This is my totally shallow (well maybe not totally) post for the day.  Since I hope with all my heart that the Secretary of State is spending one more peaceful day of this holiday weekend at home with her family, and there are only a few new pictures up at Getty of her and Bill at a Broadway show (39 Steps) yesterday, which I will not post since they are watermarked, I will share a photo gallery of a characteristic Hillary gesture.

Especially when she is in a house of worship, but on other occasions as well, we see photos of her looking up.  Usually she is also smiling.  It is touching, charming, thoroughly captivating.  I think some of those times, just a hunch, she’s talking to her dad.  Here are some of those photos.

In The Clintons aim to keep their worlds from colliding , in Thurday’s Washington Post, Mary Beth Sheridan lays out an excellent analysis of how Hillary and Bill Clinton manage to remain professionally untangled even though their international paths criss-cross like fishnet. Hillary supporters and loyalists are accustomed to responding to detractors who alleged that Hillary would simply be like a little wind-up version of Bill were she to occupy the Oval office.

No,  the Clintons, even if you want to refer to them as “Billary” (which I do not) are not monolithic. Her stances and his do not necessarily occupy the same square foot, as the late Tim Russert was so talented at digging out. But their paths cross international air routes, especially in regions of their personal special interests like Northern Ireland and Haiti, so keeping their virtual trapezes from crashing takes precision.

Sheridan reports:

‘A very tricky area’

The Clintons declined requests for interviews, but their aides emphasize that Secretary Clinton is carrying out the Obama administration’s foreign policy and say that their shared priorities are a coincidence. Some lawmakers, however, are wary of potential conflicts. Bill Clinton’s charitable foundation has received large contributions in recent years from governments such as Saudi Arabia’s, as well as Indian tycoons and prominent supporters of Israel — presenting what Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) called a “multimillion-dollar minefield of conflicts of interest.” In response, the former president agreed to release the foundation’s donor list and allow ethics officials to review some foreign pledges; the first annual disclosure of contributions since Hillary Clinton was confirmed is weeks away.

“They need to walk a very careful line; it’s a very tricky area. Hopefully that is being heeded, in terms of fundraising, by the Clinton Foundation,” said Andy Fisher, a spokesman for Sen. Richard G. Lugar (Ind.), the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Secretary Clinton will be revisiting the Foreign Relations Committee this coming week to testify regarding the new Afghanistan Policy just six weeks short of the first anniversary of her knockout confirmation appearance before that committee last January.   She is certain to impress as she did in the past.  Also, when the CGI annual report is issued, all of the “i”s are sure to be dotted, and every “t” crossed.   Bill does not want, in any way,  to interfere with Madame Secretary’s important work.  (Meanwhile,  I know I am not alone in hoping they are spending a loving,  relaxing holiday weekend together.)

Read Mary Beth’s article here.

Thanks to Stacy, I found this.

I am bored and have a bad case of HWS. I am glad she is getting some off-time and rest, so I am not suggesting that the lovely SOS needs to be out there on jaunts and in front of the cameras all the time, but when she is not, this blog dries up a little. So, as a consolation, I am posting some of my favorite pictures of her with Bill,  who,  I hope,  is taking very special care of her this weekend. I am sure he is pampering Madame Secretary.

Well this story, like the Vampire Tales also seems loathe to die, but perhaps that is a good thing.    The story of the now infamous party crashers at the India State Dinner Wednesday night continues to fly around the interwebs and TV and print media.  I do not want to provide these self-centered fools with additional attention, since, like other Hillary bloggers I spent  a good deal of time from Wednesday night forward  looking for pictures of our very lovely Secretary of State looking like a goddess in her midnight blue gown.   I have found only one, and from what I see at other Hillary sites, this is the only one.

Meanwhile, those two clowns who crashed the dinner are all over the place.   My biggest problem (aside from not being able to find a front shot of Hillary in this beautiful gown which is fabulous on her) is that these two made it through so many layers of security and past the Secret Service.  I keep hearing that they went through metal detectors so there was no danger.  Excuse me?  In a room full of cutlery there was no danger?

I do not know what other layers of security are involved in being waved in, but I am most disappointed, and not for the first time, in the Secret Service.   Outside of the State Department, with its own security team, the Secret Service is charged with protecting one very precious Hillary Rodham Clinton, and this failure on their part does nothing to make me feel that she is safe in their hands.

Last year it was the shoe-throwing at President Bush that they failed to stop, and now it is this.  They let a couple of publicity-seeking nobodies into the tent  with the entire succession of power.  The woman even succeeded in having her picture taken with Vice President Biden – with her hand on his chest!  And there was “no danger?”

And while they were busily being photographed with every official who would give them a tumble,  the pretty SOS was NOT photographed?  In case the photo above is the only one you have ever seen of her in this dress, this is how she looks from other angles in this masterpiece of a dress.

So that’s my gripe for today. Rant over -  for now, anyway.

UPDATE: This was just tweeted.    Source: Secret Service agent didn’t check couple.  NBC News is also told that they were not cleared as their lawyer contends.

This is what she she wore – and it is my favorite!  Turn around, Hillary!  Let us see you from the front!  Gorgeous!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We all hope you are home and resting and wish you a lovely Thanksgiving with your dear family.

(Parenthetically we also WISH you had posed for at least ONE photo last night at the State Dinner since it seems you might have worn THIS!)

(Parenthetically, I have to say my shallow comment of the day:  SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!
Very HOT!)

Anyway, our loss.  But we want you to have a looooong restful holiday weekend with the people you love most, and we hope they pamper you as you so richly deserve (of course they will).

What WE are thankful for,  Madame Secretary, is YOU!  I thank God every day that I am living on earth at the same time you are.

How ironic is it that these little nuggets from the Monday cabinet meeting arrive via none other than Maureen Dowd? (That’s a rhetorical question, btw.)

Here is what she wrote in her Op-Ed  Thanks for the Memories which appeared in today’s New York Times.

At his Cabinet meeting Monday afternoon, President Obama took a moment to give thanks to his team.

Sipping a glass of water, the president offered special gratitude to the woman on his right.

“I advised this hard-working Cabinet to get a little bit of rest this week,” he said, looking at Hillary Clinton, “particularly the people who have been traveling around the globe day-in and day-out and don’t know what time zone they’re in.”

The secretary of state, with a china cup and saucer in front of her, smiled.

We do not really get much of a glimpse into what is said in cabinet meetings. I think it was nice of the President to single out our Homegirl who clearly has been working very, very hard.

Dowd goes on to contrast Hillary Clinton’s position, both physically in the meeting room, and figuratively within the cabinet, with the recently resigned White House counsel, Greg Craig, a Yale Law classmate of Hillary’s and friend of both Clintons who turned on Hillary to support Barack Obama in the primary race.

Only a year after he had helped Barack Obama get elected by eviscerating his close friend, Clinton White House colleague and Yale Law School classmate, Hillary Clinton, Craig was himself eviscerated by the Obama inner circle.

She speculates as to whether he or Susan Rice, whose role in the primary campaign was to attempt to derail Hillary’s claims of foreign policy experience, ever dreamt they would be working on the cabinet with her.

I often wondered if Craig and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, the other former Clinton official who helped undermine Hillary’s foreign policy record, would have done so if they had known that after turning on Hillary they would once more end up working beside her; if they had known that Obama can often be more interested in wooing opponents than tending to those who put themselves on the line for him.

Well, for all that, Susan and Hillary seem pretty tight lately, and indeed work together like a well-oiled machine. Greg, though, ends up under the proverbial bus which is the real point of Dowd’s Op-Ed, that Obama’s supporters still do not seem to get that he is more interested in forming alliances with former adversaries than in gifting supporters with important posts.

That it is Maureen who delivers this message with nary a single negative comment about Hillary is indeed a shock – stunning! Congrats, Mo! Looks like the 12-Step Program might be working.

None of this comes as any surprise to those of us who have watched for many years as Hillary characteristically threw herself into projects without a care as to whether or not anyone noticed her hard work. As Secretary of State, her dynamo approach to her duties have not gone unnoticed. To know that the President so appreciates it, and to learn of this from Maureen Dowd satisfies rather sweetly a karmic debt.

Read the whole Op-Ed here.

“Elimination of Violence Against Women” Day

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 25, 2009

“Today, a woman somewhere in the United States will be physically assaulted by her husband. In a remote village on the other side of the world, traffickers will lure a young girl away from her family and sell her into sexual slavery. In towns in every region of the globe, groups of men will harass young women as they attempt to go to school. And in a conflict-ravaged land, armed men will brutally rape a mother and her daughter, part of a deliberate strategy of war. Today and every day, women and girls all over the world will face violence simply because they are female. This gender-based violence not only harms the victims and their families, it shreds the fabric that weaves us together as human beings.

“Violence against women cannot be accepted as ‘cultural’ — it is criminal. Today, as we mark Elimination of Violence Against Women Day, let us recommit ourselves – men and women in every country – to work together to end these atrocities, to hold those who commit them accountable, and to support the survivors. No woman or girl anywhere in the world should have to walk in fear or live under the threat of violence.

“When women are accorded their rights and afforded equal opportunities in education, health care, employment, and political participation, they drive social and economic progress. They lift up themselves, their communities, and their nations. But none of these benefits is possible unless girls are able to learn without fear and women are able to have autonomy and decision-making over their own lives, and those are the very things that violence and the fear of violence take away.

“The United States will continue to stand with women around the world to ensure that their rights are protected and respected, and that they have the opportunity to pursue an education, find a good job, live in safety and fulfill their own God-given potential.”

The Obama Administration has made women’s empowerment a core pillar of American foreign policy. Earlier this year, the President appointed Melanne Verveer to be the first ever Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues. In August, Secretary Clinton traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo to shine a spotlight on the use of rape as a tactic of war. And in September, she chaired a United Nations Security Council session that passed Resolution 1888 to prevent and respond to sexual violence in armed conflict.

Daily Appointments Schedule for November 25, 2009 Washington, DC November 25, 2009 SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON: No Public Appointments OTHER: 12 Noon: Special Press Briefing by Special Envoy for Middle East Peace Senator George Mitchell, State Department Press Briefing Room (ON THE RECORD / ON CAMERA) THE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING WILL BEGIN AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30 P.M. ************************************************************************************************ Well, we know that does not necessarily mean no appointments but only that, if there ARE appointments, they will not be public. I hope it means she is home or headed there for the holiday! By the way, Secretary Clinton, looking adorable here. I hope we find some photos from last night! There do not seem to be any out there!

*********Breaking news from CNN is that the Secretary will  be back on HillForce One for NATO headquarters next week immediately following the President’s announcement of the new Afghanistan strategy.

**********UPDATE: This is in direct conflict with the CNN report above Sec. Gates, Sec. Clinton, Adm. Mullen Scheduled To Testify Wednesday On Afghanistan

As you may know from sources OTHER than the State Department, which has been mysteriously and frustratingly tight-lipped about the events of the day, our very vibrant and (shallow comment of the day) adorable Secretary of State hosted a luncheon today for visiting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his delegation. Here are some charming photos, a video, and a transcript of her remarks.

Remarks at Luncheon for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Secretary of State

Ben Franklin Room

Washington, DC

November 24, 2009

Please be seated, and welcome to the State Department, to the ceremonial receiving rooms of the 8th floor. And it is a personal delight, as well as a high honor, to have so many of you gathered here, such a distinguished group, for this special occasion.

Prime Minister, Mrs. Kaur, we are so delighted and honored that you could be here and that you are the first official state visitors of the Obama Administration. And it’s a special pleasure to be here with my friends, Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden.

When the Vice President and I served together in the United States Senate, one of the many issues on which we shared a common view was the importance of building a strong and sustainable partnership with India. I co-founded and co-chaired the Friends of India Caucus, the first country-focused caucus in the history of the Senate. And Vice President Biden, who was then chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was absolutely central to the passage of the landmark civilian nuclear agreement between our nations. He worked for months to craft the compromise that made this agreement possible. And we have seen how it has opened vital new avenues of cooperation between India and the United States.

The Vice President understood early what is now a core tenet of foreign policy in the Obama Administration, that the ability and the commitment of India and the United States to work together will be critical to our successes in both nations in addressing common challenges and achieving shared goals in the 21st century.

As the world’s largest democracy and the world’s oldest democracy, we are poised to collaborate on a number of fronts, from strengthening our security and confronting the threat of violent extremism, to fostering breakthroughs in science and technology, to increasing political, economic, and social opportunities for the world’s women.

India’s emergence as a political and economic leader gives us the chance to widen opportunity in places that have been left out of global progress for so long. And the many ties that connect us, many evidenced here in this room, between families and businesses, universities, cultural institutions, and civil society groups, create so much potential for us to work together to improve the lives of citizens in both our countries.

I am particularly impressed by Prime Minister Singh’s absolute determination to raise the standard of living and provide greater opportunity for the people that he represents. You cannot talk with him for more than 30 seconds without feeling that passion and that commitment. (Applause.)

And I have been privileged to have worked with and followed the affairs of India over a number of years, going back to my time as First Lady, and certainly as senator. But I was especially pleased to return to India this summer as Secretary of State, where Minister Krishna and I announced a new Strategic Dialogue between our countries covering a range of issues, including nonproliferation and counterterrorism, education and development, trade, and agriculture, science and technology, clean energy, and climate, and so much else.

And while I was in India, I had the chance to meet with people from across the spectrum, from university students to agricultural scientists, to women entrepreneurs from rural areas who are transforming their lives. And I was reminded of the extraordinary diversity and energy of India, not unlike that of the United States, another pluralistic, diverse, occasionally raucous democracy that invites the free expression of ideas, elects leaders peacefully through free and open elections, and continues to move forward into the future with momentum.

So we live in exciting times. And President Obama, Vice President Biden, and I are committed to making the most of this promising moment by deepening the areas of cooperation that exist between India and the United States. We will work together to help shape a future that really fulfills the dreams of our people. Both Indians and Americans want a better life. That’s why our people are such hard workers and so committed to a better future for their children. And the Indian American community represented here today has been an absolute engine of progress and change here in our country.

So, Mr. Prime Minister, this is a very auspicious occasion for us. And we work with you to achieve the goals that you have stood for throughout your entire public career. We are grateful for the history and friendship that already unites us, and we are committed to building on that in the years to come. And one of the people who will be leading the way is my friend and colleague, Vice President Joe Biden. (Applause.)

THIS is what drives me crazy!  THIS is what the State Department sent out AFTER 10 a.m. today:

Daily Appointments: Daily Appointments Schedule for November 24, 2009
Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:58:41 -0600

Daily Appointments Schedule for November 24, 2009

Washington, DC

November 24, 2009

 

---

SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON:
1:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton and Vice President Biden host a Luncheon for Prime Minister Singh and Mrs. Kaur, at the Department of State.
(POOLED PRESS COVERAGE FOR REMARKS AT TOP)3:05 p.m. Secretary Clinton signs a Memorandum of Understanding with His Excellency S. M. Krishna, Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India, at the Department of State.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE IN THE TREATY ROOM)
Pre-set time for cameras: 2:15 p.m. from the 23rd Street entrance.
Final access time for writers and still photographers: 2:45 p.m. from the 23rd Street entrance.

 

5:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton attends a Bilateral Meeting with Prime Minister Singh, at the Willard Hotel.
(MEDIA TO BE DETERMINED BY INDIA)

THE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING WILL BEGIN AT APPROXIMATELY 2:00 P.M.

Here is Part One of the REAL schedule for today! This took place this morning.  You will notice it is not on the schedule sent out by the State Department.

I have lost my patience since I have written them several times about this and get no response.

By the way, The Secretary of State is attending the very much hyped State Dinner for the Prime Minister this evening. Thought I would let you know since the schedule FAILS TO MENTION THAT!

Even as we are blogging (or reading) the Secretary’s day is not over. This afternoon she attended the Cabinet meeting, as we see in these photos.  (This first picture just grabs my heartstrings.)

At this moment she is a key player in the President’s War Council meeting on Afghanistan in the Situation Room.

Tomorrow she will be taking part in formalities and festivities surrounding the visit of Prime Minister Singh of India.

On another note, Richard Holbrooke gave an extensive briefing today on Secretary Clinton’s trips to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Read it here….

Back at the State Department after two long treks, the Secretary of State met today with the Foreign Minister of Bulgaria. Here are their remarks.

Remarks With Bulgarian Foreign Minister Rumiana Zheleva After their Meeting

Treaty Room
Washington, DC
November 23, 2009

SECRETARY CLINTON: Good morning. And it’s a particular delight for me to welcome the Bulgarian delegation and especially Foreign Minister Zheleva, who has come to this position with a great background in academia and a great commitment to democracy. And it’s such a historic time for Europe and for the Euro-Atlantic alliance.

This year we are commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain. And that helped put Bulgaria on the path toward democracy and a market economy, both of which were reaffirmed in their recent elections. There was no way to know in 1989 how this would work out. But the transition, which has not always been easy, has made it possible for so many millions of people in Central and Eastern Europe to really have a place in charting their own future and making a claim to a better future, and I am very impressed by the remarkable progress that has been made.

We are also especially pleased that Bulgaria is a member of NATO and part of an alliance that is the most successful in history on behalf of collective security and rooted in mutual respect. We understand how intertwined our futures happen to be.

Today Bulgarian and American troops serve side by side as part of the NATO mission in Afghanistan. We are greatly appreciative of the service of your soldiers and their sacrifice. And we know, too, that our bilateral relationship is one of strategic importance. We are committed to working bilaterally, as well as within NATO, and through the European Union, and with the important emphasis on all of the issues that are significant to both of us.

Today the foreign minister and I discussed how we can broaden and deepen our partnership. I commended Bulgaria’s efforts to root out corruption, to hold people accountable, to end impunity for public officials. I also congratulated the foreign minister on Bulgaria’s efforts to bring greater transparency to the energy sector. Our special envoy for Eurasian Energy Richard Morningstar will be going back for his second trip to Bulgaria in about 10 days.

We talked about some of the economic challenges and the commercial ties that we wish to deepen. There is just so much that we see for a positive relationship between the United States and Bulgaria. So I want again to thank the foreign minister for her leadership and for her friendship and the friendship of the Bulgarian people, and I look forward to working with you in the future.

FOREIGN MINISTER ZHELEVA: Thank you, Madame Secretary. Today, I had a very constructive meeting with Madame Secretary Clinton. Thank you for that. Once again, I reaffirmed our commitment to our strategic partnership with the United States, and our determination to work together on global and regional security, as well as energy-related issues.

I described the significant commitment we are making to the fight against terrorism, and the role played by our brave troops in Afghanistan. I furthermore informed the Secretary about the efforts and the successes of our new government led by Prime Minister Borissov during the first hundred days in office. In particular, I elaborated on our efforts to overcome the dual challenge of organized crime and corruption.

During the meeting, we furthermore discussed regional challenges and the role played by Bulgaria in NATO and in the European Union. That role, as I pointed out to the Secretary, aims to enhance regional security and cooperation, and is contributing to the further strengthening of our transatlantic alliance. We have a very positive and interesting meeting, and I am very grateful for the support given to Bulgaria by the Madame Secretary. Thank you once again.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much, Minister.

FOREIGN MINISTER ZHELEVA: Thank you.

MR. KELLY: The first question to Lachlan Carmichael from AFP.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, since we have an opportunity to talk to you, perhaps on another subject, Iraq? There’s a prospect of the electoral law being vetoed again. What kind of concerns do you have about that? And do you have any – can you use your influence to help get it passed, iron out the differences among the factions?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Lachlan, we support the Iraqi Government’s efforts to pass an election law so that they can proceed with planned elections. We know that there are some continuing concerns as expressed by the vice president that have to be addressed. We will continue working with all of the parties. Our Ambassador, Chris Hill, on the ground has been deeply involved in doing so already.

This morning, I met and heard a report about the way forward. There are a number of ideas that we will be presenting. There’s an interim period because the Council of Representatives will not be meeting for a number of days that we think provide the opportunity for all the parties to come together, and with the help of not just the United States, but UNAMI and others to work out these continuing differences.

We believe on balance that there will be elections. They might slip by some period of time until this is worked out, because at some point the law has to be in place for the planning to begin, and so there necessarily needs to be a period of time in which the planning can occur. But we have every reason to believe that elections will be held, which will be another milestone on the journey that Iraqis are taking toward full and comprehensive democracy.

QUESTION: Thanks.

MODERATOR: Second question, (inaudible).

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, my question is for you. What are Bulgaria’s chances to be included in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program by the end of next year? Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we discussed that. I must say your foreign minister was extremely strong and even passionate about the issue, and we share the concern. I told her that I would personally support efforts to have Bulgaria enter into the Visa Waiver Program as soon as the standards are met. We value Bulgaria as a close partner. The criteria for the program are established by countries, by – excuse me, the criteria for the program is established by Congress. Every country has to meet the same criteria. There’s no greater or lesser burden on Bulgaria than any other country.

And we offered to assist Bulgaria in doing what it must in order to qualify, because we encourage and welcome Bulgarians to come to the United States for business, for pleasure, for family reasons, because we want to not just have a good government-to-government relationship, but a good people-to-people relationship. So we’re going to do everything we can to assist Bulgaria in meeting the criteria.

MR. KELLY: Next question to Andy Quinn from Reuters.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Hi, Andy.

QUESTION: Hi, Madame Secretary. I have a double-barreled question about Afghanistan. I hope you will allow it. A spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai said they’re considering inviting some members of the Taliban to take part in this loya jirga that they’re talking about. I’m wondering if they’ve run that idea past you and what you might think of it.

And secondly, the White House has announced a meeting tonight on Afghan policy. I’m wondering if you have any special expectations for this meeting and how many more you might think we’ll be seeing before the President rolls out his policy.

And for the foreign minister, I’d like to know what if – what Bulgaria is hoping to see in the U.S. policy on Afghanistan. Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Andy, first of all, the issue of how to reintegrate members of the Taliban who renounce violence, renounce ties with al-Qaida, are committed to participating peacefully in the political life of Afghanistan is something that has been discussed at length, both within the Afghan Government, within our own government, and between our governments. And obviously, we are going to ask questions about how it proceeds, but the general idea of exploring this is one that we have been open to.

With respect to the outcome of any such discussions, however, we have urged caution and real standards that are expected to be met by anyone who is engaged in these conversations, so that whatever process there is can actually further the stability and the peace of Afghanistan, not undermine it.

Regarding the meeting tonight, I will not preempt the President in any comments on the meeting. It is, as you pointed out, a meeting with his principal advisors on national security and will be focused on the issues leading up to the decision that he will be making and announcing with respect to Afghanistan.

FOREIGN MINISTER ZHELEVA: So, thank you for the question. And being both member of the European Union and NATO, my country is very much interested to contributing the process of developing Afghanistan on both tracks, military as well as civilian track. And my country is among the partners of NATO, of the coalition. We have a high contribution, so – to this coalition and to the efforts of the international community. That is why we are looking very much, and we appreciate the important role of United States in both – so from one side in enhancing the European Union-U.S. relations on this issue, and on the other side also within the NATO.

And what we hope to see is, of course, a more coordinated approach, more coordinated efforts of all the partners. And we will contribute and we will do our part, of course, as a member of – as I already mentioned, NATO and European Union, because this is very important issue, so – to contribute to the democratization process in Afghanistan.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much for that, Foreign Minister.

MODERATOR: Next question Nikola Miladinov, Bulgarian National Radio.

QUESTION: Hello, Madame Secretary. Let’s continue a bit about Afghanistan because Madame Zheleva said that we will do our part. So will the United States ask Bulgaria for further increasing of its military presence in Afghanistan and sending more troops? Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Let me start by saying that Minister Zheleva was absolutely right in describing the commitment that we have seen from Bulgaria to this NATO mission, and we greatly appreciate Bulgaria’s contributions to the multinational effort in Afghanistan. And we know also that Bulgaria made contributions and sacrifices in Iraq as well.

We believe we face a common threat and a common enemy that goes to the heart of what collective defense means in the 21st century. And I have been quite impressed by the understanding that the new members of NATO, primarily from Central and Eastern Europe, have exhibited with their understanding and their willingness to participate.

The Bulgarian troops have served with distinction. I’ve heard that time and time again. And we regularly work with them to determine what contributions are appropriate for them to make. We cannot put ourselves in the position of the Bulgarian Government and the Bulgarian people. We obviously value this relationship, both on a bilateral as well as a multilateral basis, and we’re going to work with our friends in Bulgaria going forward to learn what kind of contributions on both the military and the civilian side are possible, which is what the minister said, and I appreciate her explanation and her commitment.

MR. KELLY: Thank you very much.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all. Always good to see you., Rumiana Zheleva See, none of the people who are here were on my long, never-ending trip. (Laughter.) I think everybody else is still recovering.

QUESTION: I’m the only one standing. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Oh, my goodness. Thank you all very much, and thanks to our friends from the Bulgarian press as well.

I wonder from whom that last “question” emanated! LOLOL!!! But the SOS is still standing! As usual.

These two trips were packed together with only two days home in between. Just posting about them was pretty intense, and the dazzling SOS came through the whole thing glowing as usual. Here’s a look back at almost a month of diplomatic travel.

Afghanistan 11/18-11/19

Beijing 11/17

Shanghai 11/16

Singapore APEC 11/14-11/15

Phlippines 11/12-11/13

Singapore APEC 11/11

Berlin 11/8-11/10

Morocco 11/1-11/3

Israel 10/31

Abu Dhabi 10/30

Pakistan 10/27-10/29

This today in the Boston Globe:  Sexism knows no political bounds by Joan Vennochi

Written by  a WOMAN, yet, begins thus.

THERE’S A new girl in town to kick around.
Hillary Clinton used to be everyone’s favorite target. Now it’s Sarah Palin, who is younger, sexier, and easier to trivialize.

The emphasis is mine.  Sarah Palin is sexier than Hillary? Based on what?  You know, when somebody  just throws a comment like that out there as if it is a statement of fact all the alarms and sirens start going off in my head.  The only comparative that is fact up there is “younger.”   Yes, Sarah Palin is younger than Hillary.   That is a fact.   The other two comparatives are opinions, not fact.

I think sexiness starts between the ears. That’s my opinion, and it makes Hillary the sexier one. Sarah Palin is very inner-directed. It all about her, and she seems to crave being the center of attention even though she does not seem to have much to bring to the party. Hillary, on the other hand, is outer-directed. She is a problem-solver, and cares more that the problem gets solved than that she gets credit for it. To me, the one who is not self-absorbed is much sexier than the one who is.

As far as being easy to trivialize, well I do not think it is possible to trivialize Hillary, and Palin has done a good job of trivializing herself.

Vennochi ends her article with this:

The two would have a lot to talk about if they ever had that cup of coffee Clinton said she would be willing to share.

They could discuss hardball politics and sexism. Liberals and conservatives both know it when they see it.

The Hillary Clinton who keeps telling everyone that you can’t move forward by looking in the rearview mirror – that Hillary Clinton? She is going to sit down for coffee and discuss stuff that happened two years ago?

Reality check: Hillary has moved on! This is her fourth day home this month, and she has a ton of stuff to read and attend to.

There is no comparison between these two – none!  Last week, Hillary was the covergirl for Time magazine.  They did not seem to think it was necessary to sex her up.   She looks pretty and sexy without stripping down.

Man!  Or anyway THIS man!  Right on the heels of all the cute body language stuff in the previous post, this comes up on one of the news feeds,  and I am amazed since heretofore Dennis Miller has been pretty positive about our Head Homegirl.

Speaking with Palin, Dennis Miller transitions from calling Newsweek cover ’sexist’ to insulting Hillary Clinton.
Earlier this week, Sarah Palin wrote on her Facebook page that Newsweek’s choice to use a Runner’s World photo of her in running shorts for its cover was “unfortunate” and “sexist.” Palin’s criticism has since been echoed on both the left and right. Interviewing Palin on his radio show yesterday, Dennis Miller added his voice to those calling the cover “sexist.” But he then did something that most of the other critics haven’t done. He immediately followed it with a joke about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that could also be easily characterized as sexist:

MILLER: Listen, Sarah, I have to ask you. This Newsweek cover. First off, I have two thoughts on this. To me it seems blatantly sexist and secondly I’m just glad they didn’t decide to do it with Hillary during the primaries. But your thoughts on it. You a little POed at this? I mean this was for another magazine, right?

Well, it is sexist, Dennis,  and now you are on my list that includes Bill Maher, Dana Carvey, and Robin Williams, for making  nasty comments or innuendo about our Homegirl’s appearance. Actually, Dennis and cohorts, physical features and their appeal are very much a matter of taste. I, for one, just do not think Sarah Palin is all that attractive, although it seems a lot of guys think she’s hot on that Newsweek cover.

I have, but will not post, two very hot pictures of Hillary Clinton wearing less than what Sarah is on that cover – in a bathing suit – and she is very beautiful. She has a very curvy figure, a tiny waist, nice bust and hips, and yes, pretty legs and looks smashing – very feminine. So, Dennis, I do not know what you mean.

I am really sick of men who think they are so hot (and are not) making remarks about women’s physical appearance. This goes for you, Dick Morris, and for you too, Lame Cherry, too cowardly to come out from behind your screen name making negative comments about Michelle Obama’s appearance.

These women (all women) have their own personal styles. The cover picture on Newsweek (I will not give them the satisfaction of a link) was an inappropriate choice, and I believe Mrs. Palin (she is not Governor of anything anymore) should have been allowed input as to what picture went on the cover.

But, reality check, Dennis and the rest of you: You and your “parts” (that includes the parts between your ears) are none too attractive to me! You are not going to make headway with women by speaking with forked tongues – by petting Sarah then slamming Hillary. I am boycotting the appearances of all these guys on my list and invite my Sistah Homegirls to do he same. The portrayals by all of them of Hillary were shameful. Shameful!

The lovely SOS spent part of  yesterday at the U.S. Embassy, as we saw on a video in a prior post. She also spent time among a host of Foreign Ministers in a conference at the Afghan Foreign Ministry today. Here are some images. Hillary’s face is nothing if not a graphic of what is going on inside her heart and mind. I love some of these facial expressions.  I meant to get this up yesterday, but had trouble with WordPress.  Well, since there are no pictures from today, I suppose you will be happy to see these.  

If this banner doesn’t display the ultimate in hypocrisy and ignorance; Muslims telling the western world to be civilized, what a farce!!! The most backward people on earth (barring Amazonian headhunters) telling the west to be civilized and to stop disgracing Mohammad (Muhammad)!

Hey, you Muslim fundamentalist morons, if you’re an example of what Mohammad stood for, he must have been a real loser. Beginning with Mohammad and continuing to your present-day  Osama bin Laden,  you’re nothing but a bunch of cave-dwelling rats. Your claim to fame is to degrade women, build bombs and blow yourselves up (the only good thing you’ve done in the last thousand years).

Since you’re all so civilized and have such deep-rooted beliefs, why not start a colossal bonfire in Mecca and jump in so you can have a rendezvous with your “virgins.” Just leave the rest of us alone already. You’re all obsessed with the west which you supposedly hate; seems more like envy to me.  TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

GENEVA – Four years after cartoons of the prophet Muhammad set off violent protests across the Muslim world, Islamic nations are mounting a campaign for an international treaty to protect religious symbols and beliefs from mockery — essentially a ban on blasphemy that would put them on a collision course with free speech laws in the West.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that Algeria and Pakistan have taken the lead in lobbying to eventually bring the proposal to a vote in the U.N. General Assembly.

If ratified in countries that enshrine freedom of expression as a fundamental right, such a treaty would require them to limit free speech if it risks seriously offending religious believers. The process, though, will take years and no showdown is imminent.

The proposal faces stiff resistance from Western countries, including the United States, which in the past has brushed aside other U.N. treaties, such as one on the protection of migrant workers.

Experts say the bid stands some chance of eventual success if Muslim countries persist. And whatever the outcome, the campaign risks reigniting tensions between Muslims and the West that President Barack Obama has pledged to heal, reviving fears of a “clash of civilizations.”

Four years ago, a Danish newspaper published cartoons lampooning the prophet Muhammad, prompting angry mobs to attack Western embassies in Muslim countries, including Lebanon, Iran and Indonesia. In a countermovement, several European newspapers reprinted the images.

The countries that form the 56-member Organization of the Islamic Conference are now lobbying a little-known Geneva-based U.N. committee to agree that a treaty protecting religions is necessary.

The move would be a first step toward drafting an international protocol that would eventually be put before the General Assembly — a process that could take a decade or more.

The proposal may have some support in the General Assembly. For several years the Islamic Conference has successfully passed a nonbinding resolution at the General Assembly condemning “defamation of religions.”

If the treaty was approved, any of the U.N.’s 192 member states that ratified it would be bound by its provisions. Other countries could face criticism for refusing to join.

Just last month, the Obama administration came out strongly against efforts by Islamic nations to bar the defamation of religions, saying the moves would restrict free speech.

“Some claim that the best way to protect the freedom of religion is to implement so-called anti-defamation policies that would restrict freedom of expression and the freedom of religion,” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said. “I strongly disagree.”

But there are signs the U.S. is worried by the Islamic Conference campaign. Behind the scenes it has been lobbying hard to quash the proposal, dispatching a senior U.S. diplomat to Geneva last month for talks described as akin to trench warfare.

“The U.S. presence can be significant in determining the whole destiny of the process,” said Lukas Machon, who represents the International Commission of Jurists at the U.N.

From a legal point of view, “the whole exercise is dangerous from A-Z because it’s a departure from the practice and concept of human rights,” Machon said. “It adds only restrictions.”

In a letter obtained by the AP, Pakistan said insults against religion were on the increase.

The Islamic Conference “believes that the attack on sacredly held beliefs and the defamation of religions, religious symbols, personalities and dogmas impinge on the enjoyment of human rights of followers of those religions,” the letter said. It was sent last month to members of the Ad Hoc Committee on Complementary Standards, a temporary committee created to consider a previous anti-racism treaty.

In a separate submission to the committee, Pakistan proposed extending the treaty against racism to require signatories to “prohibit by law the uttering of matters that are grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion.”

It’s not clear who would decide what is considered grossly abusive, but each country’s criminal courts would likely have initial jurisdiction over that decision, according to Marghoob Saleem Butt, a Pakistani diplomat in Geneva who confirmed the campaign’s existence and has lobbied for the ban.

“There has to be a balance between freedom of expression and respect for others,” Butt said in a telephone interview.

“Taking the symbol of a whole religion and portraying him as a terrorist,” said Butt, referring to the Muhammad cartoons, “that is where we draw the line.”

One American expert with more than 20 years experience of the U.N. human rights system said the treaty could have far-reaching implications.

“It would, in essence, advance a global blasphemy law,” said Felice Gaer, a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The independent, congressionally mandated panel issued a report last week warning that existing laws against blasphemy, including in Pakistan, “often have resulted in gross human rights violations.”

In Egypt, blasphemy laws have been used to suppress dissidents, said Moataz el-Fegiery, executive director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies. Abdel Kareem Nabil, a blogger, was sentenced in February 2007 to four years in prison for insulting Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

He said reformists who reinterpret traditional Islamic texts have also become the target of blasphemy accusations.

More broadly, introducing laws to protect religions from criticism would weaken the whole notion of human rights, said Sweden’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Hans Dahlgren.

“Religions as such do not have rights — it’s people who have rights,” he said, adding that the European Union, whose presidency Sweden currently holds, would oppose attempts to limit freedom of speech.

The treaty goes against the grain of recent efforts by Western and Muslim countries to find common ground on human rights.

Only last month a joint U.S.-Egyptian resolution on freedom of expression won unanimous support in the U.N. Human Rights Council, much to the surprise of seasoned observers. “We will engage, and we’re going to keep engaging,” said Michael Parmly, spokesman for the U.S. Mission in Geneva.

In a telephone interview Wednesday, the Ad Hoc Committee’s chairman, Algerian Ambassador Idriss Jazairy, said concerns the treaty could stifle free speech have been “whipped up into a bugaboo.”

Failure to agree on a treaty would boost extremists in the Arab world, said Jazairy, a former envoy to Washington now considered a key player in the U.N.’s human rights forum.

“If we keep hitting this glass wall and say there’s nothing you can do about Islamophobia — you can do something about anti-Semitism but Islamophobia is out of bounds — you give an ideal platform for recruitment of suicide bombers,” he said.

This one is very special, and the pictures speak for themselves. I wanted to make sure I captured every one in case anybody reading this knows anybody in the pictures.  Since the photo uploader was giving me trouble, I have some images twice, but I didn’t want to miss anybody.

God bless you guys and gals! Come home safe!

The lovely SOS spent part of the day at the U.S. Embassy, as we saw on a video in a prior post. She also spent time among a host of Foreign Ministers in a conference at the Afghan Foreign Ministry today. Here are some images. Hillary’s face is nothing if not a graphic of what is going on inside her heart and mind. I love some of these facial expressions.

Well! In addition to the remark on video in the two previous posts, our extraordinary SOS made some remarks at a Civil-Military briefing.

Remarks at Civil-Military Integration Briefing

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Embassy Kabul
Kabul, Afghanistan
November 19, 2009

Terrific. Well, first let me thank you all. I’m sorry that my schedule didn’t permit me to get to Bagram to actually have this meeting, but thanks for coming down. I really appreciate the opportunity to hear firsthand from all of you.

And I am very pleased that we’ve made progress. I know we still have a long way to go, but the story that needs to be told is the kind of committed service that is being shown in this integrated civilian-military effort. And I’m really grateful to each and every one of you. I want to hear from you. That’s what I’d like to spend time doing.

In addition she gave two Interviews. The picture is not from an interview. It’s just cute.

Interview With Mujahid Jawad of Radio Azadi

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Embassy Kabul
Kabul, Afganistan
November 19, 2009

QUESTION: Your Excellency Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State, first thank you very much for giving time to Radio Azadi. My first question is: The international community, especially the United States, urges Hamid Karzai not to include warlords in Afghan Government. But on the other hand, you are meanwhile supporting the peace talks with Taliban, who are also armed militants.

Don’t you think the international community rejects one type of warlords and accept another kind of warlords?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think what was important about today was President Karzai’s speech outlining a vision for Afghanistan in the future, where he’d like to see the country at the end of his second term. But it was also very specific about what needed to be done for the people of Afghanistan.

I had the opportunity to meet with a number of your ministers. I met with four last night who gave me very detailed accounts of what they’re doing in agriculture and education and finance and intelligence. And I think that the quality of the people in the government is really quite positive. And I know that there are all kinds of international commentary about who’s in the government and who is not in the government.

We’ve made it clear that we want to see capable people. We want to see people devoted to the people of Afghanistan who can improve their lives. So I think that if the president continues to utilize the talents of the kind of people that I met with last night, I think we will be able to work together very effectively.

With respect to the question about any political resolution regarding the Taliban, that’s really up to the people of Afghanistan. But I think it is important to make sure that anyone who would be invited back into society gives up violence. There should be the end of any kind of armed capacity outside the military and the police, which is why we are committed to helping build a professional, disciplined army and police force for your country.

QUESTION: Yeah, thank you. But just – I want to have a short follow-up. If there is a wide infusion of warlords in the new cabinet, so will the United States support still the new government?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, there are warlords and there are warlords. There are people who are called back who fought on behalf of the people of Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, who fought against al-Qaida and the Taliban and their allies. And there are people who had very serious breaches of human rights and mistreatment of people during war, which is always difficult to look back on and figure out how to judge.

So I have made it clear, as have others, that we would far prefer that the president have people in the cabinet with professional skills, with experience and expertise who can actually do the work that is required. And I think he understands that and he is certainly giving me the strong impression that that’s what he intends to do.

QUESTION: Thank you. And one of the main concern during Hamid Karzai’s previous term was the wide range of civilian casualties. There are American forces in Afghanistan, and this, in fact, caused it to have a negative impact on Karzai’s government credibility among Afghans. Will America put any new measures to prevent from these casualties in Karzai’s – this new term?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes. In fact, we’ve already begun to do that. I share the concern and regret about civilian casualties. And under the new rules of engagement that General McChrystal has put into place, not only the United States, but all of the allies plus the Afghan military will do everything they possibly can to avoid civilian casualties. It is not always possible. There are unfortunate, tragic circumstances. But I think in the last months, under General McChrystal’s leadership, there has been a decrease, a notable decrease.

QUESTION: Thank you. President Obama gave Hamid Karzai the deadline of six months to eradicate corruption, but many Afghan experts believe that it would be difficult for Karzai to meet the deadline. So if Karzai failed, what will be your country’s reaction?

SECRETARY CLINTON: I was pleased to hear what President Karzai said today about corruption, and in fact, it produced spontaneous applause in the audience when he made such a strong statement against corruption and impunity, when he set forth some of the steps that he intends to take requiring government officials to list all of their assets, creating a major crimes tribunal, reinvigorating the anticorruption commission. These are all very positive steps.

I think that that demonstrates good faith on President Karzai’s part, and so he’s taking those actions and I think that is exactly what President Obama wanted to see.

QUESTION: Thank you. Your Administration has been reportedly pressing the Pakistani military to move against the Mullah Omar-led Taliban and the Quetta Shura and the Hakani network in North Waziristan. Do you now see the Pakistani military moving against these networks after it is claiming victory against the Taliban in South Waziristan tribal region?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I know that the Pakistani military is working very hard in South Waziristan, and they do have to have priorities as to how they will spend their resources and their troops. But we will continue to press them to go after all of the extremists in Pakistan, some of whom target Pakistan, some of whom, as you know, target Afghanistan. And we think there has to be an effort to root out the extremists in Pakistan who threaten Afghanistan.

So that is the message that I took to Pakistan when I was there a few weeks ago. It’s the message that I continue to stress with our friends in Pakistan. Because we know that there is a cross-border fertilization of extremism and terrorism. Afghanistan cannot get control over its territory and defeat the Taliban if they can go across the border into Pakistan as a safe haven. And similarly, Pakistan cannot root out the people that threaten them and their government if they can seek refuge across the border in Afghanistan.

So that’s why we look at Afghanistan and Pakistan together when it comes to this fight against terrorism.

QUESTION: Yeah, thank you. And my last question: There are reports in the media that U.S. is negotiating specific benchmarks with Afghanistan and Pakistan to pave the way for the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan. Can you speculate on these benchmarks?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I don’t think that they’re benchmarks that are as you describe them. I think what we’re trying to do is create some measurements that can determine whether we’re succeeding. I had a long discussion with the minister of defense, Minister Wardak. He’s very pleased at how much better integrated the Afghan military is with ISAF and the troops under the ISAF command. There’s more sharing of intelligence. There are more joint missions, more joint training.

That’s a good benchmark. That’s the kind of benchmark we’re looking at, because what we want to see is how can we determine that we’re making progress on the path that President Karzai outlined today, where your military will have what it needs to begin to take responsibility for much of the country moving toward the primary responsibility for all of the country.

Now, the United States wants to have a long-term relationship with Afghanistan. But we don’t see it as always primarily a military relationship, where we are putting our troops in to do combat. We see over time the professionalization of the Afghan military so that we would provide advice and training, certain kinds of support that you might not have on your own. But we also have a big civilian commitment. We have tripled the number of civilians who are doing development work, who are working with your government to build capacity within in your government.

That, to us, is equally important, and we want to be there for the long term to help Afghanistan increase the educational system, improve the healthcare system, see agriculture resume the rightful place that it used to have in Afghanistan where so many people know that it was the garden district of Central Asia with the orchards and the exports. And there’s a lot of good promise that we see in Afghanistan, and we want to be a good friend and a partner to help you achieve that.

QUESTION: Thank you very much. Yeah.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. It’s great to talk to you.

QUESTION: Thank you very much. It was very nice meeting you.

Interview With Kim Ghattas of BBC

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
U.S. Embassy Kabul
Kabul, Afghanistan
November 19, 2009

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, you’ve just attended the inauguration of President Hamid Karzai for his second term. Now, you and your allies, including the British, have made very clear that you didn’t want to see cronies, you didn’t want to see warlords in the government, and yet, there they were sitting in the front row.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think what was significant about today is the speech that President Karzai gave outlining the way forward for his government and for his people. It was both visionary in the sense that it painted a picture of what he’d like to see in Afghanistan by the end of his second term, and it was very specific about how he was going to tackle corruption, how they were going to build up their military forces and begin to defend their own country. I thought it was a very positive, comprehensive path forward. And I think the ministers who I have been meeting with over the last day are very impressive.

I’ve had briefings from the ministers of agriculture and education and finance and intelligence. And the picture in Afghanistan is much more positive than we often give it credit for. A lot of good things are happening. Seven million children, including 40 percent girls, are in school. When President Karzai took office, there were a million and they were all boys. So there’s a lot that has been accomplished. Are there still problems, challenges? As in any society, particularly one that went through 30 years of such dreadful warfare, of course. But I think that today was a very positive transition moment, and there’s a window of opportunity for the Karzai administration.

QUESTION: You mentioned a few ministers who impressed you. Are you suggesting that perhaps your approach could be to work with the ministers that you like and try to ignore those that you have a problem with?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think that there are a lot of ministers who are very professional and have a clear set of objectives that they are attempting to achieve. They’re the majority; they are the ones that we do work with mostly. We will continue to do so. We are working with our international allies to build up those ministries that we think have the most direct impact on both the security and the well-being of the people of Afghanistan. And there are a lot of opportunities here for us to pursue. So I am coming away from my meetings yesterday, the events today, more meetings, and the inaugural speech, encouraged, very realistic about the challenges ahead, but nevertheless, I think that we have an opportunity here to work well together.

QUESTION: You have made clear to Hamid Karzai and his government that they need to, in essence, clean up their act. But what if they don’t? I mean, is it a you should do this or else? I mean, what sort of leverage do you have? I mean, he knows that American troops aren’t simply going to pack up and leave because you and President Barack Obama have said the fight that American soldiers are fighting here are in America’s national interest.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Kim, I think that we are going to work hard to make progress together. There’s always consequences. We know that. They know that. We have impressed that upon them. But given the attitude of the people in the government with whom I met, the resolution and determination that they exhibited, let’s try to make progress together. And I don’t want to predict anything not succeeding. I’d rather work as hard as I can, along with others, to make it to succeed.

QUESTION: Well, what sort of consequences would those be? You’ve mentioned for the first time a few days ago that aid would not continue to flow to Afghanistan if there wasn’t an accountable government. Is that a realistic approach? I mean, withholding aid would undermine your dual strategy here, civilian and military.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we hope it never comes to that. But from the beginning of this Administration, I worked with our Special Representative Ambassador Holbrooke to do two things: create a certification process where we could certify those agencies of the government that we thought were functioning well and could do even better with the appropriate support and resources; and over time, to begin increasing our financial aid for them, so that we are really empowering and creating the capacity that the government needs to deliver services. And we’ve made real progress there. We’ve gone from 10 percent of the aid being directed to the agencies of government to 20 percent. We’re on a path to 40 percent, something that President Karzai mentioned in his speech. But it’s through a very rigorous analysis of who we can really count on to spend that money the way we intend it to be spent.

QUESTION: There’s some suggestion that you would consider working more with partners at the local level in districts, provincial governors, to make sure that the cash doesn’t flow into the hands of corrupt ministers, for example. Is that something that you are considering?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, in fact, I discussed that with President Karzai last night, that we believe that in a country such as Afghanistan, power does need to be decentralized, that much of what happens in people’s daily lives happens not from the central government in Kabul, but from their local district leader, their local tribal elder or chief. So yes, we are going to work with our allies, with the Karzai government, to try to increase the capacity of local governance as well.

But we think that’s a reinforcing strategy. Because just as we have decentralized power in the United States, where certain responsibilities are expected from the local government compared to the national government, when President Karzai talked about the emphasis that will be placed on building up the national security force, both the military and the police, that is a responsibility here in Kabul. But when the agriculture minister spoke to me yesterday about enhancing agricultural productivity, that’s going to be carried out at the local level. So I think it’s that kind of analysis that will lead us to better direct the aid that we send.

QUESTION: I know you don’t want to discuss troop numbers, but I think one thing that everybody can agree on is that there will be more troops sent to Afghanistan. Do you feel comfortable after the conversations you’ve had here over the last two days, your meetings with President Karzai, do you feel comfortable sending more American troops to Afghanistan? Do you think it’s worth it?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I don’t want to preempt the President and what he will announce when he announces his decision. But I do believe that, as I said before, we have a national security interest in going after the syndicate of terror that al-Qaida has helped to pull together, which includes elements of the Afghan and Pakistan Taliban. It is a direct threat to the United States, to our allies, our interests, our values. And we are determined to defeat al-Qaida.

Yet at the same time, we know we will be more successful in that effort if we help to build up the capacity of the Afghan Government and people to defend themselves. So it’s a not an either/or, it is a both/and. We are in Afghanistan originally, and still today, because of our being attacked on 9/11. But we want to have a long-term relationship with Afghanistan that is not solely defined by our military commitment. Because the more democratic, more stable, more prosperous Afghanistan becomes, the less likely it would ever again be a haven for terrorism. So this is a complicated calculation, but I think it’s the right one to look at.

QUESTION: What does success look like in Afghanistan in your eyes?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think the realization of the promise put forth in President Karzai’s speech today: a country able to defend itself; a country with economic opportunities where children are being educated, where the main industry in the country, namely agriculture, is more productive and creating greater incomes for people.

It was clear today in the speech that the president has a vision of where he wants to lead the country, and it was reassuring to people. It was exciting because it was such a statement of resolve. But the proof is in the pudding. Now we’ve got to work and make it happen. He knows that. His ministers know that. We’ve been meeting and talking with our counterparts from the other countries that supply troops and supply economic assistance of all kinds to say, look, how are we going to do a better job? It’s not just what we’re demanding of the Afghan Government and leadership. How do we better coordinate the donors? How do we really get everybody integrated into the military and defense and security strategy? How do we avoid duplication of efforts? There’s a lot of questions we have to be better at answering, and we’re going to take on that effort.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) one of the grievances that is often aired both here in Afghanistan and in Pakistan is that the U.S. has not always been exactly the most reliable of allies.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, as I said in Pakistan and I would repeat it here in Afghanistan, there is some truth to that concern that people have expressed to me in both countries. And I’m sure if I were in their shoes, I would feel the same way. That’s why I think it’s important that we define our relationship with Afghanistan on a long-term basis that is not primarily or exclusively military. Yes, we have a troop commitment. The President increased it last spring. He is looking at how he can best go forward now. And we want to make sure that any young man or woman from our country who we send to Afghanistan has the maximum chance of succeeding at the mission that we ask. But we’re also dramatically increasing our civilian presence. I just greeted some of the civilians who had lost their colleagues in a terrible incident about two weeks ago. And there are so many people who have come to Afghanistan as part of our civilian efforts in tripling the numbers this year.

So we want to have as clear an understanding of the civilian-military integrated strategy that we’re pursuing that we believe dovetails with the needs that the people and Government of Afghanistan have.

QUESTION: Karzai – President Karzai has been in and out of favor in Washington. He’s had stormy exchanges with some American officials. You seem to have a very good rapport with him. What has it been like to sit down with him over dinner? You had a very long conversation one-on-one with him as well. Are you appealing to him to think of his legacy? I mean, what are you discussing?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we’re discussing the challenges that he faces as the president of Afghanistan. I’ve known him for about seven years, a little over seven years, I guess. I’ve met with him numerous times here in Afghanistan, in the United States, at international conferences. I’ve always tried to listen to him to hear what’s really on his mind, his concerns, the way he views the problems that he faces, and then to be responsive but also to offer a perspective that perhaps is useful.

I think it’s clear that he really has turned his attention in a very focused way to what his legacy will be. He and his family have given 300 years of service to Afghanistan. He comes from a position of honor within the Pashtun culture in Kandahar. And he’s a real patriot, and he wants to be the leader who has ushered Afghanistan into the modern age, into a secure, democratic future.

Sometimes it’s easier to say that than to do it, and I understand that. I’m sympathetic, maybe because I’ve been in politics. It doesn’t look as easy as it might from the outside as an expert or an academic or a diplomat or a bureaucrat might see it. There are so many tradeoffs in politics. I mean, you – in order to get things done, you often have to make compromises that are not very pleasant. And yet, you keep in mind always the larger goal. And I think President Karzai has a very large vision indeed of what he wants to see happen in Afghanistan in the next five years, and the really strong foundation he wants to lay for the future.

QUESTION: I want to finish with just one more question about the regional approach to stabilizing Afghanistan, because it is – the solution here is regional, and it involves Pakistan and it involves India. And there’s been a lot of talk about Pakistan, but not so much anymore recently about India. Are you looking at tackling the Kashmir problem to try to help Pakistan really move its focus to the border with Afghanistan?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we’ve encouraged both countries to resume a dialogue that they were engaged in which came to a halt and yet holds a lot of promise. They had made progress, I’m told, in sorting through some of the longstanding difficulties they face, and most particularly the status of Kashmir. But it’s clear that any solution has to come from the two countries themselves.

QUESTION: You’re not pushing?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we are encouraging them to get back into dialogue. We think that is important. But with respect to any resolution, that’s up to them.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, thank you very much for your time.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Nice to talk to you, as always.

QUESTION: Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you.

And also she was on the front page of today’s New York Times BIG TIME! Big photo! Four-column spread!

Clinton Presses Karzai on Eve of Inauguration

Obama Demands Results From Afghan Reforms

It seems she was so busy that I was bombarded with all these great pictures and transcripts, but I had no time to catch up until now. I will go back and collect more as soon as I have a little time. Especially pictures with the troops.

Address to U.S. and International Troops in Afghanistan

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Kabul, Afghanistan
November 19, 2009

Thanks a lot. Thank you. Well, I am delighted to have this chance to come by and thank you in person for what you’re all doing. I’m very grateful to the leadership that both General McChrystal and General Rodriguez are giving to NATO-ISAF and to our American team. But I know that the work that’s done every single day is done by all of you in every aspect of this mission. I know we’ve got some of our allied partners here, and I want to thank all of them for representing their countries and being part of this extraordinary international effort.

I just want to make three quick points. First, we are here for a purpose, and this is a mission that is important to the United States and to those who have joined us in it. It’s a mission that partners with the people and Government of Afghanistan against a common enemy that poses a threat not only to people here, but people back at home, wherever you may be from. And that’s why I really express on behalf of certainly our country – President Obama and our Administration and the American people – our gratitude for your willingness to serve.

Secondly, we have to do everything we can to create the capacity of the Afghan Government and the Afghan people to protect themselves. And I was very pleased to hear today when President Karzai said that he hopes that within three years, the Afghan security forces will have the lead in important areas, and within five years – which is an ambitious goal, but he stated it – the Afghan security forces would have the lead throughout the country.

Now, there would probably be the necessity for continuing partnering, advising, training, but to take the lead and to take the fight to the enemy is what he said he wanted to see happen. And the only way that could happen is by the work that you do – the training, the mentoring, the support that you give to your Afghan counterparts. And we’re going to be giving you the kind of encouragement that you need to be able to help deliver on this goal that President Karzai set for Afghanistan.

Thirdly, I know that serving here is challenging. There are a lot of sacrifices, most particularly not being able to see your family and friends for long periods of time, and that many of you have been here not just once, but twice, three times, and I met somebody today who is on his fourth tour. So I really appreciate your willingness to serve, but I also know that for everybody who serves, there’s a family that serves as well, that’s trying to take care of everything and hold it together back wherever home is. And I hope if you email or you call or you write, you’ll let them know that I’m grateful for their service as well. Because we couldn’t have, in the United States, the superb, all-volunteer service we have if it wasn’t a family commitment. Parents, spouses, kids, everybody knows that when you sign up, there’s no predictability about where you’re going to be and how often they’re going to get to see you. And I guess as a mom, I’d say be sure you write home and email and all of that. (Laughter.)

But finally, especially for our Americans, we have our national holiday coming up next week. I spent Thanksgiving of 2003 in Afghanistan and I’ve never eaten so much in my life. (Laughter.) I had one meal in Kabul and another meal in Bagram and I had a third meal at Kandahar. So I have no worries that you’re not going to be well-fed come next Thursday. But I do know that that is a special time in a lot of people’s lives and particularly in a lot of people’s families, so it kind of maybe exacerbates a little bit the missing of those rituals and that kind of camaraderie and family time, from the football games that you watch on the couch instead of staying up late to see them.

But I want to especially wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Now there are a lot of things that I’m grateful for and that the American people are grateful for, and at the top of my list is all of you. I’ve had the great privilege of working with, meeting, supporting our troops for a long time. And I served for six years on the Senate Armed Services Committee and got a firsthand view of a lot of the challenges, but also the extraordinary sense of meeting and purpose that your service provides.

So let me thank you again and let me wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving, and God bless you and God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

Press Conference at U.S. Embassy Kabul

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Kabul, Afghanistan
November 19, 2009

Date: 11/19/2009 Description: Secretary Clinton was in Afghanistan to attend President Karzaii's November 19 inauguration ceremony, meet with Afghanistan's leadership, international partners and allies, U.S. troops, staff in Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and Embassy staff. © Photo credit: Daniel Wilkinson.SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all very much for being here. I want to start by thanking Ambassador Eikenberry and General McChrystal and all of the dedicated men and women of the U.S. and NATO ISAF missions here in Afghanistan. The work that Ambassador Eikenberry and General McChrystal are doing together, both their personal collaboration and the joint efforts of their teams, is a model for civilian-military cooperation and a source of confidence that we will make progress toward our objectives.

I also want to thank Ambassador Holbrooke and his team in Washington, who have provided vision and leadership to our efforts in this region.

This is an important moment. Today’s inauguration opens a real window of opportunity for a new compact between the Afghan Government and its people, and for a new chapter in the partnership between Afghanistan and the international community. And we must seize this moment. For the United States and Afghanistan, this means a renewed partnership based on mutual responsibility, where we each do our part to deliver for the Afghan people and to advance our common fight against our common enemy.

President Karzai’s inaugural address provides an important new starting point, and we intend to build on it. The speech laid out Afghanistan’s commitment to take responsibility for the security of its own country by speeding efforts to stand up a capable and effective Afghan national security force that can replace international forces over time. The United States shares this same objective, and we welcome this strong commitment.

Of course, our civilian effort will remain long after our security effort has concluded, and it will be just as decisive to Afghanistan’s future and our interests. So I was pleased that the inaugural speech also outlined the steps the Afghan Government will take to improve its efforts to deliver for its citizens, to bring them basic services, access to justice, and the educational and economic opportunities they deserve.

Date: 11/19/2009 Description: Secretary Clinton was in Afghanistan to attend President Karzaii's November 19 inauguration ceremony, meet with Afghanistan's leadership, international partners and allies, U.S. troops, staff in Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and Embassy staff © Photo credit: Daniel Wilkinson.It’s an effort that will require steady progress on government capacity, transparency, and accountability. It will also require us to pursue a broader and deeper partnership with capable Afghan ministries responsible for carrying out their own programs. Last night, I met with the education and agriculture and finance ministers, and received detailed briefings on past progress and future plans.

Through their work and our support, we are starting to see results. Farmers are beginning to switch from poppies to pomegranates, girls are attending schools – many taught by newly trained teachers, families are visiting new health clinics and driving on freshly paved roads. Thousands of new civil servants, trained through a partnership with USAID, are helping build democratic institutions from the ground up.

Moving forward as we work with President Karzai and his government in Kabul and leaders at the local, district, and provincial levels, we will keep in mind that our most critical partnership is with the people of Afghanistan. We will use clear benchmarks and measures to ensure that our efforts are delivering results for them. We will also coordinate with our international partners to ensure we are engaged in a common and effective effort in service of their needs as well as our common interests. I had a series of extremely productive discussions with my counterparts here, with the foreign ministers from troop-contributing countries, donor countries, and those who have a stake in the future of Afghanistan.

Now, as we call for accountability from others, we will hold ourselves accountable as well. That’s why we are working to ensure that development funds are tracked, accounted for, and used as intended; that our detention facilities and procedures are consistent with our security and our values; that we do everything we can to minimize civilian casualties.

I am here in Afghanistan and so many brave Americans are serving here because we believe that we can make progress. Now, we are under no illusions about the difficulty of this mission. The road ahead is fraught with challenges and imperfect choices. Setbacks are inevitable, and we have to be realistic about what we can accomplish. But we are also clear-eyed about the stakes. For the Afghan people, it is about a better future. For the United States, it is about protecting our people, our allies, and our interests. That is why we are working so hard to renew this partnership and why it is so vital that we seize this moment, this crucial window of opportunity.

Again, I want to thank everyone serving here and really express, on behalf of not only President Obama and the Obama Administration but our country as well, our gratitude for the service of the men and women who serve the United States of America. Thank you all very much.

MODERATOR: The first question is going to be (inaudible) TV.

Date: 11/19/2009 Description: Secretary Clinton was in Afghanistan to attend President Karzaii's November 19 inauguration ceremony, meet with Afghanistan's leadership, international partners and allies, U.S. troops, staff in Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and Embassy staff © Photo credit: Daniel Wilkinson.QUESTION: (Via interpreter) First of all, let me thank you and – for coming here to Afghanistan and the inauguration ceremony. My first question is that whether President Karzai has not bring any reforms in his new cabinet, and the second is that if there is a six-month deadline as you’ve given to President Karzai to bring reforms? And the third is that – the question of whether the U.S. – Mr. Ambassador Eikenberry has said that more forces should not be sent to Afghanistan, in contrast to the request that was made by General McChrystal.

So in those cases, the first few cases, whether the United States will leave Afghanistan or will work with the new government if President Karzai does not make any changes or if that deadline is not achieved in six months time?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first, I thought that the inaugural speech that President Karzai gave today set forth an agenda for change and reform. He was particularly strong on the steps that he intends to take regarding corruption, the idea that government officials will have to register their assets so that any money or other influence can be more easily tracked is a very bold proposal.

So we are heartened by what we see as the agenda for change and reform that was outlined by President Karzai. We think that the issue now is to ensure that it is implemented, that we see results. I had a number of conversations with President Karzai, and I know that he has every intention of moving on these reform measures to stand against corruption and to make the Government of Afghanistan even more effective.

Also, I think what you have seen in the debate in the United States is a very serious effort to try to analyze all the different aspects of the decision that has to be made. And I’m very proud that we have a country and we have a President who really encourages people to express themselves, so that we don’t leave any questions. We try to answer all the questions. And I think when President Obama makes his announcement, he will be very well prepared to express the significance of his decision because he will have asked, and asked many others to contribute to the debate.

I want to make something very clear: Our relationship with Afghanistan is not exclusively military. Obviously, we have troops here along with our allies to try to assist the people of Afghanistan in defeating the terrorist threat. But we also are committed to a long-term relationship with Afghanistan to assist the people of this country in having a better future, having the education and healthcare opportunities, ensuring that the farmers can be productive and have a good income going forward, helping with infrastructure that will enhance the economy of Afghanistan.

So we see our relationship as very broad and deep, and our approach now is to focus on security so that the people of Afghanistan can feel that they are free from intimidation and threats from our common enemy, but it is much more than that as well.

MODERATOR: The next question is Chris Lawrence of CNN.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, Iran now says that it will not export its uranium for further processing, and its courts have now decided to give the death sentence to two – or five, I should say – of its election protestors. How do these two developments affect your efforts to engage Iran in the process?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think it’s clear that the President and our Administration have made a good-faith effort to reach out to the Iranian leadership. The effort to engage Iran through the P-5+1 process with the offer (inaudible) to Iran, or to ship out its low-enriched uranium in order for it to be reprocessed outside of Iran, had the unified support of the international community. And according to press reports, Iran may well be prepared to reject that offer at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting next week.

And it is important to remember that our approach to Iran was always a dual-track one. On the one hand, we said we would reach out to see whether or not there could be any common discussions about their nuclear program, other problems that we and many countries in the region have with Iran. But we also said that there was a second track, and that track was to work toward consequences for Iran if engagement did not work. As recently as the United Nations meeting in New York in September, I joined with the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, China, as well as the EU in signing a document which said basically that. So we will proceed accordingly.

But I do think it is a very unfortunate, distressing development to see these sentences handed down in Iran, imposing the death penalty on people who participated in expressing their opposition to the government in demonstrating in the streets, and it underscores the approach that this government in Iran takes for their own people. So we will proceed on our international track and we will continue to stand up for the rights of the people of Iran to speak for themselves, to have their votes counted, to be given the opportunity to have the measure of freedom and rights that any person deserves to have.

MODERATOR: Okay. The next question is BBC (inaudible).

QUESTION: (Via interpreter) My question, please, Secretary Clinton, is that today in the inauguration ceremony, we saw the two warlords standing on each side of President Karzai. So if people like this remain in the future government, what will be the reaction of the United States Government in the future?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we understand the concerns that have been expressed about this. We have certainly conveyed those concerns ourselves. What we are looking for in the second term of President Karzai is an effective government that respects the rights of the people of Afghanistan, delivers services to them, responds in a transparent and accountable way to the concerns of the people. Anyone who’s in the government should agree with that kind approach that President Karzai outlined today.

And we expect that the government he is putting together will abide by the directions that his inaugural speech set. And we want to work with a government that is ready to meet the needs of the people of this country, and that is our priority and that’s what we’re going to expect from the government.

MODERATOR: Final question is to Nick Kralev of Washington Times.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, I wanted to ask you about two issues that the president mentioned in his speech. And the first was his goal that in five years Afghan troops will take responsibility for the security of the entire country and the foreign troops out. Is that goal too ambitious? Do you think it’s doable? And what’s the link between that goal and to what might happen to the American troops?

And the second question on corruption. He wasn’t very specific in what he said. He was very general and vague. In your private meetings with him and his ministers, were they any more specific about the measures they have in mind to prove to you that they have really resolved to fight corruption?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, as to the first question, I was personally pleased to see the president set an ambitious goal for the training of the Afghan national security forces. It is a goal that he believes can be met. We want to assist him and the military and police leadership in Afghanistan to move as quickly as they can to stand up and deploy a professional, motivated, effective force on behalf of the people of this country.

And I think that both the analysis that General McChrystal has made and the analysis that’s been made within the Afghan Government is that we can do more, we can provide greater support to assist them in doing that. And we intend to follow through. It is clearly one of the highest priorities, both for the government and people of Afghanistan, as well, as for our NATO ISAF leadership here, because the goal is to create conditions of security that will be able to be transferred and maintained by the Afghan security forces. And we are – we’re going to work with the president to try to move toward the goal that he set.

Secondly, I had a somewhat different reaction. I’ve sat through a lot of inaugural speeches, and they often don’t get down to specifics at all. As I recall, the president talked about the registration of assets, which is a very tangible demand that will be placed on government officials, the major crimes tribunal, the end of a culture of impunity. I thought that the commitment that we heard today from President Karzai gives us all a very strong base on which to measure the actions taken by his government. He could have been very vague and talked about how we’re all against it and we all want to end it, but he got much more specific. And we’re going to – along with the people of Afghanistan – watch very carefully as to how that’s implemented.

So thank you all very much. It’s been wonderful being back here, and I really appreciate the chance to participate in this historic day here in Afghanistan. Thank you.