Panetta: Foreign Language and Culture Training Is Essential to U.S. National Security

From http://www.alliance-exchange.org

Foreign language and culture training is “essential to our ability not only to protect our security, but frankly to be a nation that is well educated,” Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said on Tuesday during a wide-ranging conversation with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the National Defense University.

Panetta’s remark came in response to the first audience question of the event, from an Army Colonel about the dearth of foreign language and culture training for military and intelligence services. Both Secretary Panetta and Secretary Clinton noted their views that such language and culture training is essential to U.S. security.

Read the rest of the summary at http://www.alliance-exchange.org/policy-monitor/08/17/2011/panetta-foreign-language-and-culture-training-essential-us-national-securi

Watch and read a transcript of the full conversation at http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/08/170611.htm