US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday said Russia 's failure to produce an aid plan for Syria , despite its influence with President Bashar al-Assad , was "troubling" and "frustrating." "We are doing everything we can think of to influence the Russians and the Chinese, particularly the Russians: they're the ones with the very deep, long-standing relationship with the Assad family, with Syria," Clinton said. "They continue to sell arms to the Syrian regime," the chief US diplomat told the House Foreign Affairs Committee . "We know that if we can persuade them to work with us, at least on the humanitarian issue, they will have access to Assad that hardly anybody else does have, at least nobody in the West," Clinton added. "It is a very troubling and frustrating situation because the Russians continue to say, oh, they're for humanitarian aid , but then they don't produce any plan that Assad will sign off ...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday pledged to aggressively implement new U.S. sanctions on Iran but noted that some allies such as Japan face "unique situations" as they seek to reduce Iranian oil imports. President Barack Obama on December 31 signed into law the harshest in a series of U.S. sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program , targeting foreign financial institutions that do business with Iran's central bank or other blacklisted Iranian financial entities. The new U.S. sanctions have set off a scramble among countries with significant Iranian oil imports to voluntarily reduce such purchases so they would be exempted from the penalties. For non-petroleum transactions, from February 29 the law requires the president to punish private banks that "knowingly conducted or facilitated any significant financial transaction with the Central Bank of Iran " or other blacklisted entities. For oil-related transactions, f...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday pledged to aggressively implement new U.S. sanctions on Iran but noted that some allies such as Japan face "unique situations" as they seek to reduce Iranian oil imports. President Barack Obama on December 31 signed into law the harshest in a series of U.S. sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program , targeting foreign financial institutions that do business with Iran's central bank or other blacklisted Iranian financial entities. The new U.S. sanctions have set off a scramble among countries with significant Iranian oil imports to voluntarily reduce such purchases so they would be exempted from the penalties. For non-petroleum transactions, from February 29 the law requires the president to punish private banks that "knowingly conducted or facilitated any significant financial transaction with the Central Bank of Iran " or other blacklisted entities. For oil-related transactions, f...

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton faced opposition from Democrats and Republicans in a hearing on the State Department's $51.6 billion budget request. UPI/Chris Kleponis/Pool Published: Feb. 28, 2012 at 5:18 PM WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Tuesday faced opposition from Democrats and Republicans in a hearing on the State Department's $51.6 billion budget request. Clinton, in testimony before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee in charge of the State Department's budget, said the budget request amounts to about a 2-percent increase from 2011 and would allow the United States to sustain national security missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. She said the budget reflects "the temporary extraordinary costs of operating on the front lines." "We know how quickly the world is transforming, from Arab revolutions to the rise of new economic powers, to a more dispersed but still dangerous al-Qaida terrorist threat. In this ...

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has defended the US mission in Afghanistan as a week of deadly anti-American protests and the killing of two US service members pushed Democrats to challenge President Barack Obama's policy. Senator Barbara Mikulski gave voice to the increasing exasperation in Congress more than a decade after the war began. She held up a copy of a newspaper with a report on the death of Army Major Robert Marchanti II of Baltimore, one of the two high-ranking officers shot point blank while they sat at their desks in a heavily secured ministry building. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel John Loftis was also killed. 'What do I tell his family today? Was it worth it? Because they're angry. People in Maryland are angry,' Mikulski told Clinton at a Senate hearing. 'We went there with the best of intentions and out of need, after we were attacked. You were the New York senator. We remember the harsh reality of that brutal 9/11. ... And now because of an inad...

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton predicted that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad 's regime will eventually fall when enough soldiers, business leaders and minorities desert him. "I think the regime will fall... I am not a fortuneteller. I cannot tell you when that will happen," Clinton said in an interview Sunday with Morocco 's 2M television channel during a visit to the Moroccan capital Rabat. "But the Syrian army, which is largely a conscript army, is not going to continue to carry out these brutal assaults on the Syrian people," the chief US diplomat said, according to a transcript of the interview released Monday. "At some point, the defections will build, there will finally be created enough momentum against the regime from not only the security forces but business leaders, minorities who are worried about what's happening," she said. "So it will happen. It's just a question of when, and I wish it would happen sooner inste...

Washington, Feb.27 ( ANI ): Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that politics is in her blood, and she couldn't help it when she that she believed President Barack Obama would win reelection. "Probably, my enthusiasm for the president got a little out of hand," Clinton told CNN in an interview broadcast Sunday. Clinton, who lost her bid for the Democratic nomination in 2008, said politics is in her blood.I've tried to dampen them down. I've tried to have them taken out, in a blood transfusion , but occasionally they rear their heads," Politico quoted her, as saying. Asked if that suggests she might reenter the political fray after leaving her post at the end of this year, Clinton offered a definite 'no.' "It just suggests I want what's best for my country," she said. (ANI)

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged Saturday that Washington would help Tunisia rebuild its economy and cement democracy, as the cradle of the Arab Spring struggles with reforms. Clinton met Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki as she continued a tour that will also take her to Algeria and Morocco following a global meeting on Syria in Tunis that ratcheted up pressure on the regime of Bashar al-Assad . "I come with a very specific and committed statement of support about the political and economic reforms that are occurring here," Clinton said after the talks with Marzouki. "The political side of the revolution is going quite well," she said. "I am a very strong champion for Tunisian democracy and what has been accomplished here.... The challenge is how to ensure the economic development of Tunisia matches the political development." At the start of the talks she also praised Friday's "Friends of Syria" meeting of more than 60 fo...

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged Saturday that Washington would help Tunisia rebuild its economy and cement democracy, as the cradle of the Arab Spring struggles with reforms. Clinton met Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki as she continued a tour that will also take her to Algeria and Morocco following a global meeting on Syria in Tunis that ratcheted up pressure on the regime of Bashar al-Assad . "I come with a very specific and committed statement of support about the political and economic reforms that are occurring here," Clinton said after the talks with Marzouki. "The political side of the revolution is going quite well," she said. "I am a very strong champion for Tunisian democracy and what has been accomplished here.... The challenge is how to ensure the economic development of Tunisia matches the political development." At the start of the talks she also praised Friday's "Friends of Syria" meeting of more than 60 fo...

SIDI BOU SAID, Tunisia (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Tunisians on Saturday to protect their newly won freedoms and called on Islamist and secular parties to work together in the country that inspired the Arab Spring. Addressing about 200 students, Clinton urged young people to use social media and other technologies that enabled popular revolts last year to hold their new rulers to account. "After a revolution, history shows it can go one of two ways. It can move in the direction you are now headed, building a strong, democratic country, or it can derail ... into autocracy, into new absolutism," Clinton said in a meeting an Andalusian-style seaside villa. "The victors of revolutions can become their victims," she added. "You must be the guardians of your democracy." Clinton spoke during a swing through North Africa that has been dominated by the violence in Syria, where forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have kept up ...

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged Saturday that Washington would help Tunisia rebuild its economy and cement democracy, as the cradle of the Arab Spring struggles with reforms. Clinton met Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki as she continued a tour that will also take her to Algeria and Morocco following a global meeting on Syria in Tunis that ratcheted up pressure on the regime of Bashar al-Assad . "I come with a very specific and committed statement of support about the political and economic reforms that are occurring here," Clinton said after the talks with Marzouki. "The political side of the revolution is going quite well," she said. "I am a very strong champion for Tunisian democracy and what has been accomplished here.... The challenge is how to ensure the economic development of Tunisia matches the political development." At the start of the talks she also praised Friday's "Friends of Syria" meeting of more than 60 fo...

SIDI BOU SAID, Tunisia (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Tunisians on Saturday to protect their newly-won freedoms and called on Islamist and secular parties to work together in the country that launched the Arab Spring. Speaking to a group of about 200 students, Clinton also urged young people to use social media and other technologies that enabled popular revolts across the region last year to hold their new rulers to account. "After a revolution, history shows it can go one of two ways. It can move in the direction you are now headed, building a strong, democratic country, or it can derail ... into autocracy, into new absolutism," Clinton said in a meeting a Andalusian-style seaside villa. "The victors of revolutions can become their victims," she added. "You must be the guardians of your democracy." Clinton spoke during a swing through North Africa that has been dominated by the violence in Syria, where forces loyal to Pres...

Reporting from Beirut With deep divisions preventing forceful international action, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton suggested security forces long loyal to Bashar Assad and his family could oust the Syrian president and end the bloodshed that is ripping his country apart. A much-anticipated gathering of representatives of more than 60 countries held Friday in the Tunisian capital highlighted divisions at multiple levels: within the anti-Assad international coalition, the fractured Syrian opposition and the people of Syria, where Assad maintains considerable support among minorities fearful of a takeover by Islamists. Clinton and other leaders of a coalition calling itself Friends of Syria demanded an immediate halt to the violence, but ended up satisfying almost no one. "This conference does not meet the aspirations of the Syrian people," said Burhan Ghalioun, leader of the Syrian National Council, an opposition umbrella group. Pro-Assad demonstrators rallied out...

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stopped short of giving an official US nod to the Syrian opposition to the Assad regime. But, as 'Friends of Syria' meeting ends, that move is likely to come soon. The United States stopped short of recognizing the Syrian opposition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people at Friday's international gathering on Syria but that move is likely to come soon. Skip to next paragraph When it does, it will reflect a shift of the international community to the side of the still-developing Syrian National Council and Syrian Free Arm and, probably, fatal isolation of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad . It will also bear the imprint of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton , who, more hawkish and interventionist than the president she serves, will have carried the day as she did less than a year ago in the case of Libya . At Fridays "Friends of Syria" meeting in Tunisia , more than 60 countries and international hum...

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the Syrian regime will have 'more blood on its hands' if it doesn't immediately comply with ceasefire demands being issued by a group of 70 Western and Arab nations. In opening remarks to an international conference of the Friends of Syria group, Clinton said the regime of President Bashar Assad has 'ignored every warning, squandered every opportunity and broken every agreement.' The Friends of Syria are demanding an immediate ceasefire so humanitarian aid can be delivered to Syrians who have suffered under a yearlong assault, especially those in the city of Homs, which has been under bombardment for three weeks. 'If the Assad regime refuses to allow this life-saving aid to reach civilians, it will have ever-more blood on its hands,' Clinton said Friday, noting the same was true of nations like Russia and China, which are supporting Assad.

February 24, 2012, 8:48 AM EST Annan Named UN Envoy to Syria as Stranded Reporters Urge Aid Friends of Syria Seek Ways to End Assad Terror Campaign IAEA Inspectors Return From Iran Talks With No Way Forward Death Toll Mounts in Syria as Global Community Weighs Steps Syria Bars Protesters Text Messages With Dublin-Made Equipment By Nicole Gaouette (Updates with analyst comment in fifth paragraph.) Feb. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said there are signs that Syrian officials are beginning to desert Bashar al-Assads government, and shes betting against his survival. There is growing evidence that some of the officials in the Syrian government are beginning to hedge their bets -- moving assets, moving family members, Clinton said in London before departing for Tunisia, where international backers of the Syrian opposition are meeting today. If I were a betting person for the medium term and certainly the long term, I would be betting against Assad. On the eve of the t...

LONDON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested on Thursday Syria 's opposition will ultimately arm itself and said she would bet against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad 's staying in power. Speaking directly to Russia and China , which have blocked U.N. Security Council resolutions designed to end the violence in Syria, Clinton said the government's "brutality" against its own people was unsustainable in the internet age. "The strategy followed by the Syrians and their allies is one that can't stand the test of legitimacy or even brutality for any length of time," Clinton told reporters in London. "There will be increasingly capable opposition forces. They will from somewhere, somehow, find the means to defend themselves as well as begin offensive measures," she added. "It is clear to me there will be a breaking point," Clinton said. "I wish it would be sooner, so that more lives would be saved, than lat...

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday that Pakistan was too important for Washington to turn its back on, following ice-breaking talks with her Pakistani counterpart. Clinton and Hina Rabbani Khar spoke for an hour and a half on the sidelines of a London conference on Somalia, in a first step towards thawing relations that were frozen in November when US air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers . Clinton said there would still be "ups and downs" in the relationship but that neither side could afford to shun the other. "Building and sustaining a relationship based on mutual interest and mutual respect takes constant care and work, from both sides," Clinton told a press conference. "I'm sure we will continue to have our ups and downs. But this relationship is simply too important to turn our back on -- for both nations. "And we both remain committed to continue working to improve understanding and cooperation." Relations between P...

2012/02/22 (Last modification: 2012/02/22 14:24 ) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to the United Kingdom, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, the U.S. Department of State said Tuesday. On February 23, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will begin a four-nation trip to London and North Africa. In London, the Secretary will attend a conference hosted by Prime Minster David Cameron, dedicated to building stability and peace in Somalia. Heads of state and foreign ministers from over 50 countries as well as representatives of the United Nations and the African Union will attend. The timing of the conference is significant as it convenes six months prior to the end of Somalia's political transition which is set to take place by August 20, 2012. Secretary Clinton will then travel to North Africa. In Tunisia on February 24 and 25, she will participate in the first meeting of the "Friends of Syria" group as part of our ongoing efforts with our friends, allies, ...

Washington, Feb 22 (IANS/RIA Novosti) US State Secretary Hillary Clinton will Feb 23 start a tour of Britain, Tunisia , Algeria and Morocco. "On February 23, Clinton will begin a four-nation trip to London and North Africa," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement. "In London, the secretary will attend a conference hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron , dedicated to building stability and peace in Somalia. Heads of state and foreign ministers from over 50 countries as well as representatives of the United Nations and the African Union will attend," she said. The conference convenes six months prior to the end of Somalia's political transition, set to take place by Aug 20, 2012. In Tunisia Feb 24 and 25, Clinton will participate in the first meeting of the "Friends of Syria " group as part of the US joint ongoing efforts with "allies and the Syrian opposition to crystallize next steps to halt the slaughter of the Syr...

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised Tuesday that US diplomats would do more to promote business interests overseas but renewed criticism of what she called unfair government support by China . Clinton, meeting with executives from around the world, pledged that she would meet business leaders on every foreign trip and named former investment banker Heidi Rediker to a new position of State Department chief economist. "We had fallen behind some other countries -- some of them our friends and allies -- when it came to using diplomacy to promote economic interests. American companies haven't always seen the federal government as an ally," Clinton said. "I've directed all our senior diplomats to conduct business outreach and advocacy when they travel overseas," she said. "We will not rest until the US government is the most effective champion of business and trade anywhere." Clinton's initiative to support businesses comes as the United...

Charles Dharapak/Pool/AP Photo There's an old saying about green thumbs . And an old saying about sore thumbs. Hillary Clinton put the two together in Los Cabos, Mexico this week when for a "class photo" of G-20 foreign affairs ministers, she opted to wear a green suit. The 30 other foreign secretaries and individuals in the picture wore white. Which made Clinton stick out like a sore green thumb . She laughed off the apparent miscue, however, and was smiling during the photos. Asked about the fashion choice, a senior aide to Clinton said with a smile "she's a rugged individualist, what can I tell you." Is this a trend? Last year at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit (APEC) in Hawaii, President Barack Obama snubbed a tradition started nearly two decades ago by the Secretary of State's husband, former president Bill Clinton . Instead of posing in traditional fashions of the host nation - think Hawaiian shirts, floral leis and hula skirts - ...

February 21, 2012, 6:18 AM EST U.S. Says Irans Nuclear Claim Is Hype; Oil Pares Gain Death Toll Mounts in Syria as Global Community Weighs Options IAEA Iran Visit May Offer End to War Talk Over Nuclear Work Japans Emperors Heart Surgery Highlights Scarcity of Heirs Obamas Re-Election Chances Rise With Improving Economy By Hans Nichols and Sandrine Rastello (Updates with China comment in 11th paragraph.) Feb. 16 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers are two leading candidates to succeed World Bank President Robert Zoellick when he leaves in June, said two people familiar with Obama administration discussions. The U.S. promised a candidate in the coming weeks for the post that has always been held by one of its citizens, while officials from Brazil and Mexico vowed to make the selection process open to emerging markets. It is very important that we continue to have strong, effective leadership in this important ins...

LOS CABOS , Mxico (AP) La secretaria de Estado estadounidense, Hillary Clinton , asegur que una esperada reunin de pases amigos de Siria demostrar que el rgimen de Bashar Assad est cada vez ms aislado y anticip que dar ms espacio para presionar por una transicin en esa nacin. Clinton dijo que se intensificarn las gestiones diplomticas con aquellos pases que an apoyan al rgimen de Assad. "Enviaremos un mensaje claro a Rusia , China y otros que an no estn seguros sobre como manejar la violencia creciente, pero que hasta ahora han hecho una mala eleccin", dijo la secretaria de Estado en una rueda de prensa al terminar su participacin en una cumbre de cancilleres del G20. Aunque el tema de Siria no estaba en la agenda de la reunin en este balneario turstico de Los Cabos, Clinton dijo que tuvo la oportunidad de discutir el asunto con varios de sus colegas. Varios pases que apoyan una transicin en Siria tienen previsto reunirse el viernes en Tnez. Clinton evadi, sin embargo,...

February 20, 2012, 1:49 PM EST Americans Gaining Energy Independence With U.S. as Top Producer Republicans Ask Chu to Explain Prologis, Solyndra Links U.S. Says Irans Nuclear Claim Is Hype; Oil Pares Gain Iran Unlikely to Strike First, U.S. Intelligence Official Says U.S. Envoy Davies to Meet With North Korea in Beijing Next Week By Indira A.R. Lakshmanan (Updates with Salazar comments in fifth paragraph.) Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa signed an agreement today for development of oil and gas reservoirs that straddle the two nations boundaries in the Gulf of Mexico. The agreement is the first of its kind signed by the U.S., establishing a legal framework and creating incentives for U.S. energy companies to develop oil and gas resources jointly with Petroleos Mexicanos, the Mexican state oil company known as Pemex. When it comes into force, the agreement will end the current moratorium on oil exploration and ...

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton flew Saturday to Mexico for a session of the Group of 20 major economies where her aides said she would push for freer but fairer trade. Clinton will spend three days in the Pacific Ocean resort of Los Cabos for talks among senior officials. The setting is deliberately informal, with host Mexico hoping to foster cooperation rather than make concrete achievements. Echoing frequent themes for President Barack Obama 's administration, Clinton will call on major economies to tackle "21st century" barriers to trade and adhere to global standards, a US official said on condition of anonymity. "In the 21st century , a lot of the barriers to trade, a lot of the distortions to trade, are not the ones that we're focused on largely in the 20th century, which were at the border," the official said. He pointed to "anti-competitive government practices or distortions" which create obstacles on the market. "So we'...

Posted at 12:00 AM ET, 02/20/2012 By Gabriela Melendez Olivera The Reliable Source is off but will return. Names and Faces is the column that runs in its space during holidays. It was a long weekend (for most), and some big names were spotted at play around the District: Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger having lunch at Filomena on Sunday. Overheard saying, We have a reservation for four, with his posh British accent, by one of our colleagues. Hes really cool, by the way, confirmed Dino Jensen, executive director at the Italian ristorante. While he couldnt recall what the fashion icon was wearing, he did describe his attire as casual. Jaggers party had the gnocchi with pesto, chicken al mattone, penne pasta and pepperoni pizza. For dessert: the caramel eclair, tiramisu and strawberry cheesecake. Jagger is in town to sing at Tuesdays In Performance at the White House, a concert honoring the blues. Bill and Hillary Clinton dining at 1789 on Friday night. The power couple sat in th...

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton flew Saturday to Mexico for a session of the Group of 20 major economies where her aides said she would push for freer but fairer trade. Clinton will spend three days in the Pacific Ocean resort of Los Cabos for talks among senior officials. The setting is deliberately informal, with host Mexico hoping to foster cooperation rather than make concrete achievements. Echoing frequent themes for President Barack Obama 's administration, Clinton will call on major economies to tackle "21st century" barriers to trade and adhere to global standards, a US official said on condition of anonymity. "In the 21st century , a lot of the barriers to trade, a lot of the distortions to trade, are not the ones that we're focused on largely in the 20th century, which were at the border," the official said. He pointed to "anti-competitive government practices or distortions" which create obstacles on the market. "So we'...

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton flew Saturday to Mexico for a session of the Group of 20 major economies where her aides said she would push for freer but fairer trade. Clinton will spend three days in the Pacific Ocean resort of Los Cabos for talks among senior officials. The setting is deliberately informal, with host Mexico hoping to foster cooperation rather than make concrete achievements. Echoing frequent themes for President Barack Obama 's administration, Clinton will call on major economies to tackle "21st century" barriers to trade and adhere to global standards, a US official said on condition of anonymity. "In the 21st century , a lot of the barriers to trade, a lot of the distortions to trade, are not the ones that we're focused on largely in the 20th century, which were at the border," the official said. He pointed to "anti-competitive government practices or distortions" which create obstacles on the market. "So we'...

February 18, 2012 - 16:50 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. will stand for peace, stability, democracy, human rights protection and development in the Caucasus in the coming year, as well, according to U.S. Secretary of State. America backs OSCE Minsk Group activity aimed at achieving Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, Hillary Clinton said during hearing on FY 2013 International Affairs Budget. Dwelling on Armenian-Turkish relations, Clinton noted that the U.S. supports improvement of ties between the two countries, according to Azerbaijan Press Agency (APA).

EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Friday she is "cautious and optimistic" about the prospect for Iran to return to nuclear talks with world powers , following a letter she received from Tehran. "I think it's good to see that the letter has arrived," Ashton told reporters at a press conference in Washington with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "There is a potential possibility that Iran may be ready to start talks. We'll continue to discuss and make sure that what we're looking at is substantive," Ashton said. "But I'm cautious and optimistic at the same time for this," she added. In a February 14 letter, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili told world powers that Tehran is ready to resume stalled nuclear talks at the "earliest" opportunity as long as they respect its right to peaceful atomic energy. He addressed the letter to Ashton, who represents the United States, France, Britain...