Tag Archives: START

The Future of Egypt / U.S., China Work Toward Nuclear Security / Black History Month

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The White House says only Egyptians can shape their country’s future. An arms control scholar discusses the newly enacted START treaty. The U.S. and China are working together on nuclear security. President Obama congratulates the people of South Sudan. February is black history month in the United States.


Egypt Must Shape its Own Future
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The White House continues to champion self-determination for the Egyptian people and to condemn the use of violence to achieve political ends. “Who leads Egypt…is a determination that can only be made by the Egyptians,” says White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

START: A Treaty that “Makes Sense”
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The START nuclear arms reduction treaty signed recently by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is a win for both countries, a Washington arms control scholar says. Tom Collina, research director of the Washington-based Arms Control Association, says the treaty “benefits both sides” and “makes sense from every perspective.”

A Pledge on Nuclear Security
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The United States and China pledge to cooperate on combating nuclear proliferation and to establish a Center of Excellence on Nuclear Security in China. The collaboration will facilitate exchange of information and best practices, creation of training courses and technical collaboration to improve nuclear security throughout Asia.

Recognizing South Sudan
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The Obama administration says it intends to recognize the new, independent south Sudanese state in July and it is beginning the process of withdrawing Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. “After decades of conflict, the images of millions of southern Sudanese voters deciding their own future was an inspiration to the world and another step forward in Africa’s long journey toward justice and democracy,” President Obama says.

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, Carter G. Woodson, founder of Black History Month.

Obama at the Chamber of Commerce / Solar Panels Versus Trees / Remembering Reagan

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President Obama calls for U.S. businesses to help boost competitiveness. The U.S. and Russia sign the START nuclear arms reduction treaty. Is it a good idea to chop down trees to accommodate a solar energy system? Some of U.S. President Reagan’s accomplishments outlived him.

Obama on Competitiveness
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President Obama says U.S. businesses, working together with the government, can make the economy more competitive. In a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Obama calls on U.S. companies to help make the United States “the best place on earth to do business.”  Left, Obama is greeted by U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue.


Egypt Is “Not Going Back”
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President Obama says after nearly two weeks of political unrest in Egypt, the country “is not going to go back to what it was….The Egyptian people want freedom. They want free and fair elections. They want a representative government. They want a responsive government,” Obama says during a Fox News interview.

New START for U.S., Russia
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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov exchange diplomatic documents in Munich, concluding a two-year effort to reduce nuclear arsenals to their lowest levels in more than 50 years. Clinton, right, and Lavrov, left, sign instruments of ratification to implement the New START treaty which reduces the number of nuclear warheads to 1,550 for each nation from 2,200 warheads.

Solar Panels Versus Trees
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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.

Reagan’s Enduring Legacy
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February 6 was the 100th anniversary of the birth of U.S. President Ronald Reagan, whose policies brought about the end of the Cold War and new freedom in Europe. Among his accomplishments, President Reagan advanced three key principles that remain fundamental to security relationships in Europe: “trust, but verify”; no artificial divisions into “blocs” or “spheres of influence”; and “mutual assured destruction” is not an acceptable nuclear deterrence policy.

The U.S.-Polish Alliance / Elections in Côte d’Ivoire / Soccer in Cyprus

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President Obama and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski reaffirmed their commitment to the U.S.-Polish alliance. Alassane Ouattara has legitimately been elected president of Côte d’Ivoire and needs to be respected, says Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice. The U.S. urges calm after controversial elections in Haiti. China has a critical role to play in reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. is working with other nations to confront piracy off the coast of Somalia. Learn about the Iran Primer and the International Writing Program. And, finally, American soccer stars visit Cyprus.

The U.S.-Polish Alliance
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President Obama and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski meet in the Oval Office and reaffirm their commitment to expanding defense cooperation, supporting greater economic links and promoting democracy in Europe and globally. Additionally, they call for U.S. and Russian ratification of the New START arms reduction treaty, which Komorowski, left, says is “the investment in the better and safer future.”


The Vote in Côte d’Ivoire
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U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice says a communiqué from the Economic Community of West African States backs Côte d’Ivoire’s Independent Electoral Commission’s declaration that Alassane Ouattara is the country’s legitimately elected president. Ouattara “has been elected,” she says, and “he needs to be respected.”

U.S. Urges Calm After Haiti Vote
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The Obama administration calls for calm in Haiti as irregularities and complaints stemming from the country’s November 28 presidential election are reviewed. State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley says the United States and others in the international community “stand ready to support efforts to thoroughly review irregularities so that the final electoral results are consistent with the will of the Haitian people.”

U.S., China to Meet on North Korea
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Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg is leading a high-level team of officials to Beijing for talks with senior Chinese officials about Northeast Asian security and recent hostile acts by North Korea. “China has a critical role to play” in reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, says Steinberg.

Confronting Somali Pirates
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The United States is working with more than 60 nations and international organizations to confront piracy off the coast of Somalia, a problem that has threatened the development, peace, security and stability of eastern Africa.

The Iran Primer
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Journalist Robin Wright asked more than 50 experts from government, universities and think tanks, from the United States and the Middle East, to help her educate Americans about modern Iran. The resulting chapters became the Iran Primer.

When Writing Meets Dance
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An international group of writers had their words interpreted by the CityDance Ensemble of Washington as part of the International Writing Program (IWP) at the University of Iowa. “We represent a united nations of writers,” says Christopher Merrill, director of the IWP, “and we are always looking for connections among readers, writers, audiences, and translators.”

American Soccer Stars in Cyprus
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Through the U.S. Department of State’s Sports Envoy program, former U.S. men’s national players Tony Sanneh and Sasha Victorine led soccer clinics for Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot youths during a coaching trip to Cyprus. “Soccer is one of the universal languages that allow us to communicate with people from all over the world,” says Sanneh. At right, Victorine high-fives young players.

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.