President Bill Clinton:

Meeting America's Challenge of
Maintaining American Leadership in the
Fight for Freedom and Peace

"Because of American leadership, more people than ever before live free and at peace. And Americans have known 50 years of prosperity and security...All over the world, even after the Cold War, people still look to us and trust us to help them seek the blessings of peace and freedom. But as the Cold War fades into memory, voices of isolation say America should retreat from its responsibilities...Of course, we can t be everywhere. Of course, we can t do everything. But where our interests and our values are at stake, and where we can make a difference, America must lead. We must not be isolationist."

President Clinton, State of the Union Address
January 23, 1996

A Record of Accomplishment:

• Reducing the Nuclear Threat.
  • Russian nuclear missiles are no longer pointed at America s children.
  • Poised to reduce nuclear stockpiles by another 25% by successfully securing bipartisan Senate ratification of the Start II Treaty with Russia.
  • Persuaded Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan to give up the nuclear weapons left on their land after the fall of the former Soviet Union.
  • Convinced North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program.
  • Curbing access to weapons of destruction by terrorists, international criminals and rogue states through tougher enforcement, monitoring and international cooperation.

• Standing Firm in Bosnia. Today, ethnic cleansing, terror and war have been replaced by peace because of decisive American leadership. President Clinton led the effort to conclude a comprehensive peace in war-ravaged Bosnia. Continued American leadership is ending the destruction, death and suffering there while securing our interests for the future.

• Restoring Democracy to Haiti. The Haitian people no longer fear walking the streets of Port au Prince and the flow of refugees to U.S. shores has been stopped. The U.S. gave Haiti another chance at democracy and the result has been the first transfer of power from one democratically-elected president to another in Haitian history.

• Working for Peace in Northern Ireland. President Clinton became the first American President to visit Northern Ireland in the pursuit of a real, just and lasting peace.

• Working for Peace in the Middle East. President Clinton championed peace efforts in the Middle East by negotiating the Israel-Jordan peace treaty and helping Israelis and Palestinians conclude and fulfill their historic peace Agreement. He also organized the historic March 1996 Summit of the Peacemakers in Egypt with 29 world and regional leaders to support the Middle East peace process and to counter terrorism. The Clinton Administration negotiated a written agreement between Israel and Syria to end Hezbollah attacks on Israel and provide restoration of calm and protection of civilians on both sides of the Lebanon-Israel border.

• Working Towards Democracy in Cuba. Imposed the toughest sanctions ever on Castro s Cuba following the brutal killing of U.S. nationals over international waters.

• Bringing the Nations of Europe Closer. America is helping to secure the peace we fought so hard to win. Through our leadership, NATO has agreed to a process to admit new members while modernizing and strengthening the organization. We are establishing a Trans-Atlantic Partnership for Peace, working with Russia and helping to reform the former Soviet economies.

• Supporting Democracy in Central Europe. Because America is helping the newly free nations of Central Europe develop democratic societies, they look to rejoin the West with hope, no longer having to look over their shoulders with fear to the East.

• Ensuring America remains the best-equipped, best-trained and best-prepared fighting force in the world to meet the post-Cold War challenges to peace.

• Fighting Terrorism to Make Americans Safer. Waging a tough counter-terrorism campaign with stronger laws and more training for law enforcement. In April 1996, President Clinton signed anti-terrorism legislation giving our law enforcement officials tough new tools to stop terrorists before they strike.

• Opening more foreign markets to U.S. goods than all previous Administrations, with stronger and successful trade agreements, good for U.S. workers and business. Our exports to Japan support over 800,000 U.S. jobs. As a whole, total exports have grown 31%, creating 1 million high-quality, high-wage jobs. For the second year in a row, the U.S. was named the most competitive economy in the world.

• Further Isolating Iraqi Threat. The people of the Gulf are safer because President Clinton sent American planes, ships and troops to turn back a new Iraqi threat to the Persian Gulf.

The Challenges ahead:

• Intensify the fight against terrorism and organized crime at home and abroad by working for tougher enforcement and more cross-border cooperation.

• Secure a truly comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty.

• Outlaw poison gas forever by ratifying the Chemical Weapons Convention.

• Aggressively combat international drug-trafficking by working closely with other countries, providing military support and initiating anti-corruption efforts to stem the flow of drugs.

• Admit first new NATO members since the end of the Cold War and maintain partnership with Russia.

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