STATE/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of State SUBJECT: Delegation of Authority Under Sections 506(a)(2)(A) and 652 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, subject […]
Category: State
12/5/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “For decades, America’s chief diplomat has been greeted in Europe’s heart with broad smiles and open arms. That tradition appeared to have been suspended on Tuesday [12-5-17]. Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson’s reception in Brussels was distinctly chilly, as disappointment among European diplomats in President Trump’s nationalistic tone and insulting messages […]
12/5/2017
IRAN/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called on European allies to work with Washington to tackle Iran’s missile program and its regional activities, saying Tehran’s behavior cannot go unanswered. Speaking in Brussels alongside European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, Mr. Tillerson said Iran’s interference in Yemen, its exporting of weapons and militias […]
12/3/2017
REX TILLERSON/STATE: “On the eve of his trip to Europe, Rex Tillerson gave a speech last week that European allies had waited months to hear: an ‘ironclad’ promise of U.S. support to its oldest allies. The relief in European capitals lasted barely a day as reports surfaced of a White House plan to oust the […]
12/2/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/ISRAEL/STATE: “The State Department’s security arm has been told to plan for potentially violent protests at US embassies and consulates once the Trump administration announces it is moving the embassy in Israel to Jerusalem… President Donald Trump could announce as early as Tuesday that the US recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, US officials with […]
12/1/2017
FAKE NEWS/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “The media has been speculating that I fired Rex Tillerson or that he would be leaving soon – FAKE NEWS! He’s not leaving and while we disagree on certain subjects, (I call the final shots) we work well together and America is highly respected again! https://t.co/FrqiPLFJ1E” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 1, 2017 […]
12/1/2017
JOHN KELLY/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The relationship between White House chief of staff John Kelly and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has soured in recent months, leaving the former Exxon CEO without a single top ally in the White House as talk has ramped up of him being replaced at the State Department. Kelly, once Tillerson’s […]
12/1/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/LIBYA/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “The United States remains committed to the Libyan Political Agreement, the State Department said in a statement following U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s meeting with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj on Friday [12-1-17]. ‘Attempts to bypass the UN-facilitated political process or impose a military solution to the conflict would only destabilize […]
12/1/2017
REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday [12-11-17] dismissed reports that the White House is weighing a plan under which he would be replaced by CIA Director Mike Pompeo as ‘laughable.’ Media reports on Thursday, first published by the New York Times, cited U.S. officials as saying that Trump has a […]
11/30/2017
CIA/MIKE POMPEO/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “For all his political and bureaucratic stumbles, Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson has been a steady voice of moderation in how the Trump administration engages with the world. That voice will be lost if, as expected, President Trump replaces Mr. Tillerson at the State Department with Mike Pompeo, a hard-line former […]
11/30/2017
MIKE POMPEO/NOMINATIONS/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House has developed a plan to force out Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, whose relationship with President Trump has been strained, and replace him with Mike Pompeo, the C.I.A. director, perhaps within the next several weeks, senior administration officials said on Thursday [11-30-17]. Mr. Pompeo would be […]
11/30/2017
NORTH KOREA/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a plan to oust Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who has had a strained relationship with his boss over North Korea and other issues, senior administration officials said on Thursday [11-30-17]. Tillerson would be replaced by CIA director Mike Pompeo, known as a Trump loyalist, within […]
11/28/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday [11-28-17] pushed back at criticism from lawmakers and diplomats suggesting that he is gutting the State Department, adding that it is functioning ‘very well.’ Mr. Tillerson, speaking before a think tank in Washington, defended what he described as hard work by career officials, many in […]
11/27/2017
STATE: “A senior State Department official appointed by the Trump administration is leaving the agency after just three months on the job, CNN has learned. Maliz Beams had been appointed as counselor — a senior position not requiring congressional confirmation — over the summer. In this role, she served as a special adviser to Secretary […]
11/26/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/LEGAL/STATE/TURKEY: “A trial opening in Manhattan on Monday [11-27-17] that could implicate prominent Turkish officials is exacerbating already inflamed tensions between the U.S. and Turkey, where authorities are calling the case an American plot to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The arrest of Reza Zarrab, a Turkish gold trader, in Miami last year on […]
11/25/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP FAMILY/IVANKA/WOMEN: “Days ahead of what should be a major moment for Ivanka Trump on the world stage, CNN has learned Secretary of State Rex Tillerson isn’t sending a high-level delegation to support her amid reports of tensions between Tillerson and the White House. Multiple State Department officials, as well as a source […]
11/24/2017
REX TILLERSON/STATE: “Of all the State Department employees who might have been vulnerable in the staff reductions that Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson has initiated as he reshapes the department, the one person who seemed least likely to be a target was the chief of security, Bill A. Miller… But in his first nine […]
11/22/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson declared Wednesday [11-22-17] that Myanmar’s military operation against Rohingya Muslims constitutes ethnic cleansing and said the U.S. is weighing targeted sanctions to hold perpetrators accountable… Mr. Tillerson’s assessment follows a visit last week to Myanmar, where he met with State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and the […]
11/22/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/LEGAL/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VENEZUELA: “Four of the six Citgo Petroleum Corp. executives arrested here Tuesday [11-21-17] for alleged corruption are U.S. citizens, a company official said Wednesday. Venezuela’s military intelligence agency on Tuesday arrested six top executives of the U.S. subsidiary of state-oil company Petróleos de Venezuela SA, as part of what authorities are calling […]
11/21/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “The State Department on Tuesday defended Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s exclusion of Iraq, Afghanistan and Myanmar from a list of countries cited for recruiting and using child soldiers, a decision that went against recommendations from top department officials. Mr. Tillerson in June disregarded internal department recommendations and decided not to include […]
11/20/2017
LEGAL/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “A group of about a dozen U.S. State Department officials have taken the unusual step of formally accusing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson of violating a federal law designed to stop foreign militaries from enlisting child soldiers, according to internal government documents reviewed by Reuters. A confidential State Department ‘dissent’ memo not previously […]
11/16/2017
ENERGY/STATE/TREASURY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary of Energy Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 1245(d)(4)(B) and (C) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, […]
11/16/2017
STATE/SUDAN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A month after the Trump administration formally lifted decades-old sanctions against Sudan, a top official said on Thursday [11-16-17] that the United States would consider removing Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation that has been in place since 1993. The step, which is contingent on further cooperation […]
11/15/2017
MILITARY/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday [11-15-17] pressed Myanmar’s top civilian and military leaders to allow an independent investigation into a crackdown against ethnic Rohingya Muslims that has driven more than 600,000 people into neighboring Bangladesh. In a news conference with Aung San Suu Kyi, who heads the country’s civilian government, […]
11/10/2017
AMBASSADORS/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “The State Department will soon offer a $25,000 buyout to diplomats and staff members who quit or take early retirements by April, officials confirmed on Friday [11-10-17]. The decision is part of Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson’s continuing effort to cut the ranks of diplomats and Civil Service officers despite bipartisan resistance […]
11/10/2017
REX TILLERSON/SAUDI ARABIA/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday [11-10-17] that a wave of arrests among the elite in Saudi Arabia raises ‘a few concerns,’ as he is awaiting word on ‘how these particular individuals are dealt with.’ His assessment of the Saudi corruption investigation contrasted with comments from President Donald Trump, […]
11/4/2017
DHS/FOREIGN POLICY/IMMIGRATION/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is set to decide by Monday [11-6-17] whether 86,000 Hondurans and 5,000 Nicaraguans living in the U.S. can remain here under a program that protects immigrants from countries that have suffered major disasters or social upheaval. The decision could signal the administration’s overall approach to the program, known […]
11/4/2017
STATE: “The State Department on Saturday [11-4-17] requested all non-essential US citizen employees leave the Somali capital of Mogadishu due to ‘specific threat information against U.S. personnel on the Mogadishu International Airport.’ ‘The security situation in Somalia is extremely unstable, and the threat to all U.S. citizens in Somalia remains critical,’ the statement reads. Last […]
11/3/2017
REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump said he was unsure whether his top diplomat, Rex Tillerson, would remain in his post for the rest of Trump’s term in the White House and was ‘not happy’ that some State Department staff were not supporting his agenda. In an interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox […]
11/2/2017
AFGHANISTAN/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Aides to President Donald Trump have considered reviving an office it shut down months ago that was dedicated to resolving the conflict in Afghanistan, a sign that the Trump administration’s policy there remains unsettled. Multiple sources said that senior Trump aides have discussed resurrecting the Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan […]
10/29/2017
DEFENSE/JAMES MATTIS/MILITARY/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “U.S. lawmakers will grill top Trump administration officials on Monday [10-30-17] about a new authorization for the use of military force in the campaign against Islamic State and other militant groups, Congress’ most significant step in years toward taking back control of its constitutional right to authorize war. Secretary of State Rex […]
10/25/2017
AMBASSADOR/STATE: “Scott Brown, the United States ambassador to New Zealand, was investigated and cautioned by the State Department about comments he made to women while on an official trip to Samoa, he revealed Wednesday [10-25-17]. Mr. Brown, the former Republican senator from Massachusetts, told Fairfax Media that he had been instructed to be more culturally […]
10/25/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/INDIA/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. and India agreed to work together more closely to bolster regional security and prevent other nations from providing safe spaces for terrorists, during a visit here by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said the U.S. and India plan to hold three-way talks with […]
10/24/2017
PAKISTAN/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “The U.S. pressed Pakistan for the elimination of havens for militants within its territory, according to American and Pakistani officials, in a meeting Tuesday [10-24-17] between Pakistani leadership and the visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. However, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi insisted to Mr. Tillerson that there are no terrorist sanctuaries […]
10/23/2017
AFGHANISTAN/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “Rex Tillerson made his first trip as secretary of state to Afghanistan on Monday [10-23-17], jetting in and out of the country on a secret visit to meet top U.S. military and Afghan officials battling the Taliban and an offshoot of Islamic State. Mr. Tillerson, speaking from Bagram Air Field north of Kabul […]
10/22/2017
IRAN/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRADE DEALS: “Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson warned Europeans on Sunday [10-22-17] not to invest in certain Iranian businesses as the Trump administration considers walking away from the Iran nuclear deal and reimposing sanctions against Iran. Speaking during a visit to Saudi Arabia, Mr. Tillerson said, ‘Both of our countries believe that those […]
10/19/2017
REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described how he seeks to manage an often-fraught relationship with President Donald Trump, saying he tries to deliver short-term victories to an impatient commander-in-chief while focusing on a longer horizon himself. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal Thursday, Mr. Tillerson acknowledged the contrasting […]
10/12/2017
DHS/STATE/TREASURY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Memorandum for the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary of Homeland Security Delegation of Certain Functions and Authorities under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017… I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the functions and authorities vested in the President by section 110 of […]
10/12/2017
STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “The Trump administration announced on Thursday [10-12-17] that it would withdraw from Unesco, the United Nations cultural organization, after years of America distancing itself because of what it called the group’s ‘anti-Israel bias.’ ‘This decision was not taken lightly,’ according to a State Department statement on Thursday. In addition to anti-Israel bias, […]
10/8/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/STATE/TRADE DEALS: “Over 20 nations have curbed the diplomatic or business operations of the North Korean government following a more-than-yearlong effort by the State Department, an indication of the kind of behind-the-scenes pressure the U.S. is using to tackle an emerging nuclear standoff. U.S. officials have asked countries to shut down businesses owned […]
10/7/2017
JOHN KELLY/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump addressed questions Saturday [10-7-17] evening about his relationships with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and White House chief of staff John Kelly amid reporting about tensions among his top aides. ‘I have a very good relationship’ with Tillerson, Trump told reporters as he left the White House […]
10/4/2017
REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday [10-4-17] that he has never considered resigning his position, disputing an NBC News report that he was on the verge of such a move over the summer… Tillerson told reporters that he had not spoken to Trump Wednesday morning… NBC News reported Wednesday that […]
10/3/2017
CUBA/FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration expelled 15 Cuban diplomats from the embassy in Washington in an escalating response to mysterious illnesses afflicting American embassy personnel in Havana. The expulsions were intended to force the Cubans to operate their embassy in Washington under the same emergency conditions that the United States is now operating […]
10/2/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House said Monday [10-2-17] that President Donald Trump has confidence in Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, after saying a day earlier that the chief diplomat was ‘wasting his time’ by trying to negotiate with North Korea. Mr. Tillerson disclosed over the weekend that the U.S. has had […]
10/1/2017
AFGHANISTAN/STATE/TERRORISM/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is considering a plan that would aim to close the Taliban political office in Qatar, a move that triggered an unusual internal protest by State Department officials who said it would undermine U.S. interests in Afghanistan, according to current and former U.S. officials. A group of State Department specialists […]
9/30/2017
MILITARY/STATE/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of State Presidential Determination with Respect to the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 Pursuant to section 404 of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 (22 U.S.C. 2370c-1) (CSPA), I hereby determine as follows: It is in the national interest of the United States to waive the […]
9/29/2017
STATE/TREASURY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Director of National Intelligence Delegation of Certain Functions and Authorities under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017, the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014, and the Support for the Sovereignty, Integrity, Democracy, and Economic Stability of […]
9/29/2017
AMBASSADOR/CUBA/STATE: “The U.S. State Department is set to announce Friday [9-29-17] that it is cutting staff at the U.S. Embassy in Havana as Washington investigates mysterious health attacks that have left more than 20 diplomats with dizziness, concussions, hearing loss and other symptoms. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said earlier this month that he was […]
9/26/2017
CUBA/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with his Cuban counterpart Tuesday [9-26-17] amid an investigation into mysterious attacks that have affected the health of at least 21 American diplomats and strained ties between the two governments. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla told Mr. Tillerson that Cuban officials haven’t identified the cause or origin […]
9/26/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. officials emphasized the urgency of attempts at diplomacy to ease tensions with North Korea on Tuesday [9-26-17], while the U.S. stepped up sanctions amid an escalating war of words between Washington and Pyongyang. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Beijing on Thursday as the U.S. continues to […]
9/25/2017
STATE/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of State Delegation of Authority under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the functions and authorities vested in the President by […]
9/20/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. would remain a part of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement only if it is modified, a position that could heighten tension at a planned meeting Wednesday [9-20-17] of countries that are part of the accord, including Iran. Mr. Tillerson’s demand for modifications, […]
9/20/2017
AUSTRALIA/IMMIGRATION/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The first refugees from Australia’s offshore detention centers will soon arrive in the U.S. under a resettlement deal that President Donald Trump blasted as ‘dumb,’ before his administration reluctantly agreed to honor it. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said about 50 refugees from Australian-backed detention camps in the South Pacific nations of Papua […]
9/18/2017
IMMIGRATION/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “The State Department is giving immigration and consular officials new grounds to deny entry to visitors to the United States or to kick them out if they are already here. In a cable to American embassies around the world, Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson wrote that visitors who require a visa before […]
9/18/2017
EPA/HILLARY CLINTON/LABOR/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Hillary Clinton on Monday [9-18-17] urged federal employees who disagree with the Trump administration to stay in their jobs if they can, condemning what she called the ‘disregard, even contempt, among many in this administration about what federal workers know and what they’ve done, and the advice they can give.’ The […]
9/17/2017
CUBA/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. is considering closing its embassy in Cuba in response to what he has described as ‘health attacks’ on American diplomats there that have caused hearing loss, concussions and other symptoms. Mr. Tillerson said in a television interview Sunday on CBS that he is considering calls […]
9/14/2017
REX TILLERSON/STATE: “Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson said Thursday [9-14-17] that the most important thing he could do during his tenure was to make the State Department more efficient, and in a lengthy letter to employees he promised that the efforts would yield significant savings. To his critics, his remarks and the letter outlining […]
9/13/2017
IMMIGRATION/STATE: “The U.S. State Department on Wednesday [9-13-17] will stop issuing certain kinds of visas to some citizens of Cambodia, Eritrea, Guinea and Sierra Leone because the nations are not taking back their citizens the United States wants to deport. The new policies, laid out in State Department cables sent on Tuesday and reviewed by […]
9/8/2017
STATE/TREASURY/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury Delegation of Authority under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, […]
8/29/2017
NOMINATIONS/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “.@foxandfriends We are not looking to fill all of those positions. Don’t need many of them – reduce size of government. @IngrahamAngle” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, August 29, 2017 07:26am […]
8/28/2017
REX TILLERSON/STATE: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sent a letter to Congress on Monday [8-28-17] outlining plans to eliminate many of about 70 special U.S. envoys and special representatives at the State Department. Mr. Tillerson is eyeing several posts that were given prominent roles during the Obama administration, including the special envoy for climate change, […]
8/27/2017
REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, in an interview Sunday [8/27/2017] on Fox News, said the U.S. maintains its commitment to freedom and equal treatment of people around the world after receiving international criticism for the White House’s various responses to a white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., earlier this month… Asked about […]
8/23/2017
DHS/FOREIGN POLICY/STATE: “The United States could impose additional penalties on four unidentified countries that do not cooperate with requests to return their citizens, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesman said Wednesday [8-23-17]. The State Department and the DHS can sanction countries that do not cooperate with removals, but has only used that punishment authority […]
8/23/2017
RACISM/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A science envoy for the Department of State sent a resignation letter to President Donald Trump on Wednesday with a not-so-subtle secret message: ‘IMPEACH.’ Daniel Kammen, a professor of energy at the University of California, Berkeley, told Trump in a letter dated Wednesday [8-23-17] that his decision to quit his State Department […]
8/23/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “Hours after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson praised him for exercising restraint, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared in state media visiting a missile-development factory and ordering the production of more warheads and rocket engines. Mr. Kim’s visit, the date of which wasn’t disclosed by Pyongyang in its report […]
8/18/2017
BUDGET/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “Lawmakers and activists are preparing for the possibility that President Donald Trump’s administration, in its zeal to slash the federal budget, will take the rare step of deliberately not spending all the money Congress gives it — a move sure to trigger legal and political battles. The concern is mainly focused on the […]
8/10/2017
NORTH KOREA/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “White House aide Sebastian Gorka said Thursday [8-10-17] that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was out of line with remarks he made a day earlier assuring Americans that military action against North Korea is not imminent, telling BBC radio that it was ‘nonsensical’ for the nation’s chief diplomat to speak on military […]
8/10/2017
CUBA/FOREIGN POLICY/STATE: “The U.S. has expelled two Cuban diplomats in retaliation for a bizarre incident purportedly involving a covert sonic device that allegedly left a group of American diplomats in Havana with severe hearing loss. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert on Wednesday [8-9-17] spoke only cryptically about the matter, referring to an ‘incident’ without elaboration. […]
8/9/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday [8-9-17] that ‘Americans should sleep well at night,’ free from worry that North Korea’s ever-progressing nuclear program presents an ‘imminent threat’ to the United States. En route to Guam, the U.S. territory in the Pacific that North Korea has threatened to destroy with an […]
8/7/2017
REX TILLERSON/RUSSIA/STATE: “U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Russia’s foreign minister that the U.S. would respond to that country’s recent expulsion of American diplomats by Sept. 1 and that the nations must confront the distrust created by Moscow’s meddling in the U.S. presidential election. Mr. Tillerson, speaking with journalists Monday at an Asian regional […]
8/5/2017
NORTH KOREA/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson will for the first time on Sunday [8-6-17] be in the same room with his North Korean counterpart, and much of the world will be watching for whether the two even acknowledge each other. Joining them in Manila will be representatives of other countries with a […]
8/2/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/TERRORISM: “The Trump administration on Wednesday [8-2-17] told Congress it didn’t need a revision of the law underpinning the global war on terrorism and ongoing armed conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, arguing the Pentagon already has the legal authority it needs under a war authorization passed shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. […]
8/2/2017
BUDGET/REX TILLERSON/RUSSIA/STATE: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is resisting the pleas of State Department officials to spend nearly $80 million allocated by Congress for fighting terrorist propaganda and Russian disinformation. It is highly unusual for a Cabinet secretary to turn down money for his department. But more than five months into his tenure, Tillerson has […]
8/1/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/REX TILLERSON/STATE: “The U.S. doesn’t seek regime change in North Korea, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday [8-1-17], a statement at odds with suggestions last month from Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo that the U.S. would like North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to go. Mr. Tillerson, speaking at a news […]
8/1/2017
DEFENSE/MILITARY/STATE/UKRAINE: “The Pentagon and State Department have proposed to the White House a plan to supply Ukraine with anti-tank missiles and other arms, according to Defense Department officials. The proposed transfer — which also would include antiaircraft arms that would be defined as defensive weaponry — comes as fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists […]
8/1/2017
REX TILLERSON/STATE: “U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia Aug. 5 to Aug. 9, the State Department said on Tuesday [8-1-17]. Tillerson will participate in meetings of diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila, and discuss ‘denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, maritime security, and counterterrorism,’ […]
7/31/2017
MILITARY/RUSSIA/STATE/UKRAINE: “The U.S. Pentagon and State Department have devised plans to supply Ukraine with antitank missiles and other weaponry and are seeking White House approval, U.S. officials said, as Kiev battles Russia-backed separatists and ties between Moscow and Washington fray. American military officials and diplomats say the arms, which they characterized as defensive, are meant […]
7/27/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/VENEZUELA: “The State Department on Thursday [7-27-17] ordered family members of American employees at the U.S. embassy in Caracas to leave Venezuela, days ahead of a contentious vote that Washington has warned could undermine the South American nation’s democracy. The State Department said Thursday evening that it also will facilitate voluntary departures of American […]
7/26/2017
STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson flashed a grin Wednesday [7-27-17] and insisted that he is ‘not going anywhere,’ comments that came amid tussles with the White House over policy and staffing as well as questions about his future as the nation’s chief diplomat. Mr. Tillerson told reporters at the State Department on […]
7/25/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/STATE/TREASURY/UN: “The U.S. soon will issue new sanctions against Chinese entities for violating United Nations sanctions against North Korea, a senior State Department official said Tuesday [7-25-17]. Susan Thornton, acting assistant secretary of the State Department’s East Asian bureau, told a Senate Foreign Affairs subcommittee the Treasury Department shortly will be targeting more […]
7/21/2017
COLOMBIA/DEFENSE/DRUGS/STATE/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the Government of Colombia By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, and pursuant to the authority vested in me by section 1012 of […]
7/18/2017
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 […]
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 […]
7/12/2017
IMMIGRATION/STATE/TRAVEL BAN: “The Trump administration reached its self-imposed quota on refugee admissions for the 2017 fiscal year this week, according to State Department data posted online, and will dramatically reduce admissions going forward. The quota of 50,000 was initially set by President Donald Trump as part of his travel ban executive order in January, but […]
7/11/2017
STATE/SUDAN/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Trump administration said Tuesday [7-11-7] it is delaying a decision on whether to lift sanctions on Sudan by three months. The administration faced a July 12 deadline to decide if sanctions relief initiated by the Obama administration in January would become permanent. ‘The United States will revoke the sanctions if the [Government […]
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 […]
7/7/2017
STATE/UKRAINE: “The State Department has tapped Kurt Volker to be its special representative for Ukraine, the department announced Friday [7-7-17]. Volker will be tasked with advancing US efforts to the achieve the objectives of the 2014 Minsk agreements between Ukraine and Russia. After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the Minsk agreements were reached as an […]
7/4/2017
AMBASSADOR/FOREIGN POLICY/POLITICS/STATE: “A delegation of United States senators visiting Afghanistan issued a stark warning on Tuesday [7-4-17] to President Trump to fill vacant embassy and State Department positions here in order to better address the country’s mounting military and political crises. Led by Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, the American delegation in Kabul voiced […]
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 […]
6/30/2017
IMMIGRATION/LOBBYING/STATE: “The State Department is now quietly allowing dozens of young women and minority students to become full-fledged diplomats after threatening to rescind job offers that most of the students were given two years ago upon winning prestigious scholarships. The concession, issued without announcement on Thursday [7-6-17], came after an intense lobbying campaign by members […]
6/30/2017
BUDGET/FOREIGN POLICY/STATE: “A government watchdog on Friday [6-30-17] criticized the State Department and the US Agency for International Development for not adequately tracking the over $30 billion they spend annually on foreign assistance, as the administration seeks dramatic cuts to its foreign aid budget. In a new report, the State Department’s Office of the Inspector […]
6/29/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The State Department approved on Thursday [6-29-17] selling more than $1 billion in arms to Taiwan in yet another sign that the Trump administration is embracing a far more confrontational approach with China. Heather Nauert, a State Department spokeswoman, underscored that the military sales have no effect on the United States’ […]
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 […]
6/28/2017
DHS/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House is considering a proposal to move both the State Department bureau of Consular Affairs and its bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to the Department of Homeland Security, a senior White House official tells CNN. The move, which the White House official cautioned was far from becoming official policy, […]
6/28/2017
2016 ELECTION/OBAMA/RUSSIA/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Former US Ambassador to NATO and Bush administration State Department official Nicholas Burns accused President Donald Trump of a ‘dereliction of the basic duty to defend the country’ for his apparent disinterest in Russia’s meddling in the 2016 US election. Testifying before the Senate intelligence committee Wednesday, Burns criticized both the […]
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 […]