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Sean McCormack: Away From the Podium
Posted by: Sean McCormack
More on Secretary Rice's Travel to the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific
Behind the Scenes: Secretary Rice Attending ASEAN Meeting in Singapore
About the Author:…
Behind the Scenes: Secretary Rice Attending ASEAN Meeting in Singapore
Posted by: Sean McCormack
More on Secretary Rice's Travel to the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific
Sean McCormack: Away From the Podium
About the Author: Sean McCormack serves as Department Spokesman and Assistant Secretary…
…On Race in America and Promoting Democracy Around the Globe
Posted by: Sean McCormack
Sean McCormack serves as the Department Spokesman and Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
I wanted to share with you an excerpt from Secretary Rice's interview yesterday with the Washington Times. I believe it is instructive to consider her responses to questions about race in America in the context of our administration's commitment to promote democracy around the globe. While I read…
In Response to “Question of the Week” Regarding Engaging Hamas
Posted by: Sean McCormack
Should the U.S. Engage Hamas in the Peace Process Between the Israelis and Palestinians?
Apparently, our question of the week has caught the eye of some in the mainstream media. Take a look at today’s daily briefing transcript, in which one of our regular mainstream media briefing…
AFSA Survey Falls Short
Posted by: Sean McCormack
Sean McCormack is the Spokesman for the U.S. Department of State
Tom Shannon and Richard Boucher both posted on stories yesterday referencing a "
Iran: To Engage or Not To Engage… That is Not the Question
Posted by: Sean McCormack
One way the mainstream media breaks down coverage of Iran policy is to place people (both inside and outside government) into two neat categories – those who want to engage Iran and those who want to isolate Iran. Admittedly, there are other ways to create camps on the Iran issue – use of force vs. diplomacy, for example – but the engage vs. isolation dichotomy is the one I most often read about those at State purportedly chomping at the bit to negotiate with an Iranian, any Iranian. Let me offer another way to look…
How To Convince Nations With Influence Over Burmese Junta To Halt Violence?
Posted by: Sean McCormack
Last week, the military junta that has ruled Burma as a dictatorship for decades brutally suppressed demonstrations by Buddhist monks, democracy activists, and ordinary citizens calling for greater freedom in that country. Although the bloody crackdown was universally condemned by the international community, the United Nations Security Council has failed to pass resolutions that either condemn the violence or take binding punitive action against the regime.
Many countries that could have influence in Burma have sought…
Upcoming Blackwater Announcement
Posted by: Sean McCormack
Look tomorrow (9/28) for an announcement naming experts outside of the State Department who will be part of the Washington-based review on personal security contractor operations in Iraq that was announced last week. Secretary Rice decided today, after a meeting with several senior advisors, on the structure of the review. Pat Kennedy will lead a small team to Iraq early next week to begin establishing a baseline set of facts about these contractor operations and provide Secretary Rice with an interim report no liater than next Friday.…
Blackwater Investigation Update
Posted by: Sean McCormack
I woke up this morning in New York to new headlines about the conduct of U.S. government security contractor Blackwater and the multiple investigations and reviews underway concerning their work in Iraq for the State Department. For those who have not followed the story closely, the recent round of stories dates to a September 16th incident in which a number of Iraqis, apparently including some innocent bystanders, died after a firefight involving Blackwater contractors in Baghdad while protecting U.S. employees working outside the…
Welcome to Dipnote
Posted by: Sean McCormack
Welcome to the State Department's first-ever blog, Dipnote. As a communicator for the Department, I have the opportunity to do my fair share of talking on a daily basis. With the launch of Dipnote, we are hoping to start a dialogue with the public. More than ever, world events affect our daily lives--what we see and hear, what we do, and how we work. I hope Dipnote will provide you with a window into the work of the people responsible for our foreign policy, and will give you a chance to be active participants in a community focused…