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 catas-
trophes, and other threats to United States national se-
curity;
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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 coun-
tries 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 sta-
bilization operations and post-conflict reconstruction op-
erations in weak or failing countries, both as an alter-
native to military intervention and as a successor to mili-
tary conflict, if such conflict becomes unavoidable; 
Whereas the United States has, over the past 15 years, been 
involved in major post-conflict reconstruction and sta-
bilization operations in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, Kosovo, Liberia, Afghanistan, and Iraq; 
Whereas the United States has contributed significant re-
sources to post-conflict operations in El Salvador, Nica-
ragua, 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 human-
itarian relief and establishing the rule of law in these 
countries and their regions; 
Whereas the ability of the Department of Defense, the De-
partment of State, the National Security Council, other 
United States Government agencies, and various inter-
national organizations to coordinate and cooperate effec-
tively to address emerging threats is essential to success 
in the war on terrorism;
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Whereas on August 5, 2004, the Department of State created 
the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Sta-
bilization to enhance the capacity of the United States to 
respond to crises involving failed, failing, and post-con-
flict countries and complex emergencies; and 
Whereas the core mission of the Office of the Coordinator for 
Reconstruction and Stabilization is to lead and coordi-
nate United States Government planning, and institu-
tionalize United States capacity, to help stabilize and re-
construct 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 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the creation of the Office of the 
Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization at 
the Department of State; 
(2) congratulates the President, the Cabinet, 
and the National Security Council for addressing the 
unique interagency challenges posed by stabilization 
and post-conflict reconstruction operations by cre-
ating the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruc-
tion and Stabilization; 
(3) encourages other United States Government 
departments and agencies, including the Department 
of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency, to 
support the goals, mission, and operations of the Of-
fice of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Sta-
bilization;
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(4) encourages the Office of the Coordinator for 
Reconstruction and Stabilization to work with the 
international community to ensure that the burden 
of addressing weak or failing countries is shared eq-
uitably among nations; 
(5) recognizes that weak or failing countries 
pose potential danger to United States national se-
curity; and 
(6) urges the Office of the Coordinator for Re-
construction and Stabilization to be proactive in ad-
dressing potential weak or failing countries so that 
crisis situations might be resolved peaceably prior to 
conflict, thereby reducing the threat to the national 
security of the United States and reducing the cost 
to the United States and the international commu-
nity. 
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