IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 171 

Supporting the creation of the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction 

and Stabilization at the Department of State, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 17, 2005 

Mr. DREIER submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the creation of the Office of the Coordinator 

for Reconstruction and Stabilization at the Department 

of State, and for other purposes. 

Whereas the United States is engaged in a Global War on 

Terrorism, in which threats to the security of the United 

States often originate in weak or failing countries; 

Whereas the National Security Strategy of the United States 

announced by the President in September 2002 states 

that ‘‘the United States and countries cooperating with 

us must not allow the terrorists to develop new home 

bases’’; 

Whereas weak or failing countries provide breeding grounds 

for terrorism, crime, trafficking, humanitarian catastrophes, and other threats to United States national security; 
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•HRES 171 IH 

Whereas it is in the interests of the United States to develop 

a comprehensive framework to monitor weak or failing 

countries and prepare to deal effectively with these countries before they become imminent threats to the people 

of the United States; 

Whereas the Department of State is uniquely equipped to 

communicate with other United States agencies and 

international organizations to plan for pre-conflict stabilization operations and post-conflict reconstruction operations in weak or failing countries, both as an alternative to military intervention and as a successor to military conflict, if such conflict becomes unavoidable; 

Whereas the United States has, over the past 15 years, been 

involved in major post-conflict reconstruction and stabilization operations in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia and 

Herzegovina, Kosovo, Liberia, Afghanistan, and Iraq; 

Whereas the United States has contributed significant resources to post-conflict operations in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Colombia, and 

East Timor; 

Whereas the knowledge and experience of United States 

agencies, in cooperation with international organizations, 

was critical to successfully providing security and humanitarian relief and establishing the rule of law in these 

countries and their regions; 

Whereas the ability of the Department of Defense, the Department of State, the National Security Council, other 

United States Government agencies, and various international organizations to coordinate and cooperate effectively to address emerging threats is essential to success 

in the war on terrorism; 
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•HRES 171 IH 

Whereas on August 5, 2004, the Department of State created 

the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization to enhance the capacity of the United States to 

respond to crises involving failed, failing, and post-conflict countries and complex emergencies; and 

Whereas the core mission of the Office of the Coordinator for 

Reconstruction and Stabilization is to lead and coordinate United States Government planning, and institutionalize United States capacity, to help stabilize and reconstruct societies in transition from conflict or civil 

strife so they can reach a sustainable path towards peace, 

democracy, and a market economy: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the creation of the Office of the 

3 Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization at 

4 the Department of State; 

5 (2) congratulates the President, the Cabinet, 

6 and the National Security Council for addressing the 

7 unique interagency challenges posed by stabilization 

8 and post-conflict reconstruction operations by cre9 ating the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruc10 tion and Stabilization; 

11 (3) encourages other United States Government 

12 departments and agencies, including the Department 

13 of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency, to 

14 support the goals, mission, and operations of the Of15 fice of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Sta16 bilization; 
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•HRES 171 IH 

1 (4) encourages the Office of the Coordinator for 

2 Reconstruction and Stabilization to work with the 

3 international community to ensure that the burden 

4 of addressing weak or failing countries is shared eq5 uitably among nations; 

6 (5) recognizes that weak or failing countries 

7 pose potential danger to United States national se8 curity; and 

9 (6) urges the Office of the Coordinator for Re10 construction and Stabilization to be proactive in ad11 dressing potential weak or failing countries so that 

12 crisis situations might be resolved peaceably prior to 

13 conflict, thereby reducing the threat to the national 

14 security of the United States and reducing the cost 

15 to the United States and the international commu16 nity. 

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