Clinton Out, Kerry in as Secretary of State

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editorial
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Clinton Out, Kerry in as Secretary of State

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Staff members of the State Department gathered on Friday in their Foggy Bottom headquarters in Washington to say their farewells to Hillary Rodham Clinton as she completed her final day as secretary of state. Senator John Kerry was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday to be her successor.
Staff members of the State Department gathered on Friday in their Foggy Bottom headquarters in Washington to say their farewells to Hillary Rodham Clinton as she completed her final day as secretary of state. Senator John Kerry was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday to be her successor.
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Clinton Out, Kerry in as Secretary of State
Published: February 1, 2013 at 5:28

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton formally resigned Friday as America's secretary of state, capping a four-year tenure that saw her shatter records for the number of countries visited. John Kerry was sworn in to replace her.

In a letter sent to President Barack Obama shortly before she left the State Department for the last time in her official capacity, Clinton thanked her former opponent for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination for the opportunity to serve in his administration. Clinton said it had been an honor to be part of his Cabinet.

"I am more convinced than ever in the strength and staying power of America's global leadership and our capacity to be a force for good in the world," she said in the letter.

Her resignation became effective at 4 p.m. EST, when Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan swore in John Kerry as the top U.S. diplomat. The former Massachusetts senator and 2004 presidential candidate is the 68th secretary of state.

"I'm just very, very honored to be sworn in and I'm very anxious to get to work," Kerry told reporters after the private ceremony at the Capitol. "I'll be reporting Monday morning at 9 o'clock to do my part," he said, but he refused to say what global hotspot he would visit first.

In the State Department's main lobby, Clinton pushed through a throng of American foreign service workers who clamored for handshakes and smartphone photos with her and gave an emotional goodbye speech.

She told them to continue to "serve the nation we all love, to understand the challenges, the threats and the opportunities that the United States faces and to work with all our heart and all of our might to make sure that America is secure, that our interests are promoted and our values are respected."

Clinton, however, also left office with a slap at critics of the Obama administration's handling of the September attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya. She told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday that critics of the administration's handling of the attack don't live in an "evidence-based world," and their refusal to "accept the facts" is unfortunate and regrettable for the political system.

Clinton told the AP that the attack in Benghazi was the low point of her time as America's top diplomat. But she suggested that the furor over the assault would not affect whether she runs for president in 2016.

Although she insisted that she has not decided what her future holds, she said she "absolutely" still plans to make a difference on issues she cares about in speeches and in a sequel to her 2003 memoir, "Living History," that will focus largely on her years as secretary of state.

Clinton spoke to the AP Thursday in her outer office on the seventh floor of the State Department less than 24 hours before she walks out for a final time as boss. She was relaxed but clearly perturbed by allegations from Republican lawmakers and commentators that the administration had intentionally misled the public about whether the attack was a protest gone awry or a terrorist attack, or intentionally withheld additional security for diplomatic personnel in Libya knowing that an attack could happen.

An independent panel she convened to look into the incident was scathing in its criticism of the State Department and singled out four officials for serious management and leadership failures. But it also determined that there was no guarantee that extra personnel could have prevented the deaths of the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and three other Americans. Clinton herself was not blamed, although she has said she accepted responsibility for the situation.

"I was so unhappy with the way that some people refused to accept the facts, refused to accept the findings of an independent Accountability Review Board, politicized everything about this terrible attack," she said. "My job is to admit that we have to make improvements and we're going to."

Hours later a suicide bomber linked to a domestic terror group exploded a device just outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, killing himself and a guard. Clinton told State Department staff on Friday that the attack showed again how "we live in very complex and dangerous times."

Clinton faced a barrage of hostile questions about Benghazi from Republican lawmakers when she testified before Congress recently in appearances that were delayed from December because of illness. Afterward, some lawmakers continued to accuse her and the administration of withholding evidence. Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., told a television interviewer that he thought Clinton was getting "away with murder."

In the interview, Clinton had little patience for such allegations.

"There are some people in politics and in the press who can't be confused by the facts," she said. "They just will not live in an evidence-based world. And that's regrettable. It's regrettable for our political system and for the people who serve our government in very dangerous, difficult circumstances."

Because of that, she said, the partisan divide should not dissuade anyone with a cause from getting involved in politics, and she hinted strongly that a divisive atmosphere would not stop her in any future endeavor. "You have to have a thick skin because (politics) is just going to be a contact sport as far as we can look into the future."

Clinton is no stranger to partisan politics. As first lady, she railed in 1998 against a "vast right-wing conspiracy" that she asserted had been attacking her husband, Bill Clinton, ever since he had become president.

But the woman who was once considered a divisive figure in American politics, yet leaves office as one of its most popular, remained coy about whether she would run for president in 2016.

"I am making no decisions, but I would never give that advice to someone that I wouldn't take myself," she said. "If you believe you can make a difference, not just in politics, in public service, in advocacy around all these important issues, then you have to be prepared to accept that you are not going to get 100 percent approval."
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Re: Clinton Out, Kerry in as Secretary of State

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Win MacNamee/Reuters<br /><br />1995年,希拉里·克林頓在北京參加聯合國第四屆世界婦女大會。她在會上發言稱:「女性的權利就是人權。」
Win MacNamee/Reuters

1995年,希拉里·克林頓在北京參加聯合國第四屆世界婦女大會。她在會上發言稱:「女性的權利就是人權。」
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克里比希拉里更對中國胃口



北京——不少中國官員,包括一些高層,一直對希拉里·羅德姆·克林頓(Hillary Rodham Clinton)不感冒,這在北京不是什麼秘密。不過並不清楚,這其中多少源於她直言不諱地支持女性權益,不過幾乎可以肯定這是原因之一:中國由男性掌權(的確如此,權力核心中央政治局常委會中沒有一名女性),無論在國內事務,還是全球事務中,中國女性對政策都無甚影響。

最晚自1995年開始,中國共產黨高官就對克林頓有所警惕。當時,她作為關鍵人物出席了在北京召開的聯合國第四次世界婦女大會(United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women)。與會的女同胞聽到她對全體代表說,“人權就是婦女的權利,婦女的權利就是人權,永遠如此。”這句話被寫進了大會宣言中,(《北京宣言》第14條及《行動綱領》)稱:“婦女的權利就是人權。”對中國和全世界的女性運動而言,這是一個重大時刻。

但在這些進展發生之前,中國官員禁止活躍的非政府組織參加在北京遠郊懷柔召開的那次大會,因為擔心他們會解放本國民眾的思想。在社會議題上,1995年的中國比現在更保守,而那些女性主義者呼籲為性工作者提供醫療救助、保護母親的工資權益,以及男女同性戀者的權益,讓官員們大驚失色。

因此,北京外交政策系統內的一些著名學者最近談到,中國期待約翰·克里(John Kerry)接替克林頓擔任美國國務卿,恐怕並不會讓人感到意外。

據《中國日報》報道,中國人民大學的外交學教授金燦榮稱,克里對待中國的態度將比克林頓緩和。

中國不喜歡克林頓在奧巴馬政府“轉向亞洲”戰略中發揮的核心作用,而且許多中國人視其為遏制中國的努力。

我的同事戴維·羅德(David Rohde)撰文指出,布魯金斯學會(Brookings Institution)的邁克爾·奧漢隆(Michael O’Hanlon)稱,克林頓在奧巴馬政府“轉向亞洲”戰略中的作用,以及她對中國的強硬立場,可以說是她作為國務卿“最大及最令人難忘的貢獻”。

與之形成對照的是,《中國日報》寫道,前中國駐美高級外交官、中國國際問題研究所副所長阮宗澤認為克里“專業、冷靜且務實,並認為他將開啟中美之間的戰略性對話,而這將對中美關係產生積極影響”。

“克里將面臨的挑戰之一便是改善中美關係,自華盛頓在亞太地區實施再平衡戰略以來,中美關係就出現了惡化,”這家官方媒體寫道。

《中國日報》援引阮宗澤去年12月,在克里的提名公布後發表的言論稱,“美國以再平衡為目標,採取了一系列高調的舉動,尤其是對軍事行動的過度強調,引發了中國的極大不滿,致使中美關係出現惡化。”

而據美國《環球郵報》(Global Post)報道,上周,阮宗澤進一步發表了自己的看法。

該報稱,阮宗澤在香港外國記者會(Foreign Correspondents’ Club)講話時表示,“美國轉向亞洲在向其盟國傳遞着錯誤的訊息”,是在鼓動它們“更加好鬥、更具挑釁性”。阮宗澤補充道,“一個不穩定或弱小的中國將會十分危險。”

然而,上周末,中國對克林頓執掌美國外交政策的四年給予了讚揚。該讚揚來自於克林頓多年來的主要對話者、國務委員戴秉國,他是中國外交政策的一個核心決策人物。

根據中國外交部網站上的一份聲明,周六晚,在和克林頓通電話時,戴秉國說,“過去4年來,中美關係總體保持穩定並取得重要積極進展。”

戴秉國還表示,雙方要繼續在相互尊重及合作夥伴關係的基礎上,把握構建新型大國關係的大方向。
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Re: Clinton Out, Kerry in as Secretary of State

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希拉蕊卸任美國務卿 4年出訪之路可繞地球38圈
原標題[4年出訪之路繞地球38圈]

4年出訪之路繞地球38圈 任內褒貶不一也曾因公病倒 好在今天卸任 希拉蕊―― 下班了

“當你成為國務卿的時候,時間非常寶貴。”美國國務院網站在一代鐵娘子今天即將卸任之際,繪製“和希拉蕊一起走世界”的地圖時稱,她乘坐的飛機一大功能就是一個移動的辦公室。而被冠以“空中飛人”的希拉蕊也說,“這是一份每天24小時,一周7天的工作。世界真的很大,美國要處理的事務太多。”“你永遠沒有下班的概念”。

2009年1月宣誓就職國務卿,如今帶著掌聲走下舞臺。不過,4年時間出訪里程相當於繞地球38圈,昔日的第一夫人霸氣不減。
美國《大西洋》月刊稱,作為美國的最高外交官,希拉蕊在空中飛行的時間幾乎和在地面上一樣。不過,卻也有聲音說,從總體上看,在她主持下的美國外交看似轟轟烈烈,實則成果有限。

飛人很忙“一份24小時乘以7天的工作”
英國《金融時報》說,隨著奧巴馬提出美國把戰略重心向亞洲轉移,作為美國頭號外交官的希拉蕊,變得忙碌了起來。《今日美國報》稱,希拉蕊出訪總是涉及許多“棘手、複雜的外交和地緣政治難題”。2009年,奧巴馬政府成立尚不滿一個月,希拉蕊就開始出國訪問。

被冠以“空中飛人”的希拉蕊曾說,“這是一份每天24小時,一周7天的工作。”“你永遠沒有下班的概念”。據統計,過去4年中,她出訪的總里程相當於繞地球38.42圈,訪問112個國家。

生日:1947年10月26日,生於伊利諾州芝加哥婚姻:1975年嫁給克林頓,1992年成為“第一夫人”從政:2008年與奧巴馬搭檔競選總統,2009年1月就職國務卿

因公病倒“幫幫你自己休息休息吧”
1月初,因發現腦部有血塊在入院三天后,希拉蕊很快又返回辦公室。據《每日郵報》報導稱,國務院官員都贊她為“勞模”。
美國哥倫比亞廣播公司說,作為國務卿,希拉蕊至少有三方面的職責:執行外交政策、扮演“全球大使”以及管理國務院。就外交政策而言,奧巴馬幾乎是自總統尼克森以來最喜歡親自操刀的總統。

希拉蕊曾透露,她花了大量時間經營和奧巴馬之間的關係。儘管如此,在一些焦點問題上,她還是長期處於不尷不尬的位置。據國務院統計,三年來,希拉蕊僅在白宮就參加了近600次會議。

大病初愈後,英國《衛報》以《希拉蕊,幫幫你自己,休息休息吧!》為題發表評論稱,“取消這些會議吧,留在家裡看看肥皂劇,等血壓降下來,世界肯定能再等上幾個星期。”

●快評看似轟轟烈烈實則成果有限
總體上看,在她主持下的美國外交看似轟轟烈烈、實則成果有限。

拿對華關係來說,除去任期的前兩年外,2012年希拉蕊再度一年訪問中國兩次,但訪問時機卻稍顯“敏感”。不僅如此,2012年7月,希拉蕊進行了上任以來最長的一次出訪:為期13天、橫跨歐亞非8個國家,但她唯獨繞著中國走。

儘管她9次來訪,在中國沒少下了力氣,卻“口無遮攔”沒起多大作用,甚至對中日關係“火上澆油”:2013年1月,希拉蕊與日本外相岸田文雄會面後重申,美國承認釣魚島在日本行政管轄範圍內,激起了中方的強烈反對。

有觀點認為,過去的四年,小布希的“西部牛仔式”單邊主義終於退出舞臺,取而代之的是令人眼花繚亂的、無休無止且有美式傲慢與偏見色彩的“希拉蕊式外交”。儘管希拉蕊國務卿精力充沛,無處不在,但她也沒有“點石成金”之力,甚至還弄巧成拙。
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Re: Clinton Out, Kerry in as Secretary of State

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希拉蕊告別國務卿生涯:劇終還是待續?
2013年02月02日18:30


在政治聚光燈下逾20年,美國國務卿希拉蕊•克林頓2月1日正式卸任,當日她的繼任者克裡同時宣誓就職。圖為2月1希拉蕊在美國國務院大樓大堂向員工告別並發表臨別講話。

  華盛頓2月1日電 題:希拉蕊告別國務卿生涯:劇終還是待續?
  
  “從明天起,做一個幸福的女人,睡覺,寫書,周遊世界……”

  這句話可以概括美國國務卿希拉蕊•克林頓近來描繪的“退休”計畫。事實上,從2月1日下午4點開始,希拉蕊的計畫就可以啟動了,因為此時她的繼任者克裡已宣誓就職,這意味著她的國務卿生涯正式畫上句號。

  這一天美國國務院大樓內充滿離愁別緒,大堂擠滿員工。“鐵娘子”似乎戀戀不捨,在大樓跟所有同事道別,這使原定發表臨別感言的時間被推遲了一小時,而當她離開國務院時,距離其國務卿頭銜失效只差10分鐘。

  “對那些跟著我在華盛頓、在全世界、在飛機上共同度過許許多多小時的人,我的感激難以盡表。”希拉蕊起初聲音略帶哽咽但最終忍住淚水,“我會想念你們的。”

  這番略帶傷感的講話卻引發現場外交官們的會心一笑,特別是提到飛機時。據統計,希拉蕊任內出訪過112個國家,出訪時間達401天,僅在飛機上就達2084.21小時(約86.8天),總旅程近百萬英里,可繞地球逾38圈,與世界領導人會面達1700次。

  希拉蕊由此成為美國歷史上出訪國家最多的國務卿。自1969年作為第一個在威爾斯利學院發表畢業演講的學生走紅全美以來,她的人生創造了諸多第一:第一位沃爾瑪公司女性董事,第一位競選公職(國會參議員)的第一夫人,第一位競選美國總統的前第一夫人……
  44年來,希拉蕊一直生活在聚光燈下,而從現在開始她將面對一樣非常陌生的東西:安靜。對此,她曾坦言:“如果清晨醒來後,無處可去,無事可做,也不再會接到緊急電話,我還真不知道會怎樣。”

  “會不會參加2016年總統大選?”面對自去年以來被頻繁問及的這一問題,希拉蕊曾給出各種否定答案。然而,最近一周卻發生微妙變化,她開始用“我還沒作出決定”、“無法預知未來”取代決絕的“不”字。兩天前接受NBC採訪時被問及競選時副總統拜登在黨內是否比她更有優先選擇權時,希拉蕊辯駁道:“美國政治總是公開競爭的”,這引發了外界更多遐想。

  在卸任前最後一周,希拉蕊幾乎每天都接受採訪,並發表公開演講,其高調姿態與同樣即將離任的國防部長帕納塔、財長蓋特納等人的低調形成鮮明對比,甚至比當年小布希離任還高調,有人認為這是她在為4年後的參選作鋪墊。

  一個對希拉蕊十分有利的優勢是,目前她高達近70%的支持率幾乎無人能敵。

  然而,在冷酷的美國政治中,好人緣並不是最終取勝的利器。選民在將國家交給她前,一定會回顧她過去4年的政績。不可否認,希拉蕊為美國外交深深烙下了自己的印記,例如修復美國在世界的形象,提出“巧實力外交”,推動重返亞太戰略等。

  但有美國分析家認為,希拉蕊雖是一個好國務卿,卻難言“偉大”,原因是她並沒有取得像前輩那樣的重大歷史突破,比如設計了新世界秩序的艾奇遜、重建歐洲的馬歇爾、開啟中美對話的基辛格、和解巴爾幹的奧爾布賴特等。

  希拉蕊的履歷表上也並非完美無缺,去年導致美國駐利比亞大使在內4人死亡的班加西領館遇襲事件,她在襲擊前的失察勢必會被競選對手拿來做文章。
  就在希拉蕊國務卿生涯的最後一天,美國駐土耳其使館遭遇恐怖襲擊。在離任前幾個小時,她還不得不給土耳其外交部長和美駐土耳其大使打電話善後。
  而眼下,對希拉蕊而言,最大的障礙還不是這些,而是她自己。到2016年,她的年齡將達到69歲,不久前的那場病,已使她的健康狀況大打問號。
  希拉蕊會否就此急流勇退?此時斷言“劇終”為時尚早。從她的專車駛出國務院大門那一刻,一個屬於她的國務卿時代已經謝幕,但她也許正在幕後醞釀著更多可能。
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