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Old 10-12-2012, 17:37   #1
tonyz
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Clinton remarks today (Oct 12, 2012) on transition in the Maghreb

Hillary Clinton today commenting on the transitions occurring in the Maghreb - I have cut and paste excerpts of her comments - pertaining to Chris Stevens - for your convenience since this story has been evolving in the Obama administration and is of some national interest.

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Keynote Address:

Remarks on the Maghreb in Transition

Speaker: Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State

Friday, October 12, 2012 2:00 p.m.


Excerpts:

"And let me, on a personal note, start with what happened in Benghazi. No one wants to find out exactly what happened more than I do. I’ve appointed an accountability review board that has already started examining whether our security procedures were appropriate, whether they were properly implemented and what lessons we can and must learn for the future. And we are working as thoroughly and expeditiously as possible, knowing that we cannot afford to sacrifice accuracy to speed."

"...it is important to look at the full picture, to weigh the violent acts of a small number of extremists against the aspirations and actions of the region’s people and governments. That broader view supports rather than discredits the promise of the Arab revolutions. It reaffirms that instead of letting mobs and extremists speak for entire countries, we should listen to what the elected governments and free citizens are saying. They want more freedom, more justice, more opportunity, not more violence. And they want better relations not only with the United States but with the world, not worse."

"As we’ve warned from the beginning, there are extremists who seek to exploit periods of instability and hijack these democratic transitions. All the while, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and other terrorist groups are trying to expand their reach from a new stronghold in northern Mali. But that is not the full story, far from it. The terrorists who attacked our mission in Benghazi did not represent the millions of Libyan people who want peace and deplore violence.

And in the days that followed, tens of thousands of Libyans poured into the streets to mourn Ambassador Stevens, who had been a steadfast champion of their revolution. You saw the signs; one read, thugs and killers don’t represent Benghazi or Islam."

"In Tripoli, the country’s transitional leaders condemned the attack. They fired the top security officials responsible for Benghazi. Then the government issued an ultimatum to militias across the country: Disarm and disband in 48 hours or face the consequences. As many as 10 major armed groups complied. Now, militias and extremists remain a significant problem in Libya, but there is an effort to address it that has now taken hold throughout the country. As Libya grapples with the challenges of forming a government, the international community needs to support its efforts to bring these militias to heel and provide security for all of its citizens."

"Now, I want to add and close with one more thought about what happened in Benghazi, because as you might expect, that is, for me and for all the men and women at the State Department, very personal. Diplomacy, by its nature, has to be often practiced in dangerous places. We send people to diplomatic posts in 170 countries around the world. And yes, some of those are in war and conflict zones. Others are in unstable countries with complex threats and no U.S. military presence. That is the reality of the world we live in, and we will never prevent every act of violence or terrorism or achieve perfect security. Our people cannot live in bunkers and do their jobs. But it is our solemn responsibility to constantly improve, to reduce the risks our people face and make sure they have the resources they need to do those jobs we expect from them. And of course, nobody takes that more seriously than I and the security professionals at the State Department do."

"Chris Stevens understood that diplomats must operate in many places where soldiers do not or cannot, where there are no other boots on the ground and security is far from guaranteed. And like so many of our brave colleagues and those who served in our armed forces as well, he volunteered for his assignments. Last year our ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, was assaulted in Damascus by pro-regime thugs. But he insisted on continuing to meet with peaceful protesters and serving as a living manifestation of America’s support. And when he drove to the battered city of Hama, the people there covered his car with flowers."

"People like Chris and Robert represent diplomacy and America at its, and our, best. They know that when America is absent, especially from the dangerous places, there are consequences. Extremism takes root, our interests suffer and our security at home is threatened. So we will continue sending our diplomats and development experts to dangerous places. The United States will not retreat. We will keep leading, and we will stay engaged in the Maghreb and everywhere in the world, including in those hard places where America’s interests and values are at stake. That’s who we are, and that’s the best way to honor those whom we have lost. And that’s also how we ensure our country’s global leadership for decades to come."


http://csis.org/files/attachments/12...anscript_0.pdf
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Old 10-12-2012, 17:51   #2
The Reaper
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Mmm.

What would Scipio Africanus the Younger do?

TR
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