Poverty & National Security - The Borgen Project

Obama and Bush: Global Poverty is a National
Security Issue
Both President Obama and President Bush have pointed
out that addressing global poverty is a national security
issue. The National Security Strategy of the Bush
Administration noted that, "A world where some live in
comfort and plenty, while half of the human race lives
on less than $2 a day, is neither just nor stable."

"A comprehensive U.S. strategy to counter terrorism should include economic
policies that encourage development, more open societies, and opportunities
for people to improve the lives of their families and to enhance prospects for
their children’s future."

"When people lose hope, when societies break down, when countries
fragment, the breeding grounds for terrorism are created. Backward
economic policies and repressive political regimes slip into societies that are
without hope, where ambition and passions have no constructive outlet."

"Pakistan’s endemic poverty, widespread corruption, and often ineffective
government create opportunities for Islamist recruitment. Poor education is a
particular concern. Millions of families, especially those with little money,
send their children to religious schools, or madrassahs. Many of these schools
are the only opportunity available for an education, but some have been used
as incubators for violent extremism. According to Karachi’s police
commander, there are 859 madrassahs teaching more than 200,000
youngsters in his city alone."

Read the 911 R eport O nline

Poverty and National Security

45 Generals
In February of 2009, 45 senior retired
military officers called on the White House
to increase the International Affairs Budget
and to invest in "smart power" that utilizes
development and diplomacy. The group of
prominent three and four-star generals,
representing every branch of the military,
pointed out that the International Affairs
Budget is dangerously low and 11 percent
below Cold War levels. Among those
calling for increased funding for
development and humanitarian operations:

Admiral Charles S. Abbot, USN (Ret.)
Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. European Command (‘98-
‘00)

General John P. Abizaid, USA (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Central Command (‘03-‘07)

Admiral Frank L. Bowman, USN (Ret.)
Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion (‘96-‘04)

General Charles G. Boyd, USAF (Ret.)
Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. European Command (‘92-
‘95)

Lieutenant General Daniel W. Christman, USA (Ret.)
Superintendent, United States Military Academy (‘96-‘01)

Admiral Archie R. Clemins, USN (Ret.)
Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (‘96-‘99)

General Richard A. “Dick” Cody, USA (Ret.)
Vice Chief of Staff, United States Army (’04-’08)

Lieutenant General John B. Conaway, USAF (Ret.)
Chief, National Guard Bureau (‘90-’93)

Lieutenant General John “Jack” Costello, USA (Ret.)
Commanding General, U.S. Army Space and Missile
Defense Command/U.S. Army Space Command (‘98-‘01)

Admiral Walter F. Doran, USN (Ret.)
Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (‘02-‘05)

General Ralph E. Eberhart, USAF (Ret.)
Commander, North American Aerospace Defense
Command/Commander, U.S. Northern Command (‘02-‘04)

Admiral Leon A. Edney, USN (Ret.)
Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic/Commander in Chief,
U.S. Atlantic Command (‘90-‘92)

Admiral Thomas B. Fargo, USN (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (‘02-‘05)

Admiral S. Robert Foley, USN (Ret.)
Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (’82-‘85)

Vice Admiral Lee F. Gunn, USN (Ret.)
Inspector General, U.S. Navy (’97-’00)

General Michael W. Hagee, USMC (Ret.)
Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (‘03-‘06)

Admiral Ronald J. Hays, USN (Ret.)
Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command (‘85-‘88)

General Richard D. Hearney, USMC (Ret.)
Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (‘94-‘96)

General James T. Hill, USA (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Southern Command (‘02-‘04)

Admiral James R. Hogg, USN (Ret.)
U.S. Military Representative, NATO Military Committee
(‘88-‘91)

General James L. Jamerson, USAF (Ret.)
Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. European Command (‘95-
‘98)

Admiral Gregory G. Johnson, USN (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Commander in
Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe (‘01-‘04)

Admiral Jerome L. Johnson, USN (Ret.)
Vice Chief of Naval Operations (‘90-‘92)

General Paul J. Kern, USA (Ret.)
Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command (‘01-
‘04)

General William F. Kernan, USA (Ret.)
Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic/Commander in Chief,
U.S. Joint Forces Command (‘00-‘02)

Admiral Charles R. Larson, USN (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (’91-’94)

Vice Admiral Stephen F. Loftus, USN (Ret.)
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Logistics (‘90-’94)

General John Michael Loh, USAF (Ret.)
Commander, Air Combat Command (‘92-‘95)

Admiral T. Joseph “Joe” Lopez, USN (Ret.)
Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Commander
in Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe (‘96-‘98)

Admiral James M. Loy, USCG (Ret.)
Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard (‘98-’02)

Admiral Robert J. Natter, USN (Ret.)
Commander, Fleet Forces Command/Commander, U.S.
Atlantic Fleet (‘00-‘03)

Lieutenant General Gregory S. Newbold, USMC (Ret.)
Director of Operations, J-3 Joint Staff (‘00-‘02)

Lieutenant General Charles P. Otstott, USA (Ret.)
Deputy Chairman, NATO Military Committee (’90-’92)

Lieutenant General Harry D. Raduege, Jr., USAF (Ret.)
Director, Defense Information Systems Agency/Commander,
Joint Task Force for Global Network Operations/Deputy
Commander, Global Network Operations and Defense, U.S.
Strategic Command Joint Forces Headquarters, Information
Operations (‘00-‘05)

Vice Admiral Norman W. Ray, USN (Ret.)
Deputy Chairman, NATO Military Committee (‘92-‘95)

General Robert W. RisCassi, USA (Ret.)
Commander in Chief, United Nations
Command/Commander in Chief, Republic of Korea/U.S.
Combined Forces Command (‘92-’93

General Peter J. Schoomaker, USA (Ret.)
Chief of Staff, U.S. Army (‘03-‘07)

Admiral Leighton W. Smith, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Commander
in Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe (‘94-‘96)

Admiral William D. Smith, USN (Ret.)
U.S. Military Representative, NATO Military Committee
(‘91-‘93)

General Carl W. Stiner, USA (Ret.)
Commander in Chief, U.S. Special Operations Command
(‘90-‘93)

General Gordon R. Sullivan, USA (Ret.)
Chief of Staff, U.S. Army (‘91-‘95)

Admiral Carlisle A. H. Trost, USN (Ret.)
Chief of Naval Operations (‘86-‘90)

General Charles F. Wald, USAF (Ret.)
Deputy Commander, U.S. European Command (‘02-‘06)

General Charles E. Wilhelm, USMC (Ret.)
Commander, U.S. Southern Command (‘97-‘00)

General Michael J. Williams, USMC (Ret.)
Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (‘00-‘02)

"For all of those brave men and women struggling for a better life, there is –
and must be – no stronger ally or advocate than the United States of
America. Let us never forget that our nation remains a beacon of light for
those in dark places. And that our responsibilities to the world – to freedom,
to liberty, to the oppressed everywhere – are not a burden on the people or
the soul of this nation. They are, rather, a blessing."

"The importance of deploying civilian expertise has been relearned – the hard
way – through the effort to staff Provincial Reconstruction Teams, first in
Afghanistan and more recently in Iraq. The PRT's were designed to bring in
civilians experienced in agriculture, governance, and other aspects of
development – to work with and alongside the military to improve the lives of
the local population, a key tenet of any counterinsurgency effort."

"This year’s budget for the Department of Defense – not counting operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan – is nearly half a trillion dollars. The total foreign
affairs budget request for the State Department is $36 billion – less than what
the Pentagon spends on health care alone."

"There are only about 6,600 professional Foreign Service officers – less than
the manning for one aircraft carrier strike group."

"When Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen was Chief
of Naval Operations, he once said he’d hand a part of his budget to the State
Department “in a heartbeat."

Read the full speech

Pentagon Wants Global Poverty Addressed
In November of 2007, Defense Secretary Robert Gates made a historic speech
calling on Congress and the White House to increase funding for addressing
global poverty. Among the points made by the head of the most powerful
military in the world:

5 WAYS YOU CAN HELP
RIGHT NOW
Direct from the President of The Borgen
Project, these are the five most important
ways you can help advance the cause and
improve living conditions for the world's poor.

1. Call your congressional leaders
The Borgen Project has quickly become a
politically powerful ally for the world's poor
and much of that influence has come from
Borgen Project supporters across the country
who make weekly Hero Calls to their
representatives in Congress. Political leaders
receive a weekly report from their staff that
tallies the number of calls they received on
each issue. Every call you make gets noticed
by your political leaders!
Time requirement: 30-seconds per call.

2. M obilize your People
Mobilize your friends and family to call their
congressional leaders. Oftentimes a political
leader in Congress will support a
poverty-reduction bill with as few as 6-7
people calling their office.
Time requirement: 60-seconds per person.

3. Donate
President Barack Obama was able to build a
highly-effective, well-funded movement,
because everyday people donated what they
could $10, $25, $50. It all has an impact in
bringing political attention to global poverty.
Time requirement: 3-minutes

4. Build Buzz
Email, call, chat, Facebook... There are many
ways can you build buzz for the cause and
engage those around you.
Time requirement: Varies

5. Sign-up for E-Alerts & News
Our research shows that people who receive
The Borgen Project's E-Alerts become more
knowledgeable of the issues and engaged in
the cause.
Time requirement: 15-seconds

9-11 Commission Says Address Global Poverty
After the 9-11 attacks a nonpartisan commission was formed to determine how
to protect the U.S. and prevent future attacks.

Quick Links to the Issues
Global Poverty
Poverty-Reduction Successes
Methods for Ending Poverty
Innovative Solutions to Poverty
Global Poverty & National Security
Global Poverty & the Economy
U.S. Foreign Aid
Millennium Development Goals
Poverty Photos
Answers to Questions About Poverty

Gates Highlights Role of Diplomacy, Development in U.S. Foreign Policy
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 16, 2008 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates yesterday
said diplomacy and development should lead American efforts abroad, and he
warned against a “creeping militarization” of U.S. foreign policy. Video
“Broadly speaking, when it comes to America’s engagement with the rest of the
world, it is important that the military is -- and is clearly seen to be -- in a
supporting role to civilian agencies,” he said.

In a speech interrupted several times by rousing applause, Gates told the audience
at a dinner organized by the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign that America
cannot simply “kill or capture our way to victory” over the long term.

“What the Pentagon calls ‘kinetic’ operations should be subordinate to measures
to promote participation in government, economic programs to spur
development, and efforts to address the grievances that often lie at the heart of
insurgencies and among the discontented from which terrorists recruit,” he said.

In remarks imbued with a spirit of cooperation between the departments of
Defense and State -- a relationship that in the past has been marked by
contention, Gates said -- the defense secretary hailed his working relationship
with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who had presented him the group’s
leadership award earlier in the evening.

“Our diplomatic leaders -- be they in ambassadors’ suites or on the seventh floor
of the State Department -- must have the resources and political support needed
to fully exercise their statutory responsibilities in leading American foreign
policy,” Gates said.

This year’s presidential budget proposal accounts for the addition of 1,100
Foreign Service officers -- the general practitioners of American diplomacy -- in
addition to 300 U.S. Agency for International Development personnel and a
response corps of civilian experts that can deploy on short notice, requests that
Gates praised.

He also expressed optimism that an increase in the civilian foreign affairs budget
is receiving support on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers yesterday introduced
bipartisan legislation that would triple humanitarian spending in Pakistan.

For far too long, Gates said, America’s civilian institutions of diplomacy and
development -- which lack the ready-made political constituency enjoyed by
major weapons systems -- have been chronically undermanned and underfunded
in comparison to defense spending.

“I cannot pretend to know right dollar amount,” Gates said, referring to the
budgetary needs of civilian institutions, “I know it’s a good deal more than the
one percent of the federal budget that it is right now.

“A steep increase of these capabilities is well within reach, as long as there is the
political will and the wisdom to do it,” he added.

With invigorated emphasis on counterinsurgency, which includes operations that
combine elements of military and civilian affairs, U.S. servicemembers are
performing functions that formerly were the exclusive province of civilian
agencies and institutions, Gates said.

“This has led to concern among many organizations … about what’s seen as a
creeping ‘militarization’ of some aspects of America’s foreign policy,” he said.

But Gates added that this scenario can be avoided by putting in place the right
leadership, adequate funding of civilian agencies, effective coordination on the
ground, and a clear understanding of the authorities, roles, and missions of
military versus civilian efforts, and how they are able, or unable, to fit together.

“We know that at least in the early phases of any conflict, contingency, or natural
disaster, the U.S. military -- as has been the case throughout our history -- will be
responsible for security, reconstruction, and providing basic sustenance and
public services,” he said.

“Building the security capacity of other nations through training and equipping
programs has emerged as a core and enduring military requirement,” he
continued, “though none of these programs go forward without the approval of
the secretary of state.”

Gates added that the U.S. will always need Foreign Service officers to conduct
professional diplomacy, advance American interests, and strengthen the nation’s
international partnerships. Likewise, he said, barring a radical change in human
nature, the U.S. will require military members to deter and, if necessary, defeat
aggression from hostile states and forces indefinitely.

“The challenge facing our institutions,” he said “is to adapt to new realities while
preserving those core competencies and institutional traits that have made them
so successful in the past.”