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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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Kerry can't find his a^^ with both hands and help so he is the perfect fallguy to take the blame for Odumbo ( I think I spelled that right, lol ).
Hagel can't defend his own words from his past, how is he going to defend this great nation? Some of his own democrats said it was painful to try and watch him explain his statements.
Now we have the top four, Dumb, Dumber,Dumbest, and Dumbest-yet. ROFLOL
Kerry is the essense of what is wrong with this country. All he cares about are his rich buddies [ you take care of me and I will take care of you] The rest of us are Peons that should absolutly do his will. Rich egotistical basterd that has never earned a penny on his own. I don't care how you voted.
I've got it. Why doesn't Kerry appoint "Hanoi Jane" to the position of "special assdistant or some such. She's sure to get Obama's approval.
Day ain't over.
Steve
Now you have gone and done it, Kerry will probably appoint her special envoy to Iran., lol
Hanoi Jane could help re-unify the Korea's with the South being turned over to the North.
John Kerry is the pompous ultra liberal hypocrite who bought his 7 million dollar yacht in another state to avoid the onerous taxes that he approved in his very own state of Taxachusettes....yet another incompetent liberal twit.....
The left always misses the point. Kerry is an ULTRA LIBERAL who loves taxing everybody else but not himself.
He's a HYPOCRITE... which means his perfect for the Obamination of America ....
"loves taxing everybody but not himself."
John Kerry supports higher taxes on high income people, himself included. WTF are you talking about?
Hey Leroy, why did he duck his taxes on the Yacht???? Huh? The taxes he approved....Huh????
Leroy...did you just wake up? or come inside from standing in the foodstamp line...
I'm sure John Kerry will do a fine job. I am also sure that the idiotic righties will find huge fault with every single thing he says and does, no matter what. The disrespect the RWNJs show to this war hero is as unreasonable and unfair as the disrespect they always give the President.
Nothing but a bunch of sore losers on here I see.
golfleft: I'd imagine you're an expert on losers.
Steve, who lost the last election?
The American taxpayers, including me, but probably not you.
Nice comeback Steve...
Reaching for the low hanging fruit.
The real problem is the dumb asses that keep electing Kerry - back to Washington. He can't even run a golf tournament.
Unemployment rose to 7.9%.What a great job oblahblah is doing.Pretty bad when your printing tons of money and buying securities to keep rates low and the economy still sucks.That idiot don't even know what a job is so how can he create one.
The real figures are 14.7% out of work, only 7.9% are unemployed.
"The real figures are 14.7% out of work..."
So you're counting retired people and children?
You forgot the 157,000 jobs created in January.
The libs are saying things are rolling along good.There could be only 100 jobs left in this country and the blind sheep would still support the moron in chief.Well I guess all the moochers and the lazy don't care about the economy cuz they get their checks anyway.Just keep taxing.
If there were only 100 jobs left in this country we would have full employment.
If they counted the same today as they did when Bush left office the official rate would in fact be right at 15% and EVERYONE at the Dept of Labor acknowledges this
golfsleft,
Part of the 14.7% are people that no longer get unemployment and are not on record anymore.Thats the true unemployment rate but your dumbo president or liberal media don't want you to know that.
"..EVERYONE at the Dept of Labor acknowledges this.."
Do you have any proof of this? When was the method of counting changed and how was it changed?
PATTERN MAN
The count of unemployed has nothing at all to do with people collecting unemployment.
How do you think they figure the unemployment rate?
The unemployment rate is the number of people looking for work as a percent of the workforce.
How about all those people who are on unemployment and not really looking for a job? You can actually reduce the rate because about 1/3 of those on unemployment are riding the gravy train until it runs dry....these numbers work in both directions!
I think Kerry will surprise some people. At this time, I do not believe there is a better person to shore up the interest of the U.S. as a diplomat.
God ... your a naive idiot arent you
Editori....Surely you jest....I know, i know, your not surely and you never jest....
Wonder if Kerry is gonna try to out travel Hilliary's record........or spend a little more time at the office and keep on top of what is happening..........like reading security request and other reports from her Ambassadors....hope so. Hard top do when you are constantly traveling oir making plans to travel.......almost 3 different countries a month.......guess we know where there budget preference went.......travel expenses!!!
Please research what the Secretary of State's job is.
It does not include approving of misleading press releases about fictitious spontaneous protest.....or not respondinding to security upgrades or reading reports from Amb Stevens and others........it does not say she has to visit almost 3 countries a month with no over all improvement in the standing of of country......name some of her accomplishments????
I don't give a rat's a$$ about Mali, and yes, I can find it on a map.
Obama started ALL of this sh!t by toppling the dictator in Libya, whom we already had under control. He had been a "well behaved terrorist" for many years, and was subjective to the U.S; yet for some reason, Obama had to unseat him. Now look at Libya, a worse sh!thole than it was, with weapons scattered everywhere.
It's the same in Egypt, a "peaceful dictator" dethroned in exchange for a hardcore Muslim extremist.
Now, to John Kerry.
No one better than him to bow down to every scum nation in the world. Obama has his "man".
Exactly how did Obama topple the dictator of Libya?
Only thing Obama Toppled was Our Economy
Hey golfsleft, you and your ilk are exactly what's wrong in this country.
You seem to have the memory of a piss-ant.
So Metalman, you have no answer so resort to insults. How typical of a Republican.
I'm pretty sure it was one of his thugs' AK-47 bullets.
Metalman, Sounds like you're describing the Cheney/Bush Administration, whereby Bush was captured, HOLDING HANDS with the Sheik! Cheney invading Iraq to SPLIT UP the Oil Fields! What's more sickening, Obama still have Bush People in important positions in his Cabinet, some he can't get rid of because of the reTHUGHligans Filibuster's!
Don't you LIAR'S ever get tired of LYING and spreading untruth's? You don't have to answer that, you guys LIVE and BREATH LIES! You guys really PROVED that during the 2012 Presidential Campaign! So darn happy the American People saw thru you guys; just too bad 47% of you give our Country a bad name!
We were supporting the "rebels" and "freedom-fighters". Remember now.
Also, I'm not a Republican. I'm also not a Communist, Marxist, Muslim sympathizer; and especially NOT part of the left wing loons that seem to have taken over our country.
Hey earthie, tell us who these "Bush People" are, that's still in the WH cabinet.
For your info, Obama had TOTAL control during his first two years. It's HIS cabinet, and no "fillibuster" could control who HE wanted.
BTW.......Look up fillibuster.
You are correct! And he ran the country further into the ground like he continues to do today. But, yet, he still blames Bush...hmmm.
I can think of no one better than the richest man in the senate for this job. The ultimate 1%er, a man of the people. lol
I'm surprised they didn't nominate "Hanoi Jane".
Sorry, if anyone is rich, its his wife, the Heinz Ketscup woman, and I doubt seriously, if Kerry has access to her money! Kerry did NOT come from wealth, his wife was MARRIED to the man, whereby she got hers!
Do your homework before you start spitting out LIES! TYPICAL LYING, WHINING, reTHUGlican!
He also tried to cheat on taxes by sailing his little multi million dollar boat to another state ...
I did earthie turd. your beloved msnbc reported that info couple weeks ago. Do your homework turd.
This is just another good example of the selective-hypocrisy that is this administration. I applaud hard-working people that earn their wealth, regardless of political affiliation. But, based on what you wrote, that certainly excludes the Kerrys.
This president wants the public to be dependant on the government, well, you know, except for the fat cats that are funding his agenda.
The GOP/TEA/Dumb FUX NEWS party is beyond pathetic with their petty criticisms these days...
I guess they think people forgot that their "chicken hawk" leaders were asleep at the wheel and let us get attacked on 9/11, then let Osama Bin Laden get away and attacked the wrong country (Iraq) costing hundreds of thousands of civilian and military lives and trillions in treasure...
The party of "NO" is an international embarrassment..
Hey newbook, Bill Clinton let Osama Bin Laden "get away" during his "presidency".
Can't you remember? The Somalie's had him, called Clinton and offered him to us, but Bill passed, even though he was wanted in connection with the first attack on the WTC.
" The Somalie's had him, called Clinton and offered him to us, but Bill passed, even though he was wanted in connection with the first attack on the WTC."
Total bull sh1t.
golfie, No totally true. Then the Sudanese offered to Madeline Albright the chance to take him. Clinton passed, again.
Do your research golfsleft.
You'll find it absolutety TRUE.
http://www.factcheck.org/2008/01/clinton-passed-on-killing-bin-laden/
Denial of Bush's blunder's is no vice.
They Knew Bin Laden was a problem and had 9 months to do something. They had intelligence on Arabs in flights schools and had the 20th hijacker in custody.
Explain why the only planes allowed to fly on 9/12 were loaded with Bin Laden family members as associates.
Will the GOP?TEA?Dumb FUX NEWS ever except responsibility for the disastrous Bush/Cheney administration?
One thing for sure he will fit right in with the other garbage in Obummer's cesspool. Good luck america.
If we can get Big Oil and Big Business, now the Health-care Industry OUT of our Government, we would not be in War's or Occupation's! These Industries are using our Military, as if they are their Personal employees! Granted, they may contribute a small amount of Taxes, but the overall burden in caring for our troops are on the backs of the 98%, while Big Oil and Big Business find LOOP-HOLES to off-shore their Profits made in the USA! While in the last years RECEIVED TAX REFUNDS, while the average American has to PAY!!!!
Currently Israel is trying to get our Military involved in invading Iran; why, because they want their land, water, and control of their Natural Resources! This is INSANE! Wile the fact remains, the only Americans on the front lines are the Average, Poor, and Immigrants! Mitt Romney and his 5 son's has NEVER been in the Military, all while he was in bed with the PM of Israel, and would have GLADLY invaded Iran for him, putting our troops right back into an UN-ENDING WAR!
I pray Kerry doesn't fall for Netannayho demands and tell him to kiss it, where the sun don't shine!
With all due respect Mr. Curry, when you state that few Americans have heard of Mali or could find it on a map, that tells that you must be surrounded by a very low information demographic. I can assure you that there are more than a few Americans who have heard of Mali, know where it is at in Africa, have heard of what has been going on there, and what most of the world's governments have not been doing about it.
Just because NBC Politics doesn't much report on things that may not show this current administration in a wonderful light - doesn't mean that other 'news' organizations follow suit.
Your assessment of Americans is offensive and betrays how out of touch with reality that you must be. It may behoove you to remember that almost half of voting Americans did not vote for this President, are not impressed with how he has been handling things, and are not purposefully looking the other way when negative things happen around the world.
Kerry: "First of all I want to make it perfectly clear that the latest embassy bombing is entirely George Bush's fault. Komrade Obama assured me this morning that absolutely nothing will be done about it or any future attacks against this country or its interests. The war hero in me wants you to know that our military is a bunch of evil murderers and should not be trusted."
Why is he still around? How do these old wore out politicians keep getting elected? Isn't he the same Kerry that, not so long ago, lied to American people about being in combat in Vietnam and yet was not even close? At best I doubt his probity. He is one of the best examples for term limits. Another Obama sychophant!
$1,400,000,000,000.00 annual deficit over a 4 year period. Must be Bush's fault, huh Obummer? Wonder how much of that went for weapons that're now in the hands of terrorists.
and mexican drug lords.....I'm just sayin'
Hey Steve, I think part of this money went to restock the guns on the streets of Chicago. God knows they need them there.
"$1,400,000,000,000.00 annual deficit over a 4 year period."
Completely wrong.
Ok golf, tee up and proove it. Also, explain why the defecit went from about 10 to about 15 trillion under Obama. All when he promised to reduced it in his first term. And his increases aren't making it any better so don't try to blame it on others. Dumbosplats, they're killing America.
http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/federal_deficit_chart.html
"..the defecit(sic) went from about 10 to about 15 trillion under Obama."
The "deficit" didn't go to 15 trillion, the debt did. I wish Republicans would learn the difference.
Debt, 10 to 15 defecit went up as well. All this proves is that you're bad at math and civics, and possibly reading comprehension. You cannot just use current, but projected and derived from policy. It's an old trick Dems use to try and project spending on Republicans when they know exactly where it originated. Defecit is current, debt is accumulated. Both increased. 2009 goes to Obama. it even say so in your link.
golfleft:
You apparently don't know how this works. That's One Trillion, Four Hundred Billion dollars American annual deficit over the last Four years. That's ANNUAL deficit. It gets ADDED to the national debt every year. Get it now?
No its not. The debt was $10T when he took office. 4 years later it is $16T. That's $6T in 4 years. An average of $1.5T per year.
Golf, By the way, a misnomer doesn't mean I was wrong, you protest of it only means that you wish I were.
Please go to the link I gave you. None of you seem to know anything about economics.
Oh great, now instead of ridiculously naive, we have intentionally socialist. Perfect.
When are the American people going to wake up and quit voting these same politicians in over and over?
Maybe our enemies will fear him and our allies respect him if he just retrieves his medals from the Vietnam era that he threw over the White House fence and pinned them to his lapel!
Where the hell were you swift boat boys? This sob has no business in this position!
Jim - 352656 - what education, credentials. information do you have to make such a statement?
please proceed, Jim-352656
Jim, on what do you base that opinion?
If you look at his resume he undoubtedly is the most qualified member of Congress to assume that position based on his previous and current experiences in government positions.
Now, if you're operating off emotion that swirls around his war years and anti-war positions well then, there is nothing that disqualifies him there either. Even the right and fellow Republican vets don't think so.
neither does the American people yet here we are.
I'm interested to see what he does and doesn't do. What a surreal place.
Let me guess? Kerry is now under attack because President Obama chose him?
Am I right?
Johnny, that just about sums it up. Pretty substantial stuff, eh?
No! He was chosen by Obama because he rated highly on Obamas Slime-O-Meter. Also why he is under attack.
nibor...
By that logic, he must've rated high on the Republican Slime-O-Meter as well.
It's a vast Congressional conspiracy I tell ya!!!
No.