Tag Archives: START treaty

Clinton on Violence in Egypt / Clinton in Security Talks / Black History Month

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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton calls for both sides to move toward a peaceful transition of power in Egypt. Next, Clinton is heading to Munich for international security talks. An intellectual property lawyer talks about how counterfeiting is stealing. And February is Black History Month.

Clinton Calls for Talks in Egypt
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The Obama administration condemns continued violence in Egypt and government officials and opposition groups to immediately come together in serious negotiations for a credible political transition. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, right, said that attacks on reporters are, “a violation of international norms that guarantee freedom of the press” and “unacceptable under any circumstances.”

Security Talks in Munich
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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will meet with more than 350 top-level decision makers from across the globe at the 47th Munich Security Conference February 4-6. Clinton, above, is expected to make a major speech on security issues and Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will exchange instruments of ratification for the New START Treaty.

Intellectual Property Rights
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Zayd Alathari, an attorney who practices intellectual property rights law in Washington, D.C., says the ramifications of buying illegally manufactured goods are vast. “Counterfeiting is stealing,” says Alathari.

Black History Month
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Each February, Black History Month honors the struggles and triumphs of millions of American citizens and their contributions to the nation’s cultural and political life. February was chosen because it includes the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and the abolitionist Frederick Douglass. At right, a man and his son see the bus in which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in 1955, a landmark moment in the civil rights movement.

START Treaty Ratified / The Smart Grid / Gifts That Give Back

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The Senate ratifies the U.S.-Russia START strategic nuclear arms pact. The U.N. General Assembly adopts an amendment supporting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights. The United States is working with Pakistan to help it recover from devastating floods, working with Russia on smart grid technology, and working with some of Côte d’Ivoire’s neighbors to investigate how to reinforce the U.N. peacekeeping force in the country during the ongoing political crisis. Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants are spending a year in America. And finally, this holiday season, give a gift that gives back.


START Ratified by U.S. Senate
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The U.S. Senate ratified the New START arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia that will reduce each nation’s nuclear arsenals to their lowest levels in more than a half century. The Senate gave its approval by a vote of 71 to 26 on December 22. The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was signed by President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on April 8 in Prague. 

U.N. Includes LGBT Rights
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The Obama administration welcomed the U.N. General Assembly’s adoption of a U.S.-sponsored amendment that restores gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in its broad condemnation of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. “Killing people because they are gay is not culturally defensible – it is criminal,” says White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

A U.S.-Pakistan Partnership
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The United States and Pakistan are working together on several new projects to help rebuild and improve agriculture, health, transportation and other services in Pakistan as that country continues to recover from devastating floods.

U.S. and Russia Talk Smart Grid
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Making energy use more efficient, reliable, affordable, secure, and more consumer-driven through smart grid technology was the topic of a series of recent meetings between Russian and American energy experts in Washington, D.C. and in Texas, made possible by the Energy Working Group of the U.S.–Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission.

U.N. Force in Côte d’Ivoire
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The United States is in discussions with some of Côte d’Ivoire’s neighbors to investigate how to reinforce the U.N. peacekeeping force in the country and ensure that it is capable of maintaining peace and security as its political crisis continues. Along with refusing to hand over power after his election defeat, Laurent Gbagbo has demanded that the 9,000-member U.N. peacekeeping force withdraw. The U.N. Security Council unanimously passed a resolution to extend the force’s mandate until June 30, 2011.

Fulbright Language Teachers
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More than 400 Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants from 49 countries are spending a year in the United States, to not only hone their knowledge of the English language and American life, but also to encourage American students to study foreign languages and culture.

Photo Gallery: Gifts that Give Back
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During the holiday season, many people want to give gifts that have a greater meaning. It’s easier than ever to make a purchase that can help provide income to artisans in developing countries, support donations of food or medicine to the needy, aid victims of war or abuse, or support environmental efforts. Explore this photo gallery of “gifts that give back.” At right, a “Path to Peace” basket created by Rwandan women.