Military power alone is not enough — international aid is vital to US security – The Hill

By General Laura J. Richardson, USA (Ret.), Commander of U.S. Southern Command (2021-2024) and General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Ret.), Commander in Chief of U.S. Central Command (1997-2000), and Co-Chairs of USGLC’s National Security Advisory Council

“Gutting U.S. international assistance infrastructure will not help the American people win the battle for the 21st century. Instead, we are seeing significant unintended damage from the abrupt and chaotic dismantling of programs, which will ultimately put America at a disadvantage to our rivals. These actions undermine Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s doctrine that every dollar we spend should make America safer, stronger and more prosperous. We need to play both offense and defense to advance a “peace through strength” agenda to outcompete rivals like China; prevent costly wars; and stop disease, drugs and terror from reaching our borders. Withdrawing from America’s leadership role on the global playing field risks leaving a void for our adversaries to fill.”