Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard addressed the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue, in Manama, Bahrain. The transcript of her prepared remarks is below – The Q&A Session is not transcribed.
It should be remembered that Bahrain was the second nation to erupt following the 2009 Cairo, Egypt speech of then President Barack Obama. Tunisia was the first, Egypt was the third. The government of Bahrain barely survived the Islamist Spring and later formed a coalition with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE against the extremists within the Muslim Brotherhood then supported by Qatar.
DNI Gabbard speaks to the changed geopolitical environment in the era of U.S. President Donald Trump; the elimination of seemingly endless conflict driven by old guard establishment entities and influence agents around the world. The Director highlights her personal journey toward supporting President Trump and the America First agenda that seeks genuine friendship and national partnerships based on mutually beneficial transactions.
[TRANSCRIPT] – “Thank you, distinguished guests, excellencies, friends, and fellow peacemakers. It’s a privilege to join all of you here this evening. Your Highness, thank you very much for your kind hospitality and welcoming us in hosting this important event. To IISS and your team, thank you for yet again putting on a phenomenal dialogue. It’s an honor to be able to address you here in the Kingdom of Bahrain at this pivotal time in global history.
As we gather here, we’re reminded that true security, true stability, and peace cannot be forged in isolation, but in the common collection of peacemakers working towards that common purpose. Today, I want to speak plainly for myself as a veteran and a soldier who has seen firsthand the high cost of war. As someone who serves under President Trump’s leadership, I have experienced the promise of peace. His vision is about delivering real wins, not just for America, but for our collective cause of peace and prosperity, and doing so through a very principled realism, rooted in shared goals, interests, and values.
The old Washington way of thinking is something we hope is in the rear-view mirror and something that has held us back for too long. For decades, our foreign policy has been trapped in a counterproductive and endless cycle of regime change or nation-building. It was a one-size-fits-all approach of toppling regimes, trying to impose our system of governance on others, intervening in conflicts that were barely understood, and walking away with more enemies than allies. The result: trillions spent, countless lives lost, and in many cases, a creation of greater security threats, the rise of Islamist terrorist groups like ISIS.”
