Greg Craig, Susan Rice and George Mitchell

[ProSense]

Board members of the American Security Project appointed by:

ASP Commends the Appointment of ASP Board Member and Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell as Middle East Envoy

January 23, 2009

Washington, DC – The American Security Project commended the appointment by President Barack Obama of ASP board member and Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell as special envoy for the Middle East. In response, ASP President Vice Admiral Lee Gunn, USN (Ret.), issued the following statement:

“We at the American Security Project applaud the appointment of our board member and colleague, former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, as special envoy for the Middle East. Majority Leader Mitchell will bring a wealth of experience, a broad understanding of the challenges we face in the Middle East, and a firm commitment to diplomacy, to this important position.

“As former Co-Chair of the Task Force on the United Nations, Chair of the International Crisis Group, and former Chairman of the Peace Negotiations that resulted in a cease-fire in Northern Ireland in 1998, Senator Mitchell has demonstrated a deep commitment to forging international consensus, and an ability to do so with unparalleled credibility. In addition, as a former Middle East Envoy and author of a 2001 report that called for a halt to Israeli settlements and greater Palestinian efforts to crack down on terror, Senator Mitchell is uniquely qualified to tackle the key challenges that we face in this important region of the world.

“We congratulate Senator Mitchell, and look forward to continuing to work with him to find shared solutions to our key foreign policy and national security challenges in the Middle East and around the world.”