The U.S. State Department is looking to remove the word "democracy" from its mission statement, according to a Tuesday opinion piece in The Washington Post.
A draft statement for the revised version was circulated in an internal email Friday.
The draft of the statement of purpose reads, "We promote the security, prosperity and interests of the American people globally," according to Post columnist Josh Rogin.
The current State Department's mission statement, as it appeared in the 2016 fiscal year financial report read, "The Department's mission is to shape and sustain a peaceful, prosperous, just, and democratic world and foster conditions for stability and progress for the benefit of the American people and people everywhere. This mission is shared with USAID, ensuring we have a common path forward in partnership as we invest in the shared security and prosperity that will ultimately better prepare us for the challenges of tomorrow."
Former officials from the State Department criticized the draft changes in Rogin's Post column. "The only significant difference is the deletion of justice and democracy. We used to want a just and democratic world, and now apparently we don't," said Elliott Abrams, who was George W. Bush's deputy national security adviser.
"That change is a serious mistake that ought to be corrected. If not, the message being sent will be a great comfort to every dictator in the world," Abrams added.
Tom Malinowski, who was President Barack Obama's assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, said the changes made the policy more similar to Russia.
"It's a worldview similar to that of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, who also thinks that great powers should focus exclusively on self protection and enrichment, rather than promoting democracy. By removing all reference to universal values and the common good, it removes any reason for people outside the United States to support our foreign policy," Malinowski said, the Post reported.
"That said, I appreciate the honesty with which Tillerson projects his cynicism," Malinowski added.
The draft that was circulated Friday could change in its final version, Rogin said.
Some foreign policy experts are in favor of the possible change. "For many of the president's domestic supporters, it would be a very clear message that the United States is getting out of the nation building business," Paul Saunders, Center for the National Interest executive director, told The Daily Caller News Foundation.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.