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Secretary Clinton: Gaggle with Traveling Press

Posted in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 21, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Gaggle with Traveling Press

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Embassy Kabul
Kabul, Afghanistan
July 20, 2010
QUESTION: (Inaudible) concerns of women, and what do you really think you would be able to do once the reconciliation is (inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think there are a lot of things we can do, and it is in keeping with what we’ve been doing. The United States supports most of the NGOs that are supporting women’s activities and rights, some of whom were represented in the room this morning. We are actually increasing our support to assistance that helps women, that empowers women. I have consistently raised with all levels of the Afghan Government, with everyone else from the EU to ISAF and the UN, the absolute necessity of our standing firmly together in our demands that women not be marginalized in the process of reintegration and reconciliation. I have pushed hard for women to have, literally, seats at the table in the loya jirga and the London conference and the Kabul conference, et cetera.
And I think we just have to continue to make that case. And I’m even thinking maybe we should be looking for ways we can make a stronger public education case, because in listening to the women this morning, I asked them if they thought mindsets had changed, and several of them said that they had, that there had been people who said, well, it was a mistake not to let our girls go to school during those five years, or it was a mistake to take our women teachers out of the classroom. And one woman said that one of – some man had said to her that the way he convinces people to be in favor of women is to say, “If your wife has to go to the hospital, do you want her treated by a male doctor or a female doctor? And if you want a female doctor, then we have to have female doctors.” So there’s a discussion going on in the society, and I want to really encourage that.
And then finally, the parliamentary elections in September hold out a lot of promise. How many women have signed up, Karl?
AMBASSADOR EIKENBERRY: About 330, a significant increase over 2005.
QUESTION: Yeah, 20 percent more.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Yeah. A lot of women are running for office and a certain number of women’s seats are guaranteed. So we’re pushing every way we know to, because we feel so strongly about it.
QUESTION: But, Madam Secretary, if there is a political solution that would come at the expense of women but allow foreign troops to cede an end in sight for their presence here, don’t you think you would take that political solution?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Kim, I don’t think there is such a political solution that does – I don’t think there is such a political solution that would be a lasting, sustainable one that would turn the clock back on women. That is a recipe for a return to the kind of Afghanistan, if not in the entire country, in significant parts of the country, that would once again be a breeding ground for terrorism. So we’ve got our red lines and they are very clear: Any reconciliation process that the United States supports, recognizing that this is an Afghan-led process, must require that anyone who wishes to rejoin society and the political system must lay down their weapons and end violence, renounce al-Qaida, and be committed to the constitution and laws of Afghanistan, which guarantee the rights of women.
QUESTION: Madam Secretary, a couple of questions on Iran.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Mm-hmm.
QUESTION: Did the U.S. have any back-channel or direct contact with Iran during this conference? Have you done anything to reassure them about the presence of U.S. troops on their eastern border? And what do you see their role in Afghanistan as?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Iran was here today for the simple and unavoidable fact that they are a neighbor with longstanding historical, cultural, even religious connections inside Iran. And the very first conference I went to about Iran back in the Hague —
QUESTION: About Afghanistan.
SECRETARY CLINTON: About Afghanistan. Yeah, that I went to about – thank you, Matt – that I went to about Afghanistan was in the Hague, and Iran was there. So we were fully expecting Iran to be present here. It was at a higher level at this conference because the foreign minister came. There were many messages that people were conveying back and forth about what they thought was going on, but the bottom line is that we certainly believe that it’s important for all of Afghanistan’s neighbors to play a constructive role in the future of Afghanistan. And we’ve certainly had conversations about that with Pakistan and with Afghanistan’s northern neighbors, and I know that a number of other countries were meeting with and talking to Iran today.
QUESTION: Can I follow up? Yeah, but a couple years ago, after 9/11, the U.S. and Iran were able to kind of talk —
SECRETARY CLINTON: Right.
QUESTION: — sit down, have conversations about Afghanistan. And that was seen as a way to kind of break the ice. Do you think that there’s enough common interest on Afghanistan that perhaps you and Iran could talk, and maybe that could kind of break the ice to begin the kind of engagement that you originally talked about and talk about other things?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, you’re right; that did happen right after 9/11. I think that we have to wait and see what Iran is willing to do. We’re in a post-sanctions environment and I’m not sure yet what will come from Iran’s attendance at this conference, but we’ll wait and see.
QUESTION: Would you be willing to send Ambassador Eikenberry, for instance, to talk to the Afghan –
SECRETARY CLINTON: We’re not going to —
QUESTION: — the Iranian ambassador to Afghanistan?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I’m not speculating. We’ll just have to see whether anything develops in the future.
QUESTION: There was no handshake (inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: No, unfortunately no handshake. No.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) discuss art?
SECRETARY CLINTON: No, no discussion of art.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) what the foreign minister had to say?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I did not. I missed it. So I’m sure you can give me a readout.
QUESTION: Was it characterized for you?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Not yet.
QUESTION: Basically, he accused the U.S. of using Afghanistan and Pakistan as a staging ground for terrorist attacks inside Iran.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Really? I missed that.
QUESTION: Madam Secretary, can I ask about that 2014 target date? It’s been endorsed now.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Right. By Karzai.
QUESTION: How do you read that? How achievable is it and what should Americans read into that regarding the American timeline in Afghanistan?
SECRETARY CLINTON: That’s not the first time that a date has been put on President Karzai’s aspiration to have control over his own country through the Afghan National Army and Police. I think at his inauguration, he said in five years, if I’m not mistaken, so that would be 2015.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) 2014. He said in 2009 (inaudible).
SECRETARY CLINTON: Yeah, so 2014. So he’s been consistent. And others have also said, look, we need to be working toward a time when the – excuse me, Richard, I’m trying to talk, thank you very much – (laughter) – one person at a time here. And he’s been very consistent in saying that he wants to see as effective a move toward Afghan control as possible. And so do we. I mean, that’s what we’re working toward. So we have increased dramatically our training effort for both the army and the police. We have made it clear to President Karzai, as I said today, that in July 2011 we’re going to start looking on a conditions-based appraisal as to whether we can responsibly transition to Afghan control in certain parts of the country. So this is all very much in line with what we’ve been saying for at least as long as I’ve been Secretary of State.
QUESTION: Does that mean that the transition, the beginning of the transition, which people had once hoped to begin toward the end of this year, has now slipped into July of next year?
SECRETARY CLINTON: No, in fact, Matt, in my statement I said that the transition process may be able to begin by the end of this year. And remember, it’s not just a military transition; it’s also a civilian transition. And one of the benefits of this particular conference is that the Afghan Government presented a comprehensive plan, the likes of which we haven’t seen before. It was much more detailed and specific with accountability built into it. The UN, under Staffan de Mistura, is pushing very hard on benchmarks and milestones and agreed-upon accountability measures that the international community will accept.
So there – I know it’s – I mean, some of you have been covering what’s going on, what’s been going on in Afghanistan, since 2001. Certainly, the ambassador was here as a military commander. I was here several times as a senator. But I have to just tell you, it was not until the Obama Administration came in that we had a strategy for Afghanistan. The prior administration had received requests for additional troops which they had not acted on. President Obama inherited troop requests. The Government of Afghanistan was in a holding pattern. There wasn’t the kind of partnership that was demanding results and expecting to see changes made that we now have put into place.
So I really think of what we’re doing as an 18-month strategy that I think has the pieces in place. We have what Ambassador Holbrooke’s team has done and the regional approach looking at Afghanistan and Pakistan together, which was not done prior to this Administration.
So I understand the frustration. I feel it myself, especially every time we lose somebody or some young man or woman serving in the uniform of our country gets blown up and loses legs and arms and so many other grievous injuries. Yet at the same time, I think today was a real turning point. I had so many foreign ministers come up to me and tell me that they feel so much better based on what happened today. There were, if you looked around, many more representatives from Muslim-majority countries, from Arab countries. There is a coalition that is very committed to trying to make the Afghan Government successful, and I think that we’re seeing progress.
STAFF: We’ve got to get to Korea, guys.
QUESTION: Yeah, could we have one question about Korea, actually, just before we go? What are you expecting to achieve in South Korea? Why the visit to the Demilitarized Zone? And is there any talk of further sanctions on North Korea?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we are – Bob Gates and I were planning to go to Korea for quite some time before the Cheonon because we needed to have what’s called a 2+2, where the defense and foreign ministers meet, and because it’s the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, where we lost more than 55,000 Americans. So we had always planned to do this.
Now, following the attack on the Cheonon, I think it’s particularly timely to show our strong support for South Korea, a stalwart ally, and to send a very clear message to North Korea: Now look, we’ve offered a different path ever since the beginning of this Administration; you know what the price of admission is – denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. But I think that tomorrow is a real show of solidarity.
And on that point on South Korea, we did – we fought a war for South Korea, lost 55,000-plus Americans. We saw South Korea struggle to become a functioning democracy, huge amounts of instability, coups, corruption, scandal – you name it. And now we see a country that is among the G-20, one of our strongest allies, a real anchor in Northeast Asia.
And I think it’s good to remind ourselves that the United States has stood with countries that went through a lot of ups and downs for a lot longer than eight years, and it is important to recognize what’s at stake here in Afghanistan. This is a country that we left before, much to our dismay, and we can’t do it again. And I think that the Karzai government has some very well-thought-out plans, some very competent people who put this together for the government. And we’re going to do everything we can to support the implementation.
Thank you.

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Video & Text: Secretary Clinton’s Remarks from the Conference in Afghanistan

Posted in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , on July 21, 2010| 4 Comments »

Intervention at Kabul Conference

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Kabul, Afghanistan
July 20, 2010

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, Minister Rassoul. And I am honored to join representatives from more than 70 countries and organizations to stand in strong support of a peaceful, prosperous, and stable Afghanistan. I want to thank President Karzai and the Afghan Government for hosting us today and for the months of preparation that were needed to make this conference a reality. And before I begin, I want to join the secretary general in congratulating the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan for the successful negotiation of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement earlier this week. This is the most significant achievement between these neighbors in nearly 50 years and it will go a long way towards strengthening regional economic ties, creating jobs, and promoting sustainable economic development – all of which are critical to the people of both countries.
Today’s conference represents a milestone in a long and difficult journey. Here in Kabul, we are following Afghanistan’s lead. The Afghan people and government have charted a comprehensive strategy for their future. Their plans are detailed, practical, and reflect a great deal of work and consultation. And we are here as representatives of individual nations and as members of the global community to offer our support and align our resources behind Afghan goals and Afghan policies.
Now, we know the road ahead will not be easy. Citizens of many nations represented here, including my own, wonder whether success is even possible, and if so, whether we all have the commitment to achieve it. Well, we will answer these questions with our actions. Today, we join in launching what the Afghan Government has termed “the Kabul process.” It is a process that reflects a commitment to accountability, including clear benchmarks and milestones. And indeed, this conference is about accountability – accountability for the United States, for the United Nations, for members of the international community, and for the Afghan Government. We are called not only to voice support for the people of Afghanistan, but to honestly assess the progress we’ve made, identify the gaps between our expectations and our performance, and resolve to close those gaps together through patient, persistent efforts.
But it is important to note that we are making progress. Resources and personnel are flowing into the country, including almost 10,000 new international troops for ISAF. We are working around the clock to strengthen Afghanistan’s security forces. With our Afghan partners, we are on the offensive in parts of the country where the insurgents have gone unchallenged for too long. And we are matching our military efforts with an unprecedented civilian surge to help create stronger institutions and economic development.
President Obama has said that we will begin a responsible, conditions-based transition to Afghan security leadership in July 2011. Toward this end, the Afghan Government, working with NATO, has developed a broad framework for the process that will help create conditions for transition, province by province, district by district, so the Afghan security forces can assume full responsibility for security in the transitioned areas.
Now, the July 2011 date captures both our sense of urgency and the strength of our resolve. The transition process is too important to push off indefinitely, but this date is the start of a new phase, not the end of our involvement. We have no intention of abandoning our long-term mission of achieving the kind of Afghanistan that President Karzai set forth in his speech.
Too many nations, especially Afghanistan, have suffered too many losses to see this country slide backward. We intend to continue our economic development assistance and our support for training, equipping, and assisting the security forces of Afghanistan for a long time to come.
But our progress in the months and years ahead will largely depend on the people and Government of Afghanistan as well as the international community. So let me address the Afghan side of the partnership first.
The Afghan Government is stepping forward to deal with a multitude of difficult challenges, and I have to say some of their challenges have been made more difficult by the international community’s intervention. And I think recognizing that and accepting the analysis that was present in President Karzai’s address is very important. We are encouraged by much of what we see, particularly the work to improve governance. The government has created a new task force, new offices, and new legal tools to combat corruption. And President Karzai recently issued a decree prohibiting nepotism in government.
Now, these steps are important, but we know much more work remains. There are no shortcuts to fighting corruption and improving governance. On this front, both the Afghan people and the people of the international community expect results. As the government takes the steps it must to address this challenge, it can count on the United States for support.
We are also closely following the efforts to reintegrate insurgents who are ready for peace. There have been positive steps since last month’s consultative peace jirga. President Karzai’s decree establishing the Afghan peace and reintegration program has created a useful framework, but progress will depend on whether insurgents wish to be reintegrated and reconciled by renouncing violence and al-Qaida and agreeing to abide by the constitution and laws of Afghanistan.
I also want to emphasize the importance of President Karzai’s recent statement that the rights of women, Afghan ethnic groups, and civil society will not be sacrificed in pursuit of reintegration and reconciliation. Over many years, I have observed and participated in post-conflict reconciliation efforts – in the Balkans, Northern Ireland, Africa, Latin America – and I speak from my own experience when I say that the work of Afghan women and civil society groups will be essential to this country’s success. If these groups are fully empowered to help build a just and lasting peace, they will help do so. But if they are silenced and pushed to the margins of Afghan society, the prospects for peace and justice will be subverted.
Earlier today, I met with a number of Afghan women leaders who are doing heroic work to strengthen their communities and country, and I was privileged to announce several new programs that the United States will fund to support women and families by improving maternal and child health in pursuit of Afghanistan’s desire to move closer to the Millennium Development Goal. We will double our support for the Ministry of Public Health’s Community Midwifery Education Program and begin a new Community Nursing Education Program. And we will increase funding to programs that support gender equality in Afghanistan and an advocacy campaign to encourage religious leaders and influential members of communities across the country to encourage women and their families to access maternal health services.
I think that it is only fair for the international community to set forth its expectations, and the more we can speak with one voice, the less the confusion on the part of the Afghans themselves. And I appreciate the recommendation that President Karzai made that we do even more to try to unify our actions so that there are not so many voices speaking at once about what should and must be done inside Afghanistan.
Because the international community bears responsibilities as well. As we look at the more than 70 nations and international organizations helping Afghanistan move forward, we have to recognize the invaluable work that the United Nations is performing in Afghanistan, NATO allies, ISAF partners – all making extraordinary sacrifices and financial contributions. There are more countries and international institutions here today than were at the Bonn conference eight years ago.
This is all cause for optimism, but we have to resolve to work more effectively together. And I think beginning to understand the importance of supporting sustainable democratic institutions inside Afghanistan is a big piece of that responsibility.
So this conference makes it clear the world is with Afghanistan and the world stands in opposition to the common threat and the common enemy that stalks us all. There will still be too many days when we wake up to news of violence, conflict, and loss of life. But we must not forget that not only are millions of Afghans working to lay the foundation for a better future, but tens of thousands of young men and women from across the world are as well. Some might carry a gun as part of the military forces, others might carry a notebook as those who are attempting to improve governance or work on education or health, but so many around the world are counting on the success of what we can achieve together here in Afghanistan.
History will hold us accountable for our efforts, and here today we must do the same for each other. President Obama and I look forward to working with the Afghan Government, the United Nations, and all of you in seeing this mission through to completion.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)

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Secretary Clinton’s Remarks at Meeting With Embassy Kabul’s Civilian and Military Staff

Posted in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , on July 20, 2010| 1 Comment »

Well we see Mme. Secretary leave the AfPak region quite hopeful about progress being made.  In addition, we have seen that preparations for these visits, the tight security was very effective (as was Mme. Secretary re: her agenda).  Thankfully, although apparently some incidents were planned, they were neutralized.  As is her signature, our SOS made time to speak with the folks at Embassy Kabul who helped keep her visit so positive and smooth.  These people serve in a very dangerous place, as I do not have to tell you.  Here are her words to them today.

(If you work at Embassy Kabul and are reading this, thank you and bless you!

N.B.  I know I used this picture earlier today, but it is so apropriate here.  We applaud you!)

Remarks at Meeting With Embassy Kabul’s Civilian and Military Staff

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Embassy Kabul, Ambassador’s Terrace
Kabul, Afghanistan
July 20, 2010
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, it is good to be back and it’s wonderful to see all of you. I apologize for keeping you waiting. I understand you had to come in early because of security, but it’s cool – (laughter) – and so it’s a mixed blessing. And it’s really a privilege and honor to be here. I want to thank Ambassador and Mrs. Eikenberry. Once again, they were very gracious hosts in putting all of us up as we made this trip here for the Kabul conference. I want to thank Ambassador James Keith, Ambassador Bill Todd, Ambassador Hans Klemm, Ambassador Tony Wayne – just a lot of ambassadors. (Laughter.) Yeah, we got a whole stable full of ambassadors.
But mostly, I want to thank all of you. We have a tremendous team here and I know that each and every one of you are doing your very best to fulfill the mission that we have set for ourselves. And I am so proud that I get to work with you. You are truly on the front lines of American foreign policy and your efforts to strengthen the government and people of Afghanistan so that they are able to chart their own course toward a future they choose is especially important today in this world where there are so many who doubt whether it’s possible or not.
I said earlier at the conference that I know that there are many of our citizens back home who wonder whether this can be a success. Well, I have two answers to that. First of all, yes it can. And secondly, it has to. This is in America’s vital national security interest for us to work with the people and Government of to secure a stable, prosperous future.
And in the past year, we have done so much to try to make good on that promise. We have fulfilled our pledge to trip our civilian capacity on the ground in Afghanistan, and as you know, we are still growing. I am well aware we’ve had a lot of growing pains – (laughter) – and a lot of cramped quarters, and I thank you for your indulgence as we try to catch up with the movement of people here for this important work. We’re building additional facilities as quickly as possible, and while we all look forward to having an improved complex for you, you’re going to have to endure some construction and noise in the meantime, which is, I hope, a small price to pay.
I appreciate your patience and I appreciate your dedication, and I’m devoted to your safety and security, which is why we are improving the facilities as well as expanding them. Your security is a primary concern to me and our team back in Washington, as it is to the ambassador and the team here. I know that this is a high-stress, high-pressure, high-exposure, high-stakes environment, and there is no way to fully catalog the sacrifice that you are making with a more restricted lifestyle in order to serve our country. I know many of you have left families back at home this past Christmas. I had a Christmas party for children of the unaccompanied officers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and there was more than one little boy or girl who proudly told me that their mom or dad was here in Afghanistan. But I recognize that that puts a lot of pressure on you, being so far away – thanks for Skype and other things that make it a little better – but also for those who stay behind.
As the summer wears on, we move with our military engagement into the southern provinces, and obviously, that requires even more vigilance and precautions. There was a rocket attack on the airport last night and one of the press asked me if I thought that was a welcome for me. And I said no, I think it’s just recognizing that the people who are launching the rockets don’t want the kind of Afghanistan we all do and they don’t know what to do about it other than to engage in violent activity.
We have a great civilian-military leadership team here, and both Ambassador Eikenberry and General Petraeus, Special Representative Holbrooke, all of us, are working hard to try to chart the way forward in this very difficult assignment. And I’m aware too that we have a diverse staff. It’s not just State and AID, although that’s the bulk of the people here in this complex, but military personnel, agricultural experts, specialists in subjects ranging from crisis stabilization to rule of law to women’s rights. Even some former retirees who just couldn’t bear being on the sidelines have come back into the action.
And each and every one of you makes a very important contribution. We see it all the time in the reports that we are given. And I think that for me, this Kabul conference was a real milestone. I couple of the foreign ministers referred to it as a turning point, and I hope they’re right, because it was clearly Afghan-led. I know how much work many of you did in order to make it successful today. But the Afghan Government pulled together a very specific, detail-oriented plan. We, along with our international partners, will be working to operationalize it and to inject accountability measures into it. The long extra hours that you put in, I think really paid off.
I am also aware that as we look at the road ahead, there is a lot of concern about how we maintain a presence here when you have to be so restricted. For some of you who are Foreign Service officers or development experts, that’s just not the way you usually operate. And I understand that and I hope that as the security situation improves, your mobility will improve as well. But I am very conscious of how important it is that we bring you home safely, and that’s part of my commitment to you.
The Kabul conference today was not only very well attended, but notably had a large number of representatives at the foreign minister level from Muslim-majority countries and Arab countries who are really recognizing the significance of their involvement here. And at the end of the conference, President Karzai thanked everyone for coming and he especially thanked the representatives of Muslim countries, because he said we are showing the true face of Islam, not the extremists, not the radicals, not the haters, but we are. And I thought that was a good summary, because what was apparent today was the unity of purpose among people from across the world.
I want to recognize our brave locally engaged staff members. I am well aware local staff members form the backbone of our embassies around the world, and their service is not just critical; it’s essential. We couldn’t open our doors without you. And often, because you live in the community, the risks for you are even greater than for our American staff. Many of our locally engaged staff continued working at the Embassy during the years of Taliban rule. I understand that Saed Rahman has been with us since 1983, and I remember meeting you when I was here so many years ago. (Applause.)
I also want to welcome back Hameed Sultani from the INL team, who was wounded in a terrorist attack last year but has returned to work for us once again. (Applause.)
And of course, we remember our fallen colleagues, civilian and military, who are not with us today because of the sacrifice that they made. We honor their memories, and the work we do now and tomorrow is one of the best ways we can fulfill their hopes and see the realization of the cause that they died for even as we mourn their loss.
So all of you – civilian, military, locally engaged staff – please know how proud we are of you, take encouragement from the fact that we value the work that you are doing. As President Obama said to you when he was here, think about you all the time, even though we are half a world away. I know some of you are getting ready to leave and I thank you for your service, and some of you are newly arrived with more to come and I welcome you to Kabul. And I ask you to serve with the same level of dedication that those who have gone before you have set as a very high standard.
So thank you for everything you’re doing for the United States, for the American people, for Afghanistan, and the Afghan people. I am on my way to Seoul, South Korea, to meet Secretary Gates for a meeting there, and I will take with me the image of all of you and the memories of this day along with my many other memories of Afghanistan. My very first trip here back – oh my goodness, I think it was 2003 – I went into downtown Kabul, went to a restaurant for dinner. I visited the library and a museum that was just reopening. And it is my hope and prayer that on one of my future visits, either as Secretary of State or private citizen, I will be able to do the same again.
Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

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Lord, keep her safe!

Posted in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , on July 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I cannot even comment.  There was a different incident just before she left Pakistan.

Militants killed, detained in connection with Kabul Conference raid

By the CNN Wire Staff//
// -1) {document.write(‘July 20, 2010 — Updated 1128 GMT (1928 HKT)’);} else {document.write(‘July 20, 2010 7:28 a.m. EDT’);}
// ]]>July 20, 2010 — Updated 1128 GMT (1928 HKT)
Afgan President Hamid Karzai (left) and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tour a crafts baazar in Kabul.

Afgan President Hamid Karzai (left) and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tour a crafts baazar in Kabul.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Troops were looking for a Taliban facilitator
  • The man is believed to have been in the final stages of planning attack
  • Clinton is among the dignitaries at the Kabul Conference

(CNN) — Several insurgents were killed and two were detained while troops were looking for a Taliban facilitator who was believed to be in the final stages of planning an attack against an international conference in Kabul, authorities said Tuesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is attending the gathering, known as the Kabul Conference.

Read more>>>

//

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**UPDATED** VIDEO & Slideshow: Hillary Clinton at Afghanistan Conference

Posted in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , on July 20, 2010| 3 Comments »

Lots of pictures, so little time.  Sharing these the quickest way possible. Familiar faces: William Hague, Cathy Ashton, Guido Westerwelle among the many.

The new video is thanks to Lilly!

Mme. Secretary you are doing a great job, very effectively!  Stay safe, please!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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Secretary Clinton Briefs the Traveling Press

Posted in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , , on July 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Briefs the Traveling Press

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
En Route Kabul, Afghanistan
July 19, 2010

SECRETARY CLINTON: (Inaudible) appreciably better in tone and substance. I was really pleased by the progress that I see we’re making on not only the Strategic Dialogue but on the building of relationships. So I was very encouraged by the day, and coming on the heels of finally getting the transit trade agreement done, which is a huge breakthrough and speaks volumes about the willingness of both countries to work together. It was, all in all, a very good visit.
QUESTION: What are you hoping to (inaudible) President Karzai in terms of (inaudible)? What is your goal going into Kabul?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think we have to put this conference into context. This is probably the first time in more than maybe 40 years where there’s been any kind of international gathering in Kabul, and it’s part of a sequence of actions that include our policy, the inauguration, the London conference, President Karzai’s visit. And an enormous amount of work has been done by the Afghans in preparation for this conference. At last count, there were going to be 60 countries represented, plus the United Nations and other multilateral organizations. And we’ve really worked hard with the Afghans and they’ve worked really hard themselves to present their proposals, their plans, at the conference on everything from improving governance to transition to reconciliation and so much else.
So it’s been very well-prepared. They’ve had a good team working on it. And I’m looking forward to meeting with Ambassador Eikenberry, General Petraeus, and Staffan di Mistura tonight and then having dinner with President Karzai and having a one-on-one with him. And then tomorrow I’ll start my day with a meeting with Afghan women because I am absolutely determined that they’re going to be part of this future in Afghanistan. And so we’ll be meeting with people – with women along with the Danish foreign minister and the high representative from EU, Cathy Ashton, and Mrs. Espersen. And I wanted to start my day that way deliberately so that I can reference back to this during the conference.
And we’ll then go to the conference and I’ll participate in the conference but also have a number of bilateral meetings on a range of matters.
But all in all, it’s been well-prepared and I think it’s going to be very substantive and it’s going to demonstrate more Afghan ownership and leadership, which is something we’ve been pushing for.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: I’ve had a number of very long, substantive meetings with General Kayani and today was the latest. We have very frank and open exchanges. I understand the challenges that they are facing and have a lot of appreciation for how they’re addressing them. We have said repeatedly that we want to work with them to do even more together, and we went into some detail about that today. We discussed the Strategic Dialogue because it obviously has a significant security component. And the work that the Pakistanis returned to us today was very substantial and we kind of – we reviewed that.
So we had a very broad discussion about Afghanistan, what the best way – ways to secure peace and stability in Afghanistan. We talked about the recent dialogue between India and Pakistan and got their views on that. It was a really broad, comprehensive discussion.
QUESTION: You said you had talked about what more we could do to assist them, presumably on a military basis because that’s what he does. What kinds of things (inaudible) talk about? I mean, I think we all have a list of things that they would like to have and there’s some additional things that we would like to be able to do, so can you give us some sense of where there was a meeting of the minds (inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Karen, we talked about the status of American aid going forward. We’ve been working on a multi-year package with the Pakistanis. We talked about their request for excess defense assets, something that we think makes a lot of sense and that we’ll be pursuing. We talked about the challenges that they confront militarily in the areas where they’re fighting and how we can better exchange intelligence, support the non-military aspect of this. When I was here in October, General Kayani asked if I could expedite assistance that would go into South Waziristan so that people could see very tangible results of the clearing and holding part of the action and try to demonstrate building and then eventually transition. He thanked me for the expedited work that we’re doing.
So it was a very good exchange of what’s working, what we can do better, and I have a list of things that I’m working on (inaudible).
QUESTION: (Inaudible) frank and open (inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Those are diplomatic terms, Karen. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: You can imagine. We covered the waterfront.
QUESTION: At tomorrow’s conference, are you expecting that the result will be something that can begin to address the concerns that have been expressed by Representative Lowey and Senator Kerry and others on the Hill? (Inaudible) the direction and the (inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I hope so. I mean, that certainly is one of my goals, because we’ve been working with the Afghan Government and we have a process of certifying ministries so that we can increase the amount of the direct aid that’s going to the government. And we’ve asked for certain steps to be taken and representations made. We’ll see more about that tonight and tomorrow. And we also have to take a hard look at ourselves, because it’s very clear that our presence, all of our contracting, has fed this problem. This is not just an Afghan problem. It’s an international issue.
And we have to do a better job of trying to more carefully channel and monitor our own aid. If you remember the article that got Congresswoman Lowey so agitated with good reason, it wasn’t on the civilian side, it was on our military side, because the military was looking for ways to give safe passage for convoys, and obviously, they want to get things done, they want to move goods and people. So the article basically detailed what the consequences of doing that in a way that basically buys protection. Yet at the same time, look, this is a very challenging environment and I can understand why people make some of the decisions. But that’s no excuse. We have to do better.
And so while we’re pressing the Afghan Government at all levels to be more accountable, to go after corruption, we also have to do an equal job of managing our own presence there.
QUESTION: On that —
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
QUESTION: I’m sorry, just to follow up on that same thing. The military has got a number of task forces that they’ve launched in order to examine on their side these kinds of contracts. What is the State Department doing?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Same thing. I mean, we have an ongoing scrubbing of issues. I mean, as many of you know, Jack Lew has been heading up our internal efforts to really ask all the hard questions, to force decisions to be made, to implement measures of accountability. And we will continue that as Jack moves on to OMB. But between State and AID we have a – we don’t have a task force. We have a directive in the Department and the Agency about what’s expected and then we have oversight of that.
QUESTION: Madam Secretary, did you detect in the town hall and the interviews you did with Pakistani journalists any sign that you were beginning to move the needle on attitudes of Pakistanis towards (inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, that was my impression. It was the impression of people who were with me in October, people from our Embassy, people who follow this very closely.
QUESTION: Vis-à-vis October?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Yeah, vis-à-vis October. Yes, I do. And I mean, in fact, one of the journalists after the roundtable said, well, that wasn’t so bad, that was really substantive, don’t you think? The temperature was much lower. And I (inaudible). Yeah, I thought that it was. I thought that there – there was a seriousness about it. There’s going to be the hot-button issues. That’s just what you guys do. I understand that. But in addition to those, there were a lot of substantive concerns. And similarly at the town hall, the range of questions was much broader than I answered last October.
And the government officials also believe that we are moving the needle. Now, I don’t want to overstate this, but (inaudible) President Zardari or Prime Minister Gillani or Foreign Minister Qureshi or General Kiyani, they all said we really believe that the people are understanding that the United States wants to be a real partner to us, that it’s not just about killing terrorists. And I happen to think one of the best ways to kill terrorists is by being a good partner and by creating an atmosphere in which people have trust and confidence that what you are doing is in their interest as well and therefore they are prepared to support their own government in those efforts.
So I thought – I could – I can feel a change and I think our guys who were with me in October remarked on it as well.
QUESTION: Madam Secretary, (inaudible) what struck me was that a lot of questions were more about asking the U.S. for help – how can you help us solve this problem, how can you help us solve that problem . I wonder whether you ever get tired of being asked for help.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well —
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: But I often try to turn it around, Kim, because I understand the impetus behind that. In our Strategic Dialogue today – the finance minister is very impressive – Minister Shaikh gave a kind of 30-second rundown of American-Pakistani modern history. He said you’ve been with us whenever there’s been a war – 1960s the Cold War, 1980s the war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, post 9/11. He said we want to know that you actually care about us beyond times when there is conflict.
That’s a general attitude on the part of Pakistanis. They really are not prepared to believe that we want to make a long-term commitment and work together. So when they say, well, what about this and what about that, I will come back and say, look, you have to have tax reform, you’ve got to tax yourselves, people have to get to be entrepreneurs, you’ve got to do more for women. So I kind of push back and I think it’s a good, honest dialogue between us.
QUESTION: How about funding the production of South Pacific?
QUESTION: Of what?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Of South Pacific.
QUESTION: No, no, Nanette? Did you suspect she had an ulterior motive in asking that question? (Laughter.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: Only you would have really picked up on that, Matt. No, but I – for example, there’s a lot of money in Pakistan. Why don’t they have a law that encourages private donations to their culture activities? And I bit my tongue. I didn’t say, well, of course, a tax-deductible charitable contribution assumes you pay taxes against which you can deduct it. (Laughter.) But —
QUESTION: Are you aware that while you were at those meetings and the dialogue today that the North Korean ambassador was meeting with others – were you or anybody in your delegation aware of that and was there any connection to your upcoming (inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: No. I mean, they —
QUESTION: (Inaudible.) The Pakistanis are not serving as mutual —
SECRETARY CLINTON: No, no, that’s totally unconnected.
QUESTION: But you were aware?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I knew, but I mean, it was not anything that we had any involvement in.
QUESTION: There are reports – or actually, there was an investigation by the (inaudible) that showed that government offices in Pakistan and the army have unpaid bills worth (inaudible). When you talked to them about pouring money into projects to help their energy sector, do you tell them perhaps (inaudible) pay for the (inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, of course, their response to that, because this is part of our intensive analysis, is, well, we’re government offices; if we don’t have the money, how can we pay the bills? And that’s part of the financial problem that the finance minister and others are trying to sort out.
And the energy sector is particularly complicated because they have subsidized electricity for so long that now that they’re, I think, quite rightly removing those subsidies, they can begin to see what kind of market exists. And obviously, the army and the government are big users of energy.
STAFF: We’re about to take a very steep descent, so —
SECRETARY CLINTON: Oh yes, don’t forget we have to go down like that.
QUESTION: Did you get any confirmation that the Iranian foreign minister was going to be in Kabul tomorrow?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I heard that. What did you hear?
QUESTION: I mean, they’ve said that before and then they don’t show.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Why don’t you guys go try to interview him?
QUESTION: Why don’t you meet with him?
QUESTION: So you’ve heard it, but no confirmation?
SECRETARY CLINTON: No, I’ve definitely heard that he was coming, but I have no confirmation.
QUESTION: How concerned are they about security (inaudible)?
QUESTION: Do you want (inaudible)?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Very concerned. Very. Obviously, everybody is concerned about security.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: I think that it’s something that can be sequenced. I mean, we want to be able to certify agencies so that we can put money through them. We’ve certified, I think, four now. We want to certify more of them, but there are certain criteria that have to be met.
QUESTION: Thank you.

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Hillary Clinton Wheels Down in Afghanistan

Posted in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , on July 19, 2010| 6 Comments »

Being greeted by Ambassador Eikenberry and General Petraeus.

Being met by President Karzai.

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Hillary Clinton’s Travel Update

Posted in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, tagged , , , , , , , , on July 17, 2010| 17 Comments »

On July 14, the State Department released a travel schedule that I posted here along with some positive commentary regarding the sanity of that schedule involving just a five day work week,    Well so much for that!   Both CNN and Huffington Post have her traveling today for a meeting that takes place on Tuesday.  The State Department has not altered the schedule it posted and nobody has tweeted anything about this alteration.

I understand the need for security around these travels plans.  I do not understand why release any information at all if it is not accurate.  Here I thought she would have a weekend at home before traveling, and that is not the case.  If you wonder why this bothers me so much,  look no further than the (empty) White House.  The President takes his third vacation since the oil crisis began, does NOT bother to take it where he tells the American people to take theirs (the Gulf Coast), and meanwhile the Secretary of State leaves on yet another marathon trip on a weekend.

When was the last time the Secretary of State took a vacation?  Well, she did have some off-time over the Christmas break, everybody did,  but her last vacation was in August 2009.  She was briefly in Bermuda when the UK released Al Megrahi which was, of course the subject of her early morning phone call to UK Foreign Minister Hague yesterday.

This woman works so hard,  so cheerfully, and effectively, she just blows me away.  You have just got to love her!

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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Travel to Asia and Afghanistan

Posted in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged , , , , , , , on July 14, 2010| 15 Comments »

I just thought I would add my own little editorial comment here that this is a travel schedule that makes sense. She leaves on a Monday, returns Friday of the same week. Here’s why I like it.

1. She DOESN’T leave on a Sunday.
2. I takes up ONLY a normal work week.
3. She returns BEFORE the next weekend.
4. She gets TWO weekends as bookends

I guess you catch my drift. Our SOS works so hard. I am glad that this trip is not so long and doesn’t eat into her weekends with her family. OK – that’s my two cents! Well, four: inflation!

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Travel to Asia and Afghanistan

Philip J. Crowley
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Public Affairs
Washington, DC
July 14, 2010

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to the Republic of Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan July 19-23.

In Seoul, Secretary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will join their respective Republic of Korea counterparts, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and Minister of National Defense Kim Tae-young, for a 2+2 meeting to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. Secretary Clinton and Secretary Gates will also meet with President Lee Myung-bak.

In Vietnam, the Secretary will meet with senior Vietnamese leaders to discuss key bilateral and regional issues. The Secretary will also attend a luncheon highlighting the 15th anniversary of the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral relationship. Later in the day, the Secretary will participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Post Ministerial Conference and following that she will join the Foreign Ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam for their second meeting to discuss the Lower Mekong Initiative. Secretary Clinton will also lead the U.S. delegation to the 17th ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial in Hanoi.

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SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON: Daily Appointments Schedule for June 1, 2010

Posted in Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, state department, U.S. Department of State, White House, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 1, 2010| 3 Comments »

Daily Appointments Schedule for June 1, 2010

Washington, DC
June 1, 2010

SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON:
9:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with the Assistant Secretaries, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

10:00 a.m. Secretary Clinton calls Afghani President Hamid Karzai.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

11:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton holds a bilateral meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)


12:15 p.m. Secretary Clinton holds a swearing-in ceremony for Ambassador Ian Kelly, Representative to the Organization for Security and Peace in Europe, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

1:15 p.m. Secretary Clinton holds a bilateral meeting with Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi, at the Department of State.

5:20 p.m. Secretary Clinton attends a reception in her honor hosted by Chief of Protocol Ambassador Capricia Penavic Marshall and the Board of Trustees of the Blair House Restoration Fund, at Blair House.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

6:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton joins President Obama’s bilateral meeting with Peruvian President Alan Garcia, at the White House.
(MEDIA TO BE DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)

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