State Department

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'Torture Sheik' Detained
 'Torture Sheik' Detained 
May 10, 2009 6:16 AM CDT

'Torture Sheik' Detained

(Newser) - An Abu Dhabi prince captured on videotape torturing a grain merchant has been detained by authorities, CNN reports. Sheik Issa bin Zayed al-Nahyan is under house arrest pending an investigation, officials of the United Arab Emirates have told the US State Department. The videotape shows the prince beating, burning and...

US Won't Send Troops to Pakistan: Gates

(Newser) - There are no plans to deploy US ground troops to Pakistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said today, despite concerns over increasing violence between Pakistani troops and Taliban militants. Speaking to about 300 Marines at Camp Leatherneck in southern Afghanistan, Gates assured the soldiers they didn't have to "worry about...

Clinton Gets Comfy at State
 Clinton Gets Comfy at State 
ANALYSIS
May 1, 2009 5:32 PM CDT

Clinton Gets Comfy at State

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton’s transition from presidential candidate to secretary of state wasn’t easy—and neither is the new gig—but the former first lady has taken it all in stride, the New York Times reports. “I love the job; I mean, it’s really hard,” Clinton said,...

US to Discourage Travel to Mexico

Obama says chill out

(Newser) - The State Department is set to issue a swine flu travel warning, telling Americans to “avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico,” a US official tells Reuters. But at the same time, President Obama urged calm. “This is obviously a cause for concern,” he said. “But...

Tweeting for Peace in Iraq?
Tweeting for Peace in Iraq?
Apr 21, 2009 2:50 PM CDT

Tweeting for Peace in Iraq?

US asks social media, tech execs to help build transparency, fight corruption

(Newser) - Iraqi lawmakers tweeting during sessions? YouTube campaign videos? Execs from communications and social media firms, including the likes of Google, AT&T, YouTube, MeetUp, and Twitter are in Iraq this week at the behest of the State Department. Their mission: to consider how their tools might be used to boost...

Cuba Poisons US Diplomats' Pets: Report

State Department unveils '07 findings as relations with Cuba warm

(Newser) - President Obama better hide the family dog when he reaches out to Cuba, The Hill reports. As Obama and Congressional Democrats seek warmer relations with the island nation, the State Department released a 2007 report saying Havana has been poisoning the pets of US diplomats in Cuba. "The apparent...

Father of US Journo Jailed in Iran Demands Her Freedom

(Newser) - The father of the Iranian-American journalist jailed for spying in Iran says he will remain in the country until she is freed, the AP reports. “I demand them to release my daughter as soon as possible so that she can return to her normal life and continue her job,...

Obama Hates America: Santorum
Obama Hates America: Santorum
OPINION
Apr 9, 2009 1:31 PM CDT

Obama Hates America: Santorum

Ex-senator blasts president for State Dept. nomination

(Newser) - President Obama doesn’t respect American values—he made that clear when he apologized for the “arrogance” of the Bush years in France last week, former US senator Rick Santorum writes for the Philadelphia Inquirer. But the president has outdone himself by nominating Harold Koh to be the top...

US Seeks to Join Nuke Talks With Iran

(Newser) - The US wants to be a direct party to nuclear talks between Iran and the UN, CNN reports. Washington had stayed away from earlier negotiations because it has no diplomatic relationship with the country, but the State Department said today it had asked an EU official to invite Iran to...

Blackwater Guards Keeping Iraq Jobs

Loss of contract means many guards will just change uniforms

(Newser) - Blackwater is getting kicked out of Iraq but not all of its workers will be leaving with the shamed company, the New York Times reports. The Iraq government refused to renew the security firm's license after its guards were repeatedly accused of using excessive force but many, if not most,...

In the Shadows, Hillary's Power Grows
 In the Shadows, 
 Hillary's Power Grows 
ANALYSIS
Apr 2, 2009 6:31 AM CDT

In the Shadows, Hillary's Power Grows

Retiring secretary of state has won Obama's admiration

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton has kept a low profile at the G20 summit, ceding the spotlight to Barack Obama and Tim Geithner, and when she and the president travel to NATO summit and EU meetings over the next few days she may not utter a single word in public. But while the...

'Civilian Surge' Part of New Afghan Plan

Hundreds of diplomats may be sent along with troops

(Newser) - President Obama’s new Afghanistan policy may include stationing more diplomats and civilians there, officials tell the Washington Post. Obama’s national security advisers are expected to present a plan next week that would send hundreds of government officials from departments like Agriculture and Justice, along with temps yet to...

Despite Hunger, N. Korea Rejects US Food Aid

Pyongyang boots humanitarian groups ahead of rocket launch

(Newser) - North Korea will reject future US food assistance and kicked out five groups distributing American aid, a move that could make an already precarious humanitarian situation even worse, reports the AP. Pyongyang gave no reason for refusing the aid, according to the State Department. North Korea faces chronic food shortages...

Passport Security Easy to Breach: Govt. Probe

(Newser) - A US passport is easy to obtain using fake or fraudulent documents, even with extensive post-9/11 security reforms, the AP reports. At the request of a Senate committee, a government investigator went undercover and quickly obtained multiple passports, using the identities of a dead man, a 5-year-old, and two fictitious...

In Middle East, Clinton Faces New Troubles
In Middle East, Clinton Faces New Troubles
ANALYSIS
Mar 2, 2009 8:42 AM CST

In Middle East, Clinton Faces New Troubles

Netanyahu, Hamas complicate Hillary's already difficult mission

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton arrived in Egypt last night, beginning her trip to the Middle East at a conference aimed at raising reconstruction money for Gaza. The secretary of state has enlisted a team of diplomats with long experience in Mideast negotiations, led by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. But as...

Clinton Heads to Mideast, Europe and Russia

Egypt, Israel and Europe all on the itinerary

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton is using her second overseas trip as the nation's top diplomat to assess peace prospects in the Middle East, reconnect with European allies, and discuss America's strained relationship with Moscow with her Russian counterpart. Clinton will begin the weeklong journey in Egypt, where she'll attend an international conference...

Human Rights in Russia 'Under Siege': US State Dept.

(Newser) - Human rights in Russia are "under siege," and the Chinese government is engaging in "serious human rights abuses," the US State Department says. The finger-pointing, in an annual report released today, comes just a week after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited China and downplayed...

On First Trip, Clinton Strikes a Blunt Tone
On First Trip, Clinton Strikes
a Blunt Tone
ANALYSIS
Feb 23, 2009 6:55 AM CST

On First Trip, Clinton Strikes a Blunt Tone

Diplomats split over uncharacteristic lack of tip-toeing at State

(Newser) - On her first trip as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton spoke far more frankly than her predecessors about everything from North Korean leadership to the efficacy of US sanctions against Burma. As the Washington Post writes, the Asia trip showcased a blunter, more open style of American diplomacy. But veteran...

Clinton the Campaigner Moves to State—for Good or Ill

(Newser) - As Hillary Clinton takes over the State Department, it's worth remembering that her train-wreck presidential campaign followed an "audacious 2000 run for Senate" and an excellent record as a legislator, Michael Crowley writes for the New Republic. "The question—not only for Hillary's legacy but for US...

Blackwater Ditches Name, Attempts to Change Image

Firm renames itself Xe; will focus on training and logistics support

(Newser) - Private security firm Blackwater Worldwide is hoping to shed some of the controversy that has dogged it since its bloody tenure in Iraq by renaming itself Xe (pronounced “Zee”), the AP reports. Besides the name change, the firm has altered the focus of its business from contracting out...

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