Department of External Affairs

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Transcript of SoEA Ben's speech at the British Parliament :: August 21, 2010

I'd like to once again thank Prime Minister Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Clegg for meeting with me today, and I'd like to congratulate the Prime Minister on adding yet another child to his family.

Atlasia and Great Britain share a unique history, and through that unique history we have become partners on the world stage.  Now, an issue of pressing importance demands our attention: that of the flood in Pakistan.  Both Atlasia and Great Britain have given aid in light of the flood, but more needs to be done.  That is why Prime Minister Cameron and I are both sending more aid money, and are also maintaining humanitarian workers in affected areas.  Together, we are confident that we can help Pakistan rebuild, and put the flood into the past.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Transcript of SoEA Ben's speech at the to the Israeli Knesset :: September 1, 2010

Before I begin my speech today, I wish to offer my condolences to the family and friends of all those who were killed in today’s attack on the West Bank.  It is my fervent hope that we will soon live in a world where such heinous terrorist attacks have been wiped away, and people no longer need live in fear.  For the sake of all humanity, things must change in the Middle East – swords must be beaten into plowshares, and spears turned into pruning hooks.  Then, there will be lasting peace.

The question may be asked, “What is lasting peace?”  Lasting peace means that the Palestinians no longer need to live in squalor, and in fear.  Lasting peace means that the Israelis no longer need to fear for their lives, and carry weapons with them everywhere they go, expecting to meet a terrorist at the next street corner.  When both peoples can feel safe no matter where they are, and when there is not a constant state of warfare, declared or undeclared; then there will be lasting peace.

How will this lasting peace be achieved?  I believe that the only way is for there to be Two States, Palestine and Israel, existing side by side.  This will require cooperation on both sides.  Too often, blame has been assigned to one side or the other for the failure to achieve a lasting peace.  The time for passing blame has passed; we cannot move forward if the blame game is going to be played for every minor inconvenience in the process.  Until that time, it will be impossible for achievements to be made.  I am confident that we all can act with honor, and not run home crying every time something happens that we disagree with; blame need not be assigned for every bad thing that happens.

This will require work on both sides.  The Palestinian people must show that they fully reject terror and those who deal in terror; the action today by Palestinian soldiers in searching for the perpetrators of today’s attack shows that they are moving forward, and that they are trying to root out terrorism.  It is clear that, unless terrorists are rooted out, then a Two State solution is not possible.  We need an externally supervised effort to rebuild and reform the Palestinian security services.  The security system must have clear lines of authority and accountability and a unified chain of command.  Atlasia will do whatever possible to help bring this to fruition, so that we can move forward.

Furthermore, Palestine must fully recognize Israel’s right to exist.  If the State of Palestine has a right to exist, then so does the State of Israel.  To all in the PLO who continue to deny Israel, I say that Palestine will not exist without Israel, and it is best to simply move forward, because without that concession, no progress can be made.

Israel, too, must change.  Israel forces need to withdraw fully to positions they held prior to September 28, 2000.  Israel needs to stop building settlements in the West Bank; the government enforced moratorium must be made permanent, and Israel must withdraw from the area.  If Israel continues to ignore these stipulations, then they will lose the support of Atlasia and their other allies; for Israel’s sake, I hope they take this message to heart.

Do not think that Atlasia does not sympathize with the people of Israel.  They have lived too long with fear and funerals, having to avoid markets and public transportation, and forced to put armed guards in kindergarten classrooms. Offers of peace have been rejected, and terrorists put forward instead.  The people of Israel deserve peace, they deserve security.

The people of Palestine, too, have suffered.  For decades they have been treated as pawns in the Middle East conflict, by powers greater than they, who only pay lip service to the notion of a Palestinian State. They deserve an open society and a thriving economy.  They deserve a life of hope for their children, where there I no fear of terrorists using them as human shields.  This may seem far off, it may seem impossible, it may seem nothing more than a pipe dream, but it is possible, and Atlasia will work to achieve it.

Peace is possible, if we work at it.  Peace is possible, if we work at it.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Communiqué
The DoEA wishes all the Jews around the world a  Leshana Tova, and a happy and healthy 5771!

[Teddy (IDS Legislator)]

For the record, what is the current in-game situation of the Israel-Palestine situation?

[Kaine for Senate '18]

For the record, what is the current in-game situation of the Israel-Palestine situation?

I've heard back from President Abbas, who has indicated that he is willing to sit down for talks; I have not heard back from Prime Minister Netanyahu, and do not expect to until at least Monday.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Communiqué
The DoEA condemns the reports of voter fraud and election related violence in Afghanistan, and urges President Karzai to fully investigate, and make sure that Afghanistan continues to flourish into a democracy.

[Hash]

Communiqué
The DoEA condemns the reports of voter fraud and election related violence in Afghanistan, and urges President Karzai to fully investigate, and make sure that Afghanistan continues to flourish into a democracy.

continues to flourish? It hasn't even begun "flourishing", so yeah.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Communiqué
The DoEA condemns the reports of voter fraud and election related violence in Afghanistan, and urges President Karzai to fully investigate, and make sure that Afghanistan continues to flourish into a democracy.

continues to flourish? It hasn't even begun "flourishing", so yeah.

Um, I really don't want to criticize fellow cabinet members while in office, but...
...what a BS!

[Kaine for Senate '18]

The transcript from SoEA Ben's speech to the UN will be published tomorrow or Monday.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Transcript of SoEA Ben's speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City :: September 24, 2010

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen:

Before I begin my prepared remarks, let me first address the speech given earlier today by the President of Iran, Mr. Ahmadinejad.  I will not linger on this point, but I will say that what Mr. Ahmadinejad said was despicable and a patent falsehood.  Atlasia had nothing to do with the heinous attacks of September 11, 2001; the perpetrators were Al Qaeda and its operatives – this is a well established fact.  If Mr. Ahmadinejad ever wishes to have peace, and if he wishes to end Iran’s isolation from the rest of the world, he must stop making these hateful, offensive, untrue statements.

As we end the year 2010, and as we begin the year 5771 in Israel, we must move forward on the topic of peace in the Middle East.  I stand by my comments to the Knesset on the need for compromise, and I repeat it again today.  Unfortunately, Israel does not appear to have listened; they have continued to build settlements on the West Bank.  I am saying now, as I have said before, that this cannot continue.  I am calling on the government of Israel to not only extend the moratorium on settlements, but to make it permanent.  Israel is risking losing the support of its greatest ally, and I pray that they do not take this warning lightly, but take it to heart, and act upon it.

Nine years ago, Atlasia made the commitment to fight terror globally, and Atlasia remains committed to that task.  But combating terrorism cannot come merely from military operations and from drone attacks; it cannot come from merely eliminating the leaders, because someone will always be ready to step in.  In order to truly defeat terrorism, the population must be educated; they must know that the Taliban and Hezbollah and Hamas are not the path to a better life; they are the path only to death and destruction.  And that is why I am announcing a massive program of aid to the nations of the Middle East so that we may build new schools, so that the whole population can be educated, and will have the knowledge to move forward in society without turning to terrorist group’s specious promises of a better life.

To all who say that education cannot help, I defy them to provide an example of when education has not forwarded a civilization.  Education is the starting point for societal improvement; without education, there can be no progress.  And it is in places without progress that groups like the Taliban can thrive, where they can prey on the weaknesses of people, can promise them a better life.  With education, comes progress.  With progress, disappears the need for an organization like the Taliban to provide anything, and once that need is gone, and these groups lose what little popularity they possess, so that the people can see them for what they: agents of death and destruction, no more deserving of support than a common pest.

We must work together in order to move forward.  Atlasia cannot alone help the nations of the Middle East reject terror and those who practice it.  I am asking for the help of all nations to join together, and continue the fight against terrorism.  Working together, I am confident that we can win this war, and we can make the entire world safer.

Thank you, and God bless you.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Communiqué

The Department of External Affairs is deeply troubled by President Karzai's admission to receiving funds from Iran.  The DoEA hopes he will recognize that Iran is no friend to Afghanistan, while Atlasia has the country's best interests at heart.