Page 189 - Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton

LEADERSHIP SECRETS OF HILLARY CLINTON

of diplomacy. One need only look to North Korea, Iran, the
Middle East, and the Balkans to appreciate the absolute
necessity of tough-minded, intelligent diplomacy—and the
failures that result when that kind of diplomatic effort is
absent. And one need only consider the assortment of prob-
lems we must tackle in 2009—from fighting terrorism to
climate change to global financial crises—to understand the
importance of cooperative engagement.
I assure you that, if I am confirmed, the State Department
will be firing on all cylinders to provide forward-thinking,
sustained diplomacy in every part of the world; applying
pressure and exerting leverage; cooperating with our military
partners and other agencies of government; partnering effec-
tively with NGOs [non-governemental organizations], the
private sector, and international organizations; using mod-
ern technologies for public outreach; empowering negotia-
tors who can protect our interests while understanding those
of our negotiating partners. There will be thousands of sep-
arate interactions, all strategically linked and coordinated to
defend American security and prosperity. Diplomacy is hard
work; but when we work hard, diplomacy can work, and not
just to defuse tensions, but to achieve results that advance
our security, interests, and values.
Secretary Gates has been particularly eloquent in articu-
lating the importance of diplomacy in pursuit of our national
security and foreign policy objectives. As he notes, it’s not
often that a secretary of defense makes the case for adding

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