Donald Rumsfeld

“ This can and must be a time of tremendous promise for Central America if we seize the opportunities that CAFTA represents. No one can know the future with certainty. But if the United States and its neighbors continue to strengthen ties, this magic moment for Central America could become an historic turning point: an era when a fast-evolving region of 47 million people achieved greater prosperity and found firm footing as a true partner and friend of the United States. ”

“ Not too long ago, Central America was torn by civil strife and ruled by authoritarian regimes. For decades the United States was concerned about a growing trend toward Marxist radicalism in the region and the implications for American and hemispheric security.
Yet in the past two decades the Central American nations have transformed themselves in impressive ways -- which is a credit above all to their industrious and determined people. Dictatorships have given way to democracies, and rivalries that once threatened stability are now relics of the past. ”

“ Are we capturing, killing or deterring and dissuading more terrorists every day than the madrassas and the radical clerics are recruiting, training and deploying against us?
Does the US need to fashion a broad, integrated plan to stop the next generation of terrorists? The US is putting relatively little effort into a long-range plan, but we are putting a great deal of effort into trying to stop terrorists. The cost-benefit ratio is against us! Our cost is billions against the terrorists' costs of millions. ”