We make it a priority to reduce poverty and alleviate human suffering around the world because it is the morally right thing to do.

But foreign assistance programs also serve our economic and national security interests.

I think we are here today because somebody in the private sector decided to seek forgiveness rather than permission.

I am very disturbed by any criticism that would eliminate rule 23, which is an undercurrent in some of this.

I just think, you know, the office is not some newbie. It is not, you know, some volunteer. And it is just scandalous, really, outrageous.

Thank you all very much. We have got to run.

the host country may not in some areas have the capability to deal with the issue, and so this notion of the critical nature of that host country's permission or invitation is a little confused in my own mind in terms of how you sort…

We need peacekeeping missions that are planned well, deployed quickly, budgeted realistically, equipped seriously, led ably, and ended responsibly.

It is pragmatism and a clear sense of America's interests that drives us to support U.N. peacekeeping.

We will not support arbitrary or abrupt efforts to downsize or terminate missions.

We support U.N. peacekeeping efforts because it is in our national interest to see that states do not fail.

I first want to begin on a somewhat different point by thanking Ambassador Rice for her tremendous efforts to rebuild the United Nations human rights mechanism.