‘CEO’ Tillerson Faces Internal Skeptics
One of Rex Tillerson’s first directives as U.S. secretary of state was an order to senior staff that his briefing materials not exceed two pages. It was a reflection of Tillerson’s management style honed at the helm of Exxon Mobil, and one reason his closest aides at the State Department refer to him as “the CEO” rather than “the Secretary.”
Trump Is On The Brink As U.S. Warns Iran Over Missile Tests
The White House put Iran “on notice” Wednesday over what it said were a series of provocations, giving Americans — and the world — a chance to see how President Donald Trump handles a foreign crisis. Top aides would not rule out military action.
Obama’s Best (And Worst) Of Times
As the Barack Obama presidency dwindles down to the last day, there’s no silent amen. Donald Trump people are swarming the streets around Union Station. These Republicans seem to have come from the country to claim the country, what’s theirs. The barricades and bollards surround the beloved Capitol, the place looks like a police state. The citadel of democracy looks captured.
Kerry Warns Of ‘Authoritarian Populism,’ Takes Jab At Trump Tweets
In his most pointed public comments about Trump since the Nov. 8 presidential election, Kerry also suggested that the president-elect’s Cabinet nominees were getting a free pass from Congress for failing to submit tax returns and other documentation before their Senate confirmation hearings.
John Kerry: Climate Change Should Not Be ‘Partisan Issue’
Work to avert the problems caused by climate change should not be a partisan issue, Kerry told students at MIT. He noted U.S. officials from military and intelligence leaders to the mayors of coastal cities agree the problem of rising sea levels and erratic rainfall is one that they want to take action on.
Why Obama’s Legacy Is His Foreign Policy
Taken overall, Obama’s legacy will rest heavily on foreign affairs given that he has struggled to secure major domestic policy momentum in his second term.
Danziger: Art Of The Smear
Danziger watches America’s master of the smear, offering Israel’s prime minister political mud to fling at John Kerry.
Tel Aviv Diary: Why Netanyahu Is Lashing Out At Obama
The majority of Israelis support the idea of two-state solution, and more than half of Israelis do not want to keep occupying Palestinians in the West Bank. The prevailing opinion, on the streets of Tel Aviv, is that Netanyahu had gone way too far in his attacks on all those who supported the resolution and that this might finally endanger his support among his devotees.
Kerry Cautions Israel: Two-State Solution Is Now In ‘Serious Jeopardy’
“Despite our best efforts over the years, the two-state solution is now in serious jeopardy,” Kerry said at the State Department. “We cannot, in good conscience, do nothing, and say nothing, when we see the hope of peace slipping away.”
Tireless In His Diplomatic Efforts, John Kerry Often Came Up Empty-Handed
Kerry is nothing if not indefatigable, traveling to all corners of the world as America’s top diplomat over the last four years. But as he prepares to leave office, he confronts a mixed legacy, with a handful of successes coupled with searing defeats, especially in the Middle East.
Angered By UN Vote Against Settlements, Israeli PM Summons US Envoy
The resolution condemning settlements in the occupied territories passed the Security Council because the U.S. broke with its long-standing approach of diplomatically shielding Israel and abstained instead of wielding its veto power.
Broadcast Networks’ Climate Coverage Was Miserable During This Election Year
Secretary of State John Kerry recently said it “pissed him off” that there wasn’t a single question asked about climate change during the six hours of televised debates prior to the election.
The Unmaking Of The Presidential Debate
How did an institution meant to elevate presidential campaigns end up making them even stupider than before?
U.S., Russia Trade Blows Over Syria As Warplanes Pound Aleppo
The United States accused Russia of “barbarism” in Syria on Sunday as warplanes supporting Syrian government forces pounded Aleppo and Moscow said ending the civil war was almost “impossible”.
Battle Rages Near Aleppo As Syria Air Onslaught Continues
Syrian government and rebel forces battled for control of high ground on the Aleppo outskirts on Saturday as warplanes bombed the city’s opposition-held east relentlessly in a Russian-backed offensive that has left Washington’s Syria policy in tatters.
Kerry Defends Syria Deal With Russia, Says Obama Backs Plan
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday sought to diffuse criticism of a U.S.-Russian ceasefire agreement on Syria arguing that without it violence would increase significantly with many more Syrians slaughtered or forced to flee the war-torn country.
Top Diplomats From U.S., Japan, South Korea To Meet On North Korea
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in New York on Sunday to discuss responses to North Korea’s latest nuclear test, South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
Kerry And Lavrov Holding Talks On Syria Ceasefire Deal
During the snap meeting, the two diplomats will hold talks on how to put an end to fighting in the war-torn country and further humanitarian aid for the Syrian people, according to the US State Department.
South Sudan Violence: Kerry Meets With African Ministers To Discuss Prevention Of Civil War
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and counterparts from six African nations met in Nairobi on Monday to discuss ways to prevent South Sudan from sliding back into civil war.
Kerry Continues Forward With Russia Talks On ISIS Fight
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is still pursuing an agreement with Russia on military cooperation in the fight against Islamic State in Syria despite major setbacks and skepticism from other administration officials and U.S. allies, U.S. officials with knowledge of the talks said on Friday.
Kerry Confident Olympic Games Will Be ‘Safe, Sound, Secure’
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday he is confident the Olympics Games will be “safe, sound, secure” and said the United States and Brazil are working together to ensure they are. Kerry, meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister José Serra in Rio before the opening of the Games later on Friday, told reporters he was sure Brazil will deliver “not just a great venue but a great Olympics.”
Kerry: ‘The United States Does Not Pay Ransoms’
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday defended the Obama administration’s payment of $400 million in cash to Iran, denying it was a ransom for the release of American prisoners by Tehran or tied to the Iran nuclear deal. “The United States does not pay ransoms,” Kerry told a news conference in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires.
One Year On, How’s The Iran Nuke Deal Doing?
A year later, the Islamic Republic is again a player on the international circuit. Tehran has hosted a steady stream of heads of state or foreign ministers, many from the West, interested in upgrading relations.
Excerpt: Witness to the Revolution: Radicals, Resisters, Vets, Hippies, and the Year America Lost Its Mind and Found Its Soul
In this special Memorial Day excerpt from Witness To the Revolution, her new oral history of the upheavals at the end of the Sixties, author Clara Bingham brings us voices of the pathbreaking protesters who stood up as Vietnam Veterans Against the War.