Development, Diplomacy and Defense All Core Pillars of National Security

Washington, DC—The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition today released the following statement from Executive Director Liz Schrayer on Secretary Clinton’s Foreign Affairs article previewing the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review:

“Secretary Clinton’s new strategy is a big win for American security using both our civilian and military tools to keep our nation safe. This powerful statement positions us well to deal with today’s threats and be prepared for the future. This a global plan for rethinking American foreign policy in the 21st century, and represents a step forward for our national and economic security and values as a nation.

“This is not a Democratic or Republican strategy, this is an American strategy to keep our nation safe and demonstrate our leadership on the world stage—building upon efforts begun under the Bush Administration. As both Secretary Clinton and Secretary Gates have said many times, our civilian-led resources are preventive medicine to solve problems before we have to send in our troops, and development and diplomacy are essential to our success in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. This is why a strong and effective International Affairs Budget is critical to our national security.

“We look forward to working with Secretary Clinton, the Administration and the new Congress in implementing this call to action, which is very much in our nation’s best interests.”

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (www.usglc.org) is a broad-based influential network of 400 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic and community leaders in all 50 states who support a smart power approach of elevating diplomacy and development alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world.

###