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 »
About the Author: Michelle Cook serves at the U.S. Consulate in Calgary. She is currently providing public affairs assistance in Vancouver.
After a stop today at Whistler Olympic Park to watch the men's ski jumping competition, Vice President Biden spent the day in Whistler Village experiencing the alpine resort's laid-back Olympic vibe.
The Vice President was accompanied on his Whistler tour by U.S. Ambassador to Canada Jacobson and Mrs. Jacobson as well as former U.S. Olympians Peggy Fleming, Mike Eruzione and Vonetta Flowers.
Under overcast skies, the Vice President and his family strolled through Whistler Village alongside a vibrant parade of skiers and snowboarders sporting an array of colorful toques. While Whistler's famed slopes remained largely hidden behind clouds, the outdoor… more »
Earlier today, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton offered remarks after meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani and discussing a broad range of issues. Secretary Clinton said:
"There are many reasons for my visit here to Qatar. We have a broad range of issues to discuss. Certainly, we talked in depth about Iran. The Emir has a lot of very well-developed… more »
About the Author: William Millman is a retired Foreign Service Officer providing public affairs assistance for the Olympic Games.
Vice President Biden arrived today in Vancouver under blustery grey skies, with the excitement and electricity of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games reflected in proud smiles and widespread optimism throughout the city.
The Vice President and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, were greeted as they stepped off Air Force Two by Ambassador David Jacobson, his wife Julie, and CG Phil Chicola. Pool reporters from NBC and AP covered the arrival.
As their lengthy motorcade wound its way into the city, Canada jackets, sweatshirts, hats and gloves were the fashion of the day on the streets and sidewalks, with some apartment buildings displaying nearly as many maple leaf flags… more »
About the Author: Robert E. Patterson serves as Counselor for Somalia Affairs at the Somalia Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.
Those of us involved with Somalia are, unfortunately, used to daily reports of violence and tragedy in that long-suffering country. However, the December 3, 2009, suicide bombing at a graduation ceremony for Mogadishu's Banadir University stood out. On that day, we witnessed a grisly suicide bombing at a graduation ceremony for the future medical doctors of Somalia, a nation desperately short of medical professionals. Several graduating medical students were killed, as well as three ministers of the Transitional Federal Government, all of whom were serving in critical social services ministries. A fourth minister remains in critical condition at a Saudi Arabian hospital. Other… more »
About the Author: Benjamin Sand serves as the Vice Consul at U.S. Embassy Beijing.
The U.S. Embassy in Beijing went slightly off the beaten path this week to help launch DS-160, the State Department's new on-line visa application form, which will help save around three million pieces of paper in China this year. Following brief introductory comments from embassy staff, actors from one of China's top Peking opera companies performed a promotional skit for several dozen Chinese reporters. Musicians playing traditional Chinese gongs, cymbals, drums and lutes accompanied a song and dance routine touting the new visa form's speed, clarity and environmental friendliness.
The opera featured the traditional Chinese figure the Monkey King, who was renowned for speed, efficiency, wisdom and the ability to… more »
On February 12, the one-month anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Haitian Agriculture Minister Jonas Gue will convene a high-level international meeting at the UN World Food Programme headquarters. The meeting will address Haiti's medium and long-term agricultural development, food security and nutrition. This event is part of broad international mobilization to support the country's reconstruction.
Jacques Diouf, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), and Kanayo Nwanze, President of the International Fund… more »
About the Author: Rachel Graciano serves as a Consular Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver. She is the onsite Consular Officer in Whistler, British Columbia during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Wednesday, February 3rd 2010, was a bit like going to Summer Camp. Okay, that's probably not a comparison one should make when talking about "serious and real work,” but it's true. Excitement was in the air and adventure was around the turn of the road. The “Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Whistler Team” all met at a central location in Vancouver with suitcases and snow gear. There were introductions and hand-shaking all around. The typical introduction included name, where you came from and what your role during the Olympics was going to be. For example: “Hi, my name is Rachel… 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.
Assistant Secretary Crowley (Mar. 15): " We are determined as are Mexican authorities to get to the bottom of this particular tragedy, but also do everything we can to restore the rule of law in Mexico." 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. welcomes decision of govts of Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania & Niger to meet Mar. 16 to confront terrorism.
![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)
![U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden in Vancouver, British Columbia February 14, 2010. [AP photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0214_biden_m.jpg)
![Secretary Clinton Meets With Qatari Foreign Minister in Doha, Qatar February 14, 2010. [AP photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0214_hrc_qatar_fm_m.jpg)
![Secretary Clinton boards a flight on April 1, 2009. [State Department photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0213_clinton_m.jpg)
![U.S. Vice President Joe Biden with U.S. Olympic team at 2010 Winter Olympics Feb. 12, 2010. [AP]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0212_biden_m.jpg)
![Students attend classes at Banadir University, Mogadishu, Somalia, Dec. 12, 2009. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0212_banadir_university_m.jpg)
![Consul General Donahue shows performers how to use new online visa form, Feb. 2010. [Embassy Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0212_online_visa_beijing_m.jpg)
![A woman sprinkles water on the ground in Leogane, Haiti, Feb. 11, 2010. [AP Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0211_woman_water_haiti_m.jpg)
![Skiers practice during cross-country training session, Vancouver, Feb. 11, 2010. [AP Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0211_skiers_vancouver_m.jpg)
