THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

      VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE OUTLINES VISION FOR AMERICA'S USE OF
                DIPLOMACY AND FORCE IN POST COLD-WAR ERA

     Marshalltown, IA -- Today, at a local Veterans' Day ceremony, Vice

President Al Gore honored the sacrifices and contributions of our nation's veterans, and outlined his vision for the use of American diplomacy and force in the post Cold-War era.

"Diplomacy, together with military might, is how we are fighting the spread of nuclear weapons around the world," said Vice President Gore at the Iowa Veterans' Home in Marshalltown, Iowa. "It is how we are bringing international terrorists to justice. It is how we are breaking up deadly drug cartels and crime syndicates around the world."

Specifically, the Vice President outlined six central steps for strengthening U.S. diplomatic interests around the world:

     Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
     "Our next President must resubmit the Comprehensive Test Ban
     Treaty, and demand its ratification by the Senate."
     The treaty would establish more than 320 data gathering stations to
     register nuclear explosions anywhere in the world and subject those
     signatories suspected of violating the Treaty to on-site
     inspections, inhibiting the spread of nuclear weapons. The CTBT
     would not jeopardize the role of U.S. nuclear program as the world
     most advanced nuclear deterrence.

     United Nations Dues
     "It is time for America to pay its U.N. dues in full."
     Through the United Nations, the U.S. can build critical
     international support for issues and policies important to our
     foreign policy goals, and also share the financial and resource
     burden with other countries.   We have made considerable progress
     on reforming the UN so that it is better able to deliver "value for
     money."  The World Food Program, the High Commissioner for Refugees
     and other agencies of the UN offer the U.S. an effective means of
     helping to alleviate suffering in some of the most vulnerable
     corners of the globe.

     Foreign Operations Funding
     "We need a firm commitment to foreign affairs in our budget.  It
     amounts to a penny for every dollar in the budget.  These programs
     are not charity, but national security.  They must be enhanced, not
     reduced."
     Through our foreign operations funding, the U.S. helps encourage
     economic and political development in new democracies, helps fight
     disease and combat illiteracy in the some of the world's poorest
     countries as well as other assistance and provides stabilizing
     support to the developing world.

     Fighting Terrorism
     "We must redouble our commitment to fighting terrorism through
     diplomacy and international cooperation."
     From the Vice President's Airline Safety Commission to the
     Emergency Security Assessment teams being sent to our most
     vulnerable embassies abroad, this Administration has been committed
     to fighting terrorism wherever American interests and Americans are
     threatened.

     Engagement with Russia and China
     "We must engage Russia and China, not pretend we can turn our backs
     on them.  The greatest threat to America is not the strength of
     Russia and China, but their weakness."
     Our interests are in a stable and democratic Russia that does not
     threaten the U.S. or our allies.  While Russia has had more
     setbacks and problems than we would like, we have made significant
     progress on a number of major issues, and have forged U.S.-Russian
     cooperation that was unimaginable a decade ago.  With respect to
     China, U.S.  interests are not served by those who would treat it
     like an enemy.  We will build cooperation where we can and deal
     with differences, as we must.  Our long-term strategy must be to
     encourage China to become a strong, prosperous and open society,
     while integrating it into the institutions that promote global
     norms on proliferation, trade, the environment and human rights.

     A Strong Military

     "It is still a dangerous world --and a strong military has to be
     the cornerstone of our security."

     The Administration has maintained our military forces as the best
     prepared best-equipped, most capable fighting force in the world.
     Through the continued development of advance weaponry, we have
     given our soldiers the most modern weapon systems available, and
     have ensured that if the use of force is required, our military
     will be ready.

     The Vice President also blasted the Congressional Republican

leadership for putting partisanship ahead of America's foreign policy interests.

"More and more each year, engagement abroad means a political struggle here at home," Vice President Gore said. "When Congress risks our vote at the United Nations by refusing to pay our dues; when our best chance of achieving a nuclear test ban is sacrificed on the altar of partisan politics; when even the free and fair trade agreements that deepen the ties among nations become political footballs, we threaten our very stability and security."

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