Tag Archives: nuclear weapons

U.S., Mexico Unite Against Drugs / “Heavy” Team Aids after NZ Quake / 50 Years of the Peace Corps

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The U.S. and Mexico vow to work together to fight drug trafficking. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton calls for a new nuclear weapons treaty. The U.S. and international relief organizations are increasing their efforts to airlift those fleeing from the violence in Libya. The Los Angeles “heavy” team has flown to New Zealand to help after the earthquake. And, the Peace Corps turns 50.

U.S.-Mexico relations

U.S., Mexico Anti-Drug Efforts
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President Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon pledged to work more closely to thwart continuing illicit drug trafficking and its related violence. “As I’ve said before, President Calderon and the Mexican people have shown extraordinary courage in the fight for their country,” Obama said during a joint press conference at the White House.

A Nuclear Materials Treaty
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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton calls for the Conference on Disarmament to move ahead quickly on a proposed multilateral treaty that would ban the production of nuclear-weapons using fissile materials. “Our long-term goal, our vision, is a world without nuclear weapons,” says Clinton.

Airlifting Libyan Refugees
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President Obama announced that U.S. planes will fly Egyptian citizens home from Tunisia, where they fled to escape weeks of violence in Libya. Obama’s announcement came as an internationally-backed airlift began, with more than 50 flights carrying migrant workers home.

“Heavy” Team Aids after NZ Quake
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After the February 22 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, The U.S. Agency for International Development called the Los Angeles County Urban Search and Rescue “heavy” team. Within about 30 hours, the 74-member unit and all their equipment were flying across the Pacific. Explains Los Angeles Battalion Chief Larry Collins, “It’s heavy muscle coming in.”

Peace Corps Marks 50 Years
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On March 1, the Peace Corps celebrated 50 years of service. President John F. Kennedy created the Peace Corps as a challenge to American college students to give up two years of their lives to help people in countries in the developing world. Over five decades, more than 200,000 volunteers have served 139 host countries. At right, the community of Likpe Todome in the Volta region of Ghana with their Peace Corps volunteer, Leanne Polachek.

Iranian Talks / The U.S. at COP-16 / A U.N. Video Challenge

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The U.S. hopes that talks in Geneva start “a serious process” to address Iran’s nuclear activity. There’s a new place for cultural exchange in Indonesia. U.S. officials are in Mexico for the COP-16 climate meeting. In Africa, momentum is growing for business and investment. The U.N. is accepting video submissions about the biggest challenges facing the younger generation. And, we’ve got two reports on journalists from around the world visiting the U.S. under a State Department-backed program.

U.S. Hopes for Serious Talks With Iran
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The Obama administration hopes that meetings in Geneva between representatives of Iran and China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany, collectively known as the P5+1, mark the beginning of “a serious process” to address the global concerns over Iran’s nuclear activities. The talks will continue in late January 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey.

In Indonesia, @america
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In Indonesia, Under Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy Judith McHale recently attended the opening of the new U.S. cultural center — @america. The center aims to expand engagement between young Indonesians and young Americans through interactive games and live events. McHale described @america as “what we hope will be the first of a new generation of American cultural centers.”

U.S. Officials at COP-16
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With a record $90 billion in renewable energy investments under way, the United states is pushing hard to reduce its dependency on fossil fuel, Energy Secretary Steven Chu tells a gathering at the COP-16 climate change meeting in Cancún, Mexico.

Africa’s Business Momentum
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Business momentum is building across Africa and the rest of the world is starting to notice, says Murray B. Low, a professor at Columbia University’s Business School.

Voices of a New Generation U.N. Challenge
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Until December 14, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations is accepting videos and written submissions from young people around the world who respond to question: “What is the most vital challenge to international peace and security facing your generation? Tell the UN Security Council what issue you believe deserves more attention, and explain why it is important.” Selected submissions will be incorporated into the agenda of the Security Council event on December 21.

Asian Journalists Visit America
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A dozen journalists from South and Central Asia spent three weeks in the United States as part of the Edward R. Murrow Program. Krita Raut, left, a reporter at The Himalayan Times, says the experience was particularly valuable for her because the restoration of democracy and press freedom in Nepal are so recent that the media have had little chance to cover an election.



Democracy and the Free Press
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Thirteen working journalists from 11 Western Hemisphere nations also got a firsthand look at the important role a free press plays in a democratic society during their time in the United States as participants in the program.

Obama in Afghanistan / Clinton in Bahrain / Banjo Diplomacy

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President Obama makes a surprise visit to Afghanistan to deliver holiday greetings to the troops. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says Iran’s nuclear ambitions are a global concern. We’ve got two stories on trade: U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke says trade can no longer depend so heavily on consumers, and the U.S. and South Korea wrap up four days of trade talks. A presidential commission releases a controversial new plan on reducing the budget deficit. And finally, find out how the U.S. and Russia are strengthening their relationship, with banjos.

President Obama in Afghanistan
President Obama made a quick, unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Friday. He traveled there to meet with American officials, speak to Afghan president Hamid Karzai, and thank U.S. troops for their service. Above, Obama is greeted by NATO Commander in Afghanistan General David Petraeus, left, and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl W. Elkenberry, center, after stepping off Air Force One.

Iran’s Nuclear Threat
There is “no debate” in the international community over its shared concern that Iran may be developing nuclear weapons, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. Speaking with Bahraini Foreign Minister Khaled bin Ahmed Al Khalifa in Manama, Clinton says a nuclear armed Iran could destabilize the Middle East.

Easing World Trade Imbalances
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke says nations that have been overly reliant on exports to fuel economic growth will benefit by pursuing policies that will help boost their own consumer demand. “We can no longer depend so heavily on consumers in the United States, Europe and other developed countries to be engines of global economic growth,” says Locke.

U.S.-Korea Trade Talks Conclude
U.S. and South Korean trade negotiators wrapped up four days of trade talks on a bilateral free trade agreement. An announcement of the details is not expected before negotiators brief President Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

Cutting the U.S. Deficit
Warning Americans that “the moment of truth” had come, a presidential commission released a sweeping and controversial plan to reduce U.S. chronic budget deficits and slow the growth of the public debt by 2020. The proposal calls for drastic cuts in defense and other government spending, the elimination of popular tax breaks, and an increase in taxes most working Americans pay for social programs.

Building Bridges with Banjos
The banjo, a traditional American instrument, is helping strengthen relations between the American and Russian people. The California-based Deering Banjo Company recently chose Liza Karpacheva, a 15-year-old Russian orphan from Obninsk, Russia (sister city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee), to receive the Brian Friesen Banjo Award. Karpacheva, right, is the first non-American to receive this award.

Clinton in Central Asia / Elections in Cote d’Ivoire / Good News for Polar Bears

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In Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan has a new parliamentary democracy and Kazakhstan is emerging as a force. The U.S. says that the provisional results of Cote d’Ivoire’s election should stand. Iran has an opportunity to improve relations with the international community. The top U.S. negotiator calls for ratification of START. Entrepreneurs are needed to lead economic growth in Africa. And, finally, the U.S. is moving to protect the habitat of Alaskan polar bears.

Democracy in Kyrgyzstan
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Kyrgyzstan and praised the country’s new parliamentary democracy and the quality of recent national elections. “This is a country that has been through a great deal of change and upheaval … however, the elections show that the people of Kyrgyzstan want to resolve disputes peacefully through politics, not violence,” Clinton, at right with Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva, said.


An Emerging Kazakhstan
Hosting the first summit in 11 years of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe highlights Kazakhstan’s emergence as a force in Central Asia, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. “As the first former Soviet Republic to lead the OSCE as an independent nation, Kazakhstan has helped to focus attention on Central Asia’s challenges, as well as its many opportunities,” says Clinton.

Cote d’Ivoire Election Results
The provisional results of the second round of presidential elections in Cote d’Ivoire show opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara as the victor with 54.1 percent of the vote. These results are a “victory for the Ivorian people” and should stand, says U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs William Fitzgerald.

An Opportunity for Iran
U.S. officials are welcoming Iran’s agreement to hold talks about its nuclear program December 6-7, and say there is still room for Iran to build confidence with the international community. In Kazakhstan, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the meetings offer Iran “an opportunity … to come to the table and discuss the matters that are of concern to the international community,” principally its nuclear program.

A Call for START Ratification
In an op-ed published in the December 1 edition of The Hill, Rose Gottemoeller, assistant secretary of state for arms control, verification and compliance and chief U.S. negotiator of the New START Treaty, calls on the Senate to ratify the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty so the United States can “get back to work with Russia.”

Economic Growth in Africa
As Africa takes its place on the world business stage, entrepreneurs must be ready to play leading roles. Murray Low, director of the Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center at the Columbia University Business School, says Africa has “huge business opportunities” and as such, “people are now figuring out how to tap those opportunities.”

Good News For Polar Bears
The U.S. government has designated an area larger than the state of California as “critical” polar bear habitat, a move aimed at protecting the threatened  animals from impacts of climate change. The rapid increase in man-made greenhouse gas emissions has accelerated the melting of sea ice, on which polar bears depend to mate, hunt for food, and raise their cubs.

Biden on Iraq / African Stocks / Modifying Crops

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In an op-ed, Vice President Joe Biden discusses what America must do for Iraq. North Korea issues provocative claims about its nuclear program. Visiting Arab journalists share their impressions of America. Africa is getting increased attention at the stock exchanges. And finally, advances in modified crops could help avert a global food crisis.

Biden on Iraq
In an op-ed by Vice President Joe Biden in The New York Times, he discusses “what we must do for Iraq now.” Biden, right, says, “The United States must also continue to do its part to reinforce Iraq’s progress. That is why we are not disengaging from Iraq — rather, the nature of our engagement is changing from a military to a civilian lead.”

North Korea’s Nuclear Claims
North Korea’s claims that it has centrifuges for the production of enriched uranium reinforce longstanding international concerns over its nuclear activities, U.S. officials say. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs says North Korea needs to “be serious about living up to their obligations” to the international community.

Arab Journalists Visit U.S.
150 emerging media leaders from around the world recently traveled to the United States through the State Department’s Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists. The journalists visited grass-roots programs, educational institutions, radio and television stations and newspapers.

African Stocks Heat Up
The NYSE Euronext – the home of the New York Stock Exchange – has seen a threefold increase in the trading of African stocks on its exchanges over the past five years.

The Need for Modified Crops
Advances in genetically modified crops could help avert a food crisis of massive proportions, agriculture experts say. Between now and 2050, food production must increase 70 percent to feed a rapidly growing population. This will require a dramatic overhaul of farming practices along with a new generation of superefficient and “climate-ready” crops. At right, farmers planting rice in the Philippines.

Obama in South Korea / Sharing Power in Iraq / Trying to Explain Iran

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President Obama discusses new G20 regulations and urges North Korea to get serious about nuclear disarmament. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton applauds a new Iraq power-sharing deal. In China, clean energy policies are a priority. A new food security fund aims to reduce global poverty. Pakistani Peace Builders help with flood relief. And finally, meet Hooman Majd, an Iranian-American author whose goal is to explain the sometimes baffling Iranian landscape.

G20 Agrees on Regulations, Trade
The Group of 20 major economies agrees to implement tighter financial controls to prevent another global financial crisis and to achieve more sustainable and balanced economic growth. “For the first time, we spelled out the actions that are required … to achieve the sustained and balanced growth that we need,” says President Obama, right.



Obama to N. Korea: Get Serious
North Korea must show “a seriousness of purpose” before nuclear disarmament talks can resume, President Obama says. “We’re not interested in just going through the motions with the same result.” 

In Iraq, New Power Sharing
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praises Iraq’s new power-sharing agreement, which was struck by rival factions after eight months of negotiations. “Iraq’s political leaders have worked together to agree on an inclusive government that represents the will of the Iraqi people,” says Clinton

Toward A Greener China
China will aggressively pursue clean energy policies for the foreseeable future, driven mostly by the desire to reduce its dependence on overseas energy supplies, according to U.S. experts.

A New Food Security Fund
Partners in the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program is a new fund set up to increase agriculture productivity and reduce poverty. Ethiopia, Niger and Mongolia will receive the fund’s second round of grants totaling $97 million. The fund is supported by the United States, Canada, South Korea, Spain, Australia and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Pakistani Peace Builders
Pakistani Peace Builders (PPB), an independent cultural diplomacy campaign launched in May, aims to counteract American stereotypes and misperceptions of Pakistanis. Following the devastating floods that struck Pakistan in late July, PPB added a humanitarian angle to its cultural mission and cofounded Relief4Pakistan to mobilize flood relief funds.

Explaining Iran
Hooman Majd, an Iranian-American author, has spent years writing about the complicated relationship between the United States and an Iranian political, social and religious landscape that outsiders find baffling. In his latest book, The Ayatollahs’ Democracy, Majd, right, interviews Iranian figures of all stripes to explain a pivotal and dramatic moment in modern Iranian history, the highly contested 2009 election in which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner.

A Busy Day in Brussels || An Environmental Success Story || A “Paradigm Shift” in Health Care

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Busy in Brussels, Secretary Clinton discusses NATO and Pakistan. There’s hope ahead of a crucial vote in Sudan. A new initiative is spurring interfaith action to improve Muslim countries. China and the U.S. are partnering on air quality. Counterfeit drugs are a pandemic. And finally, experts call for a “paradigm shift” in health care in Africa.


NATO’s 21st Century Threats
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates urges members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to focus on 21st century threats such as terrorism, cyber attacks and ballistic missiles. “Relying on the strategies of the past simply will not suffice” says Clinton, right with Gates. The two also express support for the alliance’s proposed Strategic Concept.


Taxing Pakistan’s Wealthy
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urges Pakistan to collect taxes on its wealthier citizens in order to help pay for the country’s recovery from flooding that could ultimately cost tens of billions of dollars.

The Timeline in Sudan
Following a week-long visit to southern Sudan, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice reports that the Sudanese people remain hopeful ahead of a January 9, 2011 referendum on the region’s independence.

“Partners for a New Beginning”
Partners for a New Beginning (PNB), an initiative joining American private sector and civil society leaders to strengthen opportunities in Muslim countries, adds further support to President Obama’s vision of “a new beginning” for the United States and Muslim communities across the globe.

A U.S.-China Success Story
AirNow International, a joint U.S.-China air quality program, is cited as a bilateral success by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson during a visit to the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.

The Danger of Counterfeit Drugs
The key to fighting a global “pandemic” of counterfeit drugs is building partnerships among drug companies, pharmaceutical trade groups, law enforcement and customs officials worldwide, experts say. Rubie Mages, a security official with U.S. drug manufacturer Pfizer, says pharmaceutical companies must “monitor the supply chain” and report counterfeit drugs to authorities.

Changing Health Care in Africa
Experts say a “paradigm shift” is needed in health care in Africa to include greater focus on the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and not just infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS. Silver Bahendeka, chair of the International Diabetes Association’s Africa region, predicts that “Africa will have the highest percentage of increase in the number of people with diabetes over the next 20 years.” Left, Archbishop Desmond Tutu is examined for diabetes in South Africa.

Nations Make Nuclear Security Agreements at President's Summit

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Representatives from 46 countries attended President Obama’s Nuclear Security Summit April 12-13 in Washington, D.C.

“We have the opportunity, as individual nations, to take specific and concrete actions to secure the nuclear materials in our countries and to prevent illicit trafficking and smuggling,” Obama said.

The goal of the talks between the nations was to prevent nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists. Media reported it as the largest gathering of world leaders called by an American president since President Franklin Roosevelt hosted a 1945 meeting that began the United Nations.

For Obama, the summit followed his April 8 nuclear nonproliferation treaty with Russia, where both countries have agreed to decrease nuclear arms by 30 percent.

Among those in attendance were Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chinese Jordanian President Hu Jintao, King Abdullah, Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamed Najib Abdul Razak and Armenian President Serzh Sargsian.

The White House reported that several nations have come to agreements that include:

Chile has shipped its highly enriched uranium to the United States; Ukraine has agreed to ship its highly enriched uranium out of the country within two years; and Canada has agreed to ship its used highly enriched uranium to the United States.

And the United States and Russia have both agreed to eliminate enough plutonium for approximately 17,000 nuclear weapons.

South Korea has agreed to host the next Nuclear Security Summit in 2012.

White House Will Host 47 Nations in Nuke Talks

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The White House will host world leaders representing 47 countries at the Nuclear Security Summit April 12-13.

“The pursuit of peace and calm and cooperation among nations is the work of both leaders and peoples in the 21st century,” Obama said in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday.

Next week, world leaders will discuss the prevention of the spread of nuclear weapons, preventing the trafficking of these weapons on the black market and keeping them out of the hands of terrorist organizations.

The Washington, D.C., summit follows President Barack Obama’s signing of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty with Russia.

Under the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), the United States has agreed with Russia to begin decreasing nuclear arms by 30 percent. But the president said this was not enough.

“This is a well-crafted treaty that meets the interests of both countries; that meets the interests of the world in the United States and Russia reducing its nuclear arsenals and setting the stage for potentially further reductions in the future,” Obama said.

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Obama and Medvedev sign the START nuclear nonproliferation treaty April 8. World leaders will gather in Washington April 12-13 to discuss nonproliferation among 47 nations.

Obama, Medvedev Sign Nonproliferation Treaty

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The two largest nuclear powers in the world – the United States and Russia – have signed a treaty to decrease nuclear arms by 30 percent.

President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the treaty in Prague, Czech Republic April 8.

“This day demonstrates the determination of the United States and Russia,” Obama said, “the two nations that hold over 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons — to pursue responsible global leadership.”

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Medvedev toasts Obama after signing the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.

According to the White House, decreasing U.S. nuclear warheads by 30 percent includes ballistic missiles, submarine missiles and bombers.

The treaty states that Russia and the United States will also be permitted to monitor each other’s adherence to the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) through inspections and other forms of transparency.

But the United States also issued a statement allowing for the continued development and deployment of its missile-defense systems for national security.

The treaty must also be reviewed and approved by the U.S. Senate to take effect.

“But nuclear weapons are not simply an issue for the United States and Russia,” Obama said. “A nuclear weapon in the hands of a terrorist is a danger to people everywhere … Next week, 47 nations will come together in Washington to discuss concrete steps that can be taken to secure all vulnerable nuclear materials around the world in four years.”