Former Secretaries of State and Defense, Members of Congress, Ambassadors to the U.N., Retired Generals and Other Dignitaries Express Support for United Nations
Ads with a Statement from 30 Foreign Policy Dignitaries including Madeleine Albright, Alan Simpson, John Negroponte, William Cohen and Lee Hamilton Appear in Four Newspapers Today
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time when fierce partisanship dominates the headlines, and funding for many projects is in jeopardy, a group of 30 eminent U.S. foreign policy and national security leaders, from both political parties, are joining forces to declare that the work of the United Nation's provides real national security benefits to the United States. Today, this bipartisan statement will appear as full-page ads in Politico, Roll Call, CQ Today and The Hill.
The statement was developed and released by Partnership for a Secure America (PSA), a nonprofit organization, founded by former Representative Lee Hamilton and Senator Warren Rudman to advance bipartisanship on critical national security and foreign policy challenges. The ads state, "that support of the UN is one of the most cost-effective ways for the U.S. to successfully address global challenges and leverage our global leadership." It also declares, "the UN's work enables the United States to reap real national security benefits that advance American interests and make us safer and stronger here at home."
The statement's signatories include former Members of Congress, Secretaries of Defense, Secretaries of State, ambassadors to the UN, retired generals, a former National Security Advisor, and the Chairman of the 9-11 Commission, among others.
A list of signatories and the full text of the statement is found below and online at PSAOnline.org.
Madeleine Albright
Secretary of State 1997-2001
Howard Baker
US Senator (R-TN) 1967-85
Samuel Berger
National Security Advisor 1997-2001
General Charles Boyd
USAF (Ret.)
William Cohen
Secretary of Defense 1997-2001
John Danforth
US Senator (R-MO) 1977-95
Chuck Hagel
US Senator (R-NE) 1997-2009
Lee Hamilton
US Congressman (D-IN) 1965-99;
Co-Chair, PSA Advisory Board
Gary Hart
US Senator (D-CO) 1975-87
Rita Hauser
Chair, International Peace Institute
Carla Hills
US Trade Representative 1989-93
Thomas Kean
Governor (R-NJ) 1982-90;
9/11 Commission Chair
Zalmay Khalilzad
Ambassador to the UN 2007-09
Donald McHenry
Ambassador to the UN 1979-81
George Mitchell
US Senator (D-ME) 1980-95
John Negroponte
Deputy Secretary of State 2007-09
Sam Nunn
US Senator (D-GA) 1972-96
William Perry
Secretary of Defense 1994-97
Thomas Pickering
Under Secretary of State 1997-2000
Bill Richardson
Ambassador to the UN 1997-98
Warren Rudman
US Senator (R-NH) 1980-92;
Co-Chair, PSA Advisory Board
George Shultz
Secretary of State 1982-89
Alan Simpson
US Senator (R-WY) 1979-97
Strobe Talbott
Deputy Secretary of State 1994-2001
John W. Warner
US Senator (R-VA) 1979-2009
John Whitehead
Deputy Secretary of State 1985-88
Timothy Wirth
US Senator (D-CO) 1987-93
Frank Wisner
Under Secretary of State 1992-93
Andrew Young
Ambassador to the UN 1977-79
General Anthony Zinni
USMC (Ret.)
Text of Statement
Today's national security challenges are global in nature. Threats like terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and pandemic disease respect no borders. The United Nations can help provide the global reach and influence required to respond to, or ultimately help prevent, these threats from becoming crises. A truly unique body, the UN offers us the ability to communicate and collaborate with nearly 200 countries on a breadth of issues.
Whether providing famine relief, staunching nuclear proliferation, creating arms embargoes, blocking the travel and financial support of rogue actors, establishing global standards to prevent money laundering, or curbing the spread of pandemics like Avian Flu, the UN's work enables the United States to reap real national security benefits that advance American interests and make us safer and stronger here at home. Our economy also benefits, as the UN procures goods and services from more than 3,000 businesses across the U.S.
No doubt, U.S. contributions to the UN must be judicious and prudent: accountability, transparency, and effectiveness are essential for any organization, including the UN. At the same time, our ability to burden share with other nations helps defray costs, promote stability, and enhance the impact of our resources. Withholding U.S. funding weakens both our influence and support for our national priorities, while strengthening the hands of our adversaries.
By actively using all of the real foreign policy, national security and economic tools at our disposal, we help develop the international knowledge, capability and capacity required to help address challenges that, if left to fester, land on our doorstep. We, the undersigned Republicans and Democrats, believe that support of the UN is one of the most cost-effective ways for the U.S. to successfully address global challenges and leverage our global leadership.
SOURCE Partnership for a Secure America
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