About the Author: Jeffrey Feltman serves as the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.
The Obama Administration has made it a priority to broaden U.S. engagement around the world -- reaching out to a wider range of partners, in and beyond governments, to discuss and work together on shared challenges, concerns, and opportunities. To see this approach in action, you don't have to look further than Secretary Clinton's February 13 - 16 trip to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which I was privileged to join.
On the ground, Secretary Clinton's schedule was jam-packed. Even younger aides, accustomed to the Secretary's often grueling schedule, began dropping like flies after the sixteen… more »
About the Author: Matthew G. Fuller is a Foreign Service Officer working as Ambassador Roos' staff aide at U.S. Embassy Tokyo.
January 19, 2010 marked the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, and the United States Embassy in Tokyo has been deeply engaged in celebrating the U.S.-Japan Alliance and explaining its meaning and importance to the Japanese public. On the anniversary date of the signing, U.S. Ambassador to Japan, John Roos, published an op-ed piece in a leading Japanese newspaper and on Friday, January 29, he delivered… more »
About the Author: Anna Mussman serves in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' Youth Programs Division.
"Are women encouraged to join defense services?" asked a high school student from Brahmanbaria High School at a web chat hosted by Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale during her visit to Bangladesh on February 8. As students from schools throughout the country logged on to discuss issues with the Under Secretary, their questions ranged from the status of women in the United States, to co-ed versus women's only education, to whether women received equal pay with men, and how American women balanced career and family responsibilities.
"I think it is important for women to pursue a good education and be active in their communities and the political… more »
About the Author: William Millman is a retired Foreign Service Officer providing public affairs assistance in Vancouver.
In a country that's absolutely mad about hockey, there was nowhere better to be Tuesday afternoon than at Canada Hockey Place, and if you're an American, no better game to see than the very first 2010 Olympic Men's hockey game, and the first ever on a full NHL-size rink: U.S. - Switzerland.
Starting well over an hour before game time, thousands of fans from all over the world flowed down the hills of Vancouver to the waterfront and the white oblong dome of Hockey Place. There were U.S. flags galore, as well as red, white and blue top hats, miniature star spangled banners painted on faces of all ages, with more than a smattering of the familiar white cross Swiss flags as well.… more »
About the Author: Dereck Hogan serves in the Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (SRAP). He previously served on Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Uruzgan and Kunar, Afghanistan.
As Ambassador Holbrooke's Senior Advisor for Governance and Civilian-Military Coordination, I make it a point to travel frequently to Afghanistan to meet with senior Afghan and international officials in Kabul and the field to discuss the implementation of our sub-national governance assistance strategy. I just returned from a very productive and encouraging one-week trip in Afghanistan.
Key security and service delivery ministries are working on a plan with U.S. Embassy Kabul and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) headquarters to dramatically improve security, restore government… more »
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently visited U.S. Embassy staff and their families in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Here is an excerpt from the Secretary's remarks:
"The United States and Saudi Arabia have weathered many challenges over the years and we are going forward into the future together on behalf of promoting peace and prosperity and stability. And you are an important… more »
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently met with Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Here is an excerpt from the Secretary's remarks:
"The United States and Saudi Arabia have long shared a partnership. As the foreign minister said, it goes back 65 years this week to another meeting between our President and the Saudi King. It is a partnership… more »
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently participated in a "Townterview" event moderated by Al Jazeera in collaboration with the Qatar foundation and Carnegie Mellon University at Education City in Doha, Qatar. Secretary Clinton said:
"...Our relations with people around the world is much broader than any one issue, even an issue as important as the future of the Palestinian… more »
About the Author: John Dickson is currently serving on the ground in Port-au-Prince, Haiti as a Public Diplomacy Director for the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
On February 13, a month and a day after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah came back to Haiti for the third time to meet with President Preval and his team as well as UN officials and NGO representatives. Dr. Shah was joined by General Doug Fraser, Commander of U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), charged with overseeing the U.S. military support for the humanitarian assistance/disaster relief. Dr. Shah and General Fraser traveled to a cash-for-work site outside of Port au Prince and met with their own teams to assess what has been accomplished to date, the immediate challenges ahead and… more »
DipNote is the official blog of the U.S. Department of State —a place to share stories, discuss experiences, and inspire new ideas on the important foreign policy issues of the day. more »
Chile Earthquake
For information or inquiries about U.S. citizens in Chile, please call 1-888-407-4747. You may email: ChileEarthquake@state.gov.
I am a director of an new energy company in China, I want to know if can donate some mini solar panel for Haiti Children for teaching aid. If possible, please…
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I lived in the South West Pacific in 1965 for a year, Eniwetok, Marshall Islands 4 months, Nikinau, Gilbert Islands 5 months, American Samoa 3 months.…
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Assistant Secretary Crowley (Mar. 16): "Weâre going to show our commitment to the parties in the Middle East peace process. Thatâs what the American people expect us to do." Full Text» more »
Secretary Clinton (Mar 13): " is an example of what we call 21st century statecraft and an opportunity to extend our engagement ... directly to the people of the world." Media Note» more »
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U.S. calls on #Iran to immediately release Reza Taghavi, as well as 3 American hikers and all U.S. citizens who are being unjustly detained.
![Ambassador Roos delivers speech at Waseda University, Tokyo, Jan. 29, 2010. [AP Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_02_17_japan_ambassador_roos_m.jpg)
![Bangladeshi students attend primary school near Dhaka, March 18, 2009. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0217_bangladesh_student_m.jpg)
![U.S.-Switzerland face off in men's ice hockey at Vancouver 2010 Olympics, Feb. 16, 2010. [AP Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_02_17_vancouver_hockey_m.jpg)
![Afghan men look on as elder speaks during a shura, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, Dec. 21, 2009.[AP]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_02_17_afghan_subnational_government_m.jpg)
![The Great Seal at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia [State Department image]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0215_riyadh_seal_m.jpg)
![Secretary Clinton and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal in Riydah Feb. 15, 2010. [AP]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0215_al_faisal_m.jpg)
![U.S. Marines and Jordanian soldiers in Port-au-Prince, Haiti Feb. 14, 2010. [State Department photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0215_usaid_haiti_m.jpg)
