Washington, DC – Delivering a keynote address at the inaugural forum of the Center for a New American Security, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today emphasized the urgent need for America to chart a new course on foreign policy. Six years of the Bush Administration’s failed agenda has squandered our respect in the world and threatened our national security. At a time when we face the greatest confluence of challenges in our country’s modern history and the world is more interdependent than ever, we need a new and optimistic foreign policy that again widens the scope of our strength by rebuilding alliances, reclaiming America’s moral authority, and transforming our military and government to meet the host of challenges we face.

“We have a long road ahead to repair the damage that has been done these past six years. But I am hopeful because the choice is in our hands. We can create a new foreign policy that finally recognizes the wide scale and scope of the challenges before us by widening the scale and scope of America’s response. We can rebuild our alliances, restore our moral authority, and retake the leadership that is ours to lose. A new security is what we need – and what we can help forge together,” said Senator Clinton.

Senator Clinton emphasized that around the world “every challenge we face begins with the biggest challenge: restoring our leadership by once again valuing alliances, respecting our values, and understanding that American strength is more than just the show of force.”

Ending the War in Iraq: Senator Clinton noted that the failed ideology which led us into Iraq – and the failed execution by President Bush and Vice President Cheney – has had perhaps the most devastating effect on our leadership in the world of any foreign policy decision in decades. Senator Clinton emphasized that it is time to end this war and to bring our troops home as soon as possible. Senator Clinton noted her three step plan to bring our troops home while preserving our security. Senator Clinton’s plan would: 1) start bringing our troops home now; 2) demand that the Iraqis take responsibility for their country or lose their aid, and 3) begin intensive regional and international diplomacy.

Combating Terrorism: Senator Clinton emphasized that Iraq should not distract us from the fact that terrorists still want to do us great harm. There is a global threat of terrorism, and we have to engage it, not ignore it – and here too the policies of the Bush Administration have set us back. Senator Clinton underscored that it is time to reassert our strength in a way that actually makes us stronger, by leading the world to defeat the grave threat of violent extremism. We need an approach that uses alliances to hunt down terrorists. We also must demonstrate moral leadership by showing that America is invested in lifting people up around the world through Education for All, an initiative Senator Clinton has proposed to provide $10 billion over five years toward the goal of basic education for every boy and girl. Senator Clinton also emphasized that shoring up our alliances is also critical in safeguarding against the threat of a global pandemic, be it an act of terrorism or an act of God.

Stopping Proliferation and Preventing Nuclear Terrorism: Senator Clinton emphasized that the greatest threat is a terrorist armed with a nuclear weapon and nowhere is the need for restored alliances and diplomatic engagement more clear than in how we combat nuclear weapons proliferation and the extremists who seek to acquire nuclear weapons and materials. To meet this challenge, Senator Clinton announced that today she is introducing legislation to help prevent nuclear terrorism. The Nuclear Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007, based on research by former Senator Sam Nunn and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, would devote real resources to combat the threat of nuclear terror. Senator Clinton’s bill would increase funding dedicated to converting research reactors around the world from highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium and removing the highly enriched uranium from such facilities; invest in forensic measures to advance our capability to identify the origins of a nuclear weapon in the horrific event of a nuclear terrorist attack; and create international guidelines to raise the security standards at nuclear sites worldwide. Senator Clinton’s bill also would require the President to develop a comprehensive plan to work with the international community to secure nuclear weapons and materials and create a new post of Senior Advisor to the President for Preventing Nuclear Terrorism to coordinate these efforts and report to Congress.

Meeting Other Challenges Around the World: Senator Clinton emphasized that across the board, from Asia to the Middle East to Africa to Europe to Latin America, we can see the importance of a new American leadership that values alliances and leads by example. She underscored that we face a strengthening China, with growing economic, diplomatic and military influence and power which requires American engagement and frank dialogue. And she emphasized the need to bolster our humanitarian work in Africa, including showing leadership in Darfur, redoubling our commitment to fighting HIV and AIDS and combating Islamic extremism taking hold in the horn of Africa. She also emphasized the need to renew American leadership and build alliances on climate change and the critical need to rebuild our military and transform our government for the threats of the 21st century.

Senator Clinton is the first New York Senator to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee, where she has worked tirelessly to address the needs of our men and women in uniform and their families. Senator Clinton also serves as a member of the Transformation Advisory Group which is part of U.S. Joint Forces Command.

  

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Read the full text of Senator Clinton's remarks.

 

Read more statements by Senator Clinton concerning the war in Iraq.

  

Read more about foreign policy and national security.

 

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