Hillary Clinton: more 'smart power' needed in terrorism fight
Hillary Clinton announced Friday the creation of a new Global Counterterrorism Forum, which will use 'smart power' such as diplomacy and democracy to fight terrorism.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gives a speech on counterterrorism at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, on Sept. 9, in New York.
Jason DeCrow/AP
WASHINGTON
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday marked the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks by calling for the integration of more “smart power” initiatives – more democracy, development, and rule-of-law promotion – into global counterterrorism efforts.
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Speaking in New York, which she represented as a US senator at the time of the attacks, Secretary Clinton said that as successful as military actions have been in decimating Al Qaeda, they are not enough – especially in addressing the root causes of terrorism.
Opening her remarks with a reference to what she called “serious” reports of an Al Qaeda plot to hit either New York or Washington on the 9/11 anniversary, Clinton said such plans “should surprise no one” but are “a reminder of the continuing stakes in our struggle against violent extremism.”
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Clinton spoke at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, which lost nearly 70 students and alumni in the 9/11 attacks – and which in the aftermath of the events created a master’s program in the study of terrorism.
But her target audience appeared to be as much the US Congress as anyone else, as the Republican-controlled House in particular has zeroed in on the State Department – and the kinds of “smart power” programs Clinton advocates – for billions of dollars in budget cuts.
Despite the cutbacks, Clinton on Friday announced the creation of a new Global Counterterrorism Forum, designed to enhance international counterterrorism cooperation by bringing together policymakers and experts in the field on a regular basis. The new forum, to be formally launched later this month at the United Nations, will initially be co-chaired by the US and Turkey and include 30 other countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Algeria.
Noting that she is also upgrading the State Department’s counterterrorism office to a full bureau with its own assistant secretary of State, Clinton argued for increased integration of counterterrorism efforts into all aspects of US diplomacy.
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