Tag Archives: terrorism

The Obama Administration’s Egypt Principles / U.S.-S. Korea Free Trade? / Going Fossil Fuel Free

Posted on by

The Obama administration says America’s founding principles are guiding its approach to the unrest in Egypt. The U.S. must work with Middle Eastern countries to spread democracy, a top U.S. diplomat says. The U.S. trade representatives calls for a free trade agreement with South Korea. Though al-Qaida has been weakened, terrorism remains the top threat to the U.S. Can the world be fossil fuel free by 2050?

Democracy in the Middle East
(mobile version)
The Obama administration says that its approach to the situation in Egypt is being guided by American founding principles and by its desire to see the unrest be resolved in a manner that respects the universal rights of the Egyptian people. “The Egyptian people are going to be the drivers of this process,” said President Obama’s Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes. “[W]e don’t see this as a situation where we dictate outcomes.” At right, Egyptians in Tahrir Square watch Obama’s remarks.

Spreading Democracy in the Middle East
(mobile version)
It’s more important than ever that the United States work with Middle Eastern countries to “democratize and open up political systems, economies and societies,” says Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg in testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

South Korean Trade Deal
(mobile version)
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk urges Congress to enact a free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea this spring. South Korea is the United States’ seventh largest trading partner and has the 15th largest economy in the world. The FTA is expected to boost bilateral trade by billions of dollars and help create tens of thousands of jobs in both countries.

Terrorism Still Top Threat to U.S.
(mobile version)
The top U.S. intelligence officer says terrorism remains the greatest threat to the nation, though the al-Qaida terrorist group has been weakened. “We’ve apprehended numerous dangerous actors throughout the world and weakened much of al-Qaida’s core capabilities, including its operations, training, and its propaganda,” says Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

Fossil Fuel Free by 2050
(mobile version)
The world has the technical know-how and financial capability to run entirely on renewable energy by the middle of this century, two California researchers say. Mark Jacobson of Stanford University and Mark Delucchi of the University of California–Davis say a large-scale transformation of the world’s energy systems to wind, solar, water, geothermal and other renewable sources would not cost substantially more than continued reliance on conventional power generation.

Counterterrorism Techniques / The U.S. Economy / Chinese-American Mayors

Posted on by

The United States is continually adapting its counterterrorism techniques to respond to evolving terrorist threats, says Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the U.S. economy continues to strengthen but that unemployment remains stubbornly high. What is more important for the environment and for humans in the long run: clean energy or trees? And there are approximately 40 Asian-Americans currently serving as mayors of U.S. cities.

Janet Napolitano speakingPreventing Terror Threats
(mobile version)
The United States is continually adapting its “counterterrorism techniques to effectively detect, deter and prevent terrorist acts,” says Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. “Working with our federal partners, law enforcement across the country, the private sector, and the American public, we are making great progress in addressing today’s evolving terrorist threats,” Napolitano, right, says.

Bernanke on Economic Recovery
(mobile version)
The U.S. economy continues to strengthen as greater consumer and business spending take hold, but unemployment remains stubbornly high, says Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. “Until we see a sustained period of stronger job creation, we cannot consider the recovery to be truly established,” Bernanke said during a February 9 House Budget Committee hearing.

Solar Panels Versus Trees
(mobile version)
What is more important for the environment and for humans in the long run: clean energy or trees? As the United States continues to develop renewable power sources and encourage homeowners to take advantage of solar and wind power tax credits, clean energy advocates increasingly run into opposition from environmentalists who fear for the trees that are often lost to allow better access to sun and wind.

Chinese-American Mayors
(mobile version)
The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies says approximately 40 Asian-Americans currently serve as mayors of U.S. cities, with San Francisco and Oakland the two largest. At right, San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee (left) and Oakland Mayor Jean Quan (right) join other prominent Chinese-American guests at a White House state dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao.

A Chorus of Condemnation / TechWomen in Africa, Mideast / In Haiti, the Rebuilding Continues

Posted on by

American Muslim groups join President Obama in condemning terror attacks in Egypt and Nigeria. Russian museum curators meet their American counterparts. Volunteering has never been easier, thanks to the Internet. Applications are being accepted for the TechWomen mentoring program. A year after devastation struck, the U.S.-Haiti partnership continues.

U.S. Muslims Condemn Attacks
(mobile version)
American Muslim groups join in denouncing the New Year’s terror attacks in Egypt and Nigeria as “barbaric” and “heinous” while offering prayers to the victims and their families. “The attacks in Egypt and Nigeria are unacceptable,” says Imam Mohamed Magid, president of the Islamic Society of North America, right.

Obama: Terrorists “Must be Brought to Justice”
(mobile version)
President Obama and other U.S. government officials condemn the deadly terrorist bombings. “The perpetrators of this attack were clearly targeting Christian worshipers, and have no respect for human life and dignity,” Obama says. ”They must be brought to justice.”

U.S., Russian Curators Find Common Ground
(mobile version)
Eight Russian museum curators and historic heritage site managers find they have a lot in common with their American colleagues during a three-week visit to the United States.

Work Locally, Help Globally
(mobile version)
The U.N. Volunteers program allows anyone with a computer to volunteer in any of 130 countries around the world without leaving home. Online volunteers completed 14,313 assignments in 2009, doubling the previous year’s record.

TechWomen
(mobile version)
Bringing the power of global business, technology and education together, the TechWomen Program will pair women in Silicon Valley with 38 of their counterparts in the Middle East and North Africa for a five-week professional mentorship program at leading technology companies beginning in the summer of 2011. Online applications must be submitted by February 1, 2011. For more information, visit the TechWomen Fact Sheet.

Photo Gallery: One Year After the Earthquake Shook Haiti
(mobile version)
One year after a 7.0 earthquake devastated Haiti, the United States continues its commitment to help the Haitian people build back better. The partnership has led to the construction of transitional shelters, the removal of rubble, and improvements in agriculture, sanitation, health care and infrastructure. At right, a young boy peeks in at his mother in their newly constructed transitional shelter in Carrefour, Haiti.

The NATO and U.S.-E.U. Summits / Fighting Cholera in Haiti / Persian Poetry in New York

Posted on by

President Obama heads to the NATO and U.S.-E.U. Summits in Lisbon, Portugal. Learn what the United States is doing to help Haiti battle a cholera outbreak. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton releases a study on religious freedom and discusses the importance of protecting Americans traveling overseas. According to a new report, Asian water supplies are at risk. A top U.S. terrorism official says cooperation among nations has been successful in fighting terrorism. A group of African journalists discuss professional issues. And, in New York City, a museum displays linkages between New York and the Spanish world, while a bar showcases Persian poetry.

Upcoming NATO and EU Summits
President Obama, right, will be attending the 2010 NATO and U.S.-European Union Summits in Lisbon on November 19th and 20th. The meetings are intended to demonstrate the central role of the United States’ relationship with Europe and the U.S.-European capability to meet global challenges.



An “Aggressive Campaign” Against Cholera
U.S. officials promise an “aggressive campaign” to help Haitian authorities fight the spread of cholera in their country through prevention techniques such as providing clean, chlorinated drinking water, oral rehydration therapy, education and additional funding to expand cholera treatment centers.

Religious Freedom and U.S. Foreign Policy
Promoting religious freedom is a core element of U.S. diplomacy, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says in releasing the 2010 Annual Report to Congress on International Religious Freedom.

Protecting Americans Overseas
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says it is important for the State Department and the American private sector to cooperate on protecting Americans who travel overseas.

Asian Water Supplies at Risk
A new report from the U.S. Agency for International Development outlines steps that can help mitigate the impacts of climate-change-induced glacier melt in the greater Himalayas area.

Nations Team Up Against Terror
Cooperation among nations fighting the global war on terror has been remarkable in the nine years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, says Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, the State Department’s top counterterrorism official.

African Journalists in the U.S.
African journalists visiting the United States as part of the fifth Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists have a lot to say about professional standards and freedom of the press as they finished their three-week stay in the United States.

Spanish Connections in NY
This fall, the exhibit “Nueva York (1613-1945),” a collaboration of El Museo Del Barrio and the New-York Historical Society, will document four centuries of cross-cultural influence and cooperation between Latin America and Spain and New York.

In NY, New Persian Poetry
Since beginning five years ago, the Persian Arts Festival in New York has grown to offer music, films and other visual arts as well as literary events. Its audience is “very diverse,” says founder Mona Kayhan, including many people with no personal connection to Iran or Persian culture. At right, Sholeh Wolpé reads aloud from her work at the festival. 

Protecting Americans Overseas / New Afghan Power Transfer Plan / An Interfaith Thanksgiving

Posted on by

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says it is important to protect Americans traveling overseas. A top U.S. terrorism official says cooperation among nation’s has been successful in fighting terrorism. At the upcoming NATO summit, a new Afghan power transfer plan will be announced. Through two different State Department programs, a group of Gaza entrepreneurs and a group of 100 young foreign legislators visit the U.S. Also, thousands of Libyans hoping to study in the U.S. attend an education fair in Tripoli. 19 artifacts illegally taken from King Tut’s tomb are returning to Egypt. And finally, a minister, a rabbi and an iman come together to celebrate an interfaith Thanksgiving.

Protecting Americans Overseas
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says it is important for the State Department and the American private sector to cooperate on protecting Americans who travel overseas. Speaking to security professionals in Washington, Clinton, right, says the Obama administration knows “how important it is not to withdraw from the world,” despite the risks that many private Americans must take when traveling.



Nations Team Up Against Terror
Cooperation among nations fighting the global war on terror has been remarkable in the nine years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, says Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, the State Department’s top counterterrorism official.

New Afghan Power Transfer Plan
The United States and its NATO partners are preparing to announce plans to transfer security control of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces to the Afghans by the end of 2014. U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder says that in addition to Afghanistan, another key issue of the upcoming summit will be the adoption of a new 21st-century Strategic Concept.

Gaza Entrepreneurs Visit U.S.
Ten Gaza entrepreneurs recently made a three-week tour of America through a program sponsored by the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, an International Visitor Leadership Program entitled “Entrepreneurship and Business Management.”

Future Foreign Leaders Visit
More than 100 young legislators and activists from 17 countries came to the United States this fall to learn about U.S. government, to see the U.S. midterm election, and to engage in learning sessions hosted by U.S. law makers.

In Libya, a U.S. Education Fair
Thousands of Libyans hoping to study in the United States attended the “2010 Study in the USA Education Fair” November 6–7 at Al-Fateh University in Tripoli.

Artifacts Go Back to Egypt
Artifacts illegally taken from the Egyptian boy-king Tutankhamun’s tomb are going home, as the Metropolitan Museum of Art will formally return 19 artifacts to Egypt. Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, hailed the return as “a wonderful gesture.”

An Interfaith Thanksgiving
Learning more about other religious faiths helps strengthen one’s own, say a minister, a rabbi and an imam. The three came together recently — as they have each year for the last five years — to celebrate a joint interfaith service of thanksgiving with at least 200 people from the three congregations. At right, Imam Abu Nahidian, Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer and Reverend David Gray.

Obama in Indonesia / A U.S.-Indonesian Partnership on Water / The Hispanic Vote in America

Posted on by

President Obama delivers remarks in Indonesia. The U.S. and Indonesia team up to improve water services. It takes international cooperation to go after sophisticated criminal syndicates. The U.S. sets conditions that could lead to Sudan’s removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. In Australia, ministers meet. And, finally, the Hispanic vote flexes its muscle in U.S. elections.

Obama Reaches Out to Muslim World
President Obama says that since becoming president he has worked to repair relations between the United States and Muslim communities around the world that have been frayed over many years by mistrust and suspicion. “We can choose to be defined by our differences, and give in to a future of suspicion and mistrust. Or we can choose to do the hard work of forging common ground, and commit ourselves to the steady pursuit of progress,” he says. Above, Obama talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta.

Obama Questions New Israeli Construction
President Obama says Israel’s plan to build 1,300 new apartments in East Jerusalem is not helping the ongoing peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Speaking in Jakarta, Obama says he had not yet had a full briefing concerning Israel’s intentions in the announcement of the new construction, but said “this kind of activity is never helpful.”

Obama’s Return to Indonesia
Barack Obama said it felt “wonderful” to return to Indonesia as President of the United States many years after he had lived in the country for four years as a boy. “The sights and the sounds and the memories all feel very familiar and it’s wonderful to be able to come back as president and hopefully contribute to further understanding between the United States and Indonesia,” Obama said November 9 in a press conference with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

A Water Partnership for Indonesia
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is continuing its partnership with Indonesian organizations to help 2 million people gain access to improved water supplies and 200,000 people gain access to adequate sanitation facilities. The effort builds on 66 months of programs across Indonesia through the USAID-funded Environmental Services Program.

Cooperation on Crime
The Obama administration is developing innovative global partnerships across the Pacific and Atlantic to fight increasingly sophisticated transnational criminal enterprises.

U.S. Makes Offer to Remove Sudan from Terror List
The United States has conditioned its willingness to accelerate the process of removing Sudan from the list of countries that sponsor terrorism provided that Sudan fully implements its obligations under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, including preparing and conducting a January 9, 2011 referendum in southern Sudan and respecting the referendum results.

U.S.-Australia Talks
Women’s empowerment and military cooperation topped the agenda as the defense and foreign ministers of Australia and the United States met in Melbourne. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called the session “a broad, far-reaching and extremely valuable set of consultations.”

The Hispanic Vote in America
The 2010 midterm elections in the United States demonstrated the growing importance of the Hispanic vote across party lines, according to election analysts. Hispanics generally favored Democratic candidates over Republicans, and some analysts credit them with keeping the Senate in Democratic hands. At right, Nevada Democrat Harry Reid greets Hispanic supporters at an October rally.

Obama in India / Clinton in Australia / Dengue Fever

Posted on by

President Obama says the United States will support India in its bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. He also addresses the flawed vote in Burma, trade, terrorism and relations between India and Pakistan, during his three-day visit to India. At the same time, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is in Australia as her trip to the Asia-Pacific region continues. There are few treatments for Dengue fever, but researchers from the United States and Indonesia are seeking ways to control the painful, sometimes deadly, disease.

U.S. Backs India Security Council Bid
President Obama says the United States would support India’s bid for a permanent seat on a reformed United Nations Security Council. Speaking to a joint session of the Indian parliament in New Delhi, Obama says the United States “not only welcomes India as a rising global power, we fervently support it, and we have worked to help make it a reality.”

Obama Condemns Burma Vote
President Obama says that Burma’s parliamentary elections on November 7 were neither free nor fair and failed to meet any internationally accepted standards. “The elections…demonstrated the regime’s continued preference for repression and restriction over inclusion and transparency,” Obama said in a statement.

Obama on India-Pakistan Relations
President Obama tells Indian college students that their country is taking “its rightful place” in the world and urges India to work toward a peace settlement with neighboring Pakistan. “I am absolutely convinced that the country that has the biggest stake in Pakistan’s success is India,” Obama, at right with students, says during a town hall meeting at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai.

India’s Resolve Against Terror
President Obama pays tribute to terror victims and the resilience of Indian society, during a visit to the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel buildings in Mumbai which were attacked by terrorists in 2008. Since the attacks, the governments of India and the United States have worked together more closely “sharing intelligence, preventing more attacks, and demanding that the perpetrators be brought to justice,” Obama says.

Obama Promotes U.S.-India Trade
President Obama says increased trade will be a “win-win proposition” for the United States and India and welcomed India’s rapid economic rise as “one of the most stunning achievements in human history.” He says trade ties are “a dynamic, two-way relationship that is creating jobs, growth, and higher living standards in both our countries.”

Clinton on U.S.-Australia Trade
Trade between the United States and Australia is vital to generating jobs, creating economic opportunities, and improving lives and livelihoods, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. “Done right, free trade and open markets are powerful tools to improve living standards far and wide,” Clinton says during a speech at the Port of Melbourne Education Center.

Enhancing U.S., Australia Ties
The United States and Australia pledge to strengthen military and defense cooperation as the two nations celebrate more than 70 years of close diplomatic relations. “Our relationship continues to be a strategic anchor of security and prosperity in this region and beyond, and our countries are working closely together,” Secretary Clinton says.

Controlling Dengue Fever
Indonesian and U.S. universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations are working together to control dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease that can be fatal. Dengue affects 50 million people annually worldwide, and drug treatment and vaccinations are currently not available. Right, investigators from Indonesia and the United States examine a well in Yogjakarta.

Haiti Braces for Tropical Storm / New U.S. Central Bank Initiative / Social Media, Social Change

Posted on by

The U.S. is helping Haiti prepare for tropical storm Tomas. The Federal Reserve announces an aggressive new economic plan while the U.S. Treasury announces new sanctions on terror groups. Americans celebrate their heritage in many ways; explore a photo gallery showing some of them. And finally, watch a video of students from America and Kosovo discussing the potential of social media for effecting social change.

Haiti Braces for Storm, With U.S. Help
U.S. civilian and military personnel are helping the Haitian government prepare its people for tropical storm Tomas which is bearing down on the island nation. Of special concern: More than one million Haitians who have lived in temporary shelters after being displaced from their homes by the January 13 earthquake. At right, a man holds a child in a refugee camp.


New Action by U.S. Central Bank
The Federal Reserve has stepped in to boost the sputtering U.S. economy with an aggressive plan to buy $600 billion in U.S. Treasury securities aimed at reducing interest rates and spurring employment. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, right, says the buying of Treasury securities has helped in the past and looks to be effective again.

New Sanctions for Terror Groups
The U.S. Treasury Department announces actions against the financial and support networks of two Pakistan-based terrorist groups, including sanctions to seize or freeze the assets of their key leaders. The two terrorist groups, Lashkar-e Tayyiba and Jaish-e Mohammed, “have proven both their willingness and ability to execute attacks against innocent civilians,” says Under Secretary Stuart Levey.

Americans Preserving Cultural Heritage
Americans preserve music, dance and other cultural expressions by living and celebrating them in communities both large and small. This photo gallery explores ways Americans celebrate their cultural heritages. It includes shots from a Vietnamese Cultural Center in Boston, Massachusetts; a steel drum performance in Houston, Texas; and a Scottish Heritage Festival and Celtic Gathering in West Virginia. The photo gallery is part of an eJournal called “A Living Legacy: Preserving Intangible Culture”

Student Dialogue: New Media and Social Change
In the below video, students from the United States and Kosovo meet in Washington, D.C. to discuss the role of new media tools, such as Facebook and Twitter, and their profound effects on social change. One woman says that the international view of Kosovo as a whole has changed because observers see that young people in Kosovo are up-to-date on movies, culture and global issues and are not “all about war.” Another woman discusses how social media “gives people a voice who didn’t have a voice before.” See what others had to say.

[video href = "http://www.america.gov/multimedia/video.html?videoId=653165684001"]

A Thwarted Bomb Plot / Room to Read / Election Day in the USA

Posted on by

President Obama praises the coordinated effort of security authorities from the United States and its allies in heading off attempted aircraft bombings. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks to the East Asia Summit. The Obama administration seeks renewed international cooperation to fight corruption. A young entrepreneur from Bangladesh has a growing agribusiness. Read about an organization that opens a new children’s library somewhere in the world every four hours. And, in the U.S., Americans go to the polls to choose national, and state, leaders. 

International Cooperation Helped Thwart Attack
The Obama administration credits the diligence and cooperation of security services from the United States and its partners overseas for identifying and neutralizing two bombs placed aboard cargo jets that were bound for the United States. President Obama, right, said the plot was a “credible terrorist threat” that counterterrorism professionals are very taking seriously.


Clinton Highlight East Asia Summit
The United States wants to help strengthen the East Asia Summit as a key forum for political and strategic issues in the Asia-Pacific region, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. “The conversations that take place here are of great consequence for every country in the Asia-Pacific region,” she says.

Snapshots of the Muslim World 
Derek Brown spent 14 months photographing people in 28 different countries including Pakistan, Senegal, Jordan and Turkey, to demonstrate the diversity of the Muslim world. His exhibit of photographs, “Imagining the Muslim World,” is on display through mid-November at Busboys & Poets in Washington D.C.

Bolder Action on Corruption
The Obama administration is pushing for bolder efforts to fight corruption, building on progress made last year by the international community. In 2009, state parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption agreed to establish a peer review mechanism of compliance with the convention.

Agribusiness in Bangladesh
Mazharul Anowar, a young entrepreneur from Bangladesh, is expanding his integrated food business. He was inspired by a recent trip to the U.S. through a State Department program which introduces foreign visitors to U.S. counterparts who give them advice on developing their careers in their home countries.

Making “Room to Read”
Room to Read began in 1998 and now operates in nine countries — India, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zambia and South Africa. On average, Room to Read opens a children’s library every four hours.

37 States to Choose Governors
No presidential contest will top U.S. ballots on November 2, but citizens in 37 states are choosing governors who will make key decision on everything from spending policies to appointing judges. In the U.S. system, states levy taxes, establish license fees, determine how state revenues are spent, regulate businesses and administer the systems of health and safety services that affect the daily lives of their citizens.

Volunteers and Election Day
Election Day in the United States is the culmination of months of hard work — a day when volunteers of all ages and backgrounds enjoy the excitement of democracy in action. Most political organizations rely heavily on unpaid volunteers to mount effective campaigns, and both parties actively recruit volunteers on national, state and local levels.

The United States is Still Open to Visitors

Posted on by

President Obama says there are increased security measures that many travelers to the United States may have to cope with following the attempted attack on an airliner bound for Detroit on Christmas.

“Just as al Qaeda and its allies are constantly evolving and adapting their efforts to strike us, we have to constantly adapt and evolve to defeat them, because as we saw on Christmas, the margin for error is slim and the consequences of failure can be catastrophic,” he said after meeting with his national security team January 5.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is mandating enhanced screening for all air passengers coming to the United States from the four countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism (Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria), and ten other “countries of interest” (Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen). The TSA says the “countries of interest” list is under constant review and may be modified as circumstances warrant.

But at the same time, the Obama administration is also reminding the world that the United States still welcomes visitors, the overwhelming majority of whom come as tourists, students or for work or business purposes. Travelers to United States are important not only for its tourism industry, but also to foster goodwill and mutual understanding.

At the State Department, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P.J. Crowley said the interaction between Americans and their guests is “actually part of the process by which ultimately we will defeat and mitigate political extremism.”

“We’re not closing our doors to the United States; far from it,” he said. “We’re going to make sure that the process by which people come here and travel here is as safe as it can be.”