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Clinton to US House: 'Daunting Challenges'...'Priorities Clear.'

'Our priorities are clear. We are deploying the tools of diplomacy and development along with military power. We are securing historic alliances, working with emerging regional powers, and seeking new avenues of engagement. We’re addressing the existing and emerging challenges that will define our century: climate change, weak states, rogue regimes, criminal cartels, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, poverty, and disease. We’re advancing our values and our interests by promoting human rights and fostering conditions that allow every individual to live up to their God-given potential.'  -- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Secy. of State Clinton Speaking before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington, April 22nd.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Ranking Member. Greetings to many friends and former colleagues. It is a pleasure to be here with you this morning. This Committee has been the source of many advances in our nation’s foreign policy and I look forward to working with you to continue that tradition.

When I appeared before the Senate – that’s that other body on the other side of the Capitol – I spoke during my confirmation hearing of a commitment to pursue a policy that would enhance our nation’s security, advance our interests, and uphold our values. Today, nearly 100 days later, I am pleased to report that we have begun making progress toward achieving that goal.

I want to begin by recognizing and thanking the men and women of the State Department and USAID, who are serving our country around the clock and around the world. I’m extremely proud of their work. With their talents, and under President Obama’s leadership, we have put forward a new diplomacy powered by partnership, pragmatism, and principle.

PHOTO: United States Department of State

'wonderful working with our Dutch allies'

'the Dutch “3D” approach – defense, diplomacy, and development – pursued simultaneously, which may sound familiar to some of us, is a model for our own efforts and the future efforts in Afghanistan. There’s a lot of work for us to do there...'

'I also want to thank the Dutch Government for their leadership in the G-20 process. The successful London Summit was enhanced by the prime minister and the foreign minister’s strong support for open markets and opposition to protectionism. We know that the Dutch economy has been hard hit by this global downturn. With the world’s seventh largest international financial sector, the Netherlands is a major participant in the global economy...'

Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen of the Netherlands met with Secy. of State Hillary Clinton in

Washington, DC on April 20, 2009. Here are their comments to the press which covered a wide range of foreign policy issues:

AUSTRALIA - US Issue Communique: Talk Trade, Defense, DeNuke Korea, China and Pakistan -- all in a G'day

Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations
Joint Communiqué -- From Washington, DC, April 9, 2009

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith, and Minister for Defence Joel Fitzgibbon met in Washington D.C. on April 9, 2009 to further the United States-Australia alliance and to discuss global and regional security issues. The talks marked the 24^th anniversary of the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) and 58 years of strategic partnership under the ANZUS alliance.
The 2009 AUSMIN, the first such meeting under the Obama Administration, confirmed the strength and contemporary relevance of the U.S.-Australia alliance in strategic, security, military, and foreign policy fields. The discussions reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to work together closely to support their common interests and to achieve their shared objectives.

Global Security
The United States and Australia reaffirmed their commitment to stabilization and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. Noting the recently released Afghanistan and Pakistan strategic policy review undertaken by the United States in cooperation with allies, the two countries agreed on the importance of a comprehensive approach to regional challenges. They endorsed the Chairman’s Statement of the March 31 International Conference on Afghanistan in The Hague. The two countries agreed on the continuing priority attached to curbing the ability of al-Qaida and other terrorist groups to operate in the region. They reaffirmed their commitment to work together to give the Afghan people the means to secure their own future, particularly by building the capacity of the Afghan National Army and Police.

(Reader req.) Obama with Prime Minister Topolanek of the Czech Republic

Posted late, but here are the 2 items is as per reader request, both April 5, 2009: 
White House Readout of President Obama's meeting with President Klaus and Prime Minister Topolanek of the Czech Republic:  President Obama met with Czech President Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek.  This was President Obama's first bilateral meeting with his Czech counterparts.  They discussed cooperation on a wide range of issues, including the results of the NATO Summit, climate change, our shared commitment to success in Afghanistan, and our cooperation on missile defense.

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA BEFORE MEETING WITH PRESIDENT KLAUS AND PRIME MINISTER TOPOLANEK OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC at  Prague Castle, Prague, Czech Republic

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Hello, everybody. It is -- let me begin by thanking the President and First Lady for their extraordinary hospitality in this spectacular setting in this beautiful city, in a country that is one of America's greatest friends.

OBAMA gets 'in step' in Baden-Baden

German Chancellor Angela Merkel: "...What is indeed gratifying to note is that the new approach of the new administration of the United States as regards Afghanistan is very much in step with what Germany is envisaging, the sort of networked security, as we call it, or an integrated security, where you have a civilian component of rebuilding, training, and last, but not least, obviously, also, the capacity of the Afghans to really defend themselves. That is actually what we were after with our mission to Afghanistan."

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and husband Joachim Sauer, Baden-Baden, Germany,  Friday, April 3, 2009.
Photo: White House Photo, Lawrence Jackson

Clinton on US -- IRAN Contact

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke about US - IRAN contact in The Hague , Netherlands:

...the United States, Iran, and all of the nations who were here today have mutual interests in a stable and secure Afghanistan. And the intervention by the Iranian representative set forth some very clear ideas that we will all be pursuing together.

In the course of the conference today, our Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke had a brief and cordial exchange with the head of the Iranian delegation. It did not focus on anything substantive. It was cordial, it was unplanned, and they agreed to stay in touch.

Separately, at my direction, a letter was delivered to the Iranians focusing on three U.S. citizens currently unable to return to the United States from Iran: Robert Levinson, Roxana Saberi, and Esha Momeni. In the letter, we asked Iran to use all of its facilities to determine the whereabouts and ensure the quick and safe return of Robert Levinson. We also asked that Iran grant the release of Roxana Saberi and permission to travel for both Roxana Saberi and Esha Momeni. These acts would constitute a humanitarian gesture by the Islamic Republic of Iran in keeping with the spirit of renewal and generosity that marks the Persian New Year...

...Well, first let me underscore that I, myself, did not have any direct contact with the Iranian delegation. I described to you the two contacts, the one by Special Representative Ambassador Holbrooke and the other the delivery of the letter. But I did think that the Iranian intervention this morning was promising. The questions of border security and in particular the transit of narcotics across the border from Afghanistan to Iran is a worry that the Iranians have which we share, and we will look for ways to cooperate with them. And I think the fact that they came today, that they intervened today, is a promising sign that there will be future cooperation.

Focus on extremists on both sides of the Afghan - Pakistani border

US Afghan policy also takes a hard look at extremists in Pakistan. Here are some of the references to 'extremists' in a US Interagency Policy Report.

The United States has a vital national security interest in addressing the current and potential security threats posed by extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Pakistan, al Qaeda and other groups of jihadist terrorists are planning new terror attacks. Their targets remain the U.S. homeland, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Europe, Australia, our allies in the Middle East, and other targets of opportunity. The growing size of the space in which they are operating is a direct result of the terrorist/insurgent activities of the Taliban and related organizations. At the same time, this group seeks to reestablish their old sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
Therefore, the core goal of the U.S. must be to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and its safe havens in Pakistan, and to prevent their return to Pakistan or Afghanistan...
The ability of extremists in Pakistan to undermine Afghanistan is proven, while insurgency in Afghanistan feeds instability in Pakistan. The threat that al Qaeda poses to the United States and our allies in Pakistan - including the possibility of extremists obtaining fissile material - is all too real. Without more effective action against these groups in Pakistan, Afghanistan will face continuing instability...
Increased assistance to Pakistan will be limited without a greater willingness to cooperate with us to eliminate the sanctuary enjoyed by al Qaeda and other extremist groups, as well as a greater commitment to economic reforms that will raise the living standard of ordinary Pakistanis, including in the border regions of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the North West Frontier Province, and Baluchistan...
Successfully shutting down the Pakistani safe haven for extremists will also require consistent and intensive strategic engagement with Pakistani leadership in both the civilian and military spheres. The engagement must be conducted in a way that respects, and indeed enhances, democratic civilian authority...
Assisting Pakistan's capability to fight extremists: It is vital to strengthen our efforts to both develop and operationally enable Pakistani security forces so they are capable of succeeding in sustained counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations. In part this will include increased U.S. military assistance for helicopters to provide air mobility, night vision equipment, and training and equipment specifically for Pakistani Special Operation Forces and their Frontier Corps...
Asking for assistance from allies for Afghanistan and Pakistan: Our efforts are a struggle against forces that pose a direct threat to the entire international community. While reaching out to allies and partners for their political support, we should also ask them to provide the necessary resources to accomplish our shared objectives. They have the same interest in denying terrorists and extremists sanctuaries in Pakistan and Afghanistan that we do. In approaching allies we should emphasize that our new approach is integrated between civilian and military elements and in looking at Afghanistan and Pakistan as one theater for diplomacy...
This new strategy of focusing on our core goal - to disrupt, dismantle, and eventually destroy extremists and their safe havens within both nations, although with different tactics - will require immediate action, sustained commitment, and substantial resources.

From the White House release of: 'White Paper of the Interagency Policy Group's Report on
U.S. Policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan'

US Strategy for Afghanistan and PAKISTAN -- What's New?

US Pres. Obama recently spoke, at length, about the status of the US presence in Afghanistan -- a speech which also put a heavy focus on Pakistan. Here's the new strategy / policy boiled down, as provided by the White House:

An Attainable Objective
On March 27, 2009, the President announced a comprehensive, new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan that is the culmination of a careful 60-day, interagency strategic review.  During the review process, we consulted with the Afghan and Pakistani governments, partners and NATO allies, other donors, international organizations and members of Congress. The strategy starts with a clear, concise, attainable goal: disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and its safe havens. The President’s new approach will be flexible and adoptive and include frequent evaluations of the progress being made. 
 
A Regional Approach
For the first time the President will treat Afghanistan and Pakistan as two countries but one challenge. Our strategy focuses more intensively on Pakistan than in the past, calling for more significant increases in U.S. and international support, both economic and military, linked to Pakistani performance against terror. We will pursue intensive regional diplomacy involving all key players in South Asia and engage both countries in a new trilateral framework at the highest levels. Together in this trilateral format, we will work to enhance intelligence sharing and military cooperation along the border and address common issues like trade, energy, and economic development.

Building Capacity and More Training
For three years, the resources that our commanders need for training have been denied because of the war in Iraq. Now, this will change. The 17,000 additional troops that the President decided in February to deploy have already increased our training capacity. Later this spring we will deploy approximately 4,000 more U.S. troops to train the Afghan National Security Forces so that they can increasingly take responsibility for the security of the Afghan people.

In the President’s strategy, for the first time we will fully resource our effort to train and support the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. Every American unit in Afghanistan will be partnered with an Afghan unit, and we will seek additional trainers from our NATO allies to ensure that every Afghan unit has a coalition partner.

Using All Elements of National Power
As the President said, a "campaign against extremism will not succeed with bullets or bombs alone." As a part of this strategy, we will devote significantly more resources to the civilian efforts in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The President will submit a budget that includes indispensable investments in our State Department and foreign assistance programs. These investments relieve the burden on our troops and contribute directly to our safety and security. 

The Administration consulted with the Congress during our review and is committed to working closely together to provide the resources needed to carry out the strategy. The President supports the bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Senators Kerry and Lugar to authorize $1.5 billion a year in direct support to the Pakistani people over the next five years. He also calls on Congress to pass the bipartisan bill creating Reconstruction Opportunity Zones in Afghanistan and the border regions of Pakistan to develop the economy and bring hope to places plagued by violence.

Bringing new international elements to the effort
The President believes we need to provide more resources for the civilian aspects of the mission, working with the Afghan Government and all of our partners in NATO and the United Nations. As America does more, we will ask others to do join us in doing their part. Together with the United Nations, the Administration will forge a new Contact Group for Afghanistan and Pakistan that brings together all who should have a stake in the security of the region – our NATO allies and other partners, the Central Asian states, Gulf nations, Iran, Russia, India and China. All have a stake in the promise of lasting peace and security and development in the region.

AFGHANISTAN: President Karzai to stay until elections

Statement from US State Dept:
The Afghan Supreme Court has endorsed the continuation after May 22nd of President Karzai’s term in office until free and fair elections have been held and a duly elected successor can take office. The United States strongly supports and welcomes this ruling. We believe that the continuity of government in this critical period before elections is vital and contributes to creating stability. We urge all Afghans to support this ruling by the Supreme Court and to focus on the elections to be held on August the 22^nd, rather than continuing to question the status of their government.
The United States calls on the Government of Afghanistan, joined by its international partners, to make every effort to ensure that the conditions are created for genuinely free and fair elections and that that will reflect the will of the Afghan people. For its part, the United States neither supports nor opposes any legitimate candidate and will concentrate its efforts on helping to create a level playing field for all candidates.

UK to US: 'You've made strong impression across Europe'

Secy Clinton met her British counterpart David Miliband in Washington, Wed. March 18th. The UK Foreign Secy. couldn't be more clear about the refreshing nature of dealing with the new administration on foreign affairs.

"We’re very struck that the Obama Administration wants to have a discussion of objectives, of strategy...
'...you’re building on the very strong, positive impression...made right across Europe...'

Highlights excerpted from:
Remarks from Secy. Clinton and UK Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon David Miliband, Washington, DC, March 18, 2009

US Secy of State CLINTON: I am pleased that the foreign secretary has come for another visit to further our cooperative working relationship in preparation for the March 31st meeting in The Hague and in preparation for the G-20 meeting, the NATO summit, the EU-U.S. meeting. We have a lot on our agenda.


UK Foreign Minister MILIBAND: We’re looking forward to our discussions and hearing how you’re building on the very strong, positive impression that the Administration and you, in particular, have made right across Europe. So, glad to be here.

[Response to Q. about AFGHANISTAN and possible Obama request for NATO to put more troops in Afghanistan] --
MILBAND: I think that we have discussed this in the European community, European Union and in NATO as well. We’re very struck that the Obama Administration wants to have a discussion of objectives, of strategy, and better resources, and they want to do it in that order. Obviously in the UK, we have about 12 percent of (inaudible) forces in Afghanistan. I think what I would say is that the greatest increase in troops over the next few years is going to come from Afghans, because it’s the Afghan National Army that is the focus of development. But some European countries are increasing their troop numbers, but I think there’s a real sense that the Administration is serious about consultation and collaboration about all aspects of the objectives of the strategy as well as the resources, and that’s greatly appreciated.

CLINTON: [continues on Afghanistan]: And I would only add, Arshad, that what we have is an integrated strategy to achieve the objectives so that the civilian capacity that is going to be important for assisting in the training of the Afghan National Army as well as the police in supporting governance, rule of law, judicial systems, economic opportunities is also on the table. So we’re going to have a thorough discussion leading up to the March 31st meeting because we believe that the objectives and the strategic review should lead in making clear what the resources will be, and we’ll get into the specifics as we move forward.