State Dept.
From NBC's Ali Weinberg and Wendy Jones
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today addressed the first public policy forum of NoLimits.org, an education foundation focusing on issues like work-family policies, healthcare reform and human rights. The nonpartisan group was founded by Ann Lewis, whose brother is House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank.
Clinton said she recognized many friends in the audience, including her best friend from sixth grade, as well as many whom she met "in the cauldron of the 2008 election." She called Lewis Rep. Frank's "long-suffering sister," joking about Lewis's reaction to Frank's speech earlier at the forum: "He did great but his shirt was untucked!"
Although the speech was devoted mostly to Clinton's experience thus far as Secretary of State, she did comment on some of the day's news, expressing optimism about the House passing its health care bill tomorrow.
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From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
The State Department is confirming Palestinian reports that Secretary Clinton is leaving Islamabad tomorrow evening for Abu Dhabi, where she will hold talks Saturday with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
The rest of her schedule is unclear, but she is expected in Jerusalem Saturday night for meetings Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, according to Israeli officials.
She then heads to Morocco for meetings Monday and Tuesday.
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
Hillary Clinton, buffeted by tough questions for two days about the U.S. influence on Pakistan's military, said today she finds it hard to believe that no one in Pakistan's government knows where al Qaeda is -- and couldn't get them if they wanted to. She added that al Qaeda has had a safe haven in Pakistan for seven years.
The Secretary of State's very undiplomatic response came in a meeting with newspaper editors.
This exchange is not on camera:
Asked why other countries can't be involved in fighting terrorism -- not just Pakistan -- Clinton said: "Al-Qaeda has had safe haven in Pakistan since 2002. I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn't get them if they really wanted to. Maybe that's the case; maybe they're not gettable. I don't know.''
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From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was welcomed to Pakistan by a car bomb explosion in Peshawar -- as well as word of the latest terror attacks in Afghanistan.
Just as Clinton was embarking on a trip to emphasize that the U.S. was not only focused on security and terror -- but also wanted a broader relationship with Pakistan -- the terror attacks brought home the brutal reality of Pakistan's dilemma: Under pressure from the U.S., the government has launched its long delayed attack against insurgents in tribal areas. But the extremists have responded with a spate of attacks, undermining the legitimacy of the government and angering Pakistanis frustrated by the lack of security.
Video:
A massive car bomb rocks a crowded market in Pakistan hours after Secretary of State Hilary Clinton arrives in the country.At a news conference today with Pakistan's foreign minister, Clinton said that she wanted to turn the page on the U.S. relationship with Pakistan and build on mutual respect and shared responsibilities. "While we may disagree from time to time as friends and partners do" Clinton said, she vowed to do more thru people to people diplomacy.
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From Andrea Mitchell and Libby Leist
Aides to Sen. John Kerry tell NBC News that he returned to Kabul tonight to continue negotiations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. And Kerry will be in place tomorrow for an anticpated announcement by Karzai about the election results. Hillary Clinton said this afternoon she was "encouraged" that Karzai will abide by the constitution and accept the Electoral Complaints Commission results that left him with 48% of the vote.
Kerry spent the day in Islamabad before returning to Kabul, where he had spent the weekend. Aides say Kerry spent a lot of one-on-one time with Karzai on Saturday and Sunday, including dinner both nights.
Kerry has been coordinating closely with the State Department. A senior State Department official said, "We have been telling Karzai ... to accept the results. That will be imporant."
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MIDEAST PEACE: Palestinians are as pessimistic as ever about the peace process. Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas' domestic political standing is in BIG trouble.
AFGHANISTAN: The Washington Post reports that President Obama is not only focusing on the military aspect of the Afghanistan war but the civilian one in part because of concerns over the legitimacy of recent presidential elections there. "Although the discussions also include making a decision on whether to deploy tens of thousands of additional U.S. troops, an administration official said the president was 'very focused on the complexity of the situation' Wednesday -- looking past the military aspect of the equation and toward the civilian effort. Another official said the focus on the civilian effort grew out of a sense that the United States needs to better cultivate Afghan leaders and institutions."
IRAN: Khamenei in a coma? Blogs are rampant with speculation that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is in a coma or dead:
The UK's Telegraph newspaper on the rumors.
And The Jerusalem Post.
from NBC's Andrea Mitchell
Russian Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin today expressed skepticism about sanctioning Iran over its nuclear program. Putin made his comments in Beijing, in what will be widely viewed as a diplomatic rebuke to the U.S. and Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton. Clinton just wrapped up a two day trip to Russia and is now flying back to DC.
"There is no need to frighten the Iranians," Putin told reporters in Beijing after a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organizatin, the AP writes. "And if now, before making any steps [towards holding talks] we start announcing some sanctions, then we won't be creating favorable conditions for them to end positively. This is why it is premature to talk about this now," he said.
Clinton had her own difficulties over Iran on the trip, as Russia's hardline Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov restated his opposition to sanctions yesterday. Later yesterday, she met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who did not publically disagree with his Foreign Minister.
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Um, Wow. Two weeks ago, the Russians
sounded like they were on board with sanctions. Now? Doesn't look as good at least based on Secretary of State Clinton's meetings with key Russian leaders this week.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin supposedly doesn't do foreign policy and yet he's in China on an official
visit to cut a deal on energy. Hmmm. President Medvedev is simply the ambassador to the world but when a deal involves money for the Russians, Putin steps in?
Looks like the Obama administration has a
Plan B for Iran -- the bunker buster bomb; a project that has been sped up.
Speaking of that PLAN B... Secretary of State Clinton is still
working on plan A... getting the Russians on board with Iranian sanctions.
Clinton will
meet with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev today “ amid claims that Washington has agreed to stop criticizing Russia's human rights record in return for improved relations.”
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
GENEVA, Switzerland -- The talks between the P5+1 and Iran have ended and, per a senior U.S. official, all parties have agreed to a second round of talks by the end of the month.
The U.S. and Iran had their first meetings, direct talks -- in 30 years -- during a lunch break in the group session.
Deputy U.S. Spokesman Robert Wood confirmed that "On the margins of the meeting this morning Undersecretary of State William Burns met with the Iranian representative Saeed Jalili."
Prior to the direct talks during the lunch break, the opening plenary session was a restatement of previous positions by both sides, according to sources inside the meeting.
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