Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta at the 5th Annual Dean Acheson Award and Lecture

Date: June 28, 2012

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta outlined a bold plan at the United States Institute of Peace to build the capacity of other countries and thereby reduce the strains on the U.S. when it comes to solving the world's security problems.

"As the United States helped turn the tide in Iraq and Afghanistan, confronted terrorism in the FATA, Yemen, the Horn of Africa and the Philippines, and participated in the NATO operation in Libya that helped bring down Qaddafi, the approach of working with and through others has only grown in importance to our mission of defending this country," Panetta said during a speech at USIP June 28. The job of "training, advising and partnering" with foreign military and security forces has moved from the periphery to become a critical skill set across the armed forces," he said.

Panetta spoke at the USIP during the fifth annual Dean Acheson Lecture, created by USIP's board and a celebration of the former statesman and peacemaker. Acheson, a former secretary of state under President Truman, is credited with confronting the rise of Communism in the middle of the 20th century and helping to design the Marshall Plan after World War II.

Panetta noted that USIP's own work is in keeping with the kind of vision he has for security cooperation.

"This institute's work has saved lives, and enhanced our national security," he said. "In doing so, it has stayed true to the spirit of the man whose legacy we celebrate tonight, Dean Acheson."

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