Ambassador (ret.) William H. Luers is a former U.S. ambassador to Czechoslovakia and Venezuela.

Suzanne Maloney is a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution’s Center for Middle East Policy.

Jessica T. Mathews is a former director of the Office of Global Issues of the National Security Council.

Richard W. Murphy is a former ambassador and assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs and ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Joseph Nye is a former assistant secretary of defense and chairman of the National Intelligence Council.

Admiral Eric Olson (ret.) formerly served in the U.S. Navy and as commander of U.S. Special Operations Command.

William Perry is a former U.S. Secretary of Defense.

Ambassador (ret.) Thomas Pickering served as under secretary of state for Political Affairs and as U.S. ambassador to Israel, Russia, India, El Salvador, Nigeria, Jordan and the United Nations.

Paul R. Pillar is a former National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia.

Chuck Robb is a former member of the U.S. Senate and governor of Virginia.

Ken Salazar is a former secretary of the interior and a member of the U.S. Senate.

Rear Admiral Joe Sestak (ret.) formerly served in the U.S. Navy as deputy chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Requirements and Programs.

Gary Sick is a former director for Iran and the Persian Gulf of the National Security Council.

Rear Adm. Michael Smith (retired) formerly served in the U.S. Navy and as president of the American College of National Security Leaders.

Edward S. Walker, Jr. is a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.

James Walsh is a research associate at MIT’s Security Studies Program.

Col. Lawrence Wilkerson (retired) formerly served in the U.S. Army and as chief of staff to the Secretary of State.

Gen. Johnnie Wilson (retired) formerly served in the U.S. Army and as commanding general in the United States Army Materiel Command.

Timothy E. Wirth is a former U.S. senator.

Frank Wisner is a former ambassador and formerly served as under secretary of state for International Security Affairs and as U.S. ambassador to India, Egypt, the Philippines, and Zambia.

*The signers of this statement were either former senior officials of the U.S. government or prominent national-security leaders who have not held senior government positions. The positions listed after the names of the former government officials are senior posts held while in office. The positions listed after the names of those who were not from the government are listed with their current position. Institutions are listed for identification purposes only.

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