U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, February 20, 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]
Kerry’s first remarks as Secretary of State.
Why it didn’t go down: ”The White House stalled the proposal because of lingering questions about which rebels could be trusted with the arms, whether the transfers would make a difference in the campaign to remove Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and whether the weapons would add to the suffering,” according to the WSJ’s sources. The proposal’s existence was made public yesterday for the first time at John Brennan’s Senate confirmation hearing. source [paywall]
Secretary of State John Kerry’s tweets will end in JK.
Really.
(via The Daily Caller)
Just kidding.
The State Department made a “grievous mistake” in keeping the U.S. mission in Benghazi open despite inadequate security and increasingly alarming threat assessments in the weeks before a deadly attack by militants, a Senate committee said on Monday.
A report from the Senate Homeland Security Committee on the September 11 attacks on the U.S. mission and a nearby CIA annex, in which the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans died, faulted intelligence agencies for not focusing tightly enough on Libyan extremists.
It also faulted the State Department for waiting for specific warnings instead of improving security.
READ ON: Senate report finds State Dept made “grievous mistake” over Benghazi
What lessons can be applied here that weren’t in Benghazi?
“He’s played a role in nearly every major foreign policy debate in the last 30 years,” Obama said at a brief ceremony formalizing Kerry’s nomination. The former presidential candidate is expected to sail through the nominating process, as he’s generally well-liked amongst Democrats and Republicans alike.
Andrew W.K. has a new gig lined up — cultural ambassador to the Middle East, as selected by the U.S. Department of State. The staunch partying advocate will be spreading that message abroad, traveling to Bahrain in late December, visiting universities and elementary schools alike. As he put it himself, on his website: “I’m very thankful to the Department of State for giving me the opportunity to visit a place I’ve never been before. And I feel very privileged and humbled by the chance to represent the United States of America and show the good people of Bahrain the power of positive partying. I can hardly wait for this adventure!” (Photo by whartonds) source
I take responsibility. I’m in charge of the State Department’s 60,000-plus people all over the world (at) 275 posts. The president and the vice president wouldn’t be knowledgeable about specific decisions that are made by security professionals. They’re the ones who weigh all of the threats and the risks and the needs and make a considered decision.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton • Saying that the buck stops at her feet, not the president’s, for the attack in Benghazi that led to the death of a U.S. ambassador. The State Department, and by extension the Obama administration, had faced criticism in recent days for not increasing security at the Benghazi base, despite the fact that it had been requested.
His influence over the grand game and the affairs of Nullsec cannot be overstated. If you were an alliance leader of any consequence, you spoke to Vile Rat. You knew him. You may have been a friend or an enemy or a pawn in a greater game, but he touched every aspect of EVE in ways that 99% of the population will never understand.EVE Online player The_Mittani • Regarding the death of State Department official Sean Smith, who was well-known to that community as the player Vile Rat. “Obviously, given the combined attacks in Egypt and in Libya, this was a coordinated act designed for maximum media exposure; rile up a mob, point them at an embassy or consulate on 9/11 in particular, aim for the press,” The_Mittani wrote. ”Many were injured in these pointless, reprehensible acts, and one of my closest friends was killed as a result.” A sad note that puts a real-life spin on a difficult situation — through virtual means. (ht Hacker News)
BREAKING: Secretary of State Clinton confirms State Dept. officer killed in Benghazi
(Photo: Esam Omran Al-Fetori / Reuters)
Updated at 10:20 p.m. ET: A U.S. State Department officer was killed in Benghazi, Libya after armed protesters stormed the U.S. consulate there, furious about an amateur video allegedly produced in the U.S. that has been viewed as insulting to the Prophet Muhammad.
The State Department has a statement on their Tumblr page from Hillary Clinton. Excerpt: “This evening, I called Libyan President Magariaf to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in Libya. President Magariaf expressed his condemnation and condolences and pledged his government’s full cooperation.”
In 2007, I was...
I started tumblr when I was at one of the lowest points of...
Exclusive: How the Syrian Electronic Army hacked the...
soon
Yahumblr.
Google found the...
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
July 18, 2012
I strongly condemn today’s barbaric terrorist attack on Israelis in Bulgaria. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and injured, and with the people of Israel, Bulgaria, and any other nation whose citizens were harmed in this awful event. These attacks against innocent civilians, including children, are completely outrageous. The United States will stand with our allies, and provide whatever assistance is necessary to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of this attack. As Israel has tragically once more been a target of terrorism, the United States reaffirms our unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security, and our deep friendship and solidarity with the Israeli people.
You can also read the statement here.
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
May 26, 2012The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms yesterday’s massacre in the Syrian village of Haoula. United Nations observers have confirmed that dozens of men, women, and children were killed and hundreds more wounded in a vicious assault that involved a regime artillery and tank barrage on a residential neighborhood.
Those who perpetrated this atrocity must be identified and held to account. And the United States will work with the international community to intensify our pressure on Asad and his cronies, whose rule by murder and fear must come to an end.
We stand in solidarity with the Syrian people and the peaceful marchers in cities across Syria who have taken to the streets to denounce the massacre in Haoula.
Tough words from the Secretary of State. But will this be a turning point in the perception of the situation in Syria? Clearly, some are using this as a catalyst to further bring attention to the atrocities happening there.
The Internet whistle-blowing platform WikiLeaks made public Friday for the first time all of the about 250,000 US diplomatic cables it had acquired in their original and uncensored state.
…On Friday, media partners who worked together with WikiLeaks in the past, including SPIEGEL, the Guardian, the New York Times and El Pais, issued a joint statement condemning the decision to release the raw documents…
“We cannot defend the needless publication of the complete data — indeed, we are united in condemning it.”
“Today’s decision to publish by Julian Assange was his, and his alone.”
On Twitter and its website, WikiLeaks criticized former colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg for connecting the password with a file that was accidentally made accessible to the public, and blamed David Leigh, a journalist for the British newspaper theGuardian, for publishing the password. >continue<
This is a very wise approach by the media outlets — simply put, they need to counter the carelessness of this release.
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