FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2008
 
CONTACT:
Kate Bedingfield
603 782 4613 (o)
 kbedingfield@jeanneshaheen.org

Caitlin Legacki
603 782 4613 (o)/ clegacki@jeanneshaheen.org

JEANNE SHAHEEN GIVES MAJOR POLICY SPEECH ON STRONGER, SMARTER NATIONAL SECURITY FOR A NEW ERA

Outlines vision to keep us safer and make America stronger

(Manchester, NH) -Former Governor and current US Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen today gave a major policy address on national security at Saint Anselm College's Institute of Politics. Shaheen discussed the need for a smarter, stronger policy that keeps us safe.

Calling for a smart and strong national security agenda for a new era, Shaheen outlined some of the objectives we must accomplish to make our country more secure:

*Redeploy our troops from Iraq's civil war and ask the Iraqi government to step up, both militarily and financially
 
*Refocus our efforts on defeating al Qaeda and other terrorist cells in Afghanistan and Pakistan
 
*Strengthen our military to respond to new threats around the world
 
*Support a new energy policy that will break our dangerous addiction to foreign oil
 
*Rebuild our international alliances by leading with our values once again.
 
Please find excerpts from Shaheen's address below:
 
"Keeping our people safe from harm is the preeminent responsibility of both the President and the U.S. Congress.  But, instead of pursuing a national security policy that makes us stronger and more secure, our policies have stretched us to the limit and made us less safe than we could be.  We need to move in a new direction.  We need a comprehensive strategy that addresses all of our national security challenges.  And, we need to start in Iraq."
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"But, our soldiers are in the middle of a civil war.  These are Iraqis, fighting each other for control... Iraq's civil war cannot be solved with American military might.  Military and civilian leaders agree the ultimate solution to Iraq is political, not military."
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"It's time to begin the work of bringing our troops home safely and responsibly - by setting a firm date to begin, and, with guidance from our top military advisors, planning a phased withdrawal that protects the safety of our troops.  It's time to send a clear message to Iraq's political and military factions that we will help, but that it is their responsibility to choose their country's future."
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"While the Iraq government is earning more than $50 billion a year in oil revenues, American taxpayers are funding reconstruction in Iraq, spending an estimated $47 billion. 
 
"If we want an independent Iraq to emerge, we must end Iraq's dependence on U.S. tax dollars, just as we must end its dependence on the U.S. military. But, as we sit here the Administration has yet another request before Congress - $590 million more - for Iraq reconstruction."
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"Only by ending our involvement in Iraq's civil war can we more effectively focus the power of the United States military on defeating our most dangerous enemies."
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But, while our nation has been caught in a civil war in Iraq, al Qaeda has been getting stronger.  Our nation's intelligence agencies have been very clear: al Qaeda's central leadership has regrouped, it is more powerful now than at any time since the September 11 attacks, and it poses a grave threat to the U.S. homeland.
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"Al Qaeda is reorganizing and once again directing worldwide terrorist attacks from the border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.  The United States should be focusing resources and energy where the terrorist threat is greatest, in the remote mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan.  This is precisely the region that lost our attention and focus when we pulled our troops off the trail of Bin Laden.  Instead, we sent those troops, and many others, to Baghdad."
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"We also took our eyes off the ball in Pakistan - in a country that many have described as the most dangerous in the world."
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"We are in a new era and face a new kind of conflict.  The changing nature of conflict requires new kinds of military forces.  Wars between nation-states are declining.  Conflicts with non-state actors are increasing.  This new reality demands an emphasis on smaller scale special operations. Combat units must be smaller, lighter, faster, and more mobile, able to meet asymmetric threats."
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The oil revenue we send to the Middle East also threatens our national security.   Every year Americans send approximately $77 billion to Persian Gulf countries, some of whom are hostile to our interests.  In doing so, Americans are funding both sides of the conflict in Iraq.  Our tax dollars fund our troops and our oil and gas dollars fund their enemies.  We must break this cycle.  There is no more time to waste."
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"We are a stronger nation when we engage with the international community; when we join forces with our allies; when we talk to our enemies. America is at its best when we lead through the power of our ideals, not just the power of our military. When we abide by the Geneva Conventions and outlaw torture in all forms, we make America stronger. We can protect Americans' constitutional rights and our national security.
 
"We again need to understand that part of leadership is accountability - accountability for military contractors, accountability for how the money we send overseas is spent, and accountability for how we treat our veterans."
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"By rebuilding international alliances, condemning torture, demanding accountability and keeping our promises to our veterans, we can again lead with our values.  These values have made us a beacon of freedom for the world.  They should never, ever be abandoned.   National security that is based on American values makes us stronger.
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"The world has changed dramatically over the past several years, but one thing that has not changed is the American people.  The American people are ready to meet any challenge and face any foe.  The American people want to serve our country. 

"We need new leadership in Washington that understands national security is not about politics.  National security cannot be about politics.  When it comes to national security, we must put aside partisan differences."   
 
For more information, please visit www.JeanneShaheen.org.