Securing Stability in Iraq as we Bring our Troops Home.
As President, Hillary would focus American aid efforts during our redeployment on stabilizing Iraq, not propping up the Iraqi government.
She would direct aid to the entities -- whether governmental or non-governmental -- most likely to get it into the hands of the Iraqi people.
She would also support the appointment of a high level U.N. representative -- similar to those appointed in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Kosovo -- to help broker peace among the parties in Iraq.
A New Intensive Diplomatic Initiative in the Region.
In her first days in office, Hillary would convene a regional stabilization group composed of key allies, other global powers, and all of the states bordering Iraq.
The- mission of this group would be to develop and implement a strategy to create a stable Iraq. It would have three specific goals:
- Non-interference. Working with the U.N. representative, the group would work to convince Iraq's neighbors to refrain from getting involved in the civil war.
- Mediation. The group would attempt to mediate among the different sectarian groups in Iraq with the goal of attaining compromises on fundamental points of disputes.
- Reconstruction funding. The members of the group would hold themselves and other countries to their past pledges to provide funding to Iraq and will encourage additional contributions to meet Iraq's extensive needs.
And as we replace military force with diplomacy and global leadership, Hillary will not lose sight of our very real strategic interests in the region.
She would devote the resources we need to fight terrorism and will order specialized units to engage in narrow and targeted operations against al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations in the region.
(Also see Hillary Clinton in 2008 Info Center, which includes her speeches on embryonic stem cell research, rebuilding New Orleans, and privacy rights for U.S. citizens.)
