State Department

12 May 2008 -- Two former U.S. State Department officials say the Bush administration has done little to fight corruption in Iraq. In testimony to a congressional panel Monday, they said administration policy has allowed corruption to fester - an accusation the State Department vehemently denies.

George W. Bush with John and Cindy McCain: Photo by Talk Radio News Service (CC)

Arthur Brennan briefly served as director of the State Department's Office of Accountability and Transparency in Baghdad last year.    » read more »

7 May 2008 -- The senior U.S. diplomat in Burma said Wednesday the death toll from the cyclone that hit the southeast Asian country late last week could exceed 100,000. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meawnhile says the United States is trying to mobilize countries in the region to press the Burmese government to admit more aid workers and supplies.

Typhoon Nargis prior to making landfall in Burma: NASA photo

The top U.S. diplomat in Burma says the situation in the stricken areas of the country is sounding more and more horrendous as reports of damage and casualties trickle in. She says when the final death toll emerges, there could be well over 100,000 fatalities.    » read more »

5 May 2008 -- Iran says it will not hold a fourth round of talks with the U.S. on security in Iraq, as long as U.S. forces continue what it called "open bombings" in Iraq.

Speaking in Tehran today Monday Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali Hosseini said under the current circumstances, any new talks would be meaningless.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Reese and his military working dog Grek: U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Reese and his military working dog Grek wait at a safe house before conducting an assault against insurgents in Buhriz, Iraq, April 10, 2007. U.S.Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall    » read more »

21 April 2008 -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has failed to secure any firm Arab pledges on debt relief for Iraq or greater Arab diplomatic presence in Baghdad.

After a meeting of Arab states in Bahrain, Rice told reporters that a number of countries around the table expressed a desire for having permanent representation in Iraq, but that there were no firm commitments.

Condi Rice meets with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Baghdad, Iraq: Photo courtesy US State Dept.

The top U.S. diplomat said she believes it is a process that eventually will move forward.    » read more »

16 April 2008 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the United States needs to overhaul its approach to national security.

Gates told U.S. lawmakers Tuesday there needs to be what he called a "fairly dramatic change" to better protect the U.S. from terrorists and other threats. He said the United States is operating under an outdated security model designed 60 years ago to fight and win the Cold War.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates: White House photo    » read more »

April 3, 2008 -- Bucharest, Romania -- SECRETARY RICE: Good evening, and welcome to this press availability with the National Security Advisor and with me. We will divide the labor. I'm going to make a few general comments; Steve has a few specifics for you, on particularly Afghanistan and missile defense and a couple of other matters.

First Lady Laura Bush attends a folk music program in Bucharest during NATO meeting.: Photo by Shealah Craighead    » read more »

Mar 18, 2008 -- MOSCOW — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice landed here March 17 for two days of talks with their Russian counterparts aimed at gaining ground on key issues that could forge ahead a missile defense plan for all of Europe.

Speaking to reporters during the flight, Gates said a full range of topics is on the table, including economic relationships, counterterrorism and arms sales. But on top on the agenda is locking in some type of commitment by Russia for the U.S. plan to post defensive missiles in Europe, the secretary said.    » read more »

28 January 2008 -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith Monday stressed the enduring nature of the two countries' alliance despite Australia's decision to remove troops from Iraq by mid-year. Smith said Australia's troop and diplomatic commitment to Afghanistan will continue.

Smith is the highest-level Australian official to visit Washington since Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's center-left government took power in November, ending 12 years of conservative rule by John Howard, a close ally and friend of President Bush.    » read more »

Davos, Switzerland, 23 January 2008 – US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting that American foreign policy must be driven by a combination of ideals and optimism because international problems may be managed but never resolved without them.    » read more »

January 11, 2008 -- MS. PERINO: Hi everybody. I'm going to have a special guest briefer: Secretary Rice is going to spend a little bit of time with you and then I will be around to answer anything additional. So I don't think she'll have too much of an opening statement, since you've heard from the President, but she'll take --

SECRETARY RICE: You've heard from the President, so I'll just take your questions. Guest lecturer today. Who would like to start?

Q So do you have any announcement of where we're going? Anything special?

SECRETARY RICE: We're going to Kuwait. (Laughter.)    » read more »

20 December 2007 -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Thursday hailed Canada's military role in Afghanistan and said defeating the Taliban-led insurgency there is crucial to international security. Rice met Canada's Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier in advance of a parliamentary debate in Canada next month on the future of that country's Afghan mission.

The Bush administration is heaping praise on Canada for its Afghan effort amid domestic criticism there that Canadian battlefield losses have been disproportionate and that some other NATO members are not sharing the burden.    » read more »

13 December 2007 -- A U.S. State Department spokesman says U.S., Iraqi and Iranian officials have postponed plans to meet next week to discuss security in Iraq.

Spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters Thursday that Iran asked to delay the talks because of "scheduling conflicts".

U.S. and Iranian officials have met three times this year in Baghdad, but the talks ended inconclusively with each side blaming the other for Iraq's violence.    » read more »

December 07, 2007 -- State Department Inspector General Howard J. Krongard announced his resignation today. In response to the announcement, Chairman Waxman released the following statement:

“Mr. Krongard’s decision removes an enormous distraction from the Inspector General’s office and will allow the office to focus on its important oversight responsibilities. The Committee will certainly take this new development into account.”

State Department Inspector General's Letter to President Bush    » read more »

07 December 2007 -- A senior U.S. State Department official predicts elections in Pakistan scheduled for January 8 will not be perfect, but he says it will be an important step in the country's transition to democracy. At a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill, the official defended U.S. aid to Pakistan, a key ally in the "war on terror".

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher offered his prediction about upcoming parliamentary elections in Pakistan. "It is not going to be perfect," he said.    » read more »

11/07/2007 -- Legislation that would phase out the use of private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan was unveiled Wednesday by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Jan Schakowsky. The bill would restore vital military functions to the military, reducing the reliance on unaccountable private security contractors in the war zones. As many as 48,000 heavily armed guards are among the private security contractors now operating in Iraq, performing sensitive functions that should be undertaken by U.S. military personnel.    » read more »