This work overseas is always important, but it is especially
necessary now in this tumultuous time, when the United States faces
complex challenges around the world:
In Asia, we see increased tensions in the South China Sea and an
increasingly hostile North Korea. In Africa, there is a devastating famine in East Africa, brutal civil
wars, as well as terrorist organizations like Boko Haram and al-
Shabaab. The refugee crisis stemming from unrest in the Middle East continues,
and we have just seen reports of more gas attacks on the Syrian people. In South America, the people of Colombia have experienced devastating
floods that claimed more than 270 lives, a breakdown in the rule of law
in the Northern Triangle, and a government in Venezuela that has become
an oppressive dictatorship. Even in Western Europe, we continue to combat terrorist threats from
organizations like ISIS, who 2 weeks ago inspired the attack in London.