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German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle (R) introduces his partner Michael Mronz (L) to his U.S. counterpart Hillary Clinton during the Atlantic Council Awards ceremony at the Adlon hotel in Berlin, November 8, 2009, one day ahead of the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach (GERMANY ANNIVERSARY POLITICS)

And then I'd like to read a statement on Honduras. Last week, Honduran negotiators came to an accord that spells out a step-by-step process for Honduras to reestablish democratic and constitutional order and move toward national elections with the support of the international community. In the wake of the Verification Commission visit November 3 and 4, the two sides made significant progress toward the formation of a unity government. For that reason, we were particularly disappointed by the unilateral statements made last night, which do not serve the spirit of the Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord. We urge both sides to act...

A week of hard negotiations between the United States and Russia netted what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton classified as “significant breakthroughs in our two countries’ relationship.” Among the breakthroughs cited by Secretary Clinton—Russia will be allowed to inspect US nuclear weapons sites, Russia retains the right to preemptive, first-strike use of nuclear weapons, and Russia will not assist the United States in seeking sanctions against Iran’s acquisition of nuclear warheads. “By acceding to their demands we are showing them that we do not pose a threat to their interests,” Clinton explained. “A gesture of submission on our part eases...

In the middle of a diplomatic mission through Europe, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made headlines at home this morning when she closed the door on another bid for the presidency. In an interview on the "Today" show, Ann Curry asked if Clinton ever wishes she, rather than Barack Obama, was setting U.S. policy as the commander-in-chief. "I have to tell you," Clinton said, "it never crosses my mind." Curry followed up, "Will you ever run for president again?" "No," Clinton said. "No?" "No, no" Clinton insisted, laughing. "This is a great job. It is a 24-7 job. And I'm...

DALLAS — Eight years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and despite repeated mandates from Congress, the United States still has no reliable system for verifying that foreign visitors have left the country. New concern was focused on that security loophole last week, when Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, a 19-year-old Jordanian who had overstayed his tourist visa, was accused in court of plotting to blow up a Dallas skyscraper. Last year alone, 2.9 million foreign visitors on temporary visas like Mr. Smadi’s checked in to the country but never officially checked out, immigration officials said... ...officials said, about 40 percent...

U.S. Can’t Trace Foreign Visitors on Expired Visas By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr. and JULIA PRESTON October 11, 2009 DALLAS — Eight years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and despite repeated mandates from Congress, the United States still has no reliable system for verifying that foreign visitors have left the country. Hosam Maher Husein Smadi entered the United States legally, but then overstayed his visa. [Pic in URL] New concern was focused on that security loophole last week, when Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, a 19-year-old Jordanian who had overstayed his tourist visa, was accused in court of plotting to...

An openly gay Jewish attorney has been nominated by Barack Obama as America’s new ambassador to New Zealand. David Huebner, 49, who is currently based in Shanghai, is Obama’s first gay appointment, and the third openly gay ambassador in American history. Obama’s nomination Wednesday of Huebner, who has also acted as general counsel for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, must be approved by Congress. A graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School, Huebner will also become the non-resident ambassador to Samoa, where homosexuality is illegal. Huebner is also on a list of Jewish leaders of the homosexual...

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said Wednesday he planned to nominate an openly gay lawyer as the U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. If confirmed by the Senate, David Huebner would become the third openly gay ambassador in U.S. history and the first pick by this administration. In a statement released from the White House, Obama said he looked forward to working with Huebner and is confident he will represent the United States well in the Pacific region.

Travel Alert U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Bureau of Consular Affairs This information is current as of today, Sun Sep 27 2009 02:36:27 GMT-0700 (PDT). Germany September 23, 2009 The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens that Al Qaeda has threatened it will conduct terrorist attacks in Germany immediately prior to and following the federal elections on September 27. This Travel Alert expires on November 11, 2009. Al Qaeda recently released a video specifically warning Germany of attacks. German authorities are taking the threat seriously and have taken measures to enhance the level of security throughout the country. The Department of...

Today local radio America has spread a version that states that the US embassy in Tegucigalpa would host the paralell govt. of Manuel Zelaya. The version says that the ambassador Hugo Llorenz has ready 6 limousines ready to transport the members of Zelaya's cabinet to the embassy. Some of his top officials are wanted by honduran justice.

After getting complaints from Congress─and an inquiry from NEWSWEEK─the State Department backed away Thursday from awarding foreign-aid funds to two foundations headed by the children of Libyan dictator Muammar Kaddafi.

http://secretaryclinton.wordpress.com/2009/09/19/hillary-clinton-marks-the-end-of-ramadan/ In this video, Secretary of State Clinton is wishing everyone happy end of Ramadan.

A radical Islamic sect based in Somalia and linked to al-Qaida and based in Somalia plotted to kill US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her trip to Africa last month, according to The Australian newspaper. The plot was to be carried out through a planned series of bomb attacks set to take place in Nairobi, the capital of neighboring Kenya, while Clinton was there - one in the hotel where she was staying. The plot was foiled at the last minute, media reports, citing senior security officials, said. According to yesterday's reports, al-Shabaab, which is viewed as increasing regional...

Law: President Obama's nominee for State Department legal adviser could be a future Supreme Court pick. He believes U.S. law should be based on foreign precedent, and even Shariah law could find a home here. We have commented many times on the opinion of a number of U.S. Supreme Court justices that American jurists should include foreign law and precedent in their decisions. In several prominent cases, this has already happened. In a speech in South Africa, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg called the March 2005 Roper v. Simmons decision, in which a 5-4 majority ruled against executing murderers who were...

"I believe the explanation lies in the Obama administration’s fondness for transnationalism, a doctrine of post-sovereign globalism in which America is seen as owing its principal allegiance to the international legal order rather than to our own Constitution and national interests. "Recall that the president chose to install former Yale Law School dean Harold Koh as his State Department’s legal adviser. Koh is the country’s leading proponent of transnationalism. He is now a major player in the administration’s deliberations over international law and cooperation. Naturally, membership in the International Criminal Court, which the United States has resisted joining, is high...

Dr. Miguel Humberto Diaz Rome, Italy, Aug 27, 2009 / 12:03 pm (CNA).- This morning Dr. Miguel Diaz arrived in Rome with his family to begin serving in his new position as the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. Ambassador-designate Diaz said that he and his family are looking forward to the coming weeks and that he hopes to "deepen and expand upon the special relationship" between the U.S. and the Vatican.Dr. Miguel Humberto Diaz, arrived with his family this morning at Rome's Fiumicino International Airport. Prior to leaving the U.S. he was sworn in as ambassador on August...

I smell a rat in the release of the convicted Lockerbie bomber, Abdel Basset al-Megrahi. Here's what U. S. President Barack Obama had to say about the release. "We thought it was a mistake." In a written statement, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pronounced herself "deeply disappointed." Does that not seem like strangely mild language to use about the release of a man convicted in the worst international terrorist attack against U. S. citizens before 9/11? Two hundred and fifty-nine people were killed aboard Pan Am Flight 103 by a planted bomb. One hundred and eighty of them were Americans;...

The United States is warning Libya not to make a hero out of the terminally-ill Libyan, convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing, who was allowed to return home Thursday by Scottish authorities. The Obama administration says the decision to release Abdel Baset al-Megrahi was a profound mistake. The United States is expressing deep disappointment and regret over the Scottish decision to release the Lockerbie bombing figure, and it has warned Libya not to make a hero of the convicted terrorist or face unspecified consequences in bilateral relations. The decision by Scottish authorities to release Megrahi, said to be near...

During the primary season last year, Hillary Clinton claimed she was more qualified than Barack Obama to be President of the United States because of the skills and knowledge of international affairs she had gained at the side of Bill Clinton. I know there's a domestic affairs joke in there, but I'm passing on it because I want to make my point. We have discussed previously that the Hillary camp made a deal with the Barack camp that they would not blow up the Democratic National Convention if Hillary were to be appointed Secretary of State. Obama's other choice for...

We're all now familiar with this viral exchange between Secretary Clinton and a questioner in Africa

After losing to Barack Obama last year -- and then having to go work for him -- one would have thought that some of Hillary Clinton's fabled anger would have come to the surface before now. But, of course, the lady usually can hold all these things back -- except when it involves Bill Clinton. That truism was on display Monday when the usually unflappable secretary of state just lost it in response to a Congolese student's rather innocent question -- which was actually mistranslated to Secretary Clinton:

excerpt: The types of defense support which would likely be in greatest demand during a flu pandemic are contained in the Implementation Plan and the NRF’s Emergency Support Function (ESF) # 8, Public Health and Medical Response Annex .28 A review of these documents indicates an anticipated demand for the types of support from DOD listed below. Note, however, that DOD’s ability to support these requests would be limited by its national defense and force protection responsibilities. • providing disease surveillance and laboratory diagnostics • transporting response teams, vaccines, medical equipment, supplies, diagnostic devices, pharmaceuticals and blood products • treating...

America's chief diplomat sounds off on Iran, North Korea and Team ObamaIn a wide-ranging interview taped while she was in Nairobi last week, Hillary Clinton on “Fareed Zakaria GPS” said that her differences with Obama during the campaign were "maybe [a] difference in degree, not kind," and said she had no worries about foreign policy power moving from the State Department to the White House, noting, "I'm not exactly a shrinking violet." She also defended her husband's mission to North Korea, and dismissed the claim by Bush's ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton, that Clinton's trip encouraged hostage-taking and...

Don't answer that. I should have said: "Is Hillary Rebelling?" There. That's it. This is an "exclusive" from the NY Daily News -- a leak from the Clintons' permanent campaign staff. It proclaims that: "Hillary Clinton's camp is election-ready." Whaat? I thought we just had one of those. But no, "Hillary Clinton says running for office isn't on her "radar," but she still has an eight-person political team and sports two overflowing campaign war chests. ... Clinton's failed presidential bid is now $1 million in the black, and her old Senate campaign committee has $2.1 million in the bank, much...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A key U.S. senator asked the Obama administration on Thursday to explain in detail its policy on the Honduran political crisis, warning that otherwise Senate confirmation may be delayed for a U.S. diplomatic nominee for Latin America. "The complexity of events that led up to the Honduran crisis has given rise to questions regarding U.S. policy," Senator Richard Lugar, one of the Senate's most respected voices on foreign policy, wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The United States has refused to recognize the Honduran government led by Roberto Micheletti, which took over the Central American nation...

(English-language translation) Radio Martí - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved by acclamation the nomination of Cuban theologian Miguel Díaz as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, an appointment that must be ratified by the full Senate. If confirmed, 45-year-old Havana native Díaz would be the first Hispanic U.S. ambassador to the Holy See since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1984. Díaz, the son of a waiter and a typist, was the first member of his family to earn a university degree. He studied at the University of St. Thomas and the University of Notre Dame, working as professor at...

Worldwide Caution July 29, 2009 The Department of State has issued this Worldwide Caution to update information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against American citizens and interests throughout the world. In some countries, the worldwide recession has contributed to political and economic instability and social unrest. American citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. This replaces the Worldwide Caution dated February 2, 2009 to provide updated information on security threats and terrorist activities worldwide. The Department of State remains concerned about the continued...

First, I want to make a quick statement that we will also issue. The Department of State is currently reviewing the diplomatic visas or A visas of individuals who are members of the de facto regime in Honduras, as well as the derivative visas for family members of these individuals. We have already revoked diplomatic visas issued to four such individuals. These individuals received their diplomatic visas in connection with positions held prior to June 28th under the Zelaya Administration, but who now serve the de facto regime. And with that – well, I’ll just also there is a press...

US State Dept has advised embassies worldwide to stock up on a year's worth of the local currency in anticipation of collapse of the US dollar. Look for a temporary banking shutdown timed for around September 2009. As under Roosevelt, some banks won't reopen. 96% of bank reserves are currently held with the Federal Reserve who tells the banks not to loan the money, but rather to save it for further banking acquisition and consolidation. Chapman foresees a bank holiday lasting 4-5 days. Chapman thinks this first bank holiday presages a much more significant bank holiday months to years later...

Protest launched over US state department nominee By Greg Farrell and Francesco Guerrera in New York and Daniel Dombey in Washington Published: July 23 2009 01:35 | Last updated: July 23 2009 01:35 An advocacy group on Wednesday launched a campaign to derail the nomination of a Goldman Sachs executive to a high position in the US state department because of his past role in raising public funds for a Chinese company linked to Sudan. Public Accountability Initiative, a not-for-profit organisation, said Robert Hormats, whom Barack Obama nominated this week as undersecretary of state for economic affairs, had made misleading...

North Korea shot back today at U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who recently likened the isolated regime to a child demanding attention..... 'We cannot but regard Mrs. Clinton as a funny lady as she likes to utter such rhetoric, unaware of the elementary etiquette in the international community.' The ministry added her words 'suggests she is by no means intelligent.' Sometimes she looks like a primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping'. The ministry added: "Anyone making misstatements has to pay for them," but did not elaborate.

Is Clinton an Invisible Woman in Washington? /Reuters-Newsis U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is a star who is given almost the same treatment as heads of state when she travels abroad, but the former first lady, senator and President Barack Obama's greatest rival during the race to the White House, Clinton is now reportedly being sidelined in Washington. There are rumors that she wields even less influence at home than her predecessors Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell. Washington Post columnist Jim Hoagland wrote on July 15, "It's President Obama's inner circle, advisers such as chief of staff Rahm Emanuel...

QUESTION: On Honduras, I believe Harold Koh and Tom Shannon met with some legislators today, like Ileana Ros-Lehtinen to brief them on Honduras. Can you give us a readout of that? MR. WOOD: I don’t. I haven’t spoken to Tom at all today on that issue. But let me just tell you what I do know about what’s going on there. My understanding is that talks are supposed to restart tomorrow. And I also want to reemphasize what we’ve said, and that’s our commending President Arias’ efforts. And we want to call on all the parties in the region to...

Recently, liberals set off some Bastille Day fireworks. Conservatives have often teased liberals, saying their hearts are really in France. Of course, that was before the Right’s man, Nicolas Sarkozy, waltzed into the Elysée Palace as France’s new President. Then, U.S. conservatives decided perhaps our oldest ally was not so bad after all. Well, Tina Brown, editor of the liberal blog, The Daily Beast, let go with some real cherry bombs. She loudly proclaimed it’s time for President Obama to let Hillary shed her—burqa! Wow! These folks fight fierce. Brown is charging that President Obama has turned Hillary into his...

Today’s NY Times carries a story on Hillary’s efforts to regain her stature as Secretary of State after she failed to accompany Obama on his trip to Russia, and talk she was being elbowed aside by the White House. The Times puff piece follows an earlier story in the same vein from AFP via Breitbart. Island Turtle covered the changing relationship between the two in an article last week entitled: Is Secretary of State Clinton on the way out? The Times story describes her speech yesterday to the Council on Foreign Relations as a muscular approach, especially on Iran, and...

Note: The following text is a quote: YOU ARE IN: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton > What the Secretary Has Been Saying > 2009 Secretary Clinton's Remarks > Remarks by Secretary Clinton: July 2009 Foreign Policy Address at the Council on Foreign Relations Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Washington, DC July 15, 2009 7/15/09 - Question and Answer Session Thank you very much, Richard, and I am delighted to be here in these new headquarters. I have been often to, I guess, the mother ship in New York City, but it’s good to have an outpost of the...

Hillary Clinton has depicted the United States as a tough but fair global leader as she attempted to retake her place on the central stage of American foreign policy and diplomacy after weeks out of the limelight. She chose the prestigious setting of the Council on Foreign Relations to reclaim her stake as the nation's chief diplomat after six months as Secretary of State in which after a burst of initial publicity she has struggled to be heard among other heavyweight voices in Barack Obama's administration. Despite being well received overseas, and travelling more extensively than some of her predecessors,...

Diplomatic hot spots are popping up everywhere, in spite of President Obama's "adopt an evil-doer" doctrine. We have real-live crises in Honduras, North Korea and Iran; things are dicey in Afghanistan, China is ever problematic and Mexico is a mess. Not to worry: the administration is on top of things. Joe Biden is trying to make Iraq's leaders play nice in their sandbox, President Obama is becoming the Russians' new BFF, Richard Holbrooke has been meeting with G8 foreign ministers in Trieste, and George Mitchell convened recently with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's last...

QUESTION: In Costa Rica, Zelaya, I think that he’s already there for the process. I don’t know if Micheletti is going to participate or not. I don’t know if he confirmed yet. And I want to know if the U.S. is in some way monitoring this process with Oscar Arias. MR. KELLY: Yeah. QUESTION: If you were getting any updates. MR. KELLY: Yeah. QUESTION: Or this process will continue. MR. KELLY: Yes, I do have an update. We understand that the mediation talks were supposed to have started about 20 minutes ago. I understand that President Zelaya is already there....

Files New Motion in Lawsuit on Behalf of State Department Foreign Service Officer Contact Information: Press Office 202-646-5172, ext 305 Washington, DC -- July 8, 2009 Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that on July 2 it filed a motion with a special panel of three federal judges in the District of Columbia asking the court to declare Hillary Clinton ineligible to serve as Secretary of State. The Judicial Watch lawsuit, filed on behalf of a U.S. Foreign Service Officer and State Department employee David C. Rodearmel, maintains that the "emoluments clause"...

Valletta, Malta, Jul 8, 2009 / 12:14 am (CNA).- The editor of a Malta newspaper has commented on President Barack Obama’s choice of Prof. Doug Kmiec as ambassador to Malta, describing the appointment as “somewhat of a poisoned chalice” and noting the controversies concerning Kmiec and his campaign to elect Obama to the American presidency.Noel Grima, editor of the Malta Independent Online, said that though Kmiec was a Catholic and a pro-life person he has “fallen foul” of some Catholic leaders for his public stances on abortion and other pro-life issues.Noting Kmiec’s past as a law school dean, a law...

Diplomatic hot spots are popping up everywhere, in spite of President Obama's "adopt an evil-doer" doctrine. We have real-live crises in Honduras, North Korea and Iran; things are dicey in Afghanistan, China is ever problematic and Mexico is a mess. Not to worry: the administration is on top of things. Joe Biden is trying to make Iraq's leaders play nice in their sandbox, President Obama is becoming the Russians' new BFF, Richard Holbrooke has been meeting with G8 foreign ministers in Trieste, and George Mitchell convened recently with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's last...

I was one of those who went “toe to toe” with my colleague during the last hotly contested Presidential campaign in the United States of America. For me, it was never about my being an enthusiastic supporter of the other major candidate - I was not. It was about the threshold foundational concern that reveals the very heart of Catholic Social Justice thought, the inviolable dignity of every human life. This is the key to the whole social justice teaching of the Catholic Church. I contended then and now that it must also be the door through which we proceed...

Jim Geraghty points out an unusual item from Reuters yesterday, in which the State Department announced that Hillary Clinton would not accompany Barack Obama to Moscow next week. The nation’s chief diplomat will stay home while Obama pursues nuclear reductions with Russia, one of his big diplomatic projects, one in which observers would presume that the Secretary of State would have substantial involvement: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who broke her right elbow two weeks ago, will not accompany President Barack Obama to Moscow next week, a U.S. official said on Wednesday. “Secretary Clinton is not going to go...

Another Chicago area resident, Fay Hartog-Levin, a longtime Democratic activist and fund-raiser and an early career supporter of Barack Obama, was tapped Thursday to be ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Her husband, Daniel Levin, is the chairman of The Habitat Company and the founder of the East Bank Club. Valerie Jarrett, before joining the Obama White House as a senior advisor, was the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Habitat Company. Levin's cousins are Michigan Democrats, Sen. Carl Levin and his brother, Rep. Sandy Levin. A Winnetka resident, Hartog-Levin is a senior consultant at the Res Publica...

Hillary Clinton urges condemnation of Honduran actionTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS 5:45 PM EDT, June 28, 2009 WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the action taken against Honduras' president should be condemned by everyone. She says Honduras must embrace the principles of democracy and respect constitutional order. The president, Manuel Zelaya, was flown to Costa Rica after being taken into military custody at his house outside the Honduran capital. He was detained shortly before voting was to begin on a constitutional referendum the president had insisted on holding.

US appoints envoy to Muslim world Mrs Clinton said Ms Pandith brought 'years of experience' to the role The US State Department has appointed its first Special Representative to Muslim Communities. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Farah Pandith would play a leading role in US efforts to "engage Muslims around the world". She said Ms Pandith, who was born in Indian-administered Kashmir, would bring years of experience to the role. The appointment is part of President Barack Obama's attempts to improve relations with the Muslim world. Mrs Clinton said Ms Pandith "sees her personal experience as an illustration of...

Vote Coming to Confirm Anti-gun Radical -- "Guns Kill Civil Society," says State Department Nominee Tuesday, June 23, 2009 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has scheduled a Wednesday vote on a State Department nominee who supports gun control on a global scale. While advocates of the Second Amendment have come to expect that appointees of President Barack Obama would be hostile to the rights of gun owners, the president's nominee for legal advisor to the State Department reaches a whole new level of anti-gun extremism. Harold Hongju Koh, who served at the State Department under the Clinton administration, is a...

WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Barack Obama has decided to send a U.S. ambassador back to Syria, a dramatic sign of reconciliation between the two countries, senior administration officials tell CNN. The announcement is expected to be made this week. "It's in our interests to have an ambassador in Syria, a senior administration official told CNN Tuesday night. "We have been having more and more discussions and we need to have someone there to engage."

QUESTION: Can you confirm reports that the State Department has authorized the U.S. embassies to invite Iranian officials to Fourth of July celebrations? MR. WOOD: Well, the State Department recently provided some guidance to our posts regarding governments whose officials may be invited to U.S. Government hosted representational events this year around the Fourth of July. And we review these types of invitations every year, and the decision was made this year to invite officials from Iran. So – and this is very much in line with our policy of trying to engage the Iranian Government. QUESTION: I understand that...