As Bill Clinton’s Deputy Secretary of State who is connected with the Brookings Institution, I think it’s of some significance that over the past 13 months, I’ve agreed with virtually every word I have heard from Ronald Reagan’s Attorney General, who is connected with the Heritage Foundation, on this subject.

Colombia has had a special place in my heart for 40 years, and it’s been a torturous process to watch my Colombian friends struggle to make their country safe and respectable. I’m pleased that the Colombian government continues to follow through on its promises to limit violence in the country and bring lawbreakers to justice. This is yet another signal to the United States that Colombians are serious about building on the progress they have made. Read the rest of this entry »

It is extremely unfortunate that after years of waiting, the families of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers learn that their loved ones have been killed. My prayers go out to those families who had kept a hopeful vigil for so long. To make matters worse, Israel is now willing to release a convicted terrorist and four additional prisoners just to get the bodies back. I deeply regret that Prime Minister Olmert must make this difficult decision and pray that the released prisoners reflect on this mercy and do not carry out future attacks on Israeli citizens.

Congress took a crucial step last week toward ensuring the safety and security of our nation’s closest ally in the Middle East. In a time of unprecedented threats, challenges and instability in the region, Congress voted overwhelmingly to approve increased security assistance to the State of Israel.

In line with America’s new 10-year, $30 billion aid agreement with the Jewish state, the Senate on Thursday – and the House the week before – approved $170 million in increased security assistance to Israel. The funding was included as part of the Supplemental Appropriations Acts of Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009.

With Congress expected to enact a Continuing Resolution at the end of this fiscal year, keeping all programs, including aid to Israel, at fiscal year 2008 levels, bipartisan Congressional leaders decided to include Israel’s aid increase in the supplemental. Read the rest of this entry »

Congress [last week] gave final approval to the Merida Initiative for anti-drug security assistance to Mexico and Central America and sent the bill to the White House. The plan calls for $400 million in anti-drug and security assistance for Mexico, whose government sounds happy with the plan. It also provides for $65 million to be split up between seven countries of Central America from Belize to Panama plus Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Here’s WOLA’s take.

The bill’s language recognizes the “shared responsibility between the United States and Mexico to combat drug trafficking and related violence and organized crime.” It’s good to see the U.S. Congress accept that fact, but Mérida is definitely a mixed bag and, in some ways, a missed opportunity for the United States to finally start getting it right on fighting drugs.  It has some positive things — $3 million in technical assistance to help Mexico establish a unified national police registry, $10 million for drug demand reduction and rehabilitation in Mexico — but a lot of misguided spending on military hardware ranging from helicopters to surveillance systems to aircraft platforms. And it doesn’t address at all the critical need for drug demand reduction in the United States and controls on the smuggling of firearms over the border into Mexico from  the United States. These are the twin traffics — drugs into the United States, guns into Mexico — that threaten to erase any chance Merida has of succeeding even before it starts.

The President’s announcement regarding North Korea’s nuclear declaration is in my opinion premature. While the declaration is a step in the right direction, the decision to immediately remove sanctions against North Korea is a step backwards. North Korea has a long history of not honoring agreements it made in good faith. Waiving sanctions prior to a factual review of North Korea’s declaration sends the wrong message to our friends involved in the Six Party Talks, and it reduces America’s leverage in the negotiations.

Pakistan is a very important link in the War on Terror and has been helpful in a lot of ways but not as helpful or as focused as it could be. Right now there are a lot of major challenges about the ability of the current government to deliver and to marshal the kind of resources necessary to accomplish the task. The border areas in Pakistan are alarmingly out of control, and they are contributing to instability in Afghanistan as well as in Pakistan. Unless the government exhibits a greater ability to target its own resources to deal with this both militarily and in the social economic structure, it’s going to be very, very challenging for us in the next years. There are enormous issues which this hearing obviously is geared to focus on.

This recent crime by Chinese computer hackers is horrific. With complete disregard for the privacy of these offices, individuals stole the private information of American citizens and sought to sabotage our government. The Members of Congress who were victims of these acts have been long-time champions for human rights in China; this is not how they should be rewarded for their tireless efforts.

Every day, Congressional offices deal with constituents’ privileged information and it is imperative that Congress work to protect our government and the people we represent from the future threat of computer hackers. I hope that President Bush remembers this incident when dealing with China in the future and that he carefully looks into this incident before sending sensitive security information technology to the Chinese.

The Hill’s Bob Cusack takes a look at the week ahead on Capitol Hill.

This issue is of special concern for me, as the Air Force’s Strategic Command (STRATCOM) is located at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska. STRATCOM is in charge of our nation’s nuclear assets and Secretary Gates’ decision shows just how important STRATCOM’s mission really is.  The control of nuclear weapons is a job that should never be taken lightly and thus I am glad that attention is being paid to the mistakes that have been made.

The report that was issued raises serious concerns and decisive action was taken.  It was the Secretary of Defense’s judgment that this was necessary and I have no reason to doubt him.

I urge for new leadership that will ensure the safekeeping of our nuclear weapons and ensures accountability.