WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of
State Designate Hillary Clinton told lawmakers here on Tuesday that the Obama
administration would spare no effort to promote to forge Israeli-Palestinian
peace.
"The president-elect and I understand and are deeply
sympathetic to Israel's desire to defend itself under the current conditions,
and to be free of shelling by Hamas rockets," Clinton said in prepared written
testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations committee.
Hillary Clinton testifies before the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on her nomination to be
Secretary of State in the U.S. President-elect Barack Obama
administration, on the Capitol Hill, Washington,D.C., on Jan, 13, 2009.
(Xinhua/Zhang Yan) Photo Gallery>>>
"However, we have also been reminded of the tragic
humanitarian costs of conflict in the Middle East and pained by the suffering of
Palestinian and Israeli civilians. We will exert every effort to support the
work of Israelis and Palestinians who seek that result."
"We cannot give up on peace," the wife of former
President Bill Clinton said at her confirmation hearing for top U.S. diplomat,
noting that the future U.S. government will try "to seek a just and lasting
peace agreement that brings real security to Israel; normal and positive
relations with its neighbors; and independence, economic progress, and security
to the Palestinians in their own state."
Hillary Clinton (3rd L front) arrives to
testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on her
nomination to be Secretary of State in the U.S. President-elect Barack
Obama administration, on the Capitol Hill, Washington D.C., U.S., on Jan,
13, 2009.(Xinhua/Zhang Yan) Photo Gallery>>>
On Iran, Clinton said that the incoming Obama
administration will pursue "a new, perhaps a different approach" toward the
Islamic Republic. But the wife of former president Bill Clinton insisted that
the United states must effectively challenge Iran to stop its nuclear weapons
program.
"It is going to be United States policy to pursue
diplomacy, with all of its (tools), to do everything we can to prevent Iran from
becoming a nuclear weapon state. As I also said, no option is off the
table."
Hillary Clinton (R) listens to questions
during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on her nomination to
be Secretary of State in the U.S. President-elect Barack Obama
administration, on the Capitol Hill, Washington D.C., U.S., on Jan, 13,
2009.(Xinhua/Zhang Yan) Photo
Gallery>>>
WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President-elect
Barack Obama pledged on Sunday that he will tackle hot issues in the Middle East
as soon as he is inaugurated on Jan. 20.
"What I am doing right now is putting together the
team so that on January 20th, starting on day one, we have the best possible
people who are going to be immediately engaged in the Middle East peace process
as a whole," he said in an interview with ABC News. Full story
WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President-elect
Barack Obama said on Sunday that Iran will be one of the biggest challenges that
his administration is to face.
"I think that Iran is going to be one of our biggest
challenges," he said in an interview with ABC News. Full story
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State
designate Hillary Clinton told lawmakers on Tuesday that the new administration
will continue making a "very aggressive effort" to curb the alleged role of
nuclear proliferation by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
"We've got to end North Korea as a proliferator ... So we
will embark on a very aggressive effort to try to determine the best way forward
to achieve our objectives with them," Clinton said at confirmation hearings
before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Full story
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- If confirmed as secretary
of state, Hillary Clinton will help "renew U.S. leadership" around the world,
sources close to President-elect Barack Obama said on Tuesday
Clinton, who is appearing at the Senate's confirmation
hearing, will tell senators that she aims for a revitalization of diplomacy as a
means of promoting the nation's security interests and advancing its values, an
Obama aide was quoted by CNN as saying. Full story
