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Subscribe to RSSAs John Kerry prepares to take his place Friday in the long line of leaders -- including Thomas Jefferson, Henry Kissinger and Hillary Clinton -- who have served as secretary of state, he and President Barack Obama will face some familiar overseas challenges from the past four years:
- Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions;
- North Korea’s erratic nuclear-armed behavior;
- China’s growing economic power and its potential leverage as a holder of U.S. Treasury bonds;
- The horrific civil war in Syria which threatens to spill over into neighboring countries.
And there’s always the specter of a sudden, unexpected international crisis.
But there are also new and developing challenges for the administration and for Kerry, who will be sworn in Friday afternoon, such as the U.S. role in a country that few Americans have heard of or could find on a map: Mali, in north central Africa.
There, the Obama administration has broadened the post-Sept. 11 struggle against jihadists by sharing intelligence with the French, as well as providing them airlift and re-fueling support, to facilitate the French military intervention against Islamists.
This military assistance underscores again why the United States remains -- to use the well-worn phrase Clinton used in a farewell speech Thursday -- the “indispensable nation.”
On Wednesday, John Kerry said farewell to his Senate home of 27 years, as he prepares to take on a new role as Secretary of State. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
When the U.S. or its allies seek to intervene in a place such as Mali, only the United States has an adequate fleet of C-17 cargo planes and KC-135 tanker aircraft to make such an exercise of power possible; the French wouldn't be able to conduct the Mali operation by themselves.
This week the Obama administration also signed a "status of forces" accord with Mali’s next-door neighbor, Niger, allowing U.S. troops to operate in that country and suggesting a new chapter in U.S. engagement in Africa even as Obama is moving to withdraw most U.S. forces from Afghanistan.
The Mali operation is in part an outgrowth of the “lead from behind” U.S. role in the NATO operation to topple Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
Professor Michael Mandelbaum of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and author of “The Frugal Superpower” said last October, “In order to get the full benefits of tyrant removal, it may be necessary to put American troops on the ground and that we’re not going to do.”
But with Gadhafi removed from power, his weapons depots were “liberated” and his arms proliferated all over North Africa, including to jihadists in Mali and Algeria, where earlier this month a group of militants attacked a natural gas plant, killing dozens of hostages.
The Pentagon will be Chuck Hagel’s problem (upon confirmation as defense secretary) not Kerry’s, but the new secretary of state is especially worried that America’s role as military enforcer has been hurting its standing in the eyes of other nations.
Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in his confirmation hearing that “American foreign policy is not defined by drones and deployments alone. We cannot allow the extraordinary good we do to save and change lives to be eclipsed entirely by the role we have had to play since Sept. 11, a role that was thrust upon us.”
He also knows that the traditional U.S. role as a preacher of open economies, free trade and dependable sovereign credit is being undermined by its undisciplined fiscal policy, threatening, he said last week, “my credibility as a diplomat -- and our credibility as nation.”
Kerry’s role as a diplomat and international coalition builder will be difficult for another reason. In the past, when there was a specific threat, American leaders were able to form multinational coalitions to defeat that enemy, as in 1990, when Saddam Hussein’s armies invaded Kuwait.
But two new threats are more diffuse and can’t be attacked on a battlefield:
- Demographic pressure in the developing world: A surging younger generation in developing countries spurs conflict and unrest, particularly in the Middle East where those citizens have played a large role in the so-called “Arab Spring.” In his confirmation hearing, Kerry noted that in his visits over the years to Syria, “President Assad said to me, I have 500,000 kids who turn 18 every year, and I don't have a place to put them; I don't have jobs for them.”
- Climate change: How could Kerry persuade the Chinese to agree to enforceable commitments to curb greenhouse gas emissions that might cause disruption in an economy that demands job growth? All Kerry could offer last week is a hope that he and the leaders in Beijing “can find a better sense of the mutuality of our interests and the commonality of goals” so that they could work towards an international accord on greenhouse gas.
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Dang....all the libs must be at the welfare office right now....no posts for the last 20 minutes....!!! Me?? I have to get to my CHL renewal class and then to Walmart to buy up as much ammo and 7-round clips as I can get my hands on -- HOOAH...!!!!
Nothing posted by a Republican is worth replying to except your ignorant post.
Oh there you are golfsleft - shew....thought you finally found a job. You certainly didn't take English language syntax lessons in your absence from your alternative life as a leftist with 'smarts' with the ability to cypher (channel Jethro Bodine).......LOL
All that proves golfself is you were first in walmart with your food stamp card and your back home already
HOOAH? WTF does that mean?
You would know if you had served FOSR....
Yeah, I just googled it. Thanks. Never heard it before in my life.
But....you will use the handle "FreedomOfSpeechRules" without ever having defended your right or the rights of others to have that freedom. Google is not the answer to all things Mr. FOSR......"I Googled it and couldn't find it and never heard it before in my life....."...typical of a person who argues just to argue without the accumen to defend their position.....because it ain't on Google.
First of all it's Mrs. Secondly, I would have never qualified for the military due to a medical condition I was born with.....you know what they say about assume! Thirdly, is freedom of speech only reserved for those who have 'served'? I've served my fellow citizens in many avenues through my life in various careers and volunteer work.
What an ASS!
Nobody is arguing with you. It was a question. WTF does HOOAH mean? I think you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!
First, my bad Mrs. FOSR. Secondly, I am truly sorry that you were not able to serve in the military. Thirdly, no, freedom of speech is not reserved for those who have served in the military. But, attacking the basic tennents of those who have served in the military is not the answer either. Thank you for your service in your various careers and volunteer work to your fellow citizens. If your heart is pure, you will not come back at me with insults, but, if you do I did serve in the military to preserve and protect your rights to FreedomOfSpeech.....
InDog... Not true.
But I see that the children on the right can't refrain themselves from statements like "Kerry isn't the man Hillary is"...
Because you served in the military does that make you superior to those who didn't? You come across that way....
This may be Obamas best move to date,he wanted Kerry all along but didn't think repubs would back nomination,Rice was a pawn and old one arm John fell for it hook line and sinker.
So, the suspect in the embassy bombing was a suicide bomber. Was a suicide attack. Figures. Good thing suicide bombers dont get on elevators.
Agree, Suicide Bombers will never get on "elevators" even after death because they are going straight down to Hell.
If anyone gets c-span watch the program on "foreign policy and national security". very good talking points, they are not poiticians on panel, they study the regions that we are involved in and areas of world where we are not involved yet....pretty unbiased discussion...
This is a Viet Nam Vet's Nightmare, a "Secretary of State" who intentionally lied at Senate Testimony for solely Political Gain in 1971 lambasting US Troops and making up "atrocities" they had "done". A modern day Benedict Arnold but Mr. Arnold never lied against the front line Continental Troops as Kerry did with the front line US & SVA Vietnam Troops
Nhan Quyen Cho Viet Nam! Human Rights for Vietnam!
They should of shot his azz along side of Jane Fonda for treason
HOOAH....!!!
Kurt, you really need to read up on the history of that "action".
FYI... Lying to Congress is a punishable offense.
Chip, in Kerry's case, Lying to Congress proves it is not always a "punishable offense" but rather one gets rewarded more than 40 years with the Position of Secretary of State.
Chip .. want to list he 1000s of times a politician has lied to congress and nothing has happen ...
Hell, Hilary did it last week ... nothing will happen
They lie all the time and use terms like I dont recall , i mis-spoke ... or the #1 Excuse ... LET ME clarify my statement
Politicians lie!...I'm aghast that anyone would consider that opinion...thats the only thing they're good at...
the #1 lie was "I did not have sex with that women".....
The same John Kerry whom along with his pal John McCain (yes, they were pals when they both in 1992 killed all the POWs who might remain in writing), led a huge effort to open free trade with Vietnam. Where billions were lost since by American businesses and have since withdrawn. Heinz products are doing extremely well, however.
p.s. - so is Coors beer.
The qualifications for being Secretary of State in the Obama Administration: Show contempt for the American Citizens, badmouth America all over the world, hate the Military, lie about the Military under oath, get rich marrying Rich Women, guilty of insider trading, and telling the World that the USA is a disgrace.
John Kerry being selected as the Secretary of State is like Charles Manson (mass murderer) being selected as Attorney General of the USA.
John Kerry will NOT serve America, he will be self serving and serving the Left Wing Liberal Democrat Open Borders Black Racist Regime of the Obama Administration.
Thanks for clearing up who Charles Manson is....
Actually, Charles Manson never personally killed anyone. Although he was responsible for three murders. He was too much of a coward to do anyone personally.
Oh yeah, that's right. Although I wonder if he was responsible for some of the unsolved murders during that time that just have never been proven. I thought at one point they were looking at that....
One of the guys was dug up on the ranch and some of the girls were missing. But, back then nobody cared about missing hippies.
Same old tired rants from the right. Surprise, surprise, they don't like President Obama's pick for SOS, or head of Defense.....Repubs have never liked anything President Obama has done, so what else is new.
Repubs have 4 more years to wail and rant about President Obama, and then probably another 8 to do the same when Hillilary is elected.
First off A-hole ... if your not a Nam Vet shut up ...
As for you boy obama ... America is worse off in every area of life ... and the blame Bush thing aint workin for him
Also there are more elected Rep in DC than there are Dem .... and a solid 47% of Americans dont drink the obama kool-aid .. if we are all lucky he will lead you guy down to Jonestown and hand you a paper cup filled with that special koolaid for cult members
Actually we have to wait another 1,448 more days
Dragon, Never did like a Traitor Kerry for what he did against the US Troops at the Senate Testimony in 1971 and never apologized (note, this is long before Barry Soetoro came into the Political Scene, so no matter who nominated Kerry, any rational person would be against the nomination)
Texas: Tisk, tisk, name calling like a 3rd grader? Majority of Americans still blame Bush for the mess we are in.
Hagel is a Viet Nam vet....so by your logic he is perfect for head of Defense....right?
Kurt: A traitor like McCain, who sold out his fellow soliders to save his skin.....like that? BTW Kurt, Kerry was confirmed by Dems and Repubs in the Senate.....so guess they are all irrational?
Who is Hilliliary?
Dragon ... just go drink the special kool-aid and get it over with .... thats the only NEXT step left for you people.
Liberals think they need Gov to make every choice about their life for them ... tell them how to live and how to die.
Always amazes me how Liberals think it is Greedy for a person to want to keep what THEY earned .. yet not Greedy when Liberals want to take away everything other people earned.
Your weak people ... your type always have been ... thats why EVERY liberal Socialist experiment in History has failed and often led to millions being killed by people like Hitler, Stalin, Castro and the others .. along with lifestyles of places like the Soviet Union, East Germany, Cuba, N Korea ...
Dragon, spending years in the Ha Noi Hilton without giving in to Communist Propaganda as McCain did "is not saving one's skin". Get a clue, maybe get the clue from "When Hell was in Session" by Jeremiah Denton.
Texas, you are so correct & wise, my family in Viet Nam are grateful for people like you.
Dragon ... BTW ... McCain was offered a chance to be released, because of who his father was ... he told them he would not leave until all others were released.
That alone makes him more of a man than every other Politician in DC on both sides combined
Dragon...your finally learning, it only took 4 years but you'll have it totally figured out in another 4...
texas a&i...dig a little deeper into mcains reasons for not leaving when he had a chance, you may be surprised.
Secretary Kerry kind of has a sissy ring to it don't you think.
Anyway, I can see it now......
Aide: Mr. Secretary, our embassy in Turkey has been attacked.
Secretary Kerry: What's that got to do with me?
While Hillary states .... "What Difference Does It Make How Our Embassy In Turkey Was Attacked?"
Same thing she thought when she made illegal cattle deals and the 1,894 times Bill cheated on her.
I suggest her liberal useless azz go walk around Afghanistan and see what Difference it makes
Give me a break...MSNBC....You can do better than this... We all know Obama and Hillary have sold the world out to China with Putin playing second fiddle!.. Iran and N. Korea are nothing mor than Pawns of China and Syria is a pawn of Moscow..
Where is your headline on Hagel's terrible performance yesterday on the hill??? as always you don't want to make the Idiot=in=Chief look bad. Democrats...Responsible for everything...Accountable for nothing!"
Rockyroad is one of the biggest idiots ever to comment on line. He condemns him for being a liberal, then for creating wars, and then for eliminating the 2nd amendment. Make up your mind and quit listening to FAUX NEWS, however they do make up stuff just like you're doing.
Through this all, it will show he should've been president.
The Most Important questin is..
Will Kerry Move The Mooring of His Yacht..From Rhode Island..
Or bring it Back..to His Native...Massachusettes..where he Has his residence..?
By Docking His Yacht..In Rhode Island..He saves Over $280,000...a Year in TAXES..
This should be..first priority...for thought
KERRY....
" Yes ..I saw It..It was..Barbaric..
I saw my own troops...Pull the wings off of a Bee...
and then they tied ...someone's shoe laces..together..it was horrible..."
After reading this article two things stood out: the first was when Kerry stated that America's position on terrorist was not something that we wanted, however it was thrust upon us as a result of 9/11; it was not Bush trying to finish what his father started as many keep saying.
If Hillary was did such a great job as secretary of state, why after just taking this job does Kerry have so many powder kegs about to burst right in his face; yet many people here are talking about hillary in 2016, where is the logic.
The Year 2367..
Old Clay..Democrat tablets ...Found..
from 2300...
Inscription reads .."It was Bush's fault.."
The Year 2414, Spacecraft crash lands in Neptune due to costly Government regulations for the sake of "Fuel Efficiency" and of course, "for the Children", the Governement Investigation officially declares it as "Bush's Fault"
Kerry fits right in with Obama, Clinton, rice, he has all the right qualifications to match up with the administration elites, liar, liberal through & through, guaranteed to kiss Obama's ass in public, will put down America's best at every opportunity, is not a friend of the Military, especially Viet Nam vets of which I am one of. It doesn't surprise me considering what Obama has/is doing to the military every chance he gets which is frequent & often. I said to my self the other day, self,, it can't get any worse than it is now,,, I was wrong again,, with Kerry in with the socialist elites the Obama administration is on line to accomplish it's dirty deeds, I'm glad I did my time then rather than now. Where are the stand up for Americas best at a time when they are needed ?
First thing he'll do is help Obama with Defense budget cuts, then, progress to cutting veterans benefits. Especially benefits for PTSD.
That'd be John Kerry, formerly of "Vietnam Veterans Against the War". I remember seeing him making some variety of speech in the '70's where he threw a handful of medals he'd allegedly been awarded into the crowd with the statement "These medals don't mean ANYTHING to me." Must be a tough SOB, supposedly was struck with a 50 cal round and lived. Of course, no politician would say anything that isn't true.
Yet Kerry stated NOTHING of the atrocities of the "Re-Education Camps" in Viet Nam started in the North in 1954 and in the South after April 1975 through 1991. It appears Communist atrocities is OK with Kerry.
So, our "Fiscal Policy" is putting a strain on our credibility? Ya might try to get Obama to NOT spend over a Trillion taxpayer dollars a year than he takes in. Just so that you see the amount, a million is as thousand thousand, a billion is a thousand million, and a TRILLION is a thousand billion. That's $1,000,000,000,000.00 folks.
Put his wife on a no-fly list, we'd save 15 million a year.
Not going left or right here - that is funny $hit right there....
So nice to know that Mr. Heinz Kerry will be in charge of State now that Mrs. Cellulite has gone off to Burger King to satiate her cravings for Whoppers, full time!
I wonder if Heinz Kerry will be riding Swift Boats into such places as Mali, Haiti, and Iran? Certainly he can ride one into Libya and check out the Embassy in Bengazi. Maybe he can go over to Turkey and lend a hand guarding our bombed Embassy there?
So much to do, so little time. Just send his ugly wife. She will scare the Islamists into capitulation. Make them look at her in a bikini.
Holding hands with Hillary also in a bikini might just work.
Even better Perry! Good idea!
Poor Repubs, still in shock after the lashing from the 2012 elections. President Obama re-elected when the stated goal of GOP was to make him a 1 term president....major FAIL!
Dems gained seats in House and Senate....probably would have taken the House if Repub govenors did not jerrymander their districts.
Look on the bright side Repubs, 4 more years to rant and wail and spread gloom and doom.....exactly why majority of Americans voted against GOP.
You pathetic azz! The Treasury is hemorrhaging money in the billions in Foreign Aid, to every country including North Korea and all you can talk is smack!? You moron. The country is broke and about to totally come unglued and all you got is Homeland Security and Fema Camps as an answer. There are more African Americans unemployed now that when they elected this pos POTUS!!
Your post takes 1st Prize so far on this thread for utter stupidity! And I am sure you are proud of it too!
Dragon....Exactly, what would we have to rant and rave about without democrats and liberals, it was the same same in s. vietnam in 71, what will we do when we rotate back to the world, we'll have no one to shoot at...
"This week the Obama administration also signed a "status of forces" accord with Mali’s next-door neighbor, Niger, allowing U.S. troops to operate in that country and suggesting a new chapter in U.S. engagement in Africa even as Obama is moving to withdraw most U.S. forces from Afghanistan." That's how we started Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan and other places. We need to withdraw from these countries and only worry if they come over here and then take care of them. Are we the ONLY country with refueling capabilities? Why did all those other countries build planes that could be refueled in air if they didn't have tankers? We are fighting a war against Islam. We cannot win a religious war since no one will admit their belief is false. They can pull fighters form all over the world who believe in Islam. They want to spread the extreme version of Islam and there aren't necessarily going for the money or international power. They want everyone to follow Islamic law. The sooner we admit we are fighting the religious extremists the sooner we will go home or fight to win. As you stated China is a problem since they hold so much of our debt and I'm sure the war in Mali is going to be financed by them.
They forgot to tell you that Niger is the top mineral exporter on the planet of Uranium.
I like Kerry as SOS,
It gets him out of the Senate;
The Sec just pushes Obobo's agenda anyway, so it doesn't matter who is there.
Kerry is just as much a bumbling fool as Hillary and Obama. It'll be a great match.
Kerry blends. If Hillary was Dorothy, Obama would be the lion without courage, Hagel the one without a brain and Kerry the one without a heart. And, all three thinking Africa is at the end of the yellow brick road.
And so the position goes from one lyin b i t c h, to another lyin b i t c h !!!
Yep ... pretty much ... except the first lyin bytch has more balz than this one
Kerry is stepping out of the pan and into the fire,....Hilary is STILL saying "I didn't do anything wrong",..... well I guess that depends on what "do" means,.... she did NOTHING and has left Kerry a mess to clean up. She is without doubt the MOST inept woman in the WORLD. Good luck Mr. Kerry, you truely do have a mess to clean up. She's still lieing.