War Against Paperwork Declared By Hillary Clinton

Clinton Declares War On Paperwork In State Department -- Washington Post

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has declared war on paperwork in her agency.

Clinton announced Wednesday that she has dispatched her staff to eliminate the mind-numbing reports routinely required of U.S. diplomats, acknowledging that most of the thousands of reports ordered up every year "are never read."

"All too often, you and your officers are tied to desks fulfilling hundreds of reporting requirements mandated by both Congress and the [State] Department," Clinton told a group of ambassadors gathered in Washington for the Global Chiefs of Mission conference.

Read more ....

My Comment: Declaring war against paperwork .... LOL .... I wish her and the State Department the best.

Clinton's Outburst in Congo Raises Concerns About Her Diplomatic Skills

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives at a town hall meeting with Congolese university students in the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa, August 10, 2009. Usually calm in public, top U.S. diplomat Clinton snapped at a Congolese student on Monday when asked about her husband's views on a foreign policy issue, saying: "My husband is not secretary of state, I am. " REUTERS/Joe Bavier (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC CONGO POLITICS)

From FOX News:

While Secretary Clinton's reaction to a question in Congo may not have any political repercussions, some foreign policy analysts say it reflects her limitations as a diplomat.

In case it wasn't clear before, Hillary Clinton -- not her husband -- is the nation's top diplomat.

The secretary of state curtly sent that message to a Congolese university student who asked her Monday through a translator what "Mr. Clinton" thinks about China's growing influence.

Turns out, though, the student was trying to ask what President Obama thought.

Read more ....

My Comment: Like her husband, she has a reputation of having a temper. My take on this situation .... Africa in the middle of summer is a lousy place to be. It is hot and humid, and at her age it just got to her.

The fact that she also knows that her husband is staying in party central (Las Vegas) for a day or two to celebrate his 63rd birthday while she is in the middle of Africa .... yup .... she is not a happy camper and the poor African student was her target.

But I say .... so what. She is what she is, and we (again) saw the type of person that she is .... a fact that should not be a surprise to anyone.

Sec. of State Hillary Clinton's Middle East Trip -- News Updates

Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (R) shakes hands with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on March 4, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Clinton Travels To A Hardened Israel -- Christian Science Monitor

On Syria, Iran, and a Palestinian state, Israel's new leadership disagrees with the Obama administration.

JERUSALEM - Embarking on her first trip to the region as secretary of State, Hillary Clinton pledged that the Obama administration will unshakably support Israel's security and vigorously pursue the creation of a Palestinian state.

That's not substantially different from Washington's stated Middle East policy in recent years. But Mrs. Clinton is likely to find herself and US policy at loggerheads with the new government of Israel, soon to be headed by the conservative Likud leader, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Read more ....

More News On Sec. of State Clinton's Trip To The Middle East

Leaders pledge billions to rebuild Gaza -- The Age
Clinton criticizes Israel over East Jerusalem demolition -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Hillary Clinton warns Israel over settlements and house demolitions -- Times Online
Clinton Tells Israel Two-State Solution Inevitable -- Voice of America
Clinton: US Israel Support 'Unshakeable' -- BBC News
Clinton speaks up for Abbas, and aid for Gaza -- AP
Clinton visit: In a West Bank café, Palestinians ask how much will change -- Christian Science Monitor
Clinton meets Palestinian leaders -- Al Ajzeera
US to Send Envoys to Syria -- Voice of America
Clinton criticizes Iran as a threat in the Mideast -- Yahoo News/AP
US to Send Envoys to Syria -- Los Angeles Times
Hillary Clinton Sends US Envoys to Syria -- Daily Telegraph
Syria Talks Signal New Direction for US -- New York Times
Clinton Signals Change in US Approach to Syria -- Toronto Star

Clinton Doubtful On Iran Diplomacy

Photo: US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, accompanies the United Arab Emirates' foreign minister Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, right, before their meeting during a Gaza conference at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, Monday. Photo: AP

From The Jerusalem Post:

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed doubt Monday that Iran would respond to the Obama administration's expressions of interest in engaging Teheran on nuclear and other issues, a senior State Department official said.

Clinton made the statement in a private meeting with the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who had expressed to Clinton a concern among Persian Gulf nations that Obama might make a deal with Iran without full consultation with US allies. The official who described the exchange spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was private.

Read more .....

My Comment: I may disagree with Sec. of State Clinton on many issues .... but she is on the ball with this one.

Clinton Addresses N. Korea Succession

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday in Jakarta, where she pushed for broader relations with Indonesia. Mast Irham/European Pressphoto Agency

From The New York Times:

SEOUL, South Korea — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday that a potential power struggle to succeed North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-il, had injected a troubling new element into negotiations with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program.

The jockeying to succeed Mr. Kim, 67, who suffered a stroke last August and has only partially recovered, raises pressure on the United States, South Korea, China, and other countries to revive the sputtering negotiations, Mrs. Clinton said to reporters on her plane before arriving in Seoul.

“If there is a succession, even if it’s a peaceful succession, that creates more uncertainty, and it may also encourage behaviors that are even more provocative, as a way to consolidate power within the society,” said Mrs. Clinton, on her first foreign trip as secretary of state.

Read more ....

More News On Sec. Of State Clinton

Clinton: U.S. Preparing for Possible Regime Change in North Korea -- FOX News
Clinton sees possible North Korea power struggle -- Reuters
S Korea hopes Clinton to convey clear message to DPRK -- China View
Clinton: US Wants Closer Ties to Indonesia -- Voice of America
Clinton Visits Indonesia, Urges Partnership -- Los Angeles Times
Clinton Signals Possible Shift on Burma -- Washington Post
Clinton Says US Will Expand Southeast Asia Ties -- Wall Street Journal
A Good Start on Burma -- Washington Post
Clinton Sends US Good Will to World -- Washington Times
China as a First Test -- Washington Times opinion
Hillary says hello to Asia -- The Economist
China Ready to Host Secretary Clinton -- Voice Of America