Secretary Of State U S

The stormy confrontation is legendary in Washington. At a crisis session in the windowless White House Situation Room, Gen. Colin L. Powell argued vehemently against U.S. military intervention to end the siege of Sarajevo. "None of the available options is guaranteed to change Serb behavior," he warned. "And what's the political objective? What's the exit strategy?"

Veteran Mideast peace negotiator Dennis B. Ross, who was widely expected to be named special envoy to Iran, has been given a less ambitious mission as the Obama administration continues to weigh how best to deal with the Islamic Republic. President Obama named prominent negotiators to represent the administration in the Middle East and South Asia, and Ross was expected to be given a corresponding assignment for Iran.

A few weeks ago, as Secretary of State James A. Baker III was regaling a rapt breakfast table of congressmen with tales from his latest visit to Moscow, a pair of Democrats broke in to complain about the Administration's foreign aid programs. If the Cold War was over, they asked, why hadn't the budget changed? Why wasn't there more money for the new democracies in Eastern Europe and poor countries in Latin America and Africa? Baker's hazel eyes narrowed. His honeyed voice went cold.

The Senate overwhelmingly approved the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton as President Obama's secretary of State on Wednesday, after a one-day delay forced by Republicans who wanted to continue debating her husband's overseas fundraising activities. The delay had the effect of denying Clinton a confirmation vote on Inauguration Day, when six other Cabinet members were approved. But Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who sought the delay, praised Clinton's abilities Wednesday and voted in favor.

On his first official workday, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell was treated to a rousing surprise welcome from staffers who packed the flag-draped State Department lobby. "This is so marvelous I think we ought to do it again tomorrow," he teased, to peals of laughter. But by week's end, Powell had served up his own set of surprises--to both U.S. diplomats and foreign governments--that suggests just how different the new Bush administration's foreign policy will be in both style and substance.

Retired Gen. Colin L. Powell said on Sunday the Republican Party has failed to adequately represent America's blacks, but he would consider serving as secretary of State under Republican George W. Bush if the Texas governor wins the presidency. Powell, a prominent black Republican whose popularity during the Persian Gulf War led to calls for him to step up as a presidential candidate in 1996, has previously indicated he was not interested in running for vice president under Bush.

Following is a partial text of the remarks by retired Gen. Colin L. Powell when he was nominated to be secretary of State: Thank you so very much, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. President-elect and Mrs. Bush, Mr. Vice President-elect Cheney, ladies and gentlemen, citizens of Crawford, Texas. It's a great pleasure to be with you this afternoon, and I'm honored, honored, to be given the opportunity to return to public service as the 65th secretary of State of the United States of America. Mr.

Madeleine Albright won unanimous approval Monday from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which sent her nomination as secretary of state to the full Senate, where quick confirmation is expected. Albright, the first of President Clinton's new Cabinet nominees to pass Senate committee scrutiny, will become the nation's first female secretary of state. The Senate is to take up her nomination Wednesday. During a Jan. 8 confirmation hearing, the committee, chaired by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.

William S. Cohen was unanimously confirmed as secretary of Defense on Thursday after unequivocally promising his former Senate colleagues that U.S. forces would be out of Bosnia in 18 months. Describing his words as a "very strong signal for our European friends," the former Republican senator declared at his confirmation hearing: "We are not going to be there. This is going to end at that point."

New Secretary of State Madeleine Albright declared Friday that she intends to take a road less traveled during her term--crisscrossing this country to try to convince Americans of the need for a strong, engaged U.S. foreign policy.

Last month, after his wife was nominated as secretary of State, former President Clinton attempted to put an end to speculation about his secretive overseas fundraising by disclosing the names of some 208,000 donors to his foundation, which has collected more than $500 million to pay for a presidential library and to combat AIDS, malaria and other scourges. But nowhere on that list was the name Sakura Capital Management Co. Ltd.

Long considered one of the nation's most polarizing figures, Hillary Rodham Clinton steps into her new role as America's chief diplomat this week with a Senate confirmation hearing that is likely to look more like a tribute than an examination of a controversial politician. Clinton has fanned political passions as first lady, as New York's junior senator and as a presidential candidate.

Cordell Hull was a veteran lawmaker with a worldwide reputation when Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him secretary of State in 1933, in part to win needed support from Hull's army of Democratic admirers. But the dignified Tennessean was never close to FDR. As time passed, he was "muscled out by others in the administration," said Michael Hunt, a diplomatic historian at the University of North Carolina.

Former Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke negotiated an end to a Balkan war, helped normalize relations with China and advanced American interests as envoy to the United Nations. But now he faces a diplomatic test like none before: persuading President-elect Barack Obama and his team to give him the prized job of secretary of State. Holbrooke is among those under consideration to be America's top diplomat.

Hillary Rodham Clinton emerged Friday as a top contender to be secretary of State after flying to Chicago the day before and meeting privately with President-elect Barack Obama, former advisors to the senator from New York said. Obama is weighing other prominent elected officials for the post of the nation's top diplomat, but has zeroed in on the former first lady and runner-up for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to one of her campaign aides.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama's former rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, is among those President-elect Obama is considering for secretary of State, according to two Democratic officials in close contact with his transition team. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid angering Obama and his staff. The New York senator's spokesman Philippe Reines referred questions to the Obama transition team, which said it had no comment.

It's time to bid an early farewell to the much-maligned secretary of State who has served as flak-catcher for President Clinton's foreign policy--and to ponder what his experience in Washington has told us about America's role in the world. Secretary of State Warren Christopher, by all indications, is leaving. He seems to be in his last months. Christopher won't say that, but all the signs are there. He was traveling in Africa last week, after a tour of South America earlier this year.

President-elect Bill Clinton met here Friday with Rep. Les Aspin (D-Wis.), believed to be his selection for secretary of defense, and sources said Rep. Dave McCurdy (D-Okla.) was likely to be offered the post of director of central intelligence. It was unclear whether McCurdy, 42, who had mounted an aggressive bid for the Pentagon job, would accept the CIA post. He has suggested he would prefer to remain in the House of Representatives than take charge of the CIA.

America's chief diplomat found herself vouching for the purity of U.S. cattle Saturday, wading into a bitter trade dispute that for South Koreans has eclipsed the long-running drama over North Korea's nuclear activity and threatened the government of President Lee Myung-bak. Just one day after the communist North demolished the most visible symbol of its nuclear programs, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice faced a barrage of questions about the safety of American steaks, chops and burgers.

Condoleezza Rice began her term as secretary of State with a tour of Europe and the Middle East last month that showed off her skills as a fence mender. The weeks that followed have revealed another side of her style. After clashing with the Egyptians, Rice canceled a visit to Cairo. Amid tensions with the Canadians days later, she abruptly postponed a trip to Ottawa. She recalled the U.S.