STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “The State Department office charged with combating war crimes may become the latest casualty of Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson’s plans to restructure his department, former American officials said on Tuesday [7-18-17]. Human rights advocates seized on the proposal as another example of what they assert is the Trump administration’s indifference […]
Category: Rex Tillerson
7/17/2017
STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson is moving ahead with plans to restructure his department, and has hired two consulting groups to assist with the process, according to a cable sent to embassies around the world. In the cable, Mr. Tillerson said he had hired Deloitte and Insigniam to help oversee the […]
7/17/2017
STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Forty former U.S. diplomats and national security officials urged Secretary of State Rex Tillerson not to eliminate the State Department office that handles refugees in a letter seen by Reuters on Monday [7-17-17]. The letter argued that a Trump administration proposal to transfer the responsibilities of the Bureau of Population, Refugees and […]
7/11/2017
STATE/TERRORISM/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “The U.S. and Qatar signed an agreement in Doha Tuesday [7-11-17] to crack down on terrorist financing, part of efforts by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as he shuttles around the Persian Gulf to resolve a weekslong conflict between four Arab states and Qatar. Under the agreement, the two countries will step […]
7/10/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives in the Persian Gulf region Monday [7-10-17] for a round of shuttle diplomacy aimed at resolving a conflict among U.S. allies that Washington fears will drag on for months. The former Exxon Mobil Corp. chief executive, who has close ties to many Arab officials in […]
7/10/2017
NATO/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/TURKEY/REX TILLERSON: “U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday [7-10-17] acknowledged severe strains in U.S.-Turkey relations, although he said he is hopeful of mending ties with the NATO ally and partner in the anti-Islamic State coalition. He also said he hoped that the U.S. and Turkey could replicate an agreement reached last week […]
7/9/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON/UKRAINE: “U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met Sunday [7-9-17] with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, a visit that telegraphs U.S. support to Kiev after President Donald Trump’s historic meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In an appearance with Mr. Poroshenko in Kiev, Mr. Tillerson said the Trump administration was looking for a […]
7/4/2017
STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Thousands of State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development employees indicated in a survey they are worried about the future of their agencies, with some expressing particular concern about lack of support from the Trump administration and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The findings are in a report for […]
6/29/2017
STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged Thursday [6-29-17] that the process of staffing senior positions in his agency has progressed slower than he’d like, as the State Department and White House trade blame over the issue. Asked whether he was satisfied with the pace of staffing for these jobs, which include nearly […]
6/27/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “China is among the worst offenders for its failure to crack down on human trafficking within its borders, according to a strongly worded State Department report released Tuesday [6-27-17]. In its annual assessment of global efforts to end forms of modern slavery, the State Department dropped China to the lowest tier […]
6/26/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday [6-26-17] saying he will block foreign military sales to members of the Gulf Cooperation Council until they can resolve their dispute with Qatar. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties […]
6/25/2017
STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “When Rex W. Tillerson, the former chief executive of Exxon Mobil, arrived in Washington five months ago to become the secretary of state, his boosters said he brought two valuable assets to a job that had usually gone to someone steeped in government and diplomacy: a long history managing a […]
6/20/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “The United States is ‘mystified’ over the continued blockade of Qatar by its Gulf neighbors, a top State Department spokeswoman said Tuesday [6-20-17], calling once again for a de-escalation of the diplomatic crisis. ‘Now that it’s been over two weeks since the embargo started, we are mystified that the Gulf States […]
6/15/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/IMMIGRATION/MIKE PENCE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Leaders from two Central American nations on Thursday [6-15-17] asked Vice President Mike Pence to ensure that their citizens could remain in the United States as part of a work program that temporarily authorizes their residency. Neither the vice president nor Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, who was also […]
6/14/2017
RUSSIA/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday [6-14-17] that the U.S. would support efforts by Russia and Ukraine to resolve a yearslong conflict outside of an internationally backed agreement signed by both countries, the implementation of which has long been a U.S. condition for lifting sanctions against Moscow. The comments by Mr. […]
6/13/2017
CUBA/FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “The Trump administration likely will scale back policy changes it believes have benefited the Cuban government while preserving some of the increased commercial activity that has begun after former President Barack Obama moved to normalize U.S.-Cuban ties, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday [6-13-17]. President Donald Trump is expected to […]
6/13/2017
BUDGET/CABINET/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will defend the Trump administration’s proposal to cut almost one third of the State Department budget in the face of tough questioning from lawmakers on Tuesday and Wednesday [6-14-17]. Mr. Tillerson’s congressional appearances, beginning Tuesday morning before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will be the first time he […]
6/6/2017
2016 ELECTION/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “President Donald Trump asked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson not to let the ongoing political saga back home stand in the way of improving ties with Moscow, the top US diplomat said Tuesday [6-6-17]. Tillerson wouldn’t comment on the ongoing US probes of Russian meddling in the 2016 election ‘because I […]
6/2/2017
CABINET/CLIMATE CHANGE/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “The State Department is declining to say why Secretary of State Rex Tillerson did not attend President Donald Trump’s announcement that he was pulling the US out of the Paris climate agreement. A senior State Department official told CNN Thursday Tillerson wasn’t planning on attending because he had other business at […]
5/28/2017
RELIGION/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “In an apparent break with a nearly two-decades long bipartisan tradition, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has declined to host an event commemorating the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, according to two administration officials familiar with the decision. The officials said Tillerson rejected a request by the State Department’s Office of Religion […]
5/14/2017
CABINET/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson defended himself Sunday [5-14-17] from criticism leveled at him by Sen. John McCain. The Republican senator wrote in a New York Times op-ed earlier this month that Tillerson’s warning against ‘conditioning our foreign policy too heavily on values’ told oppressed people the world over that the US […]
5/11/2017
CABINET/CLIMATE CHANGE/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told representatives of Canada, Russia and other nations with Arctic territory that the U.S. needs time to develop its climate policy but is listening to other nations’ concerns. ‘We are appreciative that each of you has an important point of view, and you should know […]
5/10/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “President Donald Trump is set to meet with Russia’s foreign minister Wednesday [5-10-17] morning amid a political furor over Mr. Trump’s decision to fire the director of the FBI in the midst of an investigation into whether associates of Mr. Trump colluded with the Russian government to influence the […]
5/8/2017
CABINET/FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Washington on Wednesday [5-3-17] to discuss Ukraine, Syria and bilateral issues, the State Department announced Monday. ‘On Ukraine, the sides will discuss the need to stop the violence in eastern Ukraine and resolve the conflict through the […]
5/3/2017
CABINET/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “In his first address laying out his vision as secretary of state, Rex W. Tillerson said Wednesday [5-3-17] that the United States had been far too accommodating to emerging nations and longtime allies and that ‘things have gotten out of balance.’ Righting those imbalances, he said, will be the mission of the […]
5/2/2017
CABINET/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has written to his agency’s employees, asking for their input as he prepares to slash the department’s staff and budget. Tillerson announced a department-wide survey and interviews intended to determine how foreign service officers and civil servants are ‘going about completing the Department of State’s mission.’ Tillerson […]
4/28/2017
BUDGET/CABINET/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is proposing to eliminate 2,300 jobs as part of a plan to cut more than a quarter of the State Department’s budget for the next fiscal year, officials said Friday [4-28-17]. The plan will almost certainly meet resistance from lawmakers opposing President Donald Trump’s proposal to shrink […]
4/28/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “The Trump administration’s top diplomat said the US is willing to engage in talks with North Korea, even as President Donald Trump warned about the possibility of armed conflict with the nuclear-armed regime. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told NPR Thursday [4-27-17] that the US would be willing […]
4/28/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signaled on Friday [4-28-17] that the Trump administration may have finally accepted the one course of action that could stop North Korea’s nuclear threat to the world: direct talks. After months of US military posturing and shows of force met by North […]
CABINET/JOBS/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “The White House is placing responsibility for the large number of vacancies at the State Department on top diplomat Rex Tillerson and his staff, saying the secretary hasn’t moved on recommended personnel to fill the openings. The White House has suggested multiple candidates for every open senior position at the State Department […]
04/12/2017
CABINET/RUSSIA/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson opened his first meetings in Moscow on Wednesday at a moment when relations between the United States and Russia are so tense that it was unclear whether President Vladimir V. Putin would even see the man he once gave a medal of friendship. In the 24 […]
04/12/2017
CABINET/RUSSIA/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson met with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for nearly two hours Wednesday [4-12-17], but the two men appeared unable to agree on the facts involving the deadly chemical weapons assault on Syrian civilians or Russian interference in the American election — much less move toward […]
04/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/STATE/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday [4-11-17] that Russia had information that the United States was planning to launch new missile strikes on Syria, and that there were plans to fake chemicals weapons attacks there. Putin was speaking hours before U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was due to […]
04/11/2017
CABINET/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson said on Tuesday [4-11-17] that President Bashar al-Assad’s reign in Syria was “coming to an end” and warned that Russia was at risk of becoming irrelevant in the Middle East by continuing to support him. His remarks, five days after the United States carried out missile […]
04/10/2017
CABINET/RUSSIA/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “The Kremlin said on Monday [4-10-17] that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will not meet President Vladimir Putin when he visits Moscow on Wednesday, a move that could point to tensions over a U.S. missile attack on a Syrian air base last week. John Kerry, Tillerson’s predecessor, often met Putin as […]
04/10/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/STATE/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/UN/REX TILLERSON/NIKKI HALEY: “Foreign ministers of leading US allies were meeting Monday [4-10-17] amid mixed signals from the Trump administration on the future of Syrian President President Bashar al-Assad. At a summit in Italy, foreign ministers of the G7 group of industrialized nations were expected to seek clarity from US Secretary […]
04/05/2017
CABINET/FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NORTH KOREA/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “North Korea has fired a ballistic missile into the sea off the Korean Peninsula, the latest in a series of test firings and one that comes just days before President Donald Trump is set to huddle with Chinese President Xi Jinping for a two-day summit in Florida. Here’s what Secretary […]
3/29/2017
CABINET/FOREIGN AFFAIRS/MILITARY/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson has decided to lift all human rights conditions on a major sale of F-16 fighter jets and other arms to Bahrain in an effort to end a rift between the United States and a critical Middle East ally, according to administration and congressional […]
03/31/2017
NATO/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “The top U.S. diplomat and the Pentagon’s chief stressed the importance of NATO and criticized Russia for aggression and meddling in other countries’ POLICY, easing European allies’ concerns about President Donald Trump’s commitment to trans-Atlantic security. In his first appearance at a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Secretary of State […]
3/21/2017
CABINET/FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will skip a meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization foreign ministers next month, the State Department announced. It is highly unusual for a U.S. Secretary of State to miss a NATO meeting. In the past 21 years, America’s top diplomat has missed a gathering only […]
3/17/2017
CABINET/MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “The US would consider military action against North Korea if it was provoked, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday. Speaking in Seoul at a joint press conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, Tillerson said Washington’s policy of ‘strategic patience’ had ended. ‘Certainly, we do not want things […]
3/09/2017
CABINET/KEYSTONE/PIPELINES/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has recused himself from application decisions on the Keystone XL pipeline amid pressure from some environmental groups. The State Department said Tuesday that Tillerson would ‘play no role in the deliberations or ultimate resolution’ of the application from TransCanada, the company seeking to build the international energy […]
3/3/2017
CABINET/FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/REX TILLERSON: “In a possible sign of things to come, the State Department gave a decidedly low-key launch Friday [3-3-17] to its annual report on human rights worldwide. Normally the comprehensive report that looks at the human rights situation in nearly 200 countries and territories is released with a bit of fanfare. Some years, […]
3/3/2017
CABINET/FOREIGN POLICY/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “In a possible sign of things to come, the State Department gave a decidedly low-key launch Friday [3-3-17] to its annual report on human rights worldwide. Normally the comprehensive report that looks at the human rights situation in nearly 200 countries and territories is released with a bit of fanfare. Some years, […]