Since my election as Senator, I have seen the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the historic overhaul of our nation's intelligence agencies, thousands of Delawareans deployed overseas to fight wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan and the death of Osama bin Laden. Today, there are many global challenges that we must continue to confront including: the stabilization of Afghanistan, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the continuing threat posed by terrorists around the world, the dangers of climate change, the spread of pandemic diseases, the global economic recession, as well as worldwide poverty. This is a pivotal moment for the United States. There is much work to be done if we are to maintain our standing as a world leader and keep the American people safe.  

The Way Forward in Afghanistan  

Over the past year, the U.S. forces in Afghanistan under the leadership of General David Petraeus have made significant progress toward bringing stability to this former terrorist safe haven. Along with our NATO allies, we have trained thousands of Afghan Army and police recruits, we have driven the Taliban out of their strongholds in the south and reduced the ranks of Al-Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan. Before the United States can leave Afghanistan, we must empower Afghanistan to provide its own security and stability, much like we did with Iraq. That is why I supported the President’s proposal to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in 2009, and to help secure the country and empower the people of Afghanistan to feed, defend and govern themselves. Now as we begin to bring some of our troops home in the latter half of 2011, we must do so at a rate that is dependent on the conditions on the ground and does not undermine the significant yet reversible progress made over the past year.  

Achieving victory in Afghanistan will also require addressing the challenges presented by its neighbor, Pakistan. Pakistan has played and will continue to play a strong role in influencing the future of Afghanistan. In the wake of Osama bin Laden's death, we must keep the pressure on Pakistan to use its influence in Afghanistan to help stabilize the country, disarm the Taliban, and bring Al-Qaeda operatives to justice.  

Stopping Nuclear Threats

One of the biggest threats to our national security is the possibility that a terrorist organization like Al-Qaeda will gain access to nuclear material that could be used to detonate a radiological weapon within the U.S.  

To combat this threat, we must continue to secure and decommission nuclear stockpiles throughout the world. Ratifying the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) last December was an important step in process, but we must not stop there. Congress must fully fund programs like the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction initiative, we must ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, we must continue to pressure the Iranians to abandon their nuclear program and we must work with the Russian Federation to come to an agreement on the reduction of tactical nuclear weapons.  

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict  

U.S. security and stature in the global community are significantly affected by the failure of the Israelis and the Palestinians to bring a resolution to their centuries old conflict. Though there is no easy solution to the current conflict, the Obama Administration understands the importance of American leadership and has made it a priority from the beginning. The President’s team, led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will continue to press both the Israelis and Palestinians towards a comprehensive, negotiated solution. We must engage the international community and all the key actors in the Middle East in an effort to achieve a two-state solution.