Transcript
Hon. Shinzo Abe: Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.
I am very grateful for this opportunity today to address the Brookings Institution, one of America's oldest and foremost think tanks. I feel very honored to have been given the opportunity to speak here at such a venerable institution. I wish to thank Vice President, James Steinberg, also all of you who have taken the time to come here today. In addition, my friend Richard Bush, senior fellow of this institution, kindly put a great deal of effort into making this speech a reality, and for that I also thank him most warmly. And of course, my sincere thanks also to the staff of the Brookings Institution.
I am well aware of the considerable impact that the Brookings Institution has long exerted on the policy-decision process in U.S. politics. In fact, the Brookings Institution often makes me think of President Kennedy. When Kennedy was elected president in 1960, he differed from his predecessors in wanting to bring a large number of policy staff into the White House, and the Brookings Institution provided working space for staff due to join the administration in the transition period before the Kennedy administration was established. That much is well-known. Subsequently, legislation was passed to ensure that the federal government provided funds for the transition periods for new administrations, and I understand that resulted from the contribution made by the Brookings Institution during the Kennedy administration's transition period.
Before beginning my presentation today, I would like to pause to remember those who have given their lives in the fighting in Iraq. In particular, I express my deepest respect for the brave soldiers of the U.S. military with whom we are allied, and extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have made the supreme sacrifice.
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