Joseph Biden, Vice President
Vice President Biden served as a U.S. senator from Delaware from 1976-2009, including serving as ranking member, then chairman, of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since 1997. He voted against the first Gulf War in 1991. In 2002, Biden became one of the highest-ranking U.S. officials to visit Afghanistan following U.S. military action in the country that began in 2001. In 2003, he voted for the invasion of Iraq, but later became critical of how the war was conducted. Biden sponsored a non-binding measure in 2007 proposing that U.S. policy work to encourage Iraq’s leaders to create a new model of federalism in Iraq based on three semi- autonomous regions along Sunni, Shia and Kurdish lines under a central government. The non-binding bill passed 75-23; it was criticized by numerous Iraqi politicians. In the same year, Biden opposed increasing the number of U.S. troops in Iraq. Earlier this month, Biden visited Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State
Secretary Clinton was the most well-traveled first lady in U.S. history, traveling to 79 countries in total. During her trips she often served the traditional role of first lady but also spent time discussing foreign policy with leaders of other countries. In 1998, Clinton made comments that appeared to encourage the creation of a Palestinian state. Clinton served as a U.S. senator from New York from 2001-2009, including sitting on the Senate Committee on Armed Services since 2003. In 2002, Clinton voted to support the war in Iraq but later criticized the administration’s policies in carrying out the war. While serving on the Armed Services Committee she traveled throughout the Middle East and South Asia and met with foreign leaders including Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.
Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense
Secretary Gates initially joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1966 and served almost 27 years in the intelligence community. In the 1980s, Gates played a leading role in helping to drive out the Soviets from Afghanistan. From 1989-1991, he served as assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser, a period that included the 1991 Persian Gulf War. As a result of his involvement in the Iran-Contra affair, Gates withdrew as President Ronald Reagan’s nominee for director of the CIA in 1987. Gates later served as CIA director from 1991-1993. During confirmation hearings for the position of secretary of defense in 2006, Gates said he supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In 2004, Gates co-authored a report advocating for an end to the U.S. non-engagement policy with Iran. Gates also served on the bi-partisan 2006 Iraq Study Group, which recommended scaling back on the size of U.S. combat troops in Iraq, as well as increasing diplomatic efforts across the Middle East. He became defense secretary in 2006. On December 1, 2008 President Obama said that Gates would remain as secretary of defense in the next administration.
General James Jones USMC (Ret.), National Security Adviser
General Jones was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in 1967, and later as Marine Corps liaison to the Senate in 1979. From 1997-1999, he served as senior military assistant to Defense Secretary William Cohen and later as commandant of the Marines from 1999-2003. From 2003-2006, Jones served as commander of U.S. European Command and supreme allied commander Europe (SACEUR). Jones has also served on fact-finding commissions to Afghanistan and Iraq for the Pentagon. In 2007, he was appointed by Congress to lead a commission on Iraq that issued a report critical of Iraq’s security forces while offering suggestions for improvement. Jones most recently served as special envoy for Middle East regional security, a job that included supporting the efforts by General Keith Dayton to set up a security assistance program in Jenin.
Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
Ambassador Rice worked on President Clinton’s National Security Council as director for international organizations and peacekeeping, and later as a special assistant to the president and senior director for African affairs. From 1997-2001, she was assistant secretary of state for African affairs during which she responded to Al Qaeda attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. She was an adviser to President Obama during his campaign.
