State Issues New “Worldwide Caution”
This afternoon the State Department issued a new Worldwide Caution document, one that bore many similarities to the last iteration of the warning from July 18, 2012. Once again, al-Qaida plays a central role in the ongoing threats. The document serves as a reminder of what U.S. citizens face overseas, and while it doesn’t contain...
Kerry’s Remarks at Ceremonial Swearing In
A little less then a week after officially taking the reins at State in a private ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, Secretary of State John Kerry repeated the event publicly Wednesday with Vice President Joe Biden in tow. The text of his remarks is below. Thank you. Mr. Vice President, thank you for an unbelievably generous,...
Secretary Kerry’s Introductory Remarks to Employees
Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you very much, Susan. Thank you very much for that welcome. Secretary Nides, who’s an old friend, I’m grateful to him. I told him that’s probably the first and only time he’s ever bowed to me and – (laughter) – I know I’ll never, ever get that again. But...
The Syria Problem Evolves
After months of little movement in the ongoing conflict between Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad and opposition forces, we’re starting to see some shifting, partially triggered by military action from Israel. Last week news broke of an airstrike supposedly by the Israelis against what was initially reported to be a convoy headed for Lebanon. Israel remained mum on...
Clinton’s Farewell Remarks to Employees
Well, just standing here looking out at all of you, the people I have been honored to serve and lead and work with over the last four years, is an incredible experience. When I came into this building as the Secretary of State four years ago and received such a warm welcome, I knew there...
Hillary Clinton’s Parting Email to State
Subject: Thank You Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2013 19:50:00 +0000 THE SECRETARY OF STATE WASHINGTON Dear Colleagues and Friends:Thank you. That’s what I want to say to you one last time before I finish my tenure as Secretary. Thank you for four wonderful years. When President Obama asked me to serve as Secretary of State,...
Hagel Backs Returning Some Authorities to State
While much of today’s coverage of Senator Chuck Hagel’s confirmation hearing centered on several contentious exchanges with GOP senators, slipped in during the middle of the hearing was reference to an ongoing concern in the foreign policy community that DoD has claimed too many of the jobs that State once had. Hagel, in response to...
As Clinton Approaches Her Last Day, A Look at Her First
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to spend her last day at Foggy Bottom Friday, as her designated replacement Sen. John Kerry is due to be sworn in by Supreme Court Associate Justice Elena Kagan that afternoon. But before she departs, I wanted to take a look back at her first day, January 22, 2009...
Kerry (Unsurprisingly) Confirmed By Senate
By an ever-so-slim margin, Sen. John Kerry was confirmed as the next U.S. Secretary of State this evening with a vote of 94-3. The three standing in opposition are all from the GOP. That Kerry would be confirmed was a near inevitability when U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice withdrew her name from consideration in December....
60 Minutes Interview Shows Obama’s World View
In case you missed it, President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sat down with 60 minutes on Jan. 27, for a brief interview. Much of the conversation revolved around the perception that the two didn’t get along, and have subsequently grown quite fond of one another. Sources who have been in meetings...
A Video of Assassinated Ambassador Stevens Talking Security in Benghazi
About a year before he was killed, U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens stopped by Foggy Bottom to brief reporters on the security situation in Libya. Most of the talk centered around the difficulties in creating an effective democratic government from a variety of factions. But Stevens, hauntingly, foreshadowed some of the security problems...
