havens in Afghanistan or Pakistan. We combined our strategic review
with intensive diplomacy, and nations from around the world are joining
our efforts. More than 80 countries and organizations participated in
the international conference in The Hague, and a donors’ conference
just concluded in Tokyo raised over $5 billion.
In Iraq,
we’re working toward the responsible redeployment of our troops and the
transition to a partnership based on diplomatic and economic
cooperation. We’re deploying new approaches to the threat posed by
Iran, and we’re doing so with our eyes wide open and with no illusions.
We know the imperative of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear
weapons. After years during which the United States basically sat on
the sidelines, we are now a full partner in the P-5+1 talks.
In
the Middle East, we engaged immediately to help bring the parties
together to once again discuss what could be done to reach a two-state
solution. We’re maintaining our bedrock core commitment to Israel’s
security, providing economic support, security assistance, and we are
also doing what we can to bolster the Palestinian Authority, and to
alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
More broadly,
we’re working to contain the fallout from the global financial crisis.
Our efforts at the G-20 focused in large measures on the poorest and
most vulnerable countries. We need to provide support for the
International Monetary Fund. We need to provide direct assistance to
countries such as Haiti, where I traveled last week. These resources
will help democratic, responsible governments regain their economic
footing and avert political instability with wider repercussions.
Now,
these challenges demand our urgent attention, but they cannot distract
us from equally important, but sometimes less compelling or obvious
threats, ranging from climate change to disease to criminal cartels to
nonproliferation.
In today’s world, we face challenges that
have no respect for borders. Not one of them can be dealt with by the
United States alone. None, however, can be solved without us leading.
All will have a profound impact on the future of our children. As
daunting as these challenges are, they also offer us new arenas for
global cooperation. And we’re taking steps to seize these opportunities.
First,
we are pursuing a wide-ranging diplomatic agenda premised on
strengthening our alliances with democratic partners in Europe, Asia,
Africa and our own hemisphere. We are cultivating partnerships with key
regional powers. We’re building constructive relationships with major
nations that will have a lot to say about what happens in the world to
come – China, Russia, India.
We’re working with longtime
allies like Japan and South Korea to address not just regional
concerns, but a host of global issues as well. I want to say a special
word about Asia. You know, advancing our relationship with India –
which I know the Chairman and the Ranking Member and others mentioned –
is essential. It’s the world’s largest democracy. It’s an important
ally in so many efforts. I made my first overseas trip as Secretary of
State to Asia, a signal that we are not just a transatlantic power, but
also a transpacific power, and that Asia will be an indispensable
partner in years to come.
But we haven’t forgotten our
traditional allies. We have worked hard with the European Union and
with NATO, and then just a few days ago, we did go to Latin America to
meet with nations who share a common home, a hemisphere, a heritage,
and a common future. We discussed a new energy partnership, fighting
drug trafficking and the drug cartels, consolidating democratic gains,
and so much more.
We’re also building closer ties with
regional anchors, including Brazil, Indonesia, and Turkey. These are
not only partners, but they can be leaders on issues ranging from
deforestation to democracy. We will work with China and Russia wherever
we can, and we’ll be candid about our areas of disagreement. We will be
starting a strategic and economic dialogue with China very shortly.
We’ll be working with them to develop technologies to reduce the
world’s dependence on fossil fuels. And we have committed ourselves to
working with Russia on finding a successor agreement to the START arms
control agreement.
But we also understand that redefining
diplomatic engagement is not just between governments. Policies and
political leaders change over time. But ties between citizens,
nongovernmental organizations, businesses, universities, NGOs, all of
those endure. And these are very effective tools of diplomacy, and
we’re committed to engaging these groups.
And so finally,
we will work to expand opportunity and protect human rights, strengthen
civil society, live up to the ideals that define our nation, work to
advance education and healthcare, the rule of law and good governance,
fight against corruption, expand opportunities for women and girls, and
those on the margins of society.
As we promote responsible
governance abroad, we have to invest more in our tools here at home. As
the Chairman said, I’m working hard to create a more agile, effective
Department with the right staffing and resources to fulfill the
President’s agenda. That’s why I have filled, for the first time, the
position of Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources.
I’ve
also challenged the Department to reform and innovate and save taxpayer
dollars. We’re turning our ambassadors into in-country chief executives
with authority and responsibility for the programs on the ground. We’re
consolidating IT support services that will yield savings of tens of
millions of dollars. We’re deploying new media technologies to carry
our message more effectively.
And I am determined to see
that the men and women of our Foreign and Civil Service get the
resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. Even
Secretary Gates has pointed out our country has underinvested in
diplomacy. That must end. Just as we would never deny ammunition to
American troops headed into battle, we cannot send our diplomats into
the field in today’s world with all of the threats they face, 24/7,
without the tools they need. We don’t invest in diplomacy and
development; we end up paying a lot more for conflict and all that
follows.
So Mr. Chairman, we’re pursuing these policies
because they’re the right thing to do. We believe that no country
benefits more than the United States when there is greater security,
democracy, and opportunity in the world. Our economy grows when our
allies are strengthened and people thrive. And no country carries a
heavier burden when things go badly. Every year, we spend hundreds of
billions of dollars dealing with the consequences of war, disease,
violent ideologies, and vile dictatorships.
So let’s invest
in the type of world that we want. We have no shortage of challenges or
opportunities. The world is looking for leadership and looking to see
how this new Administration meets this moment. I believe if we follow
our plans and our principles, we will succeed. We can lead the world in
creating a century that we and our children will be proud to own, a
century of progress and prosperity for the whole world, but especially
for our beloved country.
But to achieve these goals, we
need your help, we need your advice, and we need your support. And I
look forward not only to the formal hearing today, but to the informal,
ongoing dialogue that I’ve started with some of you and look forward to
having with all of you. We’re in this together. We have to row in the
same direction for the benefit of our country and our children.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
END: REMARKS by Secy. of State Clinton Speaking before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Washington, April 22nd, 2009.
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