House Republicans are trying to ratchet up the pressure on President Obama to decide the new strategy -- including the number of troops -- for Afghanistan.

The commander he sent to turn around the eight-year war is asking for as many as 40,000 more US troops. Obama has held eight war councils -- at the most recent, he rejected all the plans on the table -- but is not expected to announce his decision until after Thanksgiving.

In a letter dated Thursday and released this afternoon, the Republicans back General Stanley McChrystal's counterinsurgency strategy that requires the additional forces.

They don't use the word "dithering" -- as did former Vice President Dick Cheney -- but they come awfully close, while at the same time tacitly acknowledging the criticism of Obama and Democrats that the Bush administration neglected Afghanistan.

"For over two months you have been engaged in a strategy review that has left the country, our military, and allies uncertain about your commitment to the war in Afghanistan and unsure about your will to do what it is necessary to win this conflict. Worse, we fear this process has emboldened our enemies," they write.

"We believe that it is long overdue for our military to be in the execution stage of the strategy instead of the evaluation phase. While no one disputes that a Commander-in-Chief should deliberate before making decisions, particularly in matters involving life and death, we believe this review is having a detrimental impact on our efforts in Afghanistan. While 68,000 U.S. forces are fighting on the battlefield, your strategy review in Washington has returned the country to the policy drift that undermined our efforts in Afghanistan for much of the war."

The full letter is below:

As Attorney General Eric Holder defended his decision to prosecute Sept. 11 plotters in civilian court in New York, President Obama backed him up in a series of TV interviews today.

Holder testifed this morning before the Senate Judiciary Committee about his call to put confessed mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four co-conspirators on trial in a federal courthouse in the shadow of Ground Zero. The decision has been slammed by Republicans, who have raised concerns about security and who have argued that terrorists should not be treated like criminals.

But Obama said that critics won't find the decision "offensive at all when he's convicted and when the death penalty is applied to him."

"I think this notion that we have to be fearful that these terrorists possess some special powers that prevent us from presenting evidence against them, locking them up and exacting swift justice, I think that has been a fundamental mistake," Obama said on CNN.

Asked whether he would take responsibility if the decision goes wrong, the president replied, "I always have to take responsibility. That's my job."

UPDATE: Republicans aren't giving up their fight on the issue. This afternoon, House GOP leader John Boehner announced he had signed a discharge petition filed by Pete Hoekstra, the senior Republican on the Intelligence Committee, to force a vote on a bill that would stop the transfer or release of terrorists held at the Guantanamo Bay prison into the United States.

“Despite Americans’ strong opposition to importing terrorists held at the Guantanamo Bay prison into the United States, the Obama Administration continues to move forward with their dangerous plans to do so anyway. The ‘Keep Terrorists Out of America Act’ does exactly what the American people want, and they deserve a vote on this common-sense bill," Boehner said in a statement.

“Despite repeated requests from Republicans in Congress, this Administration has refused to present the American people with its plan for what to do with the terrorists held at Guantanamo and for confronting and defeating the global terrorist threat. Right now, there is no evidence that this Administration has such a plan. The American people deserve better. I urge my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to listen to the American people and sign the discharge petition.”

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

As President Obama nears a decision on a strategy in Afghanistan, a survey released today by Oxfam America, a Boston-based aid advocacy group, sheds some light on how Afghans view the conflict.

The survey, which compiled interviews with more than 700 men and women across Afghanistan, shows that -- despite suicide attacks and unrelenting bloodshed -- most Afghans believe that previous periods of their country's history are far worse than what they are going through now. (Read the survey here.)

Thirty-eight percent of respondents said that the communist period, which lasted from 1979 to 1992, was the most harmful to the country, while 33 percent called the period under Taliban rule, from 1996 to 2001, the most harmful. Another 22 percent named the time of civil war, from 1992 to 1996, as the worst time, while just 3 percent named the current conflict as the worst time since Afghanistan descended into chaos in 1979.

The study presents a stark picture of the human tragedy that has unfolded in the country over the last 30 years, suggesting that a significant number of Afghans may have suffered from post traumatic stress at one point in time or another. One out of every five respondents reported that they had been tortured at some point by either the Taliban, the mujahadeen, or the communists, while a third said that someone in their family had been imprisoned.

But the report does offer some measure of hope, suggesting that effective aid could bring about lasting change in the country.

Seventy percent of all respondents said they believe that poverty and unemployment is a major factor in the continuing war in Afghanistan, while 48 percent saw corruption as a major factor. Also, 36 percent named the Taliban's actions as a chief cause for the continuing conflict, while only 18% listed the presence of international forces as a major reason that fighting continues.

Two-thirds of Americans disagree with the Obama administration's decision to put the reputed mastermind of the Sept. 11 terror attacks on trial in a civilian court, a new poll says.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released late this afternoon found that 64 percent want Khalid Sheikh Mohammed tried in a military court, while only 34 percent favored a civilian court.

But 64 percent of respondents also said that he can receive a fair trial in civilian court. If he is found guilty, most believe he should receive the death penalty: 59 percent said they generally support capital punishment and want Mohammed executed, another 19 percent said they generally oppose the death penalty but favor it in this case, and 19 percent are generally against capital punishment and also oppose it in this case.

The poll was conducted Friday through Sunday and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- As Pakistan is rocked with daily attacks, Representative Congressman John F. Tierney, who heads a House subcommittee on national security and foreign affairs, traveled to there this week to meet with military and political leaders, as well as private citizens who have fled the violence.

Tierney, a Salem Democrat who has pushed for more accountability on military aid to the troubled south Asian country, said he will continue to press for strict oversight of funds, even though Pakistan's military is under daily attack by insurgents who threaten both Pakistan and the United States.

In the past, "whenever the request was made, the bill was paid," he said of the funds that the Bush administration gave to Pakistan's military to cover costs of deploying its soldiers in the lawless tribal areas. "Now you are going to find out there has to be substantial verification before the funds are paid."

Tierney vowed similar oversight on $1.5 billion in non-military aid funding for Pakistan approved by Congress this year.

It is not clear how welcome his message of strict oversight was received in Pakistan, where many complained bitterly on conditions that he had placed on military assistance in the $1.5 billion aid package.

Today Tierney presided over the US donation of $430,000 worth of medical supplies to the North West Frontier Province, a region that has been hard hit by suicide bombings. He told reporters in a conference call that Pakistan's fragile political situation is "tenuous" but that the elected government appears to be stable for now.

Tierney also met with Pakistani military leaders, and leaders of opposition parties -- both groups whom are believed to be displeased with the government of current Pakistani president Ali Asif Zardari. But Tierney said both the military and the opposition said they were not trying to push Zardari out, either with a military takeover or a parliamentary action.

"The military is quite clearly indicating that there is no intention of a coup," he told reporters in a conference call from Islamabad. "In conversations with the opposition, their statements were that they have no intention of trying to push Zardari out . . . I don't know how long that lasts."

The White House this morning announced its most significant staff change to date -- counsel Greg Craig is leaving and Bob Bauer, President Obama's personal lawyer, is replacing him.

Obama issued a statement praising Craig: “Greg Craig is a close friend and trusted advisor who tackled many tough challenges as White House Counsel. Because of Greg’s leadership, we have confirmed the first Latina justice on the Supreme Court, set the toughest ethics standards for any administration in history, and ensured that we are keeping the nation secure in a manner that is consistent with our laws and our values. I’m indebted to Greg not only for leading the Counsel’s office but for his many decades of service to this country as well. He has been a huge asset in the White House, and he will be missed. I will continue to call on him for advice in the years ahead.”

But there have been widespread reports of disenchantment with Craig's handling of issues, most notably Obama's pledge to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center by early next year.

Craig's departure, which follows the announcement earlier this week that White House communications director Anita Dunn is stepping down, appears timed with the declaration this morning by Attorney General Eric Holder that self-proclaimed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Guantanamo detainees will face trial in a civilian federal court in New York, and five other suspects will be tried by military commissions.

That is a key step in plans to close the prison, but Obama is not expected to meet his self-imposed deadline of Jan. 22.

Bauer, a prominent Democratic attorney, will begin serving as White House counsel by the end of this year. He, it turns out, is married to Dunn.

“Bob has served as a trusted counselor for many years to many elected officials and is known as a tough and widely respected advocate,” Obama said in a statement. “Bob is well-positioned to lead the Counsel’s office as it addresses a wide variety of responsibilities, including managing the large amount of litigation the administration inherited, identifying judicial nominees for the federal courts, and assuring that White House officials continue to be held to the highest legal and ethical standards.”

Before embarking on a week-long tour of Asia, President Obama tried this morning to reassure Americans at home that the economy is recovering -- and that more jobs will soon come with it.

He said that his administration has taken "bold steps to break the back of this recession" and that the economy is "now growing again for the first time in a year," but that there is "not yet the job growth that we desperately need."

"This is one of the great challenges that remains in our economy," he said in a brief statement at the White House.

While there are limits to what government can do or should do, he said, his team will look at "every responsible step."

In the only new wrinkle, Obama announced a December "forum on jobs" to gather those ideas.
(His full remarks are below.)

While unemployment is at 10.2 percent nationally, a quarter-century high, there was a glimmer of hope today. The Labor Department reported that first-time jobless claims dropped to 502,000 last week, the fewest since the first week of 2009.

While foreign policy challenges such as North Korea will be on his agenda, Obama will also be talking about the global economic recovery on his stops in Japan, Singapore, China, and South Korea.

He said he will be pushing for a balanced world economy that is not as dependent on US consumption and borrowing.

The Republican National Committee put it in another light: "Mr. President, meet your creditors," it said in a missive, noting that Asian countries, especially China, are buying US government bonds that enable the federal government to borrow. Obama, the RNC said, is traveling to nations "he plans to borrow billions from in order to finance his reckless big-government experiments, historic deficits."

In this morning's appearance, Obama did not address the other major item on his agenda -- sending more troops to Afghanistan.

He held another war council on Wednesday, but presented with four options, he rejected all of them until he gets more assurances of when US troops would be able to leave Afghanistan. Obama's stance came as word leaked of cables from the US ambassador in Kabul who argued that a US troop surge would only prop up a weak, corrupt central government.

Americans are divided over whether President Obama is taking too long -- "dithering" in the dismissive description of former Vice President Dick Cheney -- to decide whether to send more US troops to Afghanistan, a new poll suggests.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released this morning found that 49 percent believe the president has taken too much time, while 50 percent do not say so.

A slim majority -- 52 percent -- also say that Obama should listen to his top generals, rather than take other matters into account.

If he does follow the recommendation of General Stanley McChrystal, Obama would send another 40,000 troops, on top of the 21,000 he dispatched this year.

But the poll also found that 56 percent of respondents oppose sending more troops, and 58 percent oppose the war in Afghanistan. The survey, conducted Oct. 30-Nov. 1, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

UPDATE: Another poll out today, this one from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, found that a majority, 57 percent, now says the US military effort in Afghanistan is going not too well or not at all well, up from 45 percent in January. And while most continue to support the initial decision to use force in Afghanistan, that percentage has slipped to 56 percent now from 64 percent at the beginning of the year.

The poll also found the public divided over what to do now -- 40 percent say the number of US troops in Afghanistan should be decreased, 32 percent support increasing the number, and 19 percent favor keeping troop levels as they are now.

This afternoon, hours after observing Veterans Day by laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery, Obama convened his eighth -- and possibly last -- war council before making his decision.'

His remarks at Arlington are below:

President Obama leaves Thursday on an extensive diplomatic tour of Asia with a busy schedule of meetings during nine days in Japan, Singapore, China, and South Korea.

But not on his itinerary is a stop in either Hiroshima or Nagasaki, where the US dropped atomic bombs at the end of World War II.

The mayors of the two Japanese cities had invited him, noting that Obama has pledged to pursue a world free of nuclear weapons and was awarded the Nobel Peace Price. But such a visit -- the first by an American president in office -- would be highly controversial and would inflame Obama's critics who accuse him of apologizing too much for the sins of US foreign policy.

Obama, however, did tell Japanese TV network NHK on Tuesday that he would like to eventually go to Hiroshima and Nagasaki sometime during his presidency -- he just couldn't fit it into his schedule this time.

"The memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are etched in the minds of the world and I would be honored to have the opportunity to visit those cities at some point during my presidency," Obama said in the interview.

In a long-awaited decision, President Obama today announced he is nominating the chief scientist at the US Department of Agriculture and a former top official at the Gates Foundation as the nation's top foreign aid official.

If confirmed, Rajiv Shah will be administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.

Paul Farmer, the renowned public health pioneer at Harvard, had also been believed to be under consideration.

“The mission of USAID is to advance America’s interests by strengthening our relationships abroad. Rajiv brings fresh ideas and the dedication and impressive background necessary to help guide USAID as it works to achieve this important goal," Obama said in a statement. "I am grateful for all that USAID has accomplished under the leadership of Acting Administrator Alonzo Fulgham, and the thousands of career men and women who fulfill USAID’s mission day in and day out – particularly their hard work in jumpstarting a landmark initiative to bring more than $20 billion for agriculture development to the world's most food-insecure countries. I look forward to working with Rajiv in the months and years ahead.”

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John F. Kerry and the committee's senior Republican, Richard Lugar, welcomed the nomination.

“I have been very concerned about the lack of political leadership at USAID, especially in the face of critical foreign policy, humanitarian and development priorities in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Sudan," Kerry said in a statement. "I also believe having an Administrator will bring significant momentum to foreign aid reform. I look forward to a thorough nomination process.”

“For development to play its full role in our national security structure, USAID must be a strong agency with the resources to accomplish the missions we give it,” Lugar added. “The issues that we face today – from chronic poverty and hunger to violent acts of terrorism – require that we work seamlessly toward identifiable goals. I look forward to discussing ways to improve and support the development mission that benefits our long-term security as we proceed with the confirmation process.”

Senator John F. Kerry, who came to national prominence when he testified before Congress as a Vietnam war hero turned anti-war activist, is now warning against those pushing for a troop surge in Afghanistan by asserting that the same could have turned the tide in Vietnam.

"Let me be clear: more than 58,000 American troops died because they were sent into battle based on false assumptions, flawed goals, and faulty strategies. Yes, we adopted smarter tactics near the end, but by then the die was cast. History has definitively branded Vietnam for the mistake it was—no one should believe that the deaths of nearly 60,000 Americans and at least 1.5 million Vietnamese were somehow not quite enough," Kerry, who is now chairman of the same committee he addressed in 1971, writes in the Nov. 16 issue of Newsweek magazine.

The Massachusetts Democrat, who is among those cautioning President Obama against sending the full allotment of 40,000 additional US troops sought by the top commander in Afghanistan, says there are some similarities with Vietnam.

"We are once again fighting an insurgency in a rural country with a weak central government," he writes. "Once again, our enemy blends in with the local population and finds sanctuary in a neighboring country. Once again, the danger of being perceived as an occupying force by a war-weary population remains perilous."

But he says it is dangerous to draw too many parallels with Afghanistan -- a "very different country -- vastly different history, culture, and geography—in a different era."

"The main lesson that Obama must absorb from Vietnam is the necessity to explain our goals in Afghanistan, and to choose clear and realistic strategies to meet them," Kerry adds.

"I pledged to myself long ago to be informed by Vietnam, not imprisoned by it," he concludes. "The easiest way to make a mistake is to tolerate a debate that sells our country short. In the case of Afghanistan, politics has reduced a difficult mission in a complex country to a simple, headline-ready 'yes or no' on troop numbers. What we need is a realistic assessment of our strategy, military and civilian combined. One of the architects of the Vietnam War, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, confessed decades later that he knew victory was no longer possible well before the American death toll had reached half its eventual total. He offers a horrific lesson that the time to voice concerns is now."

The full piece is available here.

Senator John F. Kerry is cosponsoring a bill he announced today he will introduce to give more aid to small businesses that have military reservists on their payrolls.

Authored with Representative Ron Klein of Florida, the legislation would provide tax incentives for small businesses that make up the difference in salary between military and civilian pay while reservists are serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Many large businesses offer the supplements, but many small business owners, who employ 20 percent of reservists, can't afford to do the same.

“Our legislation supports the small businesses that stand by our men and women in uniform when reservists are deployed. It keeps our service members employed and small businesses open for business. In the face of a tough economy, we can do more to support the employers and reservists who make such profound contributions to our economy and national defense,” Kerry said in a statement.

President Obama announced this afternoon that he is dispatching Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to represent the US at the 20th anniversary Monday of the fall of the Berlin Wall -- the symbolic end of Soviet dominance over Eastern Europe and the Cold War.

But his absence is not sitting well with some conservatives.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich wrote today that while some consider Obama's decision "an outrage, I consider it a tragedy.
 
"To commemorate, after all, is to remember," the Georgia Republican said in an op-ed published in the Washington Examiner. "And Americans need to remember, not just that the Wall fell, but why it fell. We need to remember that the Berlin Wall was the symbol of more than just the Cold War, more than just the division of Europe. It was the symbol of an evil ideology that denied human dignity, denied truth, and respected only power. When the Wall fell, truth and human dignity, in a rare moment in the 20th century, triumphed over power.

"The message of human dignity that led to the toppling of the Berlin Wall twenty years ago is a true message of hope rooted in the spiritual nature of man and the freedom to know God," Gingrich concluded. "And so it is a true shame that the President of the United States - this man who cloaks himself in the rhetoric of hope - won't be pausing to remember."

Obama's schedule next week, however, is getting complicated. He is supposed to leave Wednesday on a 10-day tour of Asia, but he has also committed to attend the memorial service for the victims of the massacre at Fort Hood in Texas, which could also be next week.

The others in the official US delegation are Philip D. Murphy, the US ambassador to Germany; Brent Scowcroft, former national security adviser to Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush; and Zbigniew Brzezinski, former national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter.

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- Newspapers in Pakistan love conspiracy theories, and the most recent one concerns an unpaid intern who worked for Massachusetts Senator John F. Kerry: Zain H. Qureshi, the son of Pakistan's foreign minister.

Word of the young Qureshi's internship in Kerry's office during the negotiations over a $7.5 billion aid package to Pakistan spawned a flurry of speculation that the 19-year-old college student might actually have helped author the controversial legislation. The aid bill has also led to criticism of Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, who is on leave from Boston University.

One columnist for The News, a Pakistani newspaper, blasted the internship as a special privilege for the elite. She criticized Kerry as a "Boston Brahmin" and compared his aristocratic roots to Qureshi's powerful tribe.

"These guys claim to fame is blue-blooded ancestry, wealth, influence and the right to rule," she wrote.

The News columnist speculated that Qureshi had "gone into hiding" since she couldn't reach him on the phone number on a business card. The Pakistani embassy told the Globe that he simply returned to university in London. (Attempts to reach the young Qureshi via Facebook were unsuccessful.)

Another publication, Pakistan Daily, asked whether the internship made Pakistan's foreign minister beholden to Kerry and weakened his ability to defend Pakistan's interests.

"If you are a father, you develop a soft corner for the powerful man who has given your son an entry job in a powerful place," Pakistan Daily wrote.

A spokesman at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said that Qureshi "had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do" with the aid package "or any other piece of legislation" and that he played no part in any topic related to Pakistan, India, or Afghanistan.

He said the young Qureshi worked in Kerry's Senate office, not the office of the Foreign Relations Committee that Kerry leads. The only thing he had to do with South Asia was drafting a memo at his own initiative about Sri Lanka for one of Kerry's staffers.

President Obama, trying to use diplomacy to defuse the standoff with Iran over its nuclear program, today marked the 30th anniversary of the event that ruined relations with the US -- the hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran.

"This event helped set the United States and Iran on a path of sustained suspicion, mistrust, and confrontation," Obama said.

In his statement, Obama said he is reaching out to the Iranian regime, but it must now respond in kind for relations to improve.

"I have made it clear that the United States of America wants to move beyond this past, and seeks a relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran based upon mutual interests and mutual respect," he said. "We do not interfere in Iran’s internal affairs. We have condemned terrorist attacks against Iran. We have recognized Iran’s international right to peaceful nuclear power. We have demonstrated our willingness to take confidence-building steps along with others in the international community. We have accepted a proposal by the International Atomic Energy Agency to meet Iran’s request for assistance in meeting the medical needs of its people. We have made clear that if Iran lives up to the obligations that every nation has, it will have a path to a more prosperous and productive relationship with the international community."

"Iran must choose," the president continued. "It is time for the Iranian government to decide whether it wants to focus on the past, or whether it will make the choices that will open the door to greater opportunity, prosperity, and justice for its people."

His full statement is below:

The White House is trying to nip in the bud a budding controversy over terrorism detainees at Guantanamo Bay getting swine flu vaccine sooner than many Americans.

He directly contradicted a spokesman at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, who had said that guards and then detainees were set to receive the vaccinations later this month.

Pressed on that apparent conflict in stories, Gibbs replied, "I don't know what the Pentagon said," and reiterated that there would be no vaccine for the detainees.

The prospect set off Obama administration critics, who noted that with suppliers behind on delivering the vaccine, Americans have been lining up for the inoculations.

"I don't think it's a good idea," the top House Republican, Representative John Boehner of Ohio, said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.
"The administration probably didn't think it would be very popular either; that's why they announced it on Friday night," Boehner added.

Gibbs defended the administration's efforts to defend the nation against the H1N1 virus.

"Obviously, the president is frustrated that there's anybody that is in one of these groups, at a high-risk group, that is having trouble getting the vaccine now, and we're making progress on getting more and more of that vaccine each day," Gibbs said at his regular daily press briefing.

Senator John F. Kerry, who played a key role in persuading Afghan President Hamid Karzai to accept a run-off election, is trying to put the best face on the Nov. 7 revote being called off after challenger Abdullah Abdullah withdrew over the weekend.

Abdullah's decision -- he complained that there would be as much fraud by Karzai's forces as what marred the first round -- made Karzai the winner by default. But it does nothing to help build Karzai's legitimacy as President Obama makes a fateful decision on whether to send more troops to Afghanistan.

"This is one of many critical moments for Afghanistan. President Hamid Karzai deserves credit for his willingness to engage in the runoff election, and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah deserves credit for showing restraint throughout this difficult period. I applaud Dr. Abdullah for urging his supporters to avoid violence, and for refraining from actions which could tear the country apart rather than help bring it together. With the election concluded, it is an opportunity for the government of President Karzai to demonstrate genuine progress in combating corruption, establishing rule of law, and bringing measurable improvement to peoples' lives,” Kerry, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement.

"It is my hope that all Afghans -- those who supported President Hamid Karzai, those who supported Dr Abdullah, and those who supported other candidates during the election -- will now join together to build a better future for their nation. This is a moment when fundamental change is not only possible, but absolutely essential."

UPDATE: President Obama called Karzai today to congratulate him -- but also to press for reform.

"Although the process was messy, I'm pleased to say that the final outcome was determined in accordance with Afghan law, which I think is very important, not only for the international community that has so much invested in Afghan success, but most importantly, is important for the Afghan people that the results were in accordance with and followed the rules laid down by the Afghan constitution," Obama told reporters.

"I did emphasize to President Karzai that the American people and the international community as a whole want to continue to partner with him and his government in achieving prosperity and security in Afghanistan. But I emphasized that this has to be a point in time in which we begin to write a new chapter based on improved governance, a much more serious effort to eradicate corruption, joint efforts to accelerate the training of Afghan security forces so that the Afghan people can provide for their own security. That kind of coordination and a sense on the part of President Karzai that after some difficult years in which there has been some drift, that in fact he's going to move boldly and forcefully forward and take advantage of the international community's interest in his country to initiate reforms internally, that has to be one of our highest priorities," the president said, recounting the conversation.

"He assured me that he understood the importance of this moment, but as I indicated to him, the proof is not going to be in words, it's going to be in deeds. And we are looking forward to consulting closely with his government in the weeks and months to come to assure that the Afghan people are actually seeing progress on the ground."

President Obama announced today that his administration is lifting travel restrictions into the country for those with HIV/AIDS.

"Twenty-two years ago, in a decision rooted in fear rather than fact, the United States instituted a travel ban on entry into the country for people living with HIV/AIDS. Now, we talk about reducing the stigma of this disease -- yet we've treated a visitor living with it as a threat. We lead the world when it comes to helping stem the AIDS pandemic -- yet we are one of only a dozen countries that still bar people from HIV from entering our own country," Obama declared, before signing a bill extending the HIV/AIDS treatment act named for Ryan White, who was diagnosed with AIDS at 13 in 1984 and died in 1990. The bill provides medical care, medication, and support services to about 500,000, mostly poor, people.

"If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it. And that's why, on Monday my administration will publish a final rule that eliminates the travel ban effective just after the New Year. Congress and President Bush began this process last year, and they ought to be commended for it. We are finishing the job. It's a step that will encourage people to get tested and get treatment, it's a step that will keep families together, and it's a step that will save lives."

(His full remarks are below.)

The travel ban, imposed 22 years ago, will be lifted in January, according to a final regulation that will be published Monday, Obama said.

Similar restrictions are in place in about a dozen countries to protect public health. But Obama said the travel ban unnecessarily reinforces the stigma of AIDS.

Senator John F. Kerry, who co-authored legislation that the Senate passed last year to lift the ban, praised Obama's decision, asserting that the 1987 provision baring HIV-positive individuals from travelling or immigrating to the US covered doctors and experts, as well as refugees seeking asylum despite the lack of scientific evidence supporing the ban as an effective tool for disease control.

“Today a discriminatory travel and immigration ban has gone the way of the dinosaur and we’re glad it’s finally extinct. It sure took too long to get here,” Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement. “We’ve now removed one more hurdle in our fight against AIDS, and it’s long overdue for people living with HIV who battle against stigma and bigotry day in and day out.”

“At long last, our nation’s unjust policy of excluding HIV-positive visitors and immigrants has ended,” added Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, in a statement issued by Kerry's office. “We applaud the leadership of our allies in Congress, especially Senator Kerry, and of President Obama and Secretary Sebelius in bringing this discriminatory chapter of our history to a close.”

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John F. Kerry is welcoming the apparent deal in Honduras that could return President Manuel Zelaya to office.

The agreement, announced late Thursday by the Organization of American States, could help end the dispute over the June 28 coup in the Central American nation that ousted Zelaya from power and put Roberto Micheletti into office. The agreement would create a power-sharing government and pledge both to recognize the results of the Nov. 29 presidential elections.

There has been a rollicking debate in Washington and foreign policy circles about how aggressively the US should be pushing for Zelaya's reinstatement .

“I welcome the agreement ending the crisis in Honduras," Kerry said in a statement. "The restoration of democracy is an historic accomplishment for the Honduran people . The accord provides a roadmap for elections on November 29, but success will depend on rigorous international monitoring of the accord’s implementation.

“I also want to congratulate Costa Rican President Arias, OAS Secretary General Insulza, and Assistant Secretary Tom Shannon and his team. With this crisis resolved, I look forward to the speedy Senate confirmation of Mr. Shannon as our Ambassador to Brazil and Dr. Arturo Valenzuela as Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs,” the Massachusetts Democrat added.

Wrestling with whether to send more US troops to Afghanistan, President Obama saw the war's cost first-hand early this morning on a bleak, blustery tarmac in Delaware.

Obama saluted and honored 18 Americans killed this week -- one of the bloodiest of the deadliest month for US forces in the eight-year war -- as they returned home at Dover Air Force Base.

The 18 flag-draped transfer cases contained the bodies of seven soldiers and three Drug Enforcement Agency agents killed in a helicopter crash Monday and eight soldiers killed when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb Tuesday.

UPDATE: "Obviously it was a sobering reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices that our young men and women in uniform are engaging in every single day -- not only our troops, but their families as well. And so Michelle and I are constantly mindful of those sacrifices," Obama told reporters this afternoon.

"And obviously the burden that both our troops and our families bear in any wartime situation is going to bear on how I see these conflicts. And it is something that I think about each and every day."

According to the press pool report, Obama, wearing a dark suit and topcoat against the night chill, arrived at Dover with a delegation of senior officials, including Attorney General Eric Holder.

From Marine One, the president first took a motorcade to a base chapel, where he met privately with families of the killed. Then, Obama and his party boarded the mammoth C-17 cargo plane, where a prayer was led by an Air Force chaplain. They walked down the plane's rear ramp, and stood in a line at the base.

Reporters were allowed to witness Obama participating in the solemn transfer ritual for Army Sergeant Dale R. Griffin of Terre Haute, Ind., whose family consented to media coverage. Obama stood at attention at the base of the plane’s loading ramp as Griffin’s family arrived. Obama saluted as six Army soldiers wearing white gloves carried the flag- draped transfer case from the plane to a waiting vehicle. As it drove away, Obama saluted again.

The unannounced trip -- Obama left the White House about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday and didn't return until nearly 5 a.m. today -- was the first time a commander in chief has met returning casualties since Bill Clinton in 1996 met the body of his Secretary of Commerce Ronald Brown, who was killed in Europe.

Earlier this year, Obama reversed an 18-year-old policy barring media coverage of returning war dead.

The 18 honored by the president did not include Captain Kyle R. VanDeGiesen, 29, of North Attleborough, a Marine helicopter pilot who was one of four Marines killed in a second helicopter crash in Afghanistan on Monday.

Senator John F. Kerry, a key player in the Afghanistan debate, responded this afternoon to a New York Times report that Ahmed Wali Karzai, the Afghan president's brother, is suspected of involvement in the opium trade and is on the CIA payroll.

Kerry said he fears that he and other members of Congress have been misled about Ahmed Karzai's role in drug trafficking, which helps fund the operations of the Taliban insurgents who are taking an increasingly bloody toll on US troops.

“Senior American officials have told me repeatedly that there is no hard evidence linking Ahmed Wali Karzai to drug trafficking. However, after reading press accounts which allege that Mr. Karzai has been on the payroll of the CIA, one of the agencies gathering intelligence about narcotics trafficking in Afghanistan, I have serious questions about the information that Congress is receiving. On questions this serious, it is imperative that we receive reliable, current and accurate information," Kerry said in a statement.

“Reducing corruption and stopping the bribes from drug traffickers are absolutely essential to developing an effective Afghan government. Just this week, three DEA agents gave their lives in the fight against drug trafficking, a chilling reminder of the sacrifices American civilians and troops make in Afghanistan," added Kerry, who helped persuade Afghan President Hamid Karzai to accept a Nov. 7 run-off election.

“We should not condemn Ahmed Wali Karzai or damage our critical relations with his brother, President Karzai, on the basis of newspaper articles or rumors. But the appropriate congressional committees must be immediately provided with the most comprehensive and untainted information about his alleged entanglements.”

Senator John McCain, President Obama's Republican foe last year, has largely supported his rival since the election.

But now, the Vietnam War hero and Iraq troop surge supporter is putting increasing pressure on Obama to send more troops to Afghanistan -- and do it soon.

The president has held six war councils and counting to decide the strategy going forward, and some expect him to wait on deciding on his top commander's request for as many as 40,000 additional troops until after the Nov. 7 Afghan presidential run-off election.

But McCain said on "The Early Show" on CBS this morning that the war policy in Afghanistan "has been reviewed time and again" and it's time to act because the long delay "is not helpful to our effort" and is frustrating military commanders and making allies nervous.

And in an op-ed posted online on CNN today, McCain calls on Obama to move as quickly as possible to grant General Stanley McChrystal's request for additional troops.

McCain notes that he supported the Afghanistan strategy that Obama laid out in March, when he announced his decision to dispatch 21,000 more US troops. And the senator also stresses that he backed Obama's appointment of McChrystal as the top US commander on the ground -- so the president should listen to the general now.

"I agree with our commander's assessment of the security situation as 'deteriorating' and that our civilian and military leaders urgently need more resources, including more combat troops, to turn the tide toward success," McCain writes. "I sympathize with our president, because sending men and women into harm's way is the most difficult decision that a commander-in-chief must make. However, Americans are already serving in harm's way in Afghanistan, and the sooner we can provide the reinforcements and resources they need, the safer and more successful they will be."

(Read the full opinion piece here.)

President Obama and his point man in Congress for foreign policy are both focusing on Afghanistan today.

Obama met this morning with his national security team to discuss US policy in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan as pressure builds on the president to decide on his top commander's request for as many as 40,000 more troops.

The White House said expected attendees included Vice President Joe Biden (via videoconference), Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, National Security Adviser General James Jones, Deputy National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, counterterrorism adviser John Brennan, and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

They met as word comes from Afghanistan that 14 American military members and civilians were killed in two helicopter crashes.

This afternoon, Obama traveled to Jacksonville, Fla., where he will speak to and meet with sailors and Marines.

UPDATE: In his speech at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Obama did not give any significant hints on his Afghanistan decision. But he did mention that debate as he pledged anew not to send US forces into combat unless absolutely necessary.

"While I will never hesitate to use force to protect the American people or our vital interests, I also promise you this -- and this is very important as we consider our next steps in Afghanistan: I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm’s way," he said. "I won’t risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary. And if it is necessary, we will back you up. Because you deserve the strategy, the clear mission, the defined goals and the equipment and support you need to get the job done. That’s the promise I make to you."

Instead, the president spent most of his address thanking the sailors and Marines for their service, mentioning the loss of 14 Americans in separate helicopter crashes in Afghanistan.

"You are the best-trained, best-prepared, best-led force in history. You -- our people -- are our most precious resource," he said.

"We were reminded of this again, with today’s helicopter crashes in Afghanistan. Fourteen Americans gave their lives. And our prayers are with these service members, their civilian colleagues and the families who loved them. And while no words can ease the ache in their hearts today, may they find some comfort in knowing this: like all those who give their lives in service to America, they were doing their duty and they were doing this nation proud."

Obama also promised to make sure members of the military are taken care of when they return home.

"We’re improving care for our wounded warriors, especially those with Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injuries. We’re funding the Post-9/11 GI Bill to give you and your families the chance to pursue your dreams. And we’re making the biggest commitment to our veterans -- the largest percentage increase in the VA budget -- in more than 30 years," he said.

"These are the commitments I make to you; the obligations that your country is honor-bound to uphold. Because you’ve have always taken care of America, and America must always take care of you. Always."

(His full remarks are below.)

About an hour after Obama's strategy session began this morning, Senator John F. Kerry delivered a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations entitled “Afghanistan: Defining the Possibilities” to examine the way forward for US strategy in Afghanistan.

Kerry was on the ground in Afghanistan and Pakistan during a seven-day trip that ended last Wednesday and that culminated in the Senate Foreign Relations chairman playing a key role in persuading Afghan President Hamid Karzai to accept a Nov. 7 runoff election that US officials hope provides legitimacy to the Afghan government.

In his speech, Kerry said that the Afghanistan debate has been oversimplified and that Obama is right to take his time to decide what to do next.

"With certainty, we all know why we invaded Afghanistan. It was not a mistake to go in. We now have to choose a smart way forward so that no one is ever compelled to ask whether we've made a mistake in staying," he said.

"The easiest way to make a mistake, frankly, is to tolerate a debate that sells our country short. In recent weeks, politics has reduced an extraordinarily complex country and mission to a simple, headline-ready “yes or no” on troop numbers. That debate is completely at odds with reality. What we need, above all, what our troops deserve-- and what we haven’t had-- is a comprehensive strategy, military and civilian combined.”

Kerry said that he believes the troop request by General Stanley McChrystal is too expansive. “I am convinced from my conversations with General Stanley McChrystal that he understands the necessity of conducting a smart counterinsurgency in a limited geographic area. But I believe his current plan reaches too far, too fast. We do not yet have the critical guarantees of governance and development capacity. I also have serious concerns about the ability to produce effective Afghan forces to partner with, so we can ensure that when our troops make heroic sacrifices, the benefits to the Afghans are clear and sustainable.”

The senator also hit back at former Vice President Dick Cheney, who said last week that the White House was "dithering" and endangering US troops by taking so long to decide.

"After eight years of neglecting Afghanistan as vice president, Dick Cheney has now come out of retirement to criticize President Obama for taking time to examine assumptions before sending troops into war, this from the man who in 2002 told America, quote, 'The Taliban regime is out of business permanently.' I think this is one time I wish Dick Cheney had been right, but tragically, he wasn't, and he isn't today, and that's why we have to make the tough choices about Afghanistan now," Kerry said.

"Make no mistake: Because of the gross mishandling of this war by past civilian leadership, there are no great options for its handling today. One American officer captured well our lack of a strategy when he said, We haven't been fighting in Afghanistan for eight years. We've been fighting in Afghanistan for one year eight times in a row. That is our inheritance."

His full speech is below:

The war of words over foreign policy is back on between former Vice President Dick Cheney and the Obama administration.

In a speech Wednesday night, Cheney suggested that the president was afraid to decide whether to send more US troops to Afghanistan and that's why it is taking so long.

"The White House must stop dithering while America's armed forces are in danger," Cheney told the conservative Center for Security Policy. "It's time for President Obama to do what it takes to win a war he has repeatedly and rightly called a war of necessity."

"Make no mistake. Signals of indecision out of Washington hurt our allies and embolden our adversaries," Cheney added, according to the Associated Press.

He also disputed remarks by White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel on talk shows over the weekend that the Obama administration had to start from scratch to come up with an Afghanistan strategy because the Bush administration let the situation slide.

Cheney said the Bush team reviewed the eight-year-old war before leaving office and presented its findings to Obama's transition team. "They asked us not to announce our findings publicly, and we agreed, giving them the benefit of our work and the benefit of the doubt," he said.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs took on Cheney today, saying that Obama is making sure he gets the strategy right.

"What Vice President Cheney calls dithering, President Obama calls his solemn responsibility to the men and women in uniform and to the American public. I think we've all seen what happens when somebody doesn't take that responsibility seriously," Gibbs said during his daily briefing.

The spokesman also hit back at the Bush-Cheney team, saying it allowed the situation to worsen in Afghanistan and asserting the 21,000-troop increase that Obama approved in March had been sitting on the desk of the Bush White House for months.

Calling Cheney's comment "curious," Gibbs said, "I think it's pretty safe to say that the vice president was for seven years not focused on Afghanistan, even more curious given the fact that an increase in troops sat on desks in this White House, including the vice president's, for more than eight months, a resource request filled by President Obama in March."

"I find it interesting that he's blaming us for something that he didn't see fit to do over, best I can tell, seven years of a war in Afghanistan," Gibbs added.

UPDATE: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also came to the president's defense.

"The president has a very difficult decision to make," she told reporters this afternoon on Capitol Hill. "He's got to have the facts to make that. We all pray for the difficult decision he has to make. I don't think it's very constructive for the vice president to say that - he's forgotten whose administration made matters worse in Afghanistan by their neglect."

Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, who sits on the Armed Services Committee and has visited Afghanistan, also said Obama is right to take the time for a full policy review.

"They say that elephants don't forget, but it looks like many members of the Republican Party have a mass case of amnesia. The same politicians who were demanding that the current president stop dithering and do whatever his generals suggest forget that the previous administration ignored and under resourced our commanders and soldiers in Afghanistan for nearly eight years," Reed said at a news conference.

Saying he found Cheney's comments "very puzzling," Reid asked, "Why didn't the former vice president ask George Bush to just do what it takes to win in Afghanistan for the seven years when he was in office, instead of blindly rushing into Iraq and allowing Afghanistan to drift into chaos?"

"I voted against the Iraq war in part because I knew it would shift the focus and hundreds of billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of our troops away from Afghanistan, the area where our greatest threat emanates from," Reed added. "And had the Bush administration conducted a thorough review and looked at all the facts prior to the invasion of Iraq, they might have avoided a major foreign policy disaster that also has ended up crippling our economy back home."

Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee also sided with Obama.

"I think President Obama is entitled to take sufficient time to decide what our long-term role ought to be in Afghanistan," Alexander said on MSNBC. "Then I think he should come to Congress and say to the American people what that plan is and see if he can persuade us and all of the American people of the rightness of it because he needs to have support all the way through to the end of that mission, so I want him to take the time to get it right."

Cheney's reappearance on the public stage also brought a sharp rebuke from a liberal-leaning security think tank.

"The record is clear: Dick Cheney and the Bush administration were incompetent war fighters," National Security Network senior adviser, retired General Paul Eaton, said in a statement. "They ignored Afghanistan for 7 years with a crude approach to counter-insurgency warfare best illustrated by: 1. Deny it. 2. Ignore it. 3. Bomb it. While our intelligence agencies called the region the greatest threat to America, the Bush White House under-resourced our military efforts, shifted attention to Iraq, and failed to bring to justice the masterminds of September 11.

"The only time Cheney and his cabal of foreign policy 'experts' have anything to say is when they feel compelled to protect this failed legacy. While President Obama is tasked with cleaning up the considerable mess they left behind, they continue to defend torture or rewrite a legacy of indifference on Afghanistan. Simply put, Mr. Cheney sees history throughout extremely myopic and partisan eyes," continued Eaton, who served more than 30 years in the United States Army and from 2003-2004 oversaw the training of the Iraqi military.

"As one deeply invested in the Armed Forces of this country, I am grateful for the senior military commanders assigned to leading this fight and the men and women fighting on the ground. But I dismiss men like Cheney who inject partisan politics into the profound deliberations our Commander-in-Chief and commanders on the ground are having to develop a cohesive and comprehensive strategy, bringing to bear the economic and diplomatic as well as the military power, for Afghanistan -- something Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld never did. No human endeavor can be as profound as sending a nation's youth to war. I am very happy to see serious men and women working hard to get it right."

The former vice president had lain rather low since the remarkable, high-profile face-off in May with Obama on the war on terror.

In back-to-back speeches before different audiences, Obama and Cheney each forcefully laid out their sharply different views on how to keep America safe from terrorism, the effectiveness of harsh interrogations, and whether the Guantanamo Bay detainees pose an imminent danger if brought to US soil.

Senator John F. Kerry, just back from a diplomatic mission in Afghanistan, said today that seeing NATO forces fighting alongside Americans convinces him even more of the importance of the alliance born of World War II.

"Let me tell you, whatever our differences, our allies have made enormous sacrifices in Afghanistan. They, too, are serving heroically," Kerry said in his opening statement at a Foreign Relations Committee hearing today on the future of NATO.

"While questions remain on both sides of the Atlantic about the future of our Afghan mission, our confidence in the idea and the cohesion of NATO remains strong. Our commitment to defend our NATO allies is unwavering," he added.

"NATO turned sixty this year. As we all know, there have been times when NATO’s critics called it an alliance in search of a mission. Today, as new challenges multiply and old ones resurface, it has become clear that as long as NATO continues to adapt, it will remain essential going forward."

His full prepared statement is below:

By Susan Milligan, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- Senator John F. Kerry, fresh from a diplomatic coup in Afghanistan, said this afternoon that President Obama should wait until after the Afghanistan presidential run-off before deciding whether to send more US troops.

After briefing Obama in a private 45-minute one-on-one meeting, Kerry said it wouldn't be "common sense" to determine the best US strategy without knowing how the election goes and who will be in charge of the country.

"You need to know what kind of government is coming out of it," Kerry told reporters at the White House. "I would absolutely counsel [Obama] to wait until after the run-off."

While Kerry said he did not discuss the issue with Obama, "I'd be surprised if he wasn't on the same wavelength..."

The president, however, told NBC News today that it's possible that he will announce before the Nov. 7 run-off his decision on a request by the top US commander for as many as 40,000 additional troops.

"I think it is entirely possibly that we have a strategy formulated before a runoff is determined. We may not announce it," Obama said in the NBC interview.

"I think we're still in-- finding out how this whole process in Afghanistan is gonna unfold. I thought that the steps that President Karzai took yesterday, agreeing to the certification of a second round was positive. What we've said is that it is important to make sure that we understand the landscape and the partner that we're gonna be dealing with," the president added.

"Because our strategy in Afghanistan is not just dependent on military forces. It's also dependent on how well we're doing with our civilian development efforts, how well we're doing in stemming corruption. So this is part of a comprehensive strategy; it always has been. And our basic attitude is that we are going to take the time to get this right.  We're not gonna drag it out, because there is a sense that the sooner we get a sound approach in place and personnel in place, the better off we're gonna be. But we also want to make sure that we don't put resources ahead of strategy."

Kerry said since it would take months to actually get additional forces in place, if that is what Obama decides, a two-week delay would not interfere. "Two weeks is a very short span of time, folks, to determine whether you have a government to work with during a war."

Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who supports a troop increase, said there's no need to wait until after the run-off.

“We’re there not to advocate or protect any particular leadership of Afghanistan; we’re there really to secure the people of Afghanistan and to help them determine their own future," Lieberman said on Fox News Channel. “If the president makes this decision to increase troops before Election Day it’s going to give more Afghans the confidence to come out and vote.”

Kerry, who is being lauded for his role in persuading Afghan President Hamid Karzai to accept a run-off election in hopes of removing the taint of balloting fraud in the first go-round, also dismissed suggestions that he had eclipsed Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was given the job Kerry wanted.

"That's an unfair characterization," Kerry said, noting that he was in frequent touch with Clinton during the talks with Karzai.

Earlier today, the top Senate Democrat heaped praise on Kerry. Though it remains unclear whether the run-off can happen on schedule or without more shenanigans, Karzai's decision, announced Tuesday with Kerry at his side, averted an immediate crisis.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on the Senate floor this morning that Kerry's diplomatic success is the latest example of his "service to our country" -- as a decorated Vietnam War veteran, 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, and now as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.

"What he's doing in Afghanistan is something that is vitally important to not only our country, but to the world," Reid gushed.

President Obama praised Afghan President Hamid Karzai this morning for agreeing to a runoff election -- balloting that the US hopes gives legitimacy to the regime in Kabul and is expected to free Obama to decide whether to send more US troops.

"I welcome President Karzai’s statement today accepting the Independent Electoral Commission’s certification of the August 20 election results, and agreeing to participate in a second round of the election. This is an important step forward in ensuring a credible process for the Afghan people which results in a government that reflects their will," Obama said in a statement issued through the White House.

"While this election could have remained unresolved to the detriment of the country, President Karzai’s constructive actions established an important precedent for Afghanistan’s new democracy. The Afghan Constitution and laws are strengthened by President Karzai’s decision, which is in the best interests of the Afghan people," Obama added. (His full statement is below.)

Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, helped persuade Karzai to accept an independent commission's findings that there was enough voter fraud in the first round of balloting to push him below a majority and force a runoff, expected on Nov. 7.

Kerry stood next to Karzai today when he announced he would accept the runoff, and said that Karzai's move had transformed a crisis into a "moment of great opportunity."

(Kerry's full prepared remarks are also below.)

President Obama, acknowledging that not enough has been done to stop the genocide in Darfur, nonetheless charted a new course today, offering to engage the Sudanese government and offer incentives.

"Today, my Administration is releasing a comprehensive strategy to confront the serious and urgent situation in Sudan," Obama said in a statement.

"For years, the people of Sudan have faced enormous and unacceptable hardship. The genocide in Darfur has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and left millions more displaced. Conflict in the region has wrought more suffering, posing dangers beyond Sudan’s borders and blocking the potential of this important part of Africa. Sudan is now poised to fall further into chaos if swift action is not taken.

Many activists have been wary of the Obama administration's new policy and have criticized special envoy Scott Gration for being too close to the regime.

But the administration says that the new approach is designed to end “gross human rights abuses” in Darfur and follow through on a peace deal that ended war between northern and southern Sudan.

The United Nations estimates that 300,000 people have died in the civil war in Darfur and 2.7 million people have been driven from their homes.

"Our conscience and our interests in peace and security call upon the United States and the international community to act with a sense of urgency and purpose. First, we must seek a definitive end to conflict, gross human rights abuses and genocide in Darfur. Second, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the North and South in Sudan must be implemented to create the possibility of long-term peace. These two goals must both be pursued simultaneously with urgency. Achieving them requires the commitment of the United States, as well as the active participation of international partners. Concurrently, we will work aggressively to ensure that Sudan does not provide a safe-haven for international terrorists," Obama's statement continued.

"The United States Special Envoy has worked actively and effectively to engage all of the parties involved, and he will continue to pursue engagement that saves lives and achieves results. Later this week, I will renew the declaration of a National Emergency with respect to Sudan, which will continue tough sanctions on the Sudanese Government. If the Government of Sudan acts to improve the situation on the ground and to advance peace, there will be incentives; if it does not, then there will be increased pressure imposed by the United States and the international community. As the United States and our international partners meet our responsibility to act, the Government of Sudan must meet its responsibilities to take concrete steps in a new direction.

"Over the last several years, governments, non-governmental organizations, and individuals, and from around the world have taken action to address the situation in Sudan, and to end the genocide in Darfur. Going forward, all of our efforts must be measured by the lives that are led by the people of Sudan. After so much suffering, they deserve a future that allows them to live with greater dignity, security, and opportunity. It will not be easy, and there are no simple answers to the extraordinary challenges that confront this part of the world. But now is the time for all of us to come together, and to make a strong and sustained effort on behalf of a better future for the people of Sudan."

Senator John F. Kerry, who as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee visited Sudan in April to meet with government officials, humanitarian workers, and Darfuri refugees, endorsed the new policy.

“I support the comprehensive Sudan policy announced today by the President and Secretary of State. This strategy, which will be spearheaded by the United States Special Envoy, General Scott Gration, both emphasizes the urgency of working for peace in Darfur and seeks to ensure that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between North and South Sudan does not collapse, which would lead to further devastation for the people of the region," Kerry said in a statement this afternoon.

"Importantly, this strategy builds on lessons learned from past efforts and addresses the situation as it exists today, promoting both engagement and accountability.”

Seeking to buff up his foreign policy credentials and reaching out to Israel's supporters, Mitt Romney is telling a major pro-Israel group today that he is "very concerned" by the Obama administration's Mideast policy.

"In pursuit of a peace process, the United States today has exerted substantial pressure on Israel while putting almost no pressure on the Palestinians and the Arab world," the former Massachusetts governor, 2008 Republican presidential hopeful, and possible 2012 contender said to the AIPAC national summit in San Diego.

Obama has been pushing for a renewal of negotiations toward a comprehensive peace deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority -- and has been pressuring Israel to stop expanding settlements on the West Bank.

But saying that America and Israel are "bound together by common commitments and shared values," Romney says US policy should recognize that.

"Inexplicably, the United States now places the burden on Israel to make still more unilateral concessions," he said. "At the United Nations, we decried the building of new Israeli settlements but ignored the launching of Palestinian rockets. How is this possible? Have we not yet learned from the concessions in Gaza, as well as from all recorded history, that giving in to the demands of oppressors always and only leads to more demands, not to peace?

"We can encourage both parties in the conflict, but we must never forget which one is our ally. Nor must we forget that Hamas, like other violent Jihadists, does not have a two-state solution as its objective—it has the conquest and annihilation of Israel as its objective. The notion that Hamas and violent Jihadists are motivated by 'shared interests' and 'common goals' is naïve in the extreme and dangerous to the entire free world."

Romney also inveighs against the United Nations, which is about to consider a report accusing Israel of war crimes during its assault in Gaza, saying it "has become a forum for invective against the Jewish state."

And Romney urged a hard line against Iran's nuclear ambitions and warned against Obama's desire for talks.

"At this late stage I would simply say that it is long past time for America to recognize the nature of the regime we are dealing with," he said. "The Iranian regime is unalloyed evil, run by people who are at once ruthless and fanatical. Stop thinking that a charm offensive will talk the Iranians out of their pursuit of nuclear weapons. It will not. And agreements, unenforceable and unverifiable, will have no greater impact here than they did in North Korea. Once an outstretched hand is met with a clenched fist, it becomes a symbol of weakness and impotence."

His full prepared remarks are below:

Hillary Rodham Clinton -- former first lady, presidential contender, and now secretary of state -- knows painfully first-hand how difficult a lift health care is.

So she counsels patience as Congress and the White House tries to come up with a bill that can pass -- and that can work.

"I'm very encouraged by the action that's going on in the Senate. But I think I, probably better than anyone, know how difficult this is," she said in an interview aired on CNN today.

"But we've made a lot of progress in the last nine months. And I'm very optimistic we're going to get a health care plan that will really improve the lives of the American people," added Clinton, who led a White House health care task force in 1993-94 that submitted a detailed bill to Congress that was derided as "Hillarycare" and went nowhere.

In the interview, Clinton also preached patience on Obama's decision whether to dispatch more US troops to Afghanistan, saying that "it's to the president's credit that he has had the patience and the persistence to really force the process without responding prematurely."

The president, she said, needs to closely scrutinize the broad view of what the US mission in Afghanistan should be and how best to accomplish it, citing a recent strategic review.

"It was quite remarkable that the report came in with two big ideas that had not, in my view, been fully either explored or certainly implemented in the prior eight years," she said. "One was you've got to look at Afghanistan and Pakistan together. Now, that may sound self-evident. But that wasn't what was being done previously. And you have to have a much greater integration of the civilian and the military efforts."

The full transcript of Clinton's interview with CNN's Jill Dougherty, as provided by the network, is below:

President Obama today signed a bill, championed by Senator John F. Kerry, that increases US aid to crucial, but volatile ally Pakistan to $1.5 billion a year.

"This law is the tangible manifestation of broad support for Pakistan in the U.S., as evidenced by its bipartisan, bicameral, unanimous passage in Congress," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement.

"As President Obama said on March 27, the United States wants to engage Pakistan on the basis of a strategic partnership, 'grounded in support for Pakistan's democratic institutions and the Pakistani people.' This Act formalizes that partnership, based on a shared commitment to improving the living conditions of the people of Pakistan through sustainable economic development, strengthening democracy and the rule of law, and combating the extremism that threatens Pakistan and the United States."

On Wednesday, Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, held a joint news conference with Pakistan's foreign minister to clarify that the conditions attached to the aid aren't meant to delve into the country's internal affairs.

Senator John F. Kerry did a little diplomatic two-step today to reassure Pakistan that a foreign aid bill he championed does not impinge on the precarious nation's independence.

As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry held a joint press conference with House Foreign Relations Chairman Howard L. Berman and Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi to release a "joint explanatory statement."

"It affirms that the primary intention of the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act is to demonstrate the American people’s long-term commitment to the people of Pakistan. It will be placed in the Congressional Record today along with the final version of the legislation that the President will be signing," Kerry said.

“It affirms that the United States values its friendship with the Pakistani people and honors the great sacrifices made by Pakistani security forces in the fight against extremism. And it also makes absolutely clear – and I want to emphasize this point – that the legislation does not seek in any way to compromise Pakistan’s sovereignty, impinge on Pakistan’s national security interests, or micromanage any aspect of Pakistani military or civilian operations.

Both the Senate and House have passed the bill, which would provide Pakistan with $1.5 billion a year over the next five years to spend on democratic, economic and social development programs. The bill awaits President Obama's signature.

Pakistan's military has objected to provisions in the bill that links money for counterterrorism assistance to a crackdown on militants and other conditions.

The full explanatory statement is below:

Just before leaving Copenhagen on his whirlwind Olympics trip, President Obama managed this morning to squeeze in his first face-to-face meeting with his top commander in Afghanistan.

General Stanley McChrystal, who is believed to be seeking reinforcements totaling as many as 40,000 troops, talked with the president for about 25 minutes aboard Air Force One.

"The president wanted to take the opportunity to get together with Gen. McChrystal," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters.

McChrystal was summoned from London, where on Thursday he gave a speech warning that the militants are gaining strength and more troops are needed to "buy time" for the Afghan military and police forces to prepare to take control of the country in 2013. He said there is a “huge risk’’ al Qaeda terrorists will again find safe haven in Afghanistan unless new tactics are put in place in the near future.

Obama and McChrystal had talked only twice previously, including by videoconference on Wednesday when the president huddled with his top military and diplomatic advisers as he mulls a new strategy in Afghanistan, including the request for more troops on top of the 21,000 he has already dispatched.

President Obama, who called out Iran last week for secretly building a new uranium enrichment plant, this afternoon sounded a note of cautious optimistic after Iran agreed to continue talks and open the plant to United Nations inspectors.

He said the moves were "a constructive beginning," but must be followed with "constructive action" by Iran to show that its nuclear program is for only civilian, not military, purposes.

"We're not interested in talking for the sake of talking," he said. "Pledges of cooperation must be fulfilled."

Obama said Iran is responding to a united front, and said the progress shows that his overtures to Iran -- which were roundly criticized in some quarters -- are paying off.

In Geneva earlier today, officials from Iran, the US, and five other world powers ended their meeting with an agreement to meet again later this month for more discussions. There was also a rare direct huddle between the senior US and Iranian delegates. And diplomats said Iran will open its newly disclosed nuclear plant to inspectors, probably within a few weeks.

Obama called on Iran to allow unfettered inspections within the next two weeks and to let a third country enrich its uranium.

"Taking the step of transferring its low enriched uranium to a third country would be a step towards building confidence that Iran’s program is in fact peaceful," he said.

His full remarks are below:

WASHINGTON -- Senator John F. Kerry made clear today that, while he is weighing the wisdom of adding additional troops to Afghanistan, he does not believe that withdrawal is an option.

"I don't see that as on the table," he said. "I don't think that there is anyone up here who is talking about that."

Kerry spoke at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing -- the third in a series he has called on Afghanistan -- that probed what the impact of additional troops would be on stability in Pakistan, a fragile, nuclear-armed neighbor.

Maleeha Lodhi, former Pakistani ambassador to the United States, said an increase in US combat troops in Afghanistan could lead to an increase in suicide attacks, militant groups, and support for extremism in Pakistan.

"A further military escalation in Afghanistan is unlikely to succeed," she said.

Lodhi, Milt Bearden, who served as the CIA station chief in Pakistan during the 1980s, and Steve Coll of the New America Foundation, said the Obama administration should put the emphasis on brokering a political solution to the fighting.

"I think we are going to have to start understanding who they are and deal with them," Bearden said. "There will always be enough Pashtuns to meet our troops in the field."

Kerry's opening statement is below.

As the Globe reported Wednesday, Kerry is trying to carve out a significant role on US policy in Afghanistan as Obama comes up with a new strategy and decides whether to approve a military request for more reinforcements.

Kerry has also weighed in on Pakistan. Thursday, the House gave final approval to a bill that he championed in the Senate that would give Pakistan $1.5 billion in aid a year over the next five years focused on democratic, economic, and social development programs. Obama is expected to sign the bill into law.

Kerry issued a statement congratulating the House on its vote. “The final version of the bill is the product of several months of intense consultation and compromise between the Chambers, and I am delighted that we were able to forge this landmark piece of legislation on a bipartisan, bicameral basis," he said. "This bill reaffirms the depth of America’s long-term commitment to the people and Government of Pakistan. By tripling past years’ level of non-military aid to $1.5 billion a year for fiscal years 2010 to 2014, we demonstrate our steadfast support for Pakistani efforts to combat violent extremism, defeat al-Qaeda and solidify democratic government."

The military's manpower needs as it fights two wars is reaching into the highest reaches of the White House.

The White House announced today that Mark Lippert, deputy National Security Director and National Security Council chief of staff, will be returning to active duty in the US Navy.

Though there are reports that Lippert rubbed some the wrong way, he did serve in Iraq during the presidential campaign. Denis McDonough, deputy National Security adviser, and two others will take over Lippert's duties.

“I will miss Mark and his counsel, his excellent work at the NSC, and his good cheer. At the same time, I was not surprised when he came and told me he had stepped forward for another mobilization, as Mark is passionate about the Navy. I support his decision. He is a close friend, and I admire and respect his devotion to our country and answering the call to active duty service. He will always have a senior foreign policy position in this White House, when he chooses to return to civilian life," President Obama said in a statement.

As the US and its allies begin high-stakes talks today with Iran to demand an end to its nuclear weapons program, Senator John F. Kerry put in his two cents on what he calls "the most important American diplomatic engagement with Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution."

In Geneva, officials from the US and five other world powers are meeting with representatives of Iran, a week after President Obama called out Iran at the G-20 economic summit, disclosing intelligence that it had been secretly building a new uranium enrichment plant.

In an op-ed piece published in today's Financial Times, Kerry says that the Western powers enter the talks from a position of strength. "Consider the view from Tehran," he writes. "It is on the defensive – caught red-handed in another nuclear deception. In contrast to the rancorous run-up to the war in Iraq, America and Europe are increasingly reading from the same script and Russia is signalling an openness to further sanctions."

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee says that for the diplomatic overtures to work, " two things are vital. First, if Iran is not willing to negotiate in good faith, it must understand the consequences. Pressure is not an alternative to engagement; the two strategies complement each other."

"Second," Kerry adds, "we must be willing to take yes for an answer. An important lesson of Iraq is that intrusive inspections can work. Our ability to detect and monitor the Qom enrichment facility for years before publicly revealing it is encouraging."

The Massachusetts Democrat acknowledges that diplomacy could very well fail.

"And yet, it remains vital to seek a diplomatic solution to the stand-off," he concludes. "The international community is finally in a position to force Iran to choose either pariah status or a more constructive relationship with America and the world. Certainly the real possibility of either military conflict or a nuclear-armed Iran compels us to give diplomacy a chance."

Representative Eric Cantor, the second-ranking Republican in the House, is less optimistic that the negotiations will be fruitful.

"The unfortunate reality for President Obama is that there is absolutely no evidence that Iran is willing to reach any agreement acceptable on U.S. terms – much less use negotiations for any purpose other than to buy more time for its illicit nuclear enrichment activities," Cantor writes in an op-ed published today in Politico.

The congressman says that Obama should not delay in winning international support for "crippling sanctions" to force Iran to comply.

"The key point is that we have been down this road before – and it has reached a dead end. This time around we simply don’t have the luxury of time," Cantor says, adding that Obama "must treat Iran’s government as the oppressive and unyielding engine of terror that it is, not as the trustworthy and compromising rational actor we all wish it could be. Should he expeditiously follow through on the heavy sanctions Iran deserves, the president will have the support of a clear majority of Congress."

Mr. President, meet General McChrystal. General, meet your commander-in-chief.

President Obama huddled privately with his entire national security team for three hours this afternoon -- and spoke directly for only the second time with the top US commander in Afghanistan. And even this time, Stanley McChrystal wasn't be there in person, but via a secure videoconference link.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs tonight issued this report of the private session:

"In today’s meeting, the President engaged his national security team in a candid assessment of the progress that has been made and the challenges we still face in Afghanistan and Pakistan since the President's strategy was announced in March. As a part of this review, the President will consult with his national security team, including his military commanders, civilian leadership, and Ambassadors in the region. He will also consult closely with our Allies and with the United States Congress.

"As the U.S. aggressively confronts al Qaeda and its leadership around the world, the President has set a clear goal in Afghanistan: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and their extremist allies. When it come to decisions as important as keeping this country safe and putting our troops into harm’s way, the President has made it clear that he will rigorously assess our progress. That is why he held this meeting today and will take the next several weeks to review our strategy.

"This was the second of five scheduled intensive sessions with National Security Council as well as field commanders and regional ambassadors. The President has also directed his inter-agency team to provide regular consultation sessions with Congress, during this period, starting with Gen. Jones’ briefing of all US senators this evening."

Gibbs said Obama will meet again with his national security team to discuss Afghanistan and Pakistan on Oct. 7.

The Associated Press reports that Obama made no decisions during the meeting.

The AP quotes a senior administration official saying that the president pushed for specifics and details, focusing on what the goals of the US strategy should be. The official, who was involved in the session, said no decisions about increased troop levels were discussed.

The other top officials who were supposed to be in attendance, either in person or via video hookup: Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, special envoy Richard Holbrooke, Joint Chiefs chairman Michael Mullen, Central Command General David Petraeus, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, CIA Director Leon Panetta, National Security Adviser James Jones,
US ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry, and US ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson.

It was an unusual gathering in the White House situation room -- the top-secret retreat seen only in movies and TV, where the president is responding to one world crisis or another.

Obama is trying to find the right US strategy after eight years of war in Afghanistan -- even as he is buffeted from the left and the right over a pending request from McChrystal for thousands more US troops, on top of the 21,000 the president has already dispatched.

Senator John F. Kerry, a fellow Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is trying to prevail on Obama to take as long as it takes for the review of the Afghanistan mission.

"I am arguing that the president has the time and we have the time," Kerry told the Globe Tuesday.

But Senator John McCain of Arizona, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, urged Obama today to quickly approve the request for additional troops.

"Time is not on our side so we need a decision pretty quickly," McCain, who is likening the request to the troop surge that turned around the situation in Iraq, said on ABC's "Good Morning America." "I think history is pretty clear that when the Taliban took over, it became a base for attacks on the United States and our allies."

President Obama huddled today with the leader of NATO and the main topic for discussion was the war in Afghanistan.

NATO casualties have risen, along with American ones, as the coalition forces more aggressively take on the Taliban and al Qaeda.

After the meeting, Obama said he and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen agree it's "absolutely critical" to be successful in destroying the al Qaeda network and to work with the Afghan government on improving security.

"This is not an American battle, this is a NATO mission," Obama said.

Rasmussen echoed that view, saying it is a "team effort."

The president did not offer any hints on where he will come down on a recommendation from the top US commander on the ground for more troops. He has already dispatched 21,000 more troops, bringing the total to about 68,000 by year's end.

Rasmussen said NATO officials are also reviewing the recommendation and said that Obama is right to determine the strategy first, then decide what resources are needed.

Obama also said the two men discussed the missile defense system, which the president is revamping from the Bush model, focusing more on the threat of short- and medium-range missiles from Iran and no longer deploying interceptors and radar in the Czech Republic and Poland.

Their full remarks are below:

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton huddled today with Armenian Foreign Minister H.E. Edward Nalbandian as the United States and Europe press Armenia and Turkey to seek better relations.

"I want to reiterate our very strong support for the normalization process that is going on between Armenia and Turkey, which we have long said should take place without preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe," Clinton said after the meeting.

"We will continue to work closely with the foreign minister and, of course, with his president and the Government of Armenia. And we also are very committed to the democratic development of Armenia," she added. "We want to be a partner and a friend in increasing prosperity and economic development as well. So this is a comprehensive relationship. We are very focused on this challenge of normalization which Armenia has demonstrated great commitment to, yet our relationship is much broader and much deeper in addition to that."

A month ago, Armenia and Turkey announced that they would start final talks expected to take six weeks and aimed at establishing diplomatic ties after a century of enmity. They said in the joint statement that they would not discuss their deepest disagreement: the World War I-era massacres of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians under Ottoman rule.

In April, Obama also did his best to avoid that controversy in a closely-watched presidential message. The president refrained from calling the massacres a "genocide," instead referring to them as "one of the great atrocities of the 20th century." But that characterization still angered Turkey's president, who said Obama failed to honor Turks slain by Armenians.

The Boston area is home to one of the largest Amernian-American communities. Watertown has the third most Armenian immigrants.

Senator John F. Kerry, an influential adviser to President Obama on Afghanistan, is bending his ear about the lessons of Vietnam.

The Massachusetts Democrat is asking whether a more limited counterterrorism mission in Afghanistan would be a better strategy than than sending thousands more US troops for a full-blown counterinsurgency operation.

Obama is taking another look at the US strategy as General Stanley McChrystal, the top US commander on the ground, has asked for more forces.

Kerry, who came to politics as a Vietnam War veteran turned antiwar protestor, has called several hearings of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to explore those arguments. And he makes them again in an op-ed published in today's Wall Street Journal.

"We in Congress have our own assignment: to test all of the underlying assumptions in Afghanistan and make sure they are the right ones before embarking on a new strategy," Kerry writes. "For example, one assumption of the proposed counterinsurgency plan is that our troops and civilians will be working in partnership with a legitimate and reliable government in Afghanistan. After the deeply flawed presidential election last month, we must ask whether we can succeed if our partner is weak and viewed with deep suspicion by his own people.

"We also need to know whether a full-blown counterinsurgency, with its increased footprint and inevitably higher casualties, is a fundamental part of our plans to go after al Qaeda and avoid destabilizing Pakistan. Could a far smaller, well-honed counterterrorism strategy work as well or better?" Kerry asks.

He goes on to assert that "one of the lessons from Vietnam—applied in the first Gulf War and sadly forgotten for too long in Iraq—is that we should not commit troops to the battlefield without a clear understanding of what we expect them to accomplish, how long it will take, and how we maintain the consent of the American people. Otherwise, we risk bringing our troops home from a mission unachieved or poorly conceived."

Wrapping up a week of meetings on the world stage, President Obama uses his weekly address to claim progress on economic stability and international security -- even as he still faces unemployment woes and a recalcitrant Congress on health care at home.

"Over the past nine months my administration has renewed American leadership, and pursued a new era of engagement in which we call upon all nations to live up to their responsibilities. This week, our engagement produced tangible results in several areas," Obama says.

At the United Nations, he became the first president to preside over the Security Council, which unanimously passed a nuclear nonproliferation resolution and brought together Israeli and Palestinian leaders for the time in almost a year, though little progress was reported.

At the G-20 summit that concluded Friday in Pittsburgh, leaders agreed to steps to prevent another financial meltdown. He also joined leaders from Europe and Russia in firmly declaring that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons after disclosing a second, secret uranium enrichment site.

"This is a serious challenge to the global nonproliferation regime, and continues a disturbing pattern of Iranian evasion. That is why international negotiations with Iran scheduled for October 1st now take on added urgency." he says.

"My offer of a serious, meaningful dialogue to resolve this issue remains open. But Iran must now cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and take action to demonstrate its peaceful intentions. On this, the international community is more united than ever before."

Obama issued another stern warning to Iran's leaders, saying they "must now choose – they can live up to their responsibilities and achieve integration with the community of nations. Or they will face increased pressure and isolation, and deny opportunity to their own people."

"These are the urgent threats of our time," he concludes. "And the United States is committed to a new chapter of international cooperation to meet them. This new chapter will not be written in one week or even one year. But we have begun. And for the American people and the people of the world, it will mean greater security and prosperity for years to come."

His full address is below and can be viewed here.

President Obama, backed by the leaders of Britain and France, issued a stern warning to Iran today after announcing that it has been building a secret, second nuclear site.

At the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, Obama said the three western powers submitted evidence of the uranium enrichment facility to the International Atomic Energy Agency and now demand that Iran open the site to IAEA inspectors.

The disclosure came a day after Obama presided over the United Nations Security Council as it adopted a US-backed resolution that supports Obama's goal of a world free of nuclear weapons.

"Iran has a right to peaceful nuclear power that meets the energy needs of its people. But the size and configuration of this facility is inconsistent with a peaceful program," Obama said at a news conference.

"Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow, endangering the global nonproliferation regime, denying its own people access to the opportunity they deserve, and threatening the stability and security of the region and the world."

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown added, "We will not let this matter rest. And we are prepared to implement further and more stringent sanctions.

"Let the message that goes out to the world be absolutely clear: that Iran must abandon any military ambitions for its nuclear program."

(Their full remarks, along with those of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, are below.)

UPDATE: Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, asked about a possible military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, said today that diplomacy can work and is the better option.

"The reality is, there is no military option that does anything more than buy time," Gates said during an interview airing on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. "The estimates are one to three years or so. And the only way you end up not having a nuclear-capable Iran is for the Iranian government to decide that their security is diminished by having those weapons, as opposed to strengthened."

"While you don't take options off the table, I think there's still room left for diplomacy," he added, in excerpts released by CNN this afternoon. "The Iranians are in a very bad spot now because of this deception, in terms of all of the great powers. And there obviously is the opportunity for severe additional sanctions. And I think we have the time to make that work."

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad abruptly cancelled a press conference he planned to hold at the United Nations today after Obama's news conference.

Ahmadinejad learned of Obama's announcement this morning during an interview at Time Magazine. He called the accusation "a mistake" and claimed that the Iranian government would have informed the IAEA of its new nuclear facility being built near the holy city of Qom in due time.

"This does not mean that anything was done secretly," he said. "We are the ones who always inform the IAEA of our activities."

An Iranian dissident group revealed the existence of the first clandestine uranium enrichment facility at Natanz in 2002. Under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, such a facility must be open to international inspectors. But Iranian officials argued that they did not have to inform the international body of its construction until they brought nuclear material there.

Senator John F. Kerry, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, echoed the leaders' warnings.

“In light of Iran’s continuing deception, the international community must step up its demands that Iran halt its enrichment and reprocessing work, answer the International Atomic Energy Agency's questions, and provide IAEA inspectors with the full complement of access and transparency they require," he said in a statement.

“President Obama has offered Iran every opportunity to open a constructive diplomatic dialogue on its nuclear program. To this point, there is no evidence that Iran intends to reciprocate. I continue to support engagement with Iran, but now is the time to supplement engagement with more robust international sanctions. That’s the only way to dramatically increase the economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran from the outside and help leverage pressure on the regime from its own population which wants a different relationship with the world. Tehran must make a fundamental decision on whether it wants to continue its pariah status or enter a more constructive relationship with the world.”

House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio also weighed in with a rebuke of Iran, and warned that the United States should not directly negotiate with the country, as Obama has suggested he would be open to doing.

“Today’s announcement about Iran’s secret nuclear facility is further confirmation of its pattern of deception and denial. For years, the regime in Tehran has done everything in its power to hide the truth that it is committed to building a nuclear bomb to threaten the United States and our allies. The IAEA must be allowed into the country to conduct immediate, unimpeded, and comprehensive inspections, and there must be full transparency regarding the results of those inspections," Boehner said in a statement.

“This revelation should put the international community on notice that its collective willingness to give the Iranian regime ‘one more chance’ is not working. How will we respond to a regime that refuses civil liberties, denies its citizens free and fair elections, and aims to dominate a critical region through violence, terrorism, and nuclear weapons? How will we respond if Iran does not let inspectors in? Why should we feel confident they are being honest about anything else?

“The United States should not participate in direct negotiations with Iran – negotiations that will further legitimize this brutal regime – until we have answers to these important questions. Unfortunately, the Administration has not, to date, given Iran reason to believe we are serious about preventing them from acquiring or developing a nuclear capability, especially in light of the Administration’s recent policy decision regarding missile defense in Central Europe and its public remarks about Israel and the Middle East peace process. The United States and our European allies must demonstrate a willingness to quickly impose meaningful sanctions against the regime in Iran. We can do so even if other nations like Russia and China refuse to join this effort, and we should. Finally, Congress needs to get serious about moving a sanctions bill, and it needs to do so now.”

Senators John F. Kerry and Richard Lugar praised their colleagues today for passing a bill that triples foreign aid to Pakistan, an ally with a nuclear arsenal that is beset by internal divisions and Islamic militants.

The bill they championed includes $1.5 billion a year over the next five years for democratic, economic, and social development assistance. It could win House passage as early as Friday, sending it to President Obama for his signature, the Associated Press reports.

Kerry broke the news of the Senate vote to Pakistan's foreign minister in a telephone call during a meeting in New York of senior diplomats pledging support for Pakistan. The room broke out into applause, reports the Globe's Farah Stockman.

President Obama also attended that meeting, where he said he wanted to "reaffirm my country’s deep commitment to the people of Pakistan."

(His full remarks are below.)

"This Act represents a collaboration between both Democrats and Republicans, in both Senate and the House, to forge a new long-term relationship between the people of America and Pakistan. The fact that President Obama was able to announce this at the United Nations sends an important message to Pakistan and the world of our strengthened commitment to this relationship," Kerry said in a statement.

“I am delighted by the action of my colleagues today—and by the unanimity displayed in the Senate vote. This landmark piece of legislation is the product of careful consultation between both Chambers, and both sides of the aisle: I salute my friends Dick Lugar and Howard Berman for their leadership. It is my hope and expectation that the House will pass this bill speedily, so that the President can sign it into law without delay.”

Lugar added, “The United States has an intense strategic interest in Pakistan and the surrounding region. The U.S. National Intelligence Estimate last year painted a bleak picture of the converging crises in Pakistan. A growing al-Qaeda sanctuary, an expanding Taliban insurgency, political brinksmanship, and a failing economy are intensifying turmoil and violence in that country. These circumstances are a threat to Pakistan, the region, and the United States.

“We should make clear to the people of Pakistan that our interests are focused on democracy, pluralism, stability, and the fight against terrorism. These are values supported by a large majority of the Pakistani people. If Pakistan is to break its debilitating cycle of instability, it will need to achieve progress on fighting corruption, delivering government services, and promoting broad based economic growth. The international community and the United States should support reforms that contribute to the strengthening of Pakistani civilian institutions.”

President Obama this morning became the first US commander in chief to preside at a United Nations Security Council session -- and he used the forum to renew his vision for a world free of nuclear weapons.

Calling the use and spread of nuclear weapons a "fundamental threat" to humankind, Obama said a single bomb detonated in a major city like New York would kill hundreds of thousands of people and destabilize the globe.

Aftter the 15-member council unanimously approved a draft resolution on nonproliferation, he announced that the United States will hold a summit next spring to work on enforcement.

“We harbor no illusions about the difficulty of bringing about a world without nuclear weapons," Obama told the council. "We know there are plenty of cynics, and that there will be setbacks to prove their point. But there will also be days like today that push us forward – days that tell a different story. It is the story of a world that understands that no difference or division is worth destroying all that we have built and all that we love. It is a recognition that can bring people of different nationalities and ethnicities and ideologies together. In my own country, it has brought Democrats and Republican leaders together.”

(His full remarks are below, followed by the White House release.)

He announced the goal in a speech in Prague in April, and said that the United States had a "moral responsibility" to lead because no other country has used one. The US has agreed to reduce its stockpile of nuclear weapons, has committed to negotiate a new strategic weapons reduction treaty with Russia, and is leading efforts to control nuclear material in the former Soviet Union.

As the Globe reported in June, another tool Obama is proposing is an internationally managed nuclear fuel bank, which could remove the "peaceful use" justification for Iran and other nations that might be trying to use a civilian nuclear program as cover to make nuclear weapons.

Many arms-control specialists consider the idea of a "fuel bank" controlled by the International Atomic Energy Agency a key way to test the sincerity of Iranian leaders, who maintain that their enrichment program is only for civilian use and necessary because they cannot be assured of energy supplies from other countries.

Senator John F. Kerry, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement applauding the resolution's passage.

“I commend the President for reasserting American leadership on the vital issue of nuclear nonproliferation and for securing unanimous Security Council approval of an important resolution. The world has long looked to our nation to lead in combating nuclear proliferation, and today’s action by the Security Council demonstrates the concrete benefits to our own nation’s security that can be achieved when the United States takes up that mantle of leadership.

“With this resolution the Security Council has called upon all states to follow the United States’ lead and take on the goal of securing all of the world’s vulnerable nuclear material in four years. It has also put governments of the world on notice that the international community will not tolerate cynical efforts to take advantage of the rights to peaceful nuclear energy that are enshrined in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) in the pursuit of nuclear weapons.

“I am especially pleased that the Security Council has called upon states to adopt stricter export controls over sensitive nuclear equipment and technology, will address any move by a state to withdraw from the NPT, and has affirmed that a state that withdraws from the NPT remains responsible for any violations of the Treaty that it committed before withdrawal.”

The White House also released a joint statement from former Secretary of State George Shultz, former Secretary of Defense William Perry, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and former Senator Sam Nunn, who in 2007 penned a widely circulated opinion piece also calling for a nuclear weapons-free world.

"The Summit in the UN Security Council brings much-needed global focus to the risks posed by the spread of nuclear weapons, nuclear know-how and nuclear material. By convening heads of state, the meeting can help build the necessary political will around the urgent steps required to reduce nuclear dangers," they said.

"The four of us have come together in a nonpartisan effort, deeply committed to building support for a global effort to reduce reliance on nuclear weapons, to prevent their spread into potentially dangerous hands, and ultimately to end them as a threat to the world. We remain committed to working toward this vision and advancing the steps essential to achieve this goal. We welcome the leadership of the U.S. administration in this effort."

House Republican leaders added their voices today to those who say the focus on health care on Capitol Hill is crowding out other crucial issues, namely what to do in Afghanistan.

“With Afghanistan now becoming such a very troublesome issue, we should be making progress on health care so it doesn’t get in the way of a very, very important national security issue,” Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the No. 2 House Republican, told reporters after a private GOP meeting. “Central Asia is the Persian Gulf of the 21st century. We are foolish to be ignoring that threat right now."

"Health care in this building has made it so that it seems we can't get anything else done. We have burning issues out there is this country," Cantor added.

Obama, who is weighing a revamped strategy for Afghanistan and whether to send even more reinforcements than the 21,000 he has already dispatched, is likely to need Republican support for whatever he decides because the vast majority of Democrats are opposed to any escalation of the US mission.

"With all the attention there is on health care, the attention that needs to be paid to what is happening in Afghanistan isn’t happening,” added Representative John Boehner, the House Republican leader.

He and other key lawmakers have demanded that General Stanley McChrystal, the top US commander in Afghanistan, appear before House and Senate committees to explain his report to the White House that calls for additional troops.

"What strategy does he believe is going to be necessary in order to secure Afghanistan so that we deny the Taliban and al Qaeda a safe haven from which to train, operate and organize to come after Americans again? And so, we need General McChrystal up here as soon as possible to help members understand. I think the President ought to take his request as soon as possible,” Boehner added.

“I do believe that there is a lot of danger in the delay. First, with insufficient troops in the field, we put the troops that we do have there at greater risk. Secondly, if the President doesn’t come to a decision soon—what will happen is— we will miss the window of getting more troops into the theater as the spring thaw occurs, when the additional troops are going to be necessary. And so, I would hope that the timetable that’s been discussed by the Administration gets sped up, and gets sped up rapidly.”

As the Globe reported on Monday, some lawmakers and advocates are chafing that the sluggish pace on a health care overhaul has backed up priorities including climate change, transportation, and financial regulation.

On Fox Business Network this afternoon, Boehner said House Democrats should realize that their plan, with a government-run public option, is not going to get through.

"They're still moving in the direction of those big government plan, high taxes and big deficits. At some point it's going to become clear that this can't pass. I don't know whether that's three weeks from now, four weeks from now, six weeks from now, but at some point it's going to become clear," Boehner said.

"And then they're going to have to make a decision - do they accept the defeat or do they hit the reset button and scrap all these big government ideas and work with Republicans to make our current system work better."

President Obama tapped Representative William Delahunt of Massachusetts and Partners Health Care board member Elaine Schuster today as US delegates to the United Nations General Assembly session this week.

They are joined by Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey, and as alternate representatives former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb and New York lawyer Laura Gore Ross.

The White House mini-biographies on them are below:

Before hosting a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, President Obama made clear today that he wants the stalled Mideast peace talks to pick up momentum again.

"Simply put it is past time to talk about starting negotiations -- it is time to move forward.  It is time to show the flexibility and common sense and sense of compromise that’s necessary to achieve our goals.  Permanent status negotiations must begin and begin soon.  And more importantly, we must give those negotiations the opportunity to succeed," he said after meeting separately with the two leaders.

"And so my message to these two leaders is clear," Obama added. "Despite all the obstacles, despite all the history, despite all the mistrust, we have to find a way forward.  We have to summon the will to break the deadlock that has trapped generations of Israelis and Palestinians in an endless cycle of conflict and suffering.  We cannot continue the same pattern of taking tentative steps forward and then stepping back.  Success depends on all sides acting with a sense of urgency."

But expectations for any kind of breakthrough are extremely low. Obama's Mideast envoy, former Senator George Mitchell of Maine, came home without any progress, particularly on the thorny issue of Israeli settlements on the West Bank.

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John F. Kerry sounded a note of hope.

“President Obama has shown a commendable commitment to making Middle East peace a priority," Kerry said in a statement. "I hope that today’s meeting between President Obama, Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas is the first step back to the negotiating table—and eventually toward a comprehensive peace. Progress towards peace requires bold steps from all sides. Ultimately, it’s up to Israeli, Palestinian and Arab leaders to seize this opportunity and match the President’s leadership.”

Obama's full remarks are below: 

Kicking off four days of meetings with world leaders, President Obama declared this morning that the international response to global warming will determine how history views their success.

"Our generation’s response to this challenge will be judged by history, for if we fail to meet it – boldly, swiftly, and together – we risk consigning future generations to an irreversible catastrophe," he said at a climate change summit in New York hosted by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

"It is true that for too many years, mankind has been slow to respond to or even recognize the magnitude of the climate threat. It is true of my own country as well. We recognize that. But this is a new day. It is a new era. And I am proud to say that the United States has done more to promote clean energy and reduce carbon pollution in the last eight months than at any other time in our history," he bragged.

The president cited new fuel efficiency standards for vehicles, clean energy investments in the economic stimulus package, and energy efficiency initiatives. He also noted that in June, the US House passed a landmark climate change bill that calls for a cap-and-trade system that includes a limit on carbon emissions and a market for pollution credits.

"We understand the gravity of the climate threat," Obama said. "We are determined to act. And we will meet our responsibility to future generations." (His full remarks are below.)

But with health care backing up legislation in the Senate -- and vehement opposition from Republicans and others to cap-and-trade, it is uncertain at best that Obama will be able to deliver a signed, sealed, and delivered climate change law in time for a major global warming summit in December in Copenhagen, where advocates hope a groundbreaking agreement is approved.

Indeed, Obama is being upstaged at today's UN meeting by news that China will unveil plans to aggressively increase its energy saving programs to combat climate change.

Obama has a busy schedule on the world stage the rest of the week.

Today, he huddles separately with the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, then brings together Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for a trilateral meeting. Later, he meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Wednesday, Obama delivers his first speech to the UN General Assembly and meets with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. Thursday, the president presides over a UN Security Council session on nuclear proliferation. And on Friday, Obama hosts the main session of the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh.

President Obama, who vows to "reset" the tense relationship with Russia, announced this morning he is removing a major point of dispute, scrapping plans for an elaborate missile defense system in Europe.

But the decision is being met with disappointment among some NATO allies -- and is sure to lead to more accusations from the president's conservative critics that he is soft on national defense.

In a hastily-called White House announcement, Obama said his new approach will provide "stronger, smarter, and swifter defenses" of US forces and the US mainland.

He said is committed to deploying strong missile defenses -- but those that respond to 21st century threats that are adaptable, utilize proven technology, and are cost effective.

(Obama's remarks are below, followed by the White House "fact sheet" on the new approach.)

Obama's move overturns another Bush administration policy -- it announced in 2007 planned to put 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic. While the US insisted that the system was not aimed at Russia but instead at Iran and other potential rogue nuclear states, Russia adamantly opposed the missile shield and issued bellicose threats against the countries that would have hosted it.

The US also needs Russia's help in diplomatic moves to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions.

Obama said that a seven-month review concludes Iranian short- and medium-range missiles are a greater threat than long-range missiles, and those missiles could be defended with other systems.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates followed up Obama's announcement by telling reporters that better sensors and interceptors allow the US to more quickly deploy a missile defense system in southern Europe (reports suggest Turkey) and on Aegis ships.

Gates said the new approach is better than the one he recommended to President George W. Bush nearly three years ago and that it means deployment six or seven years earlier, filling in the gap until 2015 when an upgraded missile shield can be deployed in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, backed Obama on the change.

“President Obama’s decision to restructure missile defense in Europe is correct and timely," Kerry said in a statement. "Proven technologies and responsible diplomacy must be at the core of missile defense in Europe, and now is the time to press forward with the more flexible missile defense architecture that the President and Secretary Gates have chosen. NATO is the bedrock of our security, whether a country is at the geographic heart of the alliance or on its frontiers. The President’s new proposal will provide a stronger and more effective defense for American forces and our NATO allies."

Representative Ike Skelton of Missouri, the Democratic chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, also generally endorsed Obama's move.

“While I look forward to reviewing the details of the President’s plan, it appears the new missile defense strategy for Europe is a comprehensive approach that will counter the most immediate missile threats from Iran and protect our allies and our troops in the region," he said in a statement.

“As a practical matter, deployment of the European third site was still a long way away. This new approach, which has the support of both the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, focuses our resources where they will do the most good. The plan is also consistent with NATO’s policy that the deployment of ballistic missile defenses be prioritized according to the imminence of the threat and the level of acceptable risk.”

But Senator Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, called the decision "dangerous and short-sighted."

"Not only does this decision leave America vulnerable to the growing Iranian long-range missile threat, it also turns back the clock to the days of the Cold War, when Eastern Europe was considered the domain of Russia. This will be a bitter disappointment, indeed, even a warning to the people of Eastern Europe," Kyl said in a statement.

"The message the administration sends today is clear: the United States will not stand behind its friends and views 're-setting' relations with Russia more important. This is wrong!"

Representative John Boehner, the top House Republican, also blasted Obama's decision.

“Scrapping the US missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic does little more than empower Russia and Iran at the expense of our allies in Europe," Boehner said in a statement. "It shows a willful determination to continue ignoring the threat posed by some of the most dangerous regimes in the world, while taking one of the most important defenses against Iran off the table. Since taking control of Congress, House Democrats have cut our missile defense budget by $1.2 billion, undermining our commitment to our allies and weakening our national security. I urge the President to reconsider this ill-advised decision, stand with our allies, and do what’s right for the safety and security of the American people.”

Another Republican, Representative Roy Blunt of Missouri, went as far as to accuse Obama of appeasement.

“Seventy years ago today, the Soviet Union invaded Poland. And, today, at the Russians’ request, the Obama Administration has agreed to abandon the missile defense shield developed to protect our close allies in Eastern Europe," Blunt said in a statement.

“The administration’s decision to scrap the missile defense plan is incredibly shortsighted and comes at the expense of our allies in the War on Terror....Appeasement of dangerous nations does not inspire peace. We must stand firm and send the signal that we will not back down when the safety of Americans and our allies is at stake.”

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- Even as President Obama said today that he won't make a quick decision on an expected Pentagon request to send more US troops to Afghanistan, senior White House officials gave a long-awaited confidential briefing to members of Congress on the benchmarks that the administration intends to use to measure the success of the military mission there.

The metrics, which Obama promised in a high profile speech in March, were meant to send the message that the White House has narrowly tailored its objectives in Afghanistan to focus on terrorism. At the time, Obama announced that he was sending 21,000 more US troops, bringing the force to about 68,000 by year's end, and said he would demand measurable progress.

But some of the 40 or so lawmakers who attended today's briefing complained that the administration's benchmarks describe a far more open-ended commitment in Afghanistan.

"The stated goal is rhetorically narrowing the missions but it is anything but that," said Senator Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "There is no question in my mind based on the metrics that have been laid out that this is nation-building."

Senator Robert Casey Jr., a Pennsylvania Democrat who serves on the same committee, offered a more generous assessment, but said he, too is "not yet satisfied."

He also said the White House should make the metrics public as soon as possible. "They need to be out there," he said. "The American people need frequent reporting."

The list of 46 metrics, obtained by the Globe and first posted online by Foreign Policy, includes some obvious measures of success, such as the percentage of the population living under insurgent control and the capabilities and size of the Afghan national army. But the list also contained some nontraditional measures, such as support for human rights, the ability of the Afghan government to collect taxes, and the ability to hold credible elections.

Click here to see the metrics.

President Obama signaled today that he won't make a quick decision on an expected Pentagon request to send more US troops to Afghanistan.

"My determination is to get this right," Obama said after meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose country is part of the coalition fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Obama has already sent 21,000 more US troops, bringing the force to about 65,000 by year's end. But the top US commander in Afghanistan is expected to formally seek more reinforcements, and the nation's top military officer told a Senate committee yesterday he will support that request.

But several key Democrats in Congress have said in recent days that they are very wary of sending more troops.

"When I came in, I had to make a series of immediate decisions about sending additional troops to ensure that the election could take place during the fighting season. But I was crystal clear at the time that post-election we were going to need to do an additional assessment," Obama told reporters.

"General McChrystal has carried out his own assessment on the military's strategy, but it's important that we also do an assessment on the civilian side, the diplomatic side, the development side, that we analyze the results of the election, and then make further decisions moving forward."

And if there were any doubt, Obama went on, "I just want to be absolutely clear, because there's a lot -- been a lot of discussion in the press about this, that there is no immediate decision pending on resources.

"Because one of the things that I'm absolutely clear about is you have to get the strategy right and then make the determinations about resources. You don't make determinations about resources, and certainly you don't make determinations about sending young men and women into battle, without having absolute clarity about what the strategy's going to be."

The president also said he was "extremely grateful" to the Canadian armed forces for fighting with staying power and suffering losses.

While welcoming the additional US presence, Harper said he was concerned by the strength of the insurgency.

(Their full remarks are below.)

UPDATE: Senator John F. Kerry, presiding over a hearing today on Afghanistan, voiced the concerns of many Democrats.

"Frankly, I am concerned by where we are today in Afghanistan -- about the rising number of casualties among our troops and those of our allies, about the deeply flawed presidential voting that took place, about the impunity with which drug traffickers operate, and about the rampant corruption undermining the faith of Afghans in their government and ours," he said at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

"And most of all, I am concerned because at the very moment when our troops and our allies’ troops are sacrificing more and more, our plan, our path and our progress seem to be growing less and less clear."

(His full prepared remarks are below.)

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- The One Laptop Per Child Foundation, the Cambridge-based computer company, is now billing itself as a tool in the counter-insurgency campaign against Islamic extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Today on Capitol Hill, its founder, Nicholas Negroponte, is appearing with the ambassadors of both Afghanistan and Pakistan to the United States and with Senator John McCain to make a pitch for spreading the low-cost, child-friendly computers across the Pashtun belt. (Click here
to see the flier.)

In the past, the foundation was best known for its efforts in Africa as it works with governments of developing countries to bring laptops to poor schoolchildren. Negroponte originally aimed for $100 computers, but last year had to raise its price to more than $200 because of rising costs.

By Stephanie Vallejo, Globe correspondent

WASHINGTON -- President Obama's nominees for ambassador to Spain and Norway -- Massachusetts residents Alan Solomont and Barry B. White -- touted their commitment to public service and leadership before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today as they moved a step closer to confirmation.

Democratic fund-raiser Alan Solomont of Weston, nominated as the chief US envoy to Spain, highlighted his roots in community organizing and his experience as the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees national service programs.

“I am grateful to have served at a time when support for national and community service has never been greater,” Solomont testified at the confirmation hearing presided over by Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. “I hope to showcase this important American tradition at embassy Madrid.”

White, the nominee for envoy to Norway and an executive board member of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and director of the Massachusetts Alliance for International Business, noted his work as chair of Lex Mundi, an association of independent law firms, in developing its pro bono foundation serving social entrepreneurs worldwide.

White also spoke of Norway’s role in promoting human rights and democracy internationally, its healthy trade relationship with the United States, and its potential as a partner in energy and environmental matters.

The nation's top military officer, seeking another term in the job, will face some tough questions on Afghanistan before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is preaching patience, telling the Globe recently that it will take 12 months to 18 months to turn around the mission after it received short shrift during the war in Iraq.

But patience appears to be running out in Congress and in the public as the US death toll rises eight years into the war.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Armed Services chairman Carl Levin both made highly public statements last week to express deep skepticism about an expected request to send more US troops, beyond the 21,000 that President Obama has already dispatched.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released this morning found public support for the war at its lowest point. In the survey, conducted Friday through Sunday, 39 percent of respondents said they favor the war and 58 percent said they oppose it.

As recently as May, a majority supported the war in the CNN poll. But July and August were each the bloodiest of the war for US forces.

UPDATE: Mullen told the committee that winning in Afghanistan "probably means more forces," though he said he does not know how many troops the top military commander in the country will seek.

"It's very clear to me that we will need more resources," to carry out the new counterinsurgency strategy, Mullen said, according to the Associated Press.

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- After a string of high-profile skepticism from Democrats in Congress about the war in Afghanistan, Senator John F. Kerry will also express concern in an interview airing Tuesday on PBS and in hearings he will preside over on Wednesday ("Countering the Threat of Failure") and Thursday ("Exploring Three Strategies for Afghanistan") as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Key Democrats have done their best to preempt any potential request for more troops from Obama. At a press conference on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she did not believe there was much support for sending more troops. In a floor speech on Friday, Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin said he wants to see an increase in Afghanistan's armed forces before committing more US troops.

Tuesday on "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," Kerry will express his own "long-standing concerns" about whether the current military footprint in Afghanistan is the best way to achieve US goals, according to Kerry communications director Frederick Jones.

But Jones said that Kerry, who first made his name opposing the Vietnam war, will "reserve final judgment on troop levels and our policy writ large until he hears from the administration and military leaders."

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- President Obama has planned a whirlwind 2 1/2 day schedule at the United Nations later this month, going well beyond the traditional routine for US presidents.

In addition to the annual speech at the opening of the UN General Assembly on Sept. 23, the same day Obama will host a luncheon for African heads of state and hold a separate gathering for the largest contributors to peacekeeping. The next day, he will preside over an unusual summit meeting of the Security Council on arms control. In addition, Obama will speak at the Secretary General's Climate Change Summit.

"We are taking a new approach to the United Nations," UN ambassador Susan Rice told reporters today, adding: "We're rolling up our sleeves" to push for changes from within rather than "criticizing from the outside."

But the ambitious schedule is also likely to lead to some moments of discomfort. The Security Council summit will feature heads of state -- rare for the 15-nation body -- and that gives Muammar Gaddafi, the unpredictable leader of Libya, a high-profile platform.

But efforts have been taken to prevent awkward encounters. Obama will not bump into Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the American reception that he is hosting on Sept. 23 because Iran is not invited.

Rice said US officials will meet with their counterparts from Britain, France, China, Russia, and Germany to discuss the appropriate response to a five-page letter from Iran pledging to "embark on comprehensive, all-encompassing and constructive negotiations."

The letter did not name the nuclear program as an issue for the talks, and US officials said Thursday that it did not go far enough to address international concerns.

But Rice took a softer tone.

"We are going to take the time very carefully over the next days an weeks to evaluate the Iranian response," she said. "I don't want to prejudge the outcome of our assessment."

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration seems poised to commit significantly more blood and treasure to Afghanistan for the next three years to try to turn the tide of the insurgency there.

A copy of the yet-to-be-officially-released plan submitted to the president by the top US commander in Afghanistan, Army General Stanley McChrystal, and the US ambassador in Kabul, Karl Eikenberry, spells out how the dream team in Kabul hopes to execute their mission over the next three years, with special emphasis on showing measurable success within the "crucial window" of 12 to 18 months.

The report, obtained by Politico (click here to view it), sets out an ambitious agenda of improving local governance in Afghanistan, improving access to jobs, credit and justice, and protecting the population among other things. They plan to fight drug traffickers and corruption as well.

Although no budget numbers or troop levels are attached to the document, the 41-page report dated Aug. 10 mentions that the effort in Afghanistan "requires a commitment to provide military commanders and civilians on the ground with the resources they need to execute the president's strategy. This is based on a strong recognition that the effort in Afghanistan to date has lack unity of effort and the resources for success."

The nation’s top military officer told the Globe on Aug. 25 that due to years of neglect and focus on Iraq, the United States is "starting over" in Afghanistan despite President Obama sending 21,000 additional troops.

Acknowledging that public support for the war is waning, Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the US operation needs “12 to 18 months to turn this thing around.’’ "It is doable, but it is going to take some time,’’ he said, urging Americans to be patient.

The White House expressed its dismay today to Israeli plans to expand settlements on the West Bank -- one of the thorniest issues that is a major irritant in US-Israeli relations.

Aides to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today he would approve hundreds of new housing units in the settlements before considering a temporary freeze in construction, the Associated Press reports. The aides said any freeze would not encompass building the new units and finishing some 2,500 others currently under construction.

"We regret the reports of Israel's plans to approve additional settlement construction.  Continued settlement activity is inconsistent with Israel's commitment under the Roadmap," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said in the statement.
‪
"As the President has said before, the United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement expansion and we urge that it stop.  We are working to create a climate in which negotiations can take place, and such actions make it harder to create such a climate.

"We do appreciate Israel's stated intent to place limits on settlement activity and will continue to discuss this with the Israelis as these limitations are defined. The US commitment to Israel’s security is and will remain unshakeable.  We believe it can best be achieved through comprehensive peace in the region, including a two-state solution with a Palestinian state living side by side in peace with Israel. That is the ultimate goal to which the President is deeply and personally committed.

"Our objective remains to resume meaningful negotiations as soon as possible in pursuit of this goal.  We are working with all parties – Israelis, Palestinians, and Arab states -- on the steps they must take to achieve that objective."   

By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff

The nation's top military officer, in a deeply pessimistic assessment of the war in Afghanistan, said today that due to years of neglect the United States is basically "starting over" in its battle against the radical Taliban movement and its Al Qaeda allies.

Acknowledging that public support for the war is waning, Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the US operation needs "12 to 18 months to turn this thing around."

"It is doable, but it is going to take some time," he said, urging Americans to be patient.

With the intense focus until recently on fighting the war in Iraq -- where the United States plans to keep nearly twice as many troops as in Afghanistan until at least early next year -- he said that the Taliban is far more potent than it was during the US invasion in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Its alliance with Osama bin Laden and other leaders of the Al Qaeda terrorist network, who he said are hiding in neighboring Pakistan's lawless border region, is also stronger than ever, he said.

"This is the eighth year, but there is a newness here," Mullen told Globe reporters and editors today. "There is a starting again, or starting over. Iraq has been the focus, it hasn't been Afghanistan."

Mullen's wide-ranging interview came on a particularly bloody day in Afghanistan. Five car bombs simultaneously hit Kandahar, the country's largest southern city, killing at least 41 people. And four more US troops were killed by another bomb in southern Afghanistan, bringing the August total to 41 and making this year the deadliest yet of the war for American forces.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll this month found that 51 percent of Americans now say that the war is not worth fighting and that only 24 percent support sending more troops. President Obama, in a speech last week to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, conceded that the fighting has become more fierce, but called Afghanistan "a war of necessity."

Military commanders on the ground told Richard Holbrooke, the president's special envoy, over the weekend that the force was not big enough to defeat the Taliban, particularly in southern and eastern Afghanistan. The United States currently has about 68,000 troops dedicated to the war in Afghanistan, including 21,000 additional forces ordered by Obama earlier this year who are still flowing into the country.

Mullen, however, said he is awaiting a new assessment by the top commander in Afghanistan, Army General Stanley McChrystal, before making any recommendations on whether more US troops are needed to take on an increasingly emboldened Taliban.

But Mullen indicated that he believes that, at a minimum, more specialists will be needed to train the Afghan security forces. "We all believe there is going to be a need to accelerate the training of the Afghanistan security forces, army and police, and that is going to take additional trainers," he said.

Mullen, who became the nation's top military officer in October 2007, visited patients at the Veterans Affairs medical center in Jamaica Plain earlier today and plans to speak Wednesday at a Harvard Medical School conference about traumatic brain injuries, which have become much more common among combat troops.

The Bush State Department declared the horrific violence in Darfur a genocide. President Obama, as a candidate, pledged to do more.

But US policy toward Sudan seems to be in wait-and-see mode, so activists are going public today with their disappointment, trying to light a fire under the president/

A coalition of anti-genocide advocacy organizations launched a campaign called "Sudan Now: Keep the Promise" to challenge the Obama administration to live up to promises by taking strong and immediate action to help end the crisis in Sudan, where as many as 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million have been displaced.

The coalition -- which includes Humanity United, the Enough Project at the Center for American Progress, Stop Genocide Now, and Investors Against Genocide -- bought full-page ads in several newspapers to press home that message.

The ads feature past statements made by President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. The ads are to run in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and two papers on Martha's Vineyard, where Obama is vacationing this week.

(Click here to see an ad.)

The coalition says the situation in Sudan is urgent with nearly 3 million Darfuris living in squalid camps and the possibility of a full-scale civil war before a 2011 vote on splitting the country.

Some of the activists have been critical of Scott Gration, Obama's special envoy to the Sudan, for what they see as too much emphasis on carrots for the Sudanese government to cooperate rather than sticks, or the threat of punitive action.

“On numerous occasions, President Obama has spoken eloquently -- and firmly -- about the urgency of the situation in Sudan and America’s responsibility to help bring lasting peace and stability to the people of that country,” Randy Newcomb, president and CEO of Humanity United, said in a statement. “Such conviction demands strong action.”

In his first extended comments on the Afghanistan presidential election, President Obama called it "an important step forward" for Afghans taking control of their future in the face of violent extremists.

"This election was won by the Afghan people," he said on the South Lawn of the White House before leaving for Camp David, then a week on Martha's Vineyard starting Sunday.

The balloting Thursday was marred by some violence, but officials asserted that enough voters braved threats from the Taliban to make the election a success.

"We knew the Taliban would try to derail this election," Obama said, arguing that they failed because of the numbers of voters and the record number of women running for office.

Obama has dispatched 21,000 more US troops to Afghanistan to battle the Taliban, root out Al Qaeda elements along the Pakistan border, and to support the Afghan government.

Obama reiterated that his administration did not support one candidate or another, but wanted a free and fair election. (His full remarks are below.)

While the election commission doesn't plan to release partial preliminary results until Tuesday and final preliminary results until Sept. 3, many observers expect President Hamid Karzai and chief challenger Abdullah Abdullah to move on to a second round of voting.

Some worry about that runoff will exacerbate ethnic tensions between Pashtun supporters of Karzai and Tajiks who back Abdullah. Reuters reports that Obama's special envoy to the country, Richard Holbrooke, urged both camps today to control post-election tensions and wait for the official results.

Two New England officials in the Obama administration will be part of the official delegation to the funeral of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, the White House announced this afternoon.

Harold Koh, the former Yale Law School dean who is now chief legal adviser to the State Department, will attend the services on Sunday. So will Stephen Bosworth, dean of Tufts' Fletcher School of Diplomacy who is now Obama's special envoy to North Korea.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright will lead the delegation, the White House said.

The full delegation is below:

The US is closely watching the presidential election Thursday in Afghanistan, where more than 60,000 American troops are taking on the Taliban, trying to root out al Qaeda, and seeking to further a stable society.

Senator John F. Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued his own statement today about what's at stake.

“The Afghan people are demonstrating tremendous courage in defying threats of violence and pursuing democracy in their elections. The fact that dozens of candidates, including two women, are competing for President and thousands of candidates, including about 300 women, are running for provincial council seats is a testament to Afghans’ commitment to having a democracy that works," the Massachusetts Democrat said.

“Ultimately, the success of the elections will be judged by the Afghan people. Americans share Afghans’ hopes for a credible, legitimate, and inclusive process where all those that want to vote, including women, have the opportunity to do so safely. The United States does not support any one candidate in tomorrow’s contest; we will continue to work with the elected representatives of the Afghan people to help bring peace and stability to their country.”

President Obama met today with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who made some news by hinting that he will seek another term in office though he's 81 years old.

After their huddle, Obama told reporters that the two discussed the Middle East peace process, Iran's apparent nuclear program, and Iraq, among other pressing issues.

"We obviously have a lot of great challenges that have to be dealt with, and we are continuing to work together to find those areas where we can find common ground and to work in concert to bring peace and security to the region," Obama said.

"I want to thank the government of Egypt for being an Arab country that has moved forward to try to strengthen Iraq as it emerges from a wartime footing and a transition to a more stable democracy," the president added.

Obama said he was encouraged by what he called "movement in the right direction" on Israeli settlements in the West Bank, a thorny issue that is a major source of friction between the US and Israel.

"I'm encouraged by some of the things that I'm seeing on the ground. We've been seeing reports in the West Bank, in particular, that check points have been removed in some situations. The security forces of the Palestinian Authority have greatly improved, and have been able to deal with the security situation on the West Bank in a way that has inspired, not just confidence among the Israeli people, but also among the Palestinian people," he said.

"There's been some increased economic activity on the West Bank. All of this is creating a climate in which it is possible for us to see some positive steps and, hopefully, negotiate towards a final resolution of these long-standing issues."

Obama chose Cairo, Egypt's capital, as the setting for his major speech to the Muslim world in May.

"The importance of the Cairo visit was very appreciated by the Muslim and Islamic world because the Islamic world had thoughts that the U.S. was against Islam, but his great, fantastic address there has removed all those doubts," Mubarak said.

Their full remarks are below:

President Obama offered his condolences today after the death of Kim Dae-jung, the democracy activist imprisoned by South Korea's military dictators who later became the country's president and Nobel laureate.

He died in Seoul today of pneumonia at age 85.

"I was saddened at the passing of former President Kim Dae-jung of the Republic of Korea, a courageous champion of democracy and human rights. President Kim risked his life to build and lead a political movement that played a crucial role in establishing a dynamic democratic system in the Republic of Korea," Obama said in a statement. "His service to his country, his tireless efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula, and his personal sacrifices on behalf of freedom are inspirational and should never be forgotten. On behalf of the American people, I extend my condolences to his family and to the Korean people."

Staying on foreign policy, President Obama issued statements this afternoon praising the release of an American who got caught up in the internal politics of Burma and expressing concern about an apparent bombing in a restive Russian republic.

On the bombing, he said, "I am deeply troubled about reports of a suicide bombing today in Nazran, Ingushetiya that has resulted in the tragic loss of at least 20 lives and 138 injured. There can be no justification for such an act of terrorism. This latest attack highlights the concerning increase in violence in the region affecting officials and civilians alike. Our condolences go out to the Government of Russia and the families of victims."

And on the release of John Yettaw, whose swim to visit democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi gave Burma's military junta the pretext to extend her house arrest for 18 months, White House spokesman said on Obama's behalf, "The President is pleased that Senator Webb has facilitated the release of American citizen John Yettaw from detention in Burma. He appreciates this decision by the Burmese government. The President also notes that in addition to meeting with head of state Than Shwe, Senator Webb was able to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, the first meeting by a U.S. official with her for many years. We urge the Burmese leadership in this spirit to release all the political prisoners it is holding in detention or in house arrest, including Aung San Suu Kyi."

President Obama, all about health care all the time recently, returned his attention today again to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

For the first time, an African-American commander-in-chief addressed the nation's largest group of combat veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Phoenix.

While Obama has been stumping for his health care plan, renewed violence is threatening the handover of security to the government in Iraq, where 130,000 US troops remain. Obama has pledged to withdraw all combat troops by next August.

"The transition to full Iraqi responsibility for their own security is now underway. This progress is a testament to all those who have served in Iraq, both uniformed and civilian. And our nation owes these Americans -- and all who have given their lives -- a profound debt of gratitude," Obama told 13,000 VFW members.

"As Iraqis take control of their destiny, they will be tested and targeted. Those who seek to sow sectarian division will attempt more senseless bombings, more killing of innocents. This we know," he added. "But as we move forward, the Iraqi people must know that the United States will keep its commitments."

In Afghanistan, US and coalition forces dealt with the bloodiest month yet in July and casualties are piling up this month as well in advance of a key national election. About 62,000 US troops are fighting there, including most of the 21,000 additional forces that Obama dispatched to lead a new strategy to root out al Qaeda and its Taliban allies in the remote border region with Pakistan.

"They've gone into new areas -- taking the fight to the Taliban in villages and towns where residents have been terrorized for years. They're adapting new tactics, knowing that it's not enough to kill extremists and terrorists; we also need to protect the Afghan people and improve their daily lives. And today, our troops are helping to secure polling places for this week's election so Afghans can choose the future that they want," Obama said.

"These new efforts have not been without a price. The fighting has been fierce. More Americans have given their lives. And as always, the thoughts and prayers of every American are with those who make the ultimate sacrifice in our defense. As I said when I announced this strategy, there will be more difficult days ahead. The insurgency in Afghanistan didn’t just happen overnight. And we won’t defeat it overnight. This will not be quick nor easy," the president added.

"But we must never forget. This is not a war of choice. This is a war of necessity. Those who attacked America on 9/11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which al Qaeda would plot to kill more Americans. This is not only a war worth fighting. This is fundamental to the defense of our people."

In his speech, the president also reprised "a vision American leadership" that amounts to the "Obama doctrine" on the use of military force: "I have made it a priority to enlist all elements of our national power in defense of our national security -- our diplomacy and development, our economic might, and our moral example. Because one of the best ways to lead our troops wisely is prevent the conflicts that cost American blood and treasure tomorrow."

"I will only send you into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary," he added. "When I do, it will be based on good intelligence and guided by a sound strategy. I will give you a clear mission, defined goals, and the equipment and support you need to get the job done."

The Obama doctrine also includes a top-to-bottom review of Pentagon spending and weapons procurement to root out waste and fraud. "We cannot build the 21st century military we need -- and maintain the fiscal responsibility that Americans demand -- unless we fundamentally reform the way our defense establishment does business," he said. "It's a simple fact. Every dollar wasted in our defense budget is a dollar we can't spend to care for our troops, or protect America, or prepare for the future."

He threw in a joke about an expensive new presidential helicopter he doesn't want: "Maybe you heard about this. Among its other capabilities, it would let me cook a meal while under nuclear attack. I’ll tell you something. If the United States of America is under nuclear attack, the last thing on my mind will be whipping up a snack."

Obama also stressed his efforts to help returning veterans, including the new GI Bill that includes enhanced educational benefits.

"We will fulfill our responsibility to our forces and our families," he said. "That is why we're increasing military pay, that's building better family housing and funding more childcare and counseling to help families cope with the stresses of war. And we've changed the rules so military spouses can better compete for federal jobs and pursue their careers.

"We will fulfill our responsibility to our wounded warriors. For those still in uniform, we're investing billions of dollars for more treatment centers, more case managers, and better medical care so our troops can recover and return to where they want to be -- with their units."

Many veterans are also wary about what a health care overhaul would mean to them, especially after the Obama administration initially floated the idea of charging vets' private insurance for treatment related to service injuries.

The proposal was designed to generate more than $540 million a year for the Department of Veterans Affairs, but after veterans' groups leaders complained in March, the White House said that the president, after hearing concerns that the proposal "might, under certain circumstances, affect veterans and their families' ability to access health care," has "instructed that its consideration be dropped."

To ease those concerns, Obama made a blanket promise today: "One thing that reform won't change is veterans health care. No one is going to take away your benefits. That is the plain and simple truth."

Obama's full remarks are below:

Samantha Power -- the Harvard professor, human rights activist, and award-winning author -- has a new gig inside the Obama administration: Coordinator of US government efforts to help refugees and other displaced people from the Iraq war.

An intriguing side note: In her new role, Power will work even more closely with the State Department, which is led by Hillary Rodham Clinton.

During the campaign, Power stepped down as an unpaid adviser to Obama after she caused a huge uproar by calling Clinton a "monster" who was "stooping to anything" to win the Democratic nomination.

But after the election, Power reached out to Clinton, she was included in the transition team for the State Department, and she and Clinton have crossed paths.

Here's the statement this afternoon from White House spokesman Robert Gibbs:

"President Obama has long made clear that the United States is committed to working closely with the Iraqi government to aid Iraqis who have been displaced or are otherwise vulnerable as a result of the violence in Iraq. Since April, the United States has made available approximately $196 million in additional support for these populations for a total of $346 million to date in FY 2009.

"Further to discussions that took place during Prime Minister Maliki’s recent meetings in Washington, President Obama is pleased to announce that Samantha Power, Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at the National Security Council in the White House, will coordinate the efforts of the many parts of the U.S. government on Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), including the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense.

"We are also pleased to announce that Mark Storella, a Senior Foreign Service officer who recently served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Geneva, has arrived in Baghdad to take up the post of Senior Coordinator for Iraqi Refugees and Displaced Persons. Storella will coordinate our government’s work in Iraq on refugees and IDPs, and will represent the United States in its dealings with the Iraqi Government, the international community, and non-governmental organizations on these issues."

President Obama today protested the conviction and sentencing of Burmese human rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi.

"The conviction and sentencing of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi today on charges related to an uninvited intrusion into her home violate universal principles of human rights, run counter to Burma’s commitments under the ASEAN charter, and demonstrate continued disregard for UN Security Council statements. I join the international community in calling for Aung San Suu Kyi’s immediate unconditional release," Obama said in a statement issued through the White House.

"Today’s unjust decision reminds us of the thousands of other political prisoners in Burma who, like Aung San Suu Kyi, have been denied their liberty because of their pursuit of a government that respects the will, rights, and aspirations of all Burmese citizens. They, too, should be freed. Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. I call on the Burmese regime to heed the views of its own people and the international community and to work towards genuine national reconciliation.

"I am also concerned by the sentencing of American citizen John Yettaw to seven years in prison, a punishment out of proportion with his actions."

Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, added his concern.

“The Burmese dictatorship is making a serious mistake by sentencing Aung San Suu Kyi to additional imprisonment. She never should have been arrested, much less convicted on meritless charges. Aung San Suu Kyi, American John Yettaw, and the other political prisoners held by the junta must be freed immediately. The junta’s actions cast serious doubt on the potential for legitimate elections next year and only reinforce longstanding international concerns about the military junta’s treatment of its own people," Kerry said in a statement.

“The Burmese dictatorship should understand that only a good-faith effort to start a dialogue with the political opposition and improvement of its deplorable human rights record can lead to better relations with the United States and the rest of the world. The junta’s latest unjust and short-sighted actions only serves to move the government further down the path of continued international isolation.”

The White House this afternoon put out the joint communique from President Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

The statement says that the response to the swine flu was a good example of teamwork, promises greater cooperation on trade and crime, and vows to address climate change.

Obama said at a joint news conference that in the 21st century, North American is not as much about borders between the three countries, as the bonds among them.

The transcript of the news conference is below, followed by their full joint statement and their declarations on climate change and the swine flu:

It's usually White House spokesman Robert Gibbs who has to clarify remarks by administration officials when they veer off message -- like when two top economic advisers suggested over the weekend that President Obama might raise taxes on the middle class to pay for healthcare or cut the deficit.

But today, Gibbs had to clarify some of his own words.

In his daily briefing on Tuesday, he called Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the "elected leader" of that country that is one of the diciest foreign policy challenges for Obama. That description raised eyebrows because opposition leaders in Iran have questioned the fairness of the election, and so have US and other Western observers.

Today, Gibbs told reporters on Air Force One that want to "correct a little bit of what I said yesterday. I denoted that Mr. Ahmadinejad was the elected leader of Iran. I would say it's not for me to pass judgment on. He's been inaugurated, that's a fact. Whether any election was fair, obviously the Iranian people still have questions about that and we'll let them decide that. But I would simply say he's been inaugurated and we know that is simply a fact.

Asked whether he recognized him as Iran's leader, elected fairly or not, Gibbs replied, "It's not for -- it's not for me or for us to denote his legitimacy, except to acknowledge the fact."

Does the White House believe the election was fair, Gibbs was asked.

"That's not for us to pass judgment on," Gibbs replied. "I think that's for the Iranian people to decide, and obviously there are many that still have a lot of questions."

Some of those closest to former President Bill Clinton have not forgiven Bill Richardson for turning his back on his wife and endorsing Barack Obama instead last year.

But he tried -- and succeeded -- in mimicking his erstwhile buddy on a high-stakes diplomatic mission to North Korea.

Clinton arrived Monday in Pyongyang to try to bring back two American journalists who were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for illegally entering the country while on a reporting trip in March.

Late today, the North Korean official news agency announced that the two journalists had received a "special pardon" and would be released.

As president, Clinton appointed Richardson as UN ambassador and energy secretary and dispatched him on several high-level diplomatic missions while he was in Congress, including direct talks with then-Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Richardson also went on similar private missions to North Korea, negotiating the release of two Americans.

Despite personal arm-twisting, including watching the Super Bowl together, Richardson backed Obama instead of Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is now Obama's secretary of state. Former Clinton adviser James Carville, in accusing Richardson of betraying the Clintons, compared the New Mexico governor to the Biblical Judas.

After news of the expected release, Richardson said Clinton achieved the immediate objective, but the mission also "improves the atmospherics between the two countries."

"The relationship is really in bad shape right now," Richardson said on CNN. "There's enormous tension. There's literally no dialogue. So, maybe what the bonus would be is President Clinton's visit could get both sides just to start talking. But I bet you there are no negotiations on nuclear issues going on."

Asked what the North Koreans won from the trip, Richardson replied, "One, they get international press over the visit of a former president. North Koreans have always wanted President Clinton to come, other American presidents....Also, Kim Jong-il shores up his domestic base. He shows his people that he can deliver a former president to come to North Korea. He helps them also with a succession issue. It's obvious he is not well. He's thinking about leaving power to one of his three sons. So, domestically it gives him that strength."

"Now, what else does North Korea get? They get the fact that the United States sent a very high-level emissary to talk to them. The North Koreans have always wanted to talk to us directly. They don't like the six-party talks of South Korea, Japan, China, Russia. They want to go directly."

The full interview is below:

President Obama's special envoy to Sudan told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today that US sanctions on the country as a state sponsor of terror is hurting efforts to bring peace and ease suffering in the war-torn nation.

Scott Gration called the sanctions a "political decision" and said that the United States was going to have to "unwind" them.

Advocacy groups for the people of Darfur, where hundreds of thousands have been made refugees or killed, were cautious in their reaction.

"We were encouraged to hear unequivocally from Gen. Gration that he and the Obama administration are pursuing a balanced approach which includes both carrots and sticks as levers to change Khartoum's behavior," Jerry Fowler, president of the Save Darfur Coalition, said in a statement. "We are, however, seriously doubtful of Khartoum's true intention and ability to make good on their promises, and urge Senators to follow up swiftly with Gen. Gration on the classified details of this plan to ensure that it's sufficiently robust to get the job done."

Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, the committee's chairman, also called for a comprehensive approach.

"Many discussions of US-Sudan policy here in Washington continue to center on the question of whether we should use carrots versus sticks -- i.e. rewards or punishments -- to influence Sudan’s leaders in Khartoum.
When I visited Sudan in April of this year, I came away convinced that we need to build a strategic framework that moves beyond simple oppositions like carrots versus sticks or the South versus Darfur. Instead, we need a nuanced, comprehensive strategy for Sudan as a whole," Kerry said in remarks opening the hearing.

His full prepared remarks are below:

President Obama -- having quelled the controversy over his remarks on the arrest of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and still pushing a healthcare overhaul in Congress -- moved on this morning to another major priority, namely US-China relations.

He addressed the first "Strategic and Economic Dialogue" between the two economic and military behemoths, which he called an "essential step" in creating a positive and comprehensive relationship.

"It's important to get our relationship off to a good start," Obama said, citing no less an authority than Yao Ming, the NBA star who is a huge presence in his home country that new or old team members need to time to adjust.

From "Boston to Beijing," the 20th century brought great progress to both countries, but at a "great price," Obama said, sharing the stage with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and Jon Huntsman, the former Republican governor of Utah who Obama nominated as ambassador to China.

In the 21st century, the relationship between the US and China will be the most important bilateral one and largely determine the world's future -- a burden both nations bear, he said.

He urged the two countries -- who have become rivals economically and militarily though China is helping finance US government borrowing -- to find common ground on the economic recovery, climate change, nuclear nonproliferation, and other issues. (His full remarks are below.)

Senator John F. Kerry, who has made global warming a priority issue as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, weighed in as well on the importance of the US-China partnership on that front.

"Today, the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter and history’s biggest emitter, China and America, must change the world again – and nothing less than a transformation of the energy economy will suffice," he wrote in an op-ed today in the Financial Times. (Read the full op-ed here.)

"The question is, can we forge a partnership bold enough to prevent a climate catastrophe? With December’s make-or-break climate talks in Copenhagen looming, the US-China negotiations are an important test. Because other countries will take their cues from us, a successful global climate deal will depend on America and China signalling our seriousness now."

UPDATE: The Foreign Relations Committee also released a report today urging the Obama administration to pursue a significant climate change agreement with China this week. The report (read it here) outlines the latest science, the latest actions in China, the current areas of US-China energy collaboration, and ways to push the relationship forward.

President Obama's poll ratings may be slipping at home, but his popularity abroad is already repairing the image of the United States, which took a beating during the Bush administration.

The nonpartisan Pew Research Center reported today that favorability ratings for the US among people around the globe have improved markedly, recovering in many countries to the point before George W. Bush took office and began the highly unpopular war in Iraq.

"Improvements in the U.S. image have been most pronounced in Western Europe, where favorable ratings for both the nation and the American people have soared. But opinions of America have also become more positive in key countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia, as well," says the Pew Global Attitudes Project, which surveyed nearly 27,000 people in 25 nations this spring.

The Pew report found that in 21 of the countries surveyed, an average of 71 percent of respondents had at least some confidence in Obama's handling of world affairs. In 2008, when Bush was in the White House, the figure in those same countries was only 17 percent.

Obama has drawn adoring crowds on most of his stops on foreign trips since becoming president.

"Signs of improvement in views of America are seen even in some predominantly Muslim countries that held overwhelmingly negative views of the United States in the Bush years. The most notable increase occurred in Indonesia, where people are well aware of Obama's family ties to the country and where favorable ratings of the U.S. nearly doubled this year."

But Muslims in the Middle East still hold negative views about the United States.

And there was one notable exception: Israel, where Bush's policies were popular, and where there is concern over Obama's push to stop settlements on the West Bank.

Iraq's prime minister comes calling on President Obama today at another turning point for the war-torn country and the US mission there.

Nuri al-Maliki and Obama met for more than an hour this afternoon at the White House, then held a joint news conference in the Rose Garden.

UPDATE: Obama said he and al-Maliki had a "very productive discussion" and praised substantial progress in recent months. "Iraqis are taking responsibility for their future," the president said.

The Iraq-US relationship is in the midst of "full transition" to a partnership that includes broader ties on trade, cultural exchange, and other ties, and the US will keep its commitment to restore full sovereignty to Iraq, Obama said.

He also announced that al-Maliki will visit Arlington National Cemetery to pay his respects to US troops killed in Iraq.

The prime minister said he also wants to deepen Iraq's relationship with the United States into a "strategic friendship."

He paid tribute to the "sons and daughters" of both countries who were casualties of the sectarian violence.

(Their full remarks are below.)

Their huddle comes a day after the worst violence in Baghdad since American combat troops pulled out of the capital and other Iraqi cities on June 30. A series of bombings killed at least 15 civilians and injured more than 100, and there were also attacks on US convoys that killed at least three people.

The withdrawal from the cities is the first major step toward a general US pullout, more than six years after the start of the war. And it is the first major test of the Iraqi government's ability to defend the population against assorted insurgents and to keep a lid on the fractious ethnic rivalries.

In February, Obama announced that combat operations will end by Aug. 31, 2010, though most of the 142,000 US troops on the ground at the beginning of this year will stay through the end of this year to safeguard Iraq's national elections in December.

By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- Massive crop devastation, melting glaciers, water shortages, millions of displaced people -- all of these will drag the US military into conflict if global climate change goes unchecked, a Senate panel was warned today.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, convened by Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, focused on what so far has received only modest attention in the climate change debate: the effect it is bound to have on national defense.

"Addressing the consequences of changes in the Earth's climate is not simply about saving polar bears or preserving the beauty of mountain glaciers," retired Navy Vice Adm. Lee F. Gunn, president of the American Security Project, told the panel. "Climate change is a threat to our national security."

Gunn and other military specialists said that climate change could have broad effects on how the US military operates. It will likely expand the number of humanitarian missions the Pentagon will have to undertake, they said, and even change how it deploys its fighting forces.

For example, they warned that rising sea levels could swamp critical US military bases in the Indian Ocean and even the headquarters of the Atlantic Fleet in Norfolk, Va., which could be under water after just a one-meter rise in the ocean level.

From Africa to the Middle East and South Asia, dramatic changes in the weather will stress already unstable nations, creating what Gunn called "climate conflicts."

"International conflicts over resources, due to migrants, and/or as a means of distraction are not only likely," he added, "but likely to exacerbate the underlying climate change problem."

Kerry, since he took the helm of the committee earlier this year, has made addressing climate change a top priority. Several specialists said today that elevating the security aspect will help garner the kind of support necessary to make the difficult changes in energy and other global policies to stabilize the climate.

Sharon E. Burke, vice president for natural security at the Center for a New American Security, testified that the hearing was "an important demonstration of the fact that global climate change is now taken seriously as a strategic challenge."

Kerry, for his part, pledged to keep the shining the light on the issue.

"If we fail to connect the dots -- if we fail to take action -- the simple, indisputable reality is that we will find ourselves living not only in a ravaged environment, but also in a much more dangerous world," he said.

Correction: This item has been revised because of a reporting error that misstated the title for Sharon E. Burke, vice president for natural security at the Center for a New American Security.

Kerry's full opening statement is below:

President Obama this morning condemned the hotel bombings in Jakarta that have killed at least six and wounded more than 50, with at least eight Americans among the casualties.

The State Department says none of the Americans suffered life-threatening injuries, according to news reports that also say that suicide bombers who checked in as guests smuggled explosives into the Western luxury hotels to set off the explosions. Two of the suicide bombers were killed, the reports say.

"I strongly condemn the attacks that occurred this morning in Jakarta, and extend my deepest condolences to all of the victims and their loved ones," Obama said in a statement.

"The American people stand by the Indonesian people in this difficult time, and the U.S. government stands ready to help the Indonesian government respond to and recover from these outrageous attacks as a friend and partner.

"Indonesia has been steadfast in combating violent extremism, and has successfully curbed terrorist activity within its borders. However, these attacks make it clear that extremists remain committed to murdering innocent men, women and children of any faith in all countries. We will continue to partner with Indonesia to eliminate the threat from these violent extremists, and we will be unwavering in supporting a future of security and opportunity for the Indonesian people."

The first African-American president will arrive later today for his first visit to Africa. So understandably, there is quite a bit of buzz.

In Ghana, his public schedule on Saturday includes meeting Ghana's president at Christianborg Castle in Accra, then attending an event on maternal health at La General Hospital, and speaking to the Ghanaian parliament. Obama and Michelle Obama will travel to Cape Coast, where they will meet with Head Chief Osabarima Kwesi Atta II at his residence.

Obama's father was Kenyan, though he was raised by his Kansas-born mother. At the G-8 summit in Italy, Obama related his own family history as he pushed for more aid so that African countries can combat hunger and become self-sufficient in food.

"My father traveled to the United States a mere 50 years ago and yet now I have family members who live in villages -- they themselves are not going hungry, but live in villages where hunger is real," he said at the closing news conference today. "And so this is something that I understand in very personal terms, and if you talk to people on the ground in Africa, certainly in Kenya, they will say that part of the issue here is the institutions aren't working for ordinary people. And so governance is a vital concern that has to be addressed.

"Now keep in mind -- I want to be very careful -- Africa is a continent, not a country, and so you can't extrapolate from the experience of one country. And there are a lot of good things happening," he added. "Part of the reason that we're traveling to Ghana is because you've got there a functioning democracy, a President who's serious about reducing corruption, and you've seen significant economic growth.

"So I don't want to overly generalize it, but I do want to make the broader point that a government that is stable, that is not engaging in tribal conflicts, that can give people confidence and security that their work will be rewarded, that is investing in its people and their skills and talents, those countries can succeed, regardless of their history."

The White House put out a list of events being held in conjunction with Obama's speech by US embassies across Africa, below:

By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- It has been a mystery for more than two decades how former Liberian president Charles G. Taylor broke out of the Plymouth County Correctional Facility in 1985, beginning a journey that ultimately made him one of Africa's most notorious strongmen.

The world may finally get its answer as early as next week when Taylor takes the stand for the first time in his war crimes trial in The Hague, where he is accused of ordering atrocities during neighboring Sierra Leone's civil war.

Stephen J. Rapp, the prosecutor in the trial, told the Globe today that Taylor -- who has been indicted on 17 counts of crimes against humanity -- is expected to give testimony for as many as six weeks, during which he is predicted to detail extensively various periods of his life, including his time in the Boston area.

Rapp said that Taylor has provided the prosecution with just a five-page summary of what he is going to talk about. "I think he has a lot more to say," he said.

One incident that many observers are particularly curious to hear about is his Plymouth prison break, which has long been fodder for conspiracy theorists who believe Taylor may have been aided by elements within the US government who later used him as an informant.

Taylor was a student at Bentley College (now University) in Waltham after he fled Liberia in 1983 in the face of charges that he embezzled money from the Liberian government, then headed by Samuel Doe, whom Taylor supported in a bloody 1980 coup.

Taylor was arrested in 1984 in Somerville pending extradition. While fighting the extradition charges -- his lawyer was former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark -- Taylor escaped from the Plymouth prison on Sept. 15, 1985, along with four other inmates.

Taylor's wife and sister-in-law reportedly met him at nearby Jordan Hospital and drove him in a getaway car to Staten Island in New York, where he disappeared. All the other escaped inmates were eventually caught.

Taylor reportedly showed up in Muammar Qaddafi's Libya, where he underwent guerilla training before leading a bloody revolution in his native country at the head of an army known as the Revolutionary United Front.

After a 15-year reign of terror as Liberia's president -- including claims by the United Nations that he aided members of the Al Qaeda network raising money from the trade of gemstones -- Taylor was indicted by the special court for Sierra Leone in 2003.

Under pressure from the Bush administration he was handed over to the court in 2005 by the government of by Nigeria, where he was in hiding.

Since his trial began last year more than 90 witnesses have testified to his role in Sierra Leone's bloody civil war, in which hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed.

President Obama found himself today revising and extending remarks made by his number two on a hair-trigger topic -- Iran's apparent pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Vice President Joe Biden said Sunday on ABC's "This Week" that the administration wants to negotiate with Iran, but also seemed to suggest that the United States would not stop an Israeli pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

"Look, Israel can determine for itself -- it's a sovereign nation -- what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else," Biden said. "Whether we agree or not," added the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who has developed quite the reputation for misspeaking and straying off message.

Obama was asked on CNN this morning, "Are you giving Israel a green light?"

"Absolutely not," the president replied. "And I think it’s very important that I’m as clear as I can be, and our administration is as consistent as we can be on this issue."

"I think Vice President Biden stated a categorical fact which is we can't dictate to other countries what their security interests are," Obama added. "What is also true is that it is the policy of the United States to try to resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear capabilities in a peaceful way through diplomatic channels. That is our policy, I have been talking about this for the last two years, we are going to continue to pursue this, and you know we have said directly to the Israelis that it is important to try and solve this in an international setting in a way that does not create major conflict in the Middle East.

"Now this is a tough job and nobody is under any illusions that it will be easy, and I've always said that we, the United States, preserve the right, and I as the commander in chief preserve the right to take whatever actions are necessary to protect the United States. But we are committed to a peaceful resolution to this conflict and I think it is still possible, but ultimately if we present an opportunity to the Iranians at some point, they've got to seize that opportunity."

Senator John F. Kerry this afternoon praised the signing by President Obama and Russia's leader of a follow-up nuclear arms reduction treaty to START.

“I applaud President Obama and Russian President Medvedev for agreeing to negotiate an arms control treaty that will reduce the size of our two countries’ arsenals of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and strategic delivery vehicles to the lowest levels in decades. This is a very important early step toward the nonproliferation and long-term disarmament goals that President Obama set out in his April speech in Prague," Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement.

"With the START Treaty due to expire in December, it is vital that negotiations on the new treaty proceed urgently. The Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate will closely examine the new treaty once it is finalized, but I am confident that the treaty envisioned by this Joint Understanding will ultimately win Senate approval and enter into force.

“I also welcome and endorse President Medvedev’s comments on the state of our bilateral relationship. Russia is a essential partner in meeting the global challenges of the twenty-first century. Nuclear nonproliferation, climate change, international terrorism, and pandemic public health threats can only be addressed with our comprehensive cooperation.”

Deep into the first US-Russia summit in seven years, President Obama and Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev today are issuing a series of joint statements to "reset" the soured relationship between the two superpowers.

They have agreed to pursue a new nuclear arms reduction treaty, to cooperate in Afghanistan, and to work together on public health, among other areas.

Their joint press conference is below, along with their joint statements on Afghanistan and nuclear nonproliferation, and the White House release on the joint agreements:

President Obama this afternoon nominated another batch of ambassadors.

And par for the course so far, career diplomats are getting, shall we say, the less high-profile posts -- while campaign donors are getting the plum spots.

As envoy to the Netherlands, Obama nominated Fay Hartog-Levin, a Chicago public relations executive who gave $2,100 directly to Obama's presidential campaign and another $28,500 to the Democratic Obama Victory Fund, according to campaignmoney.com .

The president picked longtime Foreign Service officers for the ambassadorships in Mongolia, Burkina Faso, and Swaziland, and a longtime academic for the one in Malta.

"I am confident that these fine individuals will represent our nation abroad with distinction, and strengthen our diplomatic efforts to meet 21st century challenges. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead,” Obama said in a statement.

The president has also tapped major fund-raisers or politicians for sought-after postings in European capitals including London, Paris, and Rome, as well as the high-profile embassies in Beijing and Tokyo. As part of his pledge to change Washington, he had suggested he would reduce the number of political appointees as ambassadors, and increase the ranks of career diplomats.

The full list is below:

President Obama this afternoon marked the milestone in the US war in Iraq: US troops left Iraqi cities and handed over control to the Iraqi military police.

Iraqis, he said, "are rightly treating this day as a day for celebration."

Obama plans to withdraw all US combat troops by August 2010, but the president said the US stands ready to help.

"Make no mistake, there will be difficult days ahead," noting the bombing today in Kirkuk.

But he said he's confident that the insurgents will fail and that the forces trying to pull Iraq into the "abyss" of violence are on the wrong side of history.

He also took time to praise US troops, who he said have completed every mission given to them. His full remarks are below:

Supporters of defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi run in the streets during protests Tuesday in Tehran. (Getty Images)

(A Tehran resident and journalist has been providing on-the-ground updates to the Globe's Washington Bureau since Iran's disputed presidential election last week. He filed this report after covering a mass protest on one of the Iranian capital's main thoroughfares. His name has been ommitted for his sagety.)

TEHRAN _ The noise of the crowd was the first thing to hit me. I had been among demonstrators before, but I had never actually heard an angry crowd before.

The noise was powerful and full of fury. As I approached the street, I distinguished what they were chanting: "mikosham, mikosham, aanke baradaram kosht: I shall kill, I shall kill, he who killed my brother."

My wife, who was among the crowd, had told me that several people had been killed by riot police. I quickened my pace and approached the street. As if in sync, hands bearing stones and bricks were pumping into the air. "I shall kill, I shall kill..." I burst into tears.

The next thing I noticed surprised me: the crowd did not consist of young men, but housewives, seniors, businessmen wearing suits, even children. There was blood on many of them. They were walking downhill towards the Interior Ministry, determined and in force. The wave that had taken over Iran and partied in the streets into the morning for the last few weeks was now an army on the move. As I stood in place trying to figure out what I was seeing, I noticed shopkeepers shutting down and joining the flock. People were also chanting on the sidelines, "down with the dictator," referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, while the crowd chanted "join us proud Iranians, join us, join us." The crowd was growing by the moment.

I had walked with them for a few minutes when I saw the riot police in the distance. The crowd had managed to catch one of them and stones were raining down on him, and his head was beaten out of shape. His motorcycle was in flames in the middle of the road. As I passed the burning motorcycle, I noticed two more stacked on one another approximately 100 meters away, also burning. Bloodstains on the asphalt were abundant. I turned around and ran to my car to catch up at the Interior Ministry.

All of the routes to the ministry had been blockaded. Riot police were pouring in, armed with batons, rubber bullets, and tear gas canisters. I couldn’t drive any closer than half a mile from the Interior Ministry. Black smoke was rising from the approximate location of the Ministry. I had picked up my wife and a few friends we had by then, and we parked in an alley and set off towards the Ministry. Walking among the flocks of people, I noticed how quiet they were, and the fear that had covered everyone like a blanket. We walked past a police blockade; apparently pedestrians were free to move but cars were being kept out of the square.

We had been walking for approximately twenty minutes when we saw a flock of people running towards us. The noise of the revving motors of the riot police filled the street, and a group of maybe twenty of them could be seen in the distance approaching quickly. Batons raised and dropped, raised and dropped. We turned around and ran with the crowd. My wife turned into an alley, to distance herself from the incoming motorcycles. I screamed don’t go that way, as I assumed that we’d be safer if we didn’t break off from the flock. She kept running, and I ran after her.

A group of motorcycles turned into the street, beating the people left and right. I picked up my pace and ducked under a banner remaining from the elections. I turned and saw that my wife had fallen behind. A riot police motorcycle reached me and aimed for my legs with his baton. I jumped out of his path and sprinted down the street. Running with all my might, I reached the end of the alley and turned into the sidewalk on the main street; and found myself in the middle of a group of both riot police and so-called "Basijis" who were lashing out at whomever they could reach.

The Basij are the remnants of the voluntary forces that assisted the army during the Iran – Iraq war. Following the war, they maintained their organization and are known by all Iranians by their attire of white untucked shirt, long beard, and gray pants. Their unofficial role allows them to skirt the limits of the law, and they are usually responsible for the dirty work that officials prefer to avoid.

By means of luck or agility, I was able to avoid most of their blows, but was hit in the face by a chain-wielding Basiji. I realized that if I continued running in the same direction, I’ll be beaten by every single weapon being swung on the sidewalk, so I changed course and sprinted towards the street.

Once in the street, I was one of the many others fleeing the officers, and relatively safe. A truck passed filled with young men waving a green flag. I turned back into the alley, now relatively calm, looking for my wife. A boy in the street said that she got away without being harmed, as the men had shielded the women and the weaker ones with their bodies. I found her amongst a crowd shortly later and we managed to get back to our car without other incidents.

The city had been laid to ruin. Motorcycles and garbage dumpsters were burning at every corner. In Kuye Daneshgah Avenue, where the main dormitory of Tehran University is located, a bank had been set on fire. Most of the windows of the cars that passed us had been shattered.

At Parkway, which is a main intersection in Tehran, people had blocked the main routes to the intersection and were tearing down everything they could, from guardrails to billboards. The people lit fires on both sides of a pedestrian bridge over the highway and were flinging stones at a group of riot police that were stuck on the bridge. Tear gas was everywhere, and battles were going on between police and civilians at every corner.

In the early hours of the next morning we were on our way home when we saw that the road was blocked by a group of demonstrators -- women and men and children you’d see everyday walking down the street -- chanting “down with the dictator."

We stepped out of the car and joined them. A dumpster burst into flames next to me. The revolution had begun.

President Obama met today with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe, who is touring Western countries to seek badly needed aid for his country and convince leaders that his country is undergoing democratic reform.

Tsvangirai, himself, was arrested and abused by the regime of President Robert Mugabe, but in February joined him in a power-sharing coalition. Western leaders have isolated Zimbabwe and assailed Mugabe and are demanding widespread reforms.

After their meeting, Obama praised Tsvangirai, saying he admired his "courage and the tenacity that the Prime Minister has shown in navigating through some very difficult political times in Zimbabwe."

And the president seemed to offer hope for US aid.

"There was a time when Zimbabwe was the bread basket of Africa and continues to have enormous potential. It has gone through a very dark and difficult period politically. The President -- President Mugabe -- I think I've made my views clear, has not acted oftentimes in the best interest of the Zimbabwean people and has been resistant to the kinds of democratic changes that need to take place," Obama said.

"We now have a power-sharing agreement that shows promise, and we want to do everything we can to encourage the kinds of improvement not only on human rights and rule of law, freedom of the press and democracy that is so necessary, but also on the economic front."

(Their full remarks are below.)

Thursday, Tsvangirai met with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator John F. Kerry and the Foreign Relations Committee.

“It was my pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today. Prime Minister Tsvangirai and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have made real progress in stabilizing runaway inflation and trying to begin to create the conditions for democracy in Zimbabwe," Kerry said in a statement afterwards.

“The challenge before us now is how to help Zimbabwe’s agents of change in their efforts to promote democracy while still maintaining proper accountability. I believe that we should explore our options to increase assistance for reform. Failure to act now may squander this opportunity for change, and the greatest beneficiaries will be Robert Mugabe and the other architects of Zimbabwe’s destruction.”

So many Iranians wanted to vote today that officials kept the polls open two hours longer.

After a rambunctious campaign, there's a prospect that hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, an antagonist to Washington for years, could actually be ousted by reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi, a former prime minister who favors more engagement with the United States.

That, and the victory earlier in the week of moderates in Lebanon, is raising talk of an Obama effect for change -- something the president is not dissuading people from contemplating.

"We are excited to see what appears to be a robust debate taking place in Iran," Obama told reporters today. "And obviously, after the speech that I made in Cairo, we tried to send a clear message that we think there is the possibility of change.

"And ultimately, the election is for the Iranians to decide, but just as has been true in Lebanon, what can be true in Iran as well is that you're seeing people looking at new possibilities. And whoever ends up winning the election in Iran, the fact that there's been a robust debate hopefully will help advance our ability to engage them in new ways," he added.

Only 234 more to go.

The number of detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp fell by four, US officials announced today, when four Chinese Muslims were released and resettled in, of all places, Bermuda, the British-administered island in the middle of the Atlantic.

They are among 17 Uighurs who were captured in Pakistan in 2001. The other 13 are to go to the South Pacific island of Palau, which will receive as much as $200 million in US aid. Officials determined the Uighurs were not anti-US terrorists, and would not return them to China, which says the Uighurs are an Islamic separatist movement.

The Center for Constitutional Rights, which has been pushing for their release, congratulated the four men, who will be in the guest worker program: Huzaifa Parhat, Abdusemet, Abdulnasser, and Jalal Jalaldin.

"We also offer our thanks to the government and people of Bermuda for extending humanitarian protection to four of Guantanamo's refugees. These men want nothing more than their freedom and a chance to restart their lives. We welcome Bermuda’s willingness to look beyond the stigma of Guantanamo and see this reality," the center said in a statement.

"We hope that Bermuda’s humanitarian gesture will encourage Australia, Portugal, Ireland, Canada, Germany and other countries in Europe to open their doors to resettlement of the remaining men who need a place to restart their lives. Many of these countries have already said that they would be willing to take in victims of Guantanamo. It is time for other countries to step forward and help close Guantanamo. After more than seven years of imprisonment, action is needed more than words. This holds true for our congressional representatives at home as well. Congress should immediately support the President's pledge to close Guantánamo on schedule.

"Guantanamo is America's gulag. The long nightmare for four of these innocent men is finally coming to a close. They cannot recover the years that they lost, but we hope that they will be able to start their lives again in freedom. The reality, however, is that at least 60 prisoners will remain at Guantanamo until other countries agree to resettle them. The issue now is not what the law requires, or what the United States itself should do, it is a moral issue."

But for President Obama to keep his promise to close Guantanamo by January, the administration will have to persuade several other countries to take detainees.

On Tuesday, the first Guantanamo detainee arrived on US soil to stand trial in federal civilian court. Ahmed Ghailani, a Tanzanian who was captured in Pakistan in 2004, is facing charges in connection with 1998 Al Qaeda bombings at the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya that killed 224 people, including 12 Americans.

Besides sending detainees elsewhere and putting detainees on trial then housing them in high-security US prisons if they're convicted, Obama also plans to use a revised form of military tribunals for those charged with violating the rules of war, and has proposed indefinite detention for those who the government does not have enough usable evidence against, but who the administration believes are too dangerous to release.

UPDATE: There's talk of a compromise in Congress that would allow Guantanamo detainees to face trial in the United States, but would not allow them to stay if they're convicted.

White House spokesman Bill Burton didn't directly confirm the possible deal, but told reporters today on Air Force One, "Well, we've obviously been talking to folks in the Democratic and Republican parties in both the House and the Senate to find the best possible solution to ensure the safety and security of Americans, and to make sure that justice is done here on the detainees who are going to be going to be prosecuted in criminal courts. And so I'm not going to get into the back and forth on what's happening in the negotiations other than to say that the President has obviously been talking to folks on both sides."

Asked where detainees would serve their sentences, Burton replied, "Well, I don't want to prejudge the conclusion of a result that hasn't come to pass just yet."

President Obama this morning issued a positive statement about the election in Lebanon, where a US-supported alliance appeared to keep control of the parliament against the militant group Hezbollah.

Sunday's balloting was seen as a key test between Iran and the US for influence in Lebanon, and came just three days after Obama's much-publicized address to the Muslim world.

"I congratulate the people of Lebanon for holding a peaceful election yesterday," the president said in a statement. "The high turnout and the candidates – too many of whom know personally the violence that has marred Lebanon – are the strongest indications yet of the Lebanese desire for security and prosperity. Once more, the people of Lebanon have demonstrated to the world their courage and the strength of their commitment to democracy.

"The United States will continue to support a sovereign and independent Lebanon, committed to peace, including the full implementation of all United Nations Security Council Resolutions. It is our sincere hope that the next government will continue along the path towards building a sovereign, independent and stable Lebanon," Obama continued.

"Government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who hold power: you must maintain your power through consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities, and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; you must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party. Commitment to these principles of peace and moderation are the best means to secure a sovereign and prosperous Lebanon."

President Obama this afternoon announced another batch of nominees for ambassadorships, including a Raytheon executive as envoy to Saudi Arabia.

Retired Air Force General Brigadier General James B. Smith is an international business development executive at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems.

Another former executive at the Waltham-based defense contractor, William Lynn III, won confirmation to the No. 2 job at the Pentagon, overcoming questions about his ties to Raytheon.

The other picks are: Carlos Pascual for Mexico, David Jacobson for Canada, Donald Gips to South Africa, Patricia N. Moller to Guinea, Nicole A. Avant to the Bahamas, Kenneth H. Merten to Haiti, and Anne E. Derse to Lithuania.

“I am grateful that these individuals will help represent our nation abroad during this important time for our country and the world. They bring a depth of experience and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come,” Obama said in a statement.

Avant is a California music executive, who along with her family, has been a major donors to the Democratic Party, the Associated Press reports. Avant raised at least $500,000 for Obama and donated the maximum $4,600 to his campaign.

Gips, a Colorado communications executive and former aide to former Vice President Al Gore, raised at least $500,000 for Obama, the AP says, citing the Center for Responsive Politics.

And Jacobson, an Illinois lawyer, raised between $50,000 and $100,000 for Obama, the AP said.

Obama pledged during the campaign to reduce the number of political appointees and boost the number of career diplomats serving as American envoys abroad, but his early selections have included more than a few politicians and major donors, raising concerns about inexperience and patronage.

Last week, the president announced his nominees for coveted posts in London, Paris, and Tokyo, and they were all major Obama fund-raisers.

John Roos, the nominee for Japan, is a California technology lawyer and campaign fund-raiser who collected at least $500,000 for Obama's campaign. Louis Susman, who would serve in Britain, is a former Citigroup vice president from Chicago who raised at least $100,000 as an Obama bundler. He also contributed $50,000 for Obama's inauguration. Charles Rivkin, the nominee for France, is a former financial analyst at Salomon Brothers who runs a California entertainment company and who raised more than $500,000 for Obama.

The White House-provided mini-biographies of today's picks are below:

Domestic reaction to President Obama's Cairo speech is filtering in, and given its sweep and ambition, the reviews are decidedly mixed.

Senator John F. Kerry, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, called Obama's speech "blunt" but necessary to put the United States and Muslim countries on a new path.

"President Obama's blunt, honest address in Cairo was absolutely critical in signaling a new era of understanding with Muslim communities worldwide," Kerry said in a statement. "He shattered stereotypes on both sides, reminded the west and the Muslim world of our responsibilities, and reaffirmed one of America's highest ideals and traditional roles -- that those who seek freedom and democracy, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, have no greater friend than the United States of America.

"We know that one impressive speech will not erase years of mistrust and missed opportunities just as Dr. King's 'I Have A Dream' speech did not complete the civil rights movement. Deeds will have to follow words. President Obama did not paper over difficult challenges from combating violent extremism and resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to dealing with Iran’s nuclear weapons program and threats to religious freedom and women’s equality. These will all require tough-minded diplomacy and global cooperation. But in addressing these challenges directly, President Obama has created an historic opportunity to find a new beginning. "

But the Republican Jewish Coalition faulted Obama for treating Israelis and Palestinians too equally.

"President Barack Obama, in his major speech in Cairo this morning, struck a balanced tone with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that's what was wrong with this speech," the coalition's executive director, Matthew Brooks, said in a statement.

"American policy should not be balanced - it should side with those who fight terror, not those who either engage in it or are too weak to prevent it. This conflict will not reach a peaceful conclusion until the Palestinians put an end to terrorism, violence, and incitement against Israel. American policy has long been to support Israel - a fellow democracy and committed ally of this country - in its efforts to achieve lasting security for its citizens. Israel's good faith efforts have been met by unremitting Palestinian violence and what is in effect an internal Palestinian civil war. Peace and security go hand in hand - Israel has repeatedly reached out her hand in peace only to have it slapped back. The President's remarks to the world's Muslims today appear to mark the beginning of a worrisome shift in U.S. policy.

"We urge President Obama to return to the policy of holding the security of Israel as a key American priority and requiring significant, concrete, and verifiable moves toward peace from the Palestinian side."

But Ira N. Forman, CEO of the National Jewish Democratic Council, was more positive.

"President Barack Obama's speech this morning in Cairo did not just reiterate what the audience wanted to hear," Forman said in a statement. "Instead, Obama was forthright about the necessity for acceptance of the Jewish homeland in Israel and called for Palestinian abandonment of violence. We praise Obama for reaching out to the Muslim world and for his commitment to Middle East peace. Similarly, we recognize his wisdom in speaking directly to the Muslim world about the need to abandon fantasies of destroying Israel and in reiterating America's unbreakable bond with the Jewish State."

Activists on the humanitarian crisis and conflict in Darfur -- which the US State Department has labeled a genocide -- said that Obama's "failure to call for a joint push for peace in Sudan is a glaring omission."

"The President rightly called the situation in Darfur 'a stain on our collective conscience,'” said Enough Project executive director John Norris said in a statement, "but that is not enough. The president needs to articulate a clear vision of how a lasting peace is going to be achieved for all of Sudan, and demonstrate through his actions rather than just his words that this is a political priority. The situation in Darfur deserves more than a single sentence of the president's attention."

Jerry Fowler, president of the Save Darfur Coalition, added, "President Obama missed an important opportunity in his Cairo speech to the Muslim world by not reiterating his commitment to lead for peace in Sudan, where 2.7 million Muslim civilians have been driven from their homes and hundreds of thousands have perished because of violence orchestrated by the government. President Obama could have asked all governments in the region to join him in offering a choice to Khartoum between concrete progress toward peace, which will result in improved relations, or continued obstructionism and use of violence, which will lead to increased isolation."

David Harris, national executive director of the American Jewish Committee, gave mixed marks to Obama.

“In the heart of a region where denial is routine – denial of Israel’s right to exist, denial of the historic link of Jews to their homeland, denial of the Holocaust – President Obama spoke the truth with a clear, unwavering voice,” Harris said in a statement.

But he added, Obama should have been more explicit about the danger Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons poses to the entire Middle East and to global security.

"Iran's theocratic regime is a world leader in supporting terrorism, threatening moderate Arab regimes, and orchestrating the chorus of extremists who deny Israel's right to exist,” said Harris. “The U.S. has an obligation to more vigorously lead the international community in stopping the Iranian nuclear program."

President Obama met for the first time today with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a key figure if there is to be a peace deal in the Middle East.

The White House released their introductory remarks heading into their private session.

"I'd like to welcome President Obama to Egypt," Mubarak said, according to the White House translation. "This is his first -- our first meeting together. We discussed so many issues -- the Middle East issues -- interests in the region. We also discussed all problems here in the region, the situation and everything related to Iran and to the region.

"I repeat welcoming Mr. Obama. We discussed everything candidly and frankly, without any reservation. But there are other meetings that will take place later either in the United States of America or anywhere else. Thank you very much.

Obama replied, "Well, I just want to thank President Mubarak, as well as the people of Egypt, for their wonderful hospitality. I'm very much looking forward to speaking at the university this afternoon. I wanted to first sit down with President Mubarak, who obviously has decades of experience on a whole range of issues.

"As the President has indicated, we discussed the situation with Israel and the Palestinians. We discussed how we can move forward in a constructive way that brings about peace and prosperity for all people in the region. And I emphasized to him that America is committed to working in partnership with the countries in the region so that all people can meet their aspirations.

"And I'm very much looking forward in the months and years to come to continuing to consult with the President. And I've communicated to him and I want to communicate to the Egyptian people our greetings from America. Thank you."

Here is the full text of President Obama's speech to the Muslim world:

Thank you very much. Good afternoon. I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo, and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has stood as a beacon of Islamic learning; and for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt's advancement. And together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress. I'm grateful for your hospitality, and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. And I'm also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: Assalaamu alaykum. (Applause.)

We meet at a time of great tension between the United States and Muslims around the world -- tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of coexistence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.

Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims. The attacks of September 11, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and Western countries, but also to human rights. All this has bred more fear and more mistrust.

So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end.

I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles -- principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.

I do so recognizing that change cannot happen overnight. I know there's been a lot of publicity about this speech, but no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have this afternoon all the complex questions that brought us to this point. But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly to each other the things we hold in our hearts and that too often are said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground. As the Holy Koran tells us, "Be conscious of God and speak always the truth." (Applause.) That is what I will try to do today -- to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.

(Speech continues below.)

Here's the latest sneak peek into President Obama's much-anticipated, much-hyped speech to the Muslim world, courtesy of Obama's foreign policy speechwriter Ben Rhodes.

Thursday in Cairo, Obama plans to talk about mutual respect, the role of Muslim Americans, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, democracy and human rights, and possible partnerships in the future, Rhodes told reporters today in Saudi Arabia.

"He feels it's important to speak very openly and candidly about the very full range of issues that have caused some tensions between the United States and the Muslim world, and then also present a great deal of opportunity for partnership in the future," Rhodes said.

His full preview is below:

John McCain and Barack Obama -- presidential rivals last year -- agreed today on the need for progress to a world free of nuclear weapons.

McCain, the veteran Republican senator from Arizona, spoke on the Senate floor to mark the unveiling of a statue in the Capitol Rotunda of the late President Ronald Reagan, who also dreamed of a nuke-free world.

"This is a distant and difficult goal," McCain said. "And we must proceed toward it prudently and pragmatically, and with a focused concern for our security and the security of allies who depend on us.  But the Cold War ended almost twenty years ago, and the time has come to take further measures to reduce dramatically the number of nuclear weapons in the world's arsenals.  In so doing, the United States can – and indeed, must – show the kind of leadership the world expects from us, in the tradition of American presidents who worked to reduce the nuclear threat to mankind."

McCain called for a reduction in the US nuclear arsenal, while continuing "to deploy a safe and reliable nuclear deterrent, robust missile defenses, and superior conventional forces capable of defending the United States and our allies."

He also called for a more robust stance against Iran and North Korea, saying "the US must lead the world not only in reducing the size of existing nuclear arsenals, but also in reversing the course of nuclear proliferation.  This requires a tough, and tough-minded, approach to both Iran and North Korea, both of whom have gotten away with too much for far too long."

Obama, who called for eventually ridding the world of nuclear weapons in a major speech in Prague in April, issued a statement welcoming McCain's speech.

"In my speech in Prague, I outlined my agenda for keeping the American people safe from the dangers posed by nuclear weapons, and I am grateful to John McCain for his leadership on these critical issues," he said in a statement. "I have outlined an ambitious strategy for promoting arms control and preventing nuclear terrorism and proliferation, which is already bearing fruit. I look forward to working with Senator McCain and the entire Congress to ensure that we accomplish these goals together for the American people and the security of the entire planet."  

On the first leg of his second foreign trip in office, President Obama today received a warm welcome -- and another not-so-nice greeting.

King Abdullah hosted Obama at his private farm. "I also want to express my best wishes to the friendly American people who are represented by a distinguished man who deserves to be in this position," the king said before their meeting.

Obama said, "This is my first visit to Saudi Arabia, but I've had several conversations with His Majesty.  And I've been struck by his wisdom and his graciousness.  Obviously the United States and Saudi Arabia have a long history of friendship, we have a strategic relationship.  And as I take this trip and we'll be visiting Cairo tomorrow, I thought it was very important to come to the place where Islam began and to seek His Majesty's counsel and to discuss with him many of the issues that we confront here in the Middle East."

UPDATE: After their private meeting, the White House issued a one-paragraph synopsis:

"President Obama and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia met today and discussed a wide range of issues including Middle East peace, the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, energy, Iran and other matters affecting the region. The President and the King also discussed the President's upcoming speech to the Muslim world. The President and King pledged to remain in close contact in order to continue to make progress on these and other issues central to the US-Saudi relationship."

But as Obama landed in the Middle East, Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden issued a new audiotape threatening Americans and accusing Obama of inflaming hatred toward the United States by urging Pakistan to launch a campaign of "killing, fighting, bombing and destruction" against Taliban militants in the Swat Valley, where the Islamabad government had agreed to a truce and had allowed the Taliban to impose religious law.

President Obama is asking Congress for $200 million to help the estimated 2.5 million Pakistanis displaced by the fighting in Swat Valley, where the Pakistan government is trying to root out Taliban militants at the urging of the United States.

"These funds will provide displaced people in Pakistan with urgent relief and resettlement assistance," he said in the request to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released Tuesday night by the White House.

Senator John F. Kerry, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, is also urging more humanitarian aid for Pakistan.

“The humanitarian crisis in Swat gets worse every day, which is why it’s so critical that the government of Pakistan and the Obama Administration undertake immediate joint relief operations modeled on our successful efforts following the 2005 Kashmir earthquake," the Massachusetts Democrat said in a statement today. "The United States must commit military assets, such as Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, combat engineers and uniformed medical personnel, that the Pakistani government needs to facilitate these efforts without further delay. When terrorist groups such as Jamaat-ud Dawa are reportedly already operating relief camps in Swat, there is no basis for turning back the far more capable assistance of the United States military.

“The statistics underscore the emergency: between two and three million civilians have been displaced and have little or no access to adequate shelter, food or medical care. In a few weeks, the summer monsoons will turn ramshackle camps into fetid swamps, incubators for a host of preventable epidemics. History has already taught us that poorly-resourced refugee communities are prime breeding grounds for extremist movements; the Taliban itself had its genesis in the Afghan refugee community driven into Pakistan during the 1980s and 1990s. We don’t need to repeat that disaster when instead we can show America’s true commitment to the Pakistani people.”

Obama's supplemental budget request also includes $2 billion "out of an abundance of caution" to fight the swine flu outbreak. To read it, click here.

In a series of pre-trip interviews, President Obama is doing his darndest to lower the bar for his highly-anticipated speech Thursday in Cairo to the Muslim world.

In somewhat different words, he told National Public Radio, the British Broadcasting Co., and Canal Plus of France on Monday and NBC News in an interview broadcast this evening, that the speech is only a first step to improving relations between the United States and Muslim countries.

To Canal Plus, according to the transcript the White House released this afternoon: "Now, I think it's very important to understand that one speech is not going to solve all the problems in the Middle East. And so I think expectations should be somewhat modest.

"What I want to do is to create a better dialogue so that the Muslim world understands more effectively how the United States but also how the West thinks about many of these difficult issues like terrorism, like democracy, to discuss the framework for what's happened in Iraq and Afghanistan and our outreach to Iran, and also how we view the prospects for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

"Now, the flip side is I think that the United States and the West generally, we have to educate ourselves more effectively on Islam. And one of the points I want to make is, is that if you actually took the number of Muslims Americans, we'd be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world. And so there's got to be a better dialogue and a better understanding between the two peoples."

On NBC: "I also don't want to, you know, load up too many expectations on this speech. After all, one speech is not gonna transform very real policy differences and some very difficult issues surrounding the Middle East and the relationship between Islam and the west.

"But I am confident that we're in a moment where in Islamic countries, I think there's a recognition that the path of extremism is not actually gonna deliver a better life for people. I think there's a recognition that simply being anti-American is not gonna solve their problems. The steps we're taking now to leave Iraq takes that issue and diffuses it a little bit.

"And the question then is, how do we now go forward with an honest, serious-- relationship based on mutual respect and-- and mutual interest? And so what I hope will happen, as a consequence of this speech, is people will have a better sense of how America views its relationship to the broader world and to Islam....I do hope that we can start opening a dialogue that'll be more constructive moving forward."

On the BBC: "I think what we want to do is open a dialogue. And, you know, there are misapprehensions about the West on the part of the Muslim world and obviously there are some big misapprehensions about the Muslim world when it comes to those of us in the West. And it is my firm belief that no one speech is going to solve every problem, there are no silver bullets. There are very real policy issues that have to be worked through that are difficult, and ultimately it's going to be action and not words that determine the path of progress from here on out.

"But it did seem to me that this was an opportunity for us to get both sides to listen to each other a little bit more and hopefully learn something about different cultures."

On NPR, he was also asked about the challenge of being at war in Muslim countries, where civilian casualties are all too commonplace.

"Well, there's no doubt that anytime you have civilian casualties that always complicates things, whether it was a Muslim or a non-Muslim country," he replied. "I think part of what I'll be addressing in my speech is a reminder that the reason that we're in Afghanistan is very simple, and that is 3,000 Americans were killed and you had a devastating attack on the American homeland; the organization that planned those attacks intends to carry out further attacks and we cannot stand by and allow that to happen.

"But I am somebody who is very anxious to have the Afghan government and the Pakistani government have the capacity to ensure that those safe havens don't exist. And so it's -- I think will be an important reminder that we have no territorial ambitions in Afghanistan. We don't have an interest in exploiting the resources of Afghanistan. What we want is simply that people aren’t hanging out in Afghanistan who are plotting to bomb the United States. And I think that's a fairly modest goal that other Muslim countries should be able to understand."

On overall popularity, President Obama rates light years ahead of former Vice President Dick Cheney.

But on the issue of whether to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center for terrorist suspects, Cheney appears to winning the public opinion battle, a new poll suggests.

In a USA Today/Gallup survey released today, Americans oppose closing Guantanamo by more than a two-to-one margin and oppose bringing any of the detainees to US soil by more than three-to-one. And by 40 percent to 18 percent, respondents said Guantanamo had made America safer.

The survey, conducted on Friday through Sunday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The debate over Guantanamo exploded in back-to-back speeches May 21 in Washington, with Obama trying to explain his decision and Cheney blasting it.

Obama has also had trouble getting Democratic allies in Congress to go along. Last month, they stripped $80 million to close Guantanamo out of bills to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

President Obama leaves tonight for a four-day trip to the Middle East and Europe on which the highest profile event will be a speech in Cairo reaching out to the Muslim world.

But a newly released poll suggests that when it comes to US-Muslim relations, he has a lot of work to do back home.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey found that only about 20 percent of Americans have a favorable view of Muslim countries, while 46 percent have an unfavorable view. That unfavorable number is up five percentage points from 2002 -- soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The respondents said that they believe people in Muslim countries have even more negative views of the United States, with nearly 80 percent saying that Muslims hold an unfavorable view.

Also, while 62 percent said they don't believe the US is at war with the Muslim world, 36 percent believe the US is at war with some Muslim countries.

The poll was conducted May 14-17 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Representative William Delahunt, a Massachusetts Democrat, will be part of the official US delegation today at the inauguration of Mauricio Funes, president-elect of El Salvador.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will lead the delegation, the White House announced.

The other delegation members are: Robert Blau of the US embassy in El Salvador; Representatives Eliot L. Engel and Gregory W. Meeks of New York; Thomas Shannon, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs; Dan Restrepo, special assistant to the president and senior director for Western Hemisphere Affairs on the National Security Council; and Alonzo Cantu, president and owner of Cantu Construction and Development Co. and a major Democratic campaign donor.

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- President Obama received Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House today with a valuable welcoming gift: a toughly-worded, categorical US demand for Israel to stop settlements in Palestinian territories.

But hours before the two men met, the Israeli government flatly rejected the demand. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said that "normal life in those communities must be allowed to continue," meaning that some construction will continue in existing settlements.

Obama and Abbas appeared to see eye to eye, speaking of the need for increased support from Arab governments to support the peace process by showing good faith in their promise to recognize the existence of the Jewish state if Israel strikes a peace deal with Palestinians.

But nowhere was the confluence of views so striking as in the Obama administration's position on settlements, which the president outlined directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week at the White House.

After meeting with Abbas, Obama told reporters he stands firmly behind "core principles" toward peace, including a two-state solution, Israel "stopping settlements," and Palestinians preventing attacks on Israel.

"I am confident we can move this process forward," if all sides live up to prior obligations and negotiate in good faith, the president said.

Abbas said the Palestinian Authority will live up to all its obligations under the so-called roadmap, a 2003 document callding for a two-state solution and presented to Israel and by negotiators for the "quartet" -- the United States, the United Nations, the European Union, and Russia.

"I believe time is of the essence," he said through an interpreter.

Their full remarks are below:

Senator John F. Kerry is in China during the congressional recess, and today he applauded that nation's moves on alternative energy.

As the new chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry has made climate change a priority, and his office said today that China’s leaders have indicated they will begin immediate bilateral negotiations on clean energy technologies and possibly more substantive discussions on global warming before the December summit in Copenhagen.

Congress is working on its own climate change bill that would create a new cap-and-trade system to limit emissions of pollution blamed for global warming through the granting and sale of pollution credits.

“There are immediate opportunities for the United States and China to collaborate on climate change and clean energy issues,” Kerry said at a Beijing news conference, according to his office. “In my meetings this week, Chinese leaders assured me that China will play a positive and constructive role in the Copenhagen negotiations. China recognizes the need to address climate change as a critical component of the nation’s economic development and national security strategy. If the United States and China – which together produce almost half of global emissions – can demonstrate concrete progress in the weeks ahead, we will lay the foundation for success at Copenhagen and beyond.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and key House legislators on the energy bill are also touring China and have met with Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao. In a speech in Beijing on Tuesday, Pelosi called the climate change issue "a game-changer" in the US-China relationship, the New York Times reported.

The Times also reported today that Chinese officials have drafted vehicle fuel efficiency requirements that are even more ambitious than those outlined by President Obama last week.

Representative Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat who along with Henry Waxman pushed a bill through committee last week, also sounded a note of optimism.

"We leave here encouraged that progress can be made heading towards Copenhagen," Markey told a news conference in Beijing, Reuters reported.

But James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican on the trip, said he was "less than optimistic" about a deal in Copenhagen, according to Reuters. "The message that I received was that China was going to do it their way regardless of what the rest of the world negotiates in Copenhagen."

President Obama, who took some grief for cancelling a visit to a military hospital in Germany during his triumphant European tour last summer, will get there a year later.

The White House announced this morning that Obama "will visit wounded warriors and their families at Landstuhl Regional Medical Facility" next Friday, the same day he plans to visit the Buchenwald concentration camp.

"Landstuhl supports our service men and women stationed in Europe, and serves a leading and vital role in the care and recovery of personnel medically evacuated from Afghanistan, Iraq, and other forward-deployed posts within the U.S. European Command, Central Command and Africa Command areas of responsibility," the White House announcement said.

There was confusion and conflicting accounts of why Obama nixed his visit last July. His campaign said he didn't want to make a political visit during the height of the presidential campaign.

Republican rival John McCain bashed him on the issue, putting out a TV ad that said, "He made time to go to the gym, but cancelled a visit with wounded troops. Seems the Pentagon wouldn't allow him to bring cameras. John McCain is always there for our troops."

President Obama this evening announced a slew of nominations for high-profile ambassador posts, including those to Britain, France, India, and Japan.

The nominees:

Michael A. Battle, Sr., ambassador to the African Union. Battle is president of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta.

Vilma S. Martinez, ambassador to Argentina. Martinez is a lawyer and president of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Thomas A. Shannon, ambassador to Brazil. Shannon is assistant secretary of state for Western hemisphere affairs.

Laurie S. Fulton, ambassador to Denmark. Fulton is a Washington lawyer.

Charles H. Rivkin, ambassador to France. Rivkin is a former president and CEO of the Jim Henson Co.

Louis B. Susman, ambassador to the United Kingdom. Susman is a retired vice chairman of Citigroup, a Chicago fund-raiser for Obama, and was national finance chairman for Senator John F. Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign.

Robert S. Connan, ambassador to Iceland. Connan is a minister for commercial affairs to the US mission to the European Union.

Timothy J. Roemer, ambassador to India. Roemer is a former congressman from Indiana who also served on the commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

John V. Roos, ambassador to Japan. Roos is a Silicon Valley lawyer.

Christopher William Dell, ambassador to Kosovo. Dell is a career Foreign Service officer who is now deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Afghanistan.

Patricia A. Butenis, ambassador to Sri Lanka. Butenis is deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Baghdad.

Miguel H. Díaz, ambassador to the Vatican. Diaz is a Cuban-American theologian at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minn. who advised Obama's presidential campaign.

If confirmed, Diaz would be the first Latino in the posting. He would replace Mary Ann Glendon, a Harvard University professor who turned down the University of Notre Dame's top honor, the Laetare Medal, after the Catholic school invited Obama to give the commencement address earlier this month and awarded him an honorary degree.

“Catholics United is thrilled to learn that Dr. Miguel Diaz has been nominated as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. Dr. Diaz is a devout Catholic, a respected theologian, a leader in the Catholic Latino community, and a dedicated husband and father of four children. We have full confidence that he will serve our nation well and we invite all Catholics to join us in celebrating this historic nomination,” Chris Korzen, the group's executive director, said in a statement.

“The Administration and the Holy See share many common concerns, such as protecting the environment, fostering peace in the Middle East, disarming nuclear arsenals and cultivating international development, especially for the poorest nations of the world. Dr. Diaz’s ability to work constructively for common ground makes him a superb choice for this position."

“I am grateful that these distinguished Americans have agreed to help represent the United States and strengthen our partnerships abroad at this critical time for our nation and the world. I am confident they will advance American diplomacy as we work to meet the challenges of the 21st century. I look forward to working with them in the years and months ahead,” Obama said in a statement.

The White House provided mini-biographies, which are below:

Even as the White House warns North Korea about its nuclear ambitions, it praised South Korea this evening for joining a nonproliferation agreement.

"The President welcomes the Republic of Korea’s decision today to join the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI)," the White House statement said. "By endorsing the PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles, the ROK has joined 94 other countries in a global effort to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), their delivery systems, and related materials to and from states and non-state actors of proliferation concern. We look forward to working with the South Korean Government to stop the proliferation of WMD-related materials worldwide and to strengthening the Initiative for the future."

The statement is in stark contrast to the Obama administration's call for a tough international response, including possibly more sanctions, to North Korea's underground nuclear test on Monday.

"Today, North Korea said that it has conducted a nuclear test in violation of international law," the president's statement said. "It appears to also have attempted a short range missile launch. These actions, while not a surprise given its statements and actions to date, are a matter of grave concern to all nations. North Korea's attempts to develop nuclear weapons, as well as its ballistic missile program, constitute a threat to international peace and security.

"By acting in blatant defiance of the United Nations Security Council, North Korea is directly and recklessly challenging the international community. North Korea's behavior increases tensions and undermines stability in Northeast Asia. Such provocations will only serve to deepen North Korea's isolation. It will not find international acceptance unless it abandons its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery," Obama added. "The danger posed by North Korea's threatening activities warrants action by the international community. We have been and will continue working with our allies and partners in the Six-Party Talks as well as other members of the UN Security Council in the days ahead."

Vice President Joe Biden's office announced this afternoon that he's adding a stop at the end of his tour of the Balkans, traveling Friday to another troubled region riven by religious conflict.

He will go to Beirut, Lebanon's capital "to reinforce the United States’ support for an independent and sovereign Lebanon," Biden's office said.

The vice president will meet with President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, and Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri, and will also join Lebanon’s Defense Minister Elias Murr to announce US military aid.

President Obama offered lots of reassurances, but not as many details in a major national security speech this morning -- reassurances that he'll do everything possible to keep America safe while still upholding the Constitution, but not the detail that some want on how he'll do it.

Obama emphasized the need to uphold the nation's founding principles, saying that is as important as military might in protecting America.

"We uphold our most cherished values not only because doing so is right, but because it strengthens our country and keeps us safe. Time and again, our values have been our best national security asset -- in war and peace; in times of ease and in eras of upheaval. Fidelity to our values is the reason why the United States of America grew from a small string of colonies under the writ of an empire to the strongest nation in the world.

"It's the reason why enemy soldiers have surrendered to us in battle, knowing they’d receive better treatment from America’s armed forces than from their own government," he added. "It is the reason why America has benefited from strong alliances that amplified our power, and drawn a sharp and moral contrast with our adversaries. It is the reason why we’ve been able to overpower the iron fist of fascism, outlast the iron curtain of communism, and enlist free nations and free peoples everywhere in common cause and common effort of liberty."

His responsibility as commander in chief, Obama said, "is only magnified in an era when an extremist ideology threatens our people, and technology gives a handful of terrorists the potential to do us great harm. We are less than eight years removed from the deadliest attack on American soil in our history. We know that Al Qaeda is actively planning to attack us again. We know that this threat will be with us for a long time, and that we must use all elements of our power to defeat it.

"Already, we've taken several steps to achieve that goal. For the first time since 2002, we are providing the necessary resources and strategic direction to take the fight to the extremists who attacked us on 9/11 in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We are investing in the 21st century military and intelligence capabilities that will allow us to stay one step ahead of a nimble enemy. We have re-energized a global non-proliferation regime to deny the world’s most dangerous people access to the world’s deadliest weapons, and we've launched an effort to secure all loose nuclear materials within four years. We are better protecting our border, and increasing our preparedness for any future attack or natural disaster. We are building new partnerships around the world to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and its affiliates. And we have renewed American diplomacy so that we once again have the strength and standing to truly lead the world," Obama added.

"These steps are all critical to keeping America secure. But I believe with every fiber of my being that in the long run we also cannot keep this country safe unless we enlist the power of our most fundamental values. The documents that we hold in this very hall -- the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights -- these are not simply words written into aging parchment. They are the foundation of liberty and justice in this country, and a light that shines for all who seek freedom, fairness, equality, and dignity around the world," he declared, speaking in the august National Archives, where an original of the Constitution is kept.

The Bush administration and the country, he asserted, lost its way after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"Unfortunately, faced with an uncertain threat, our government made a series of hasty decisions. I believe that those decisions were motivated by a sincere desire to protect the American people. But I also believe that all too often our government made decisions based on fear rather than foresight, and all too often trimmed facts and evidence to fit ideological predispositions. Instead of strategically applying our power and our principles, we too often set those principles aside as luxuries that we could no longer afford. And in this season of fear, too many of us -- Democrats and Republicans; politicians, journalists, and citizens -- fell silent," he said.

"In other words, we went off course. This is not my assessment alone. It was an assessment that was shared by the American people, who nominated candidates for president from both major parties who, despite our many differences, called for a new approach – one that rejected torture, and recognized the imperative of closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Like his major economic policy speech in April, Obama sought to get the public to look past the recent bobbles and take a broader view of the issues at stake -- a view more favorable to him.

Obama is facing high stakes on his anti-terror policies after taking hits from both sides of the political aisle in the past two weeks.

He dismayed and angered liberals with two reversals -- fighting the release of a new batch of photos showing US troops abusing detainees in Afghanistan and Iraq and restarting military tribunals for some of the 240 detainees still being held at the Guantanamo Bay prison.

The president is being savaged by Republicans -- and was abandoned by his Democratic allies in Congress -- over his plans to close Guantanamo by January -- a decision he announced with much fanfare on his second full day in office -- without having put out specifics on where the detainees will go.

Wednesday, the Senate joined the House in passing an amendment barring the detainees from entering the United States, and his FBI director expressed concerns about having terrorists on US soil, even if they are in maximum-security prisons.

His GOP presidential rival, John McCain, agrees with shutting down Guantanamo, but says that Obama botched the process. "All of the hard part was not addressed," McCain said on Fox News Channel this morning. "The easy part, the announcement of the closing of Guantanamo is done and now the chickens have come home to roost."

One of his harshest critics, former Vice President Dick Cheney, is giving a speech on national security in the same hour and less than two miles away.

Obama took on his critics, saying that "we will be ill-served by some of the fear-mongering that emerges whenever we discuss this issue."

"Listening to the recent debate, I’ve heard words that frankly are calculated to scare people rather than educate them; words that have more to do with politics than protecting our country," he added.

Obama strongly defended his decision to end harsh interrogation techniques such as waterboarding that he and other critics call torture.

"As commander in chief, I see the intelligence, I bear responsibility for keeping this country safe, and I reject the assertion that these are the most effective means of interrogation. What’s more, they undermine the rule of law. They alienate us in the world. They serve as a recruitment tool for terrorists, and increase the will of our enemies to fight us, while decreasing the will of others to work with America. They risk the lives of our troops by making it less likely that others will surrender to them in battle, and more likely that Americans will be mistreated if they are captured. In short, they did not advance our war and counter-terrorism efforts -- they undermined them, and that is why I ended them once and for all," he said to applause.

The president also defended his decision not to release the abuse photos, asserting that they add little to the understanding of what happened in places such as Abu Grahib and that there is a "clear and compelling reason" not to release them -- the safety of troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere.

"Nothing would be gained by the release of these photos that matters more than the lives of our young men and women serving in harm’s way," he said.

And he defended his decision to close Guantanamo, noting that military commissions led to only three convictions and that hundreds of detainees were released during the Bush administration.

"So the record is clear: rather than keep us safer, the prison at Guantanamo has weakened American national security. It is a rallying cry for our enemies. It sets back the willingness of our allies to work with us in fighting an enemy that operates in scores of countries. By any measure, the costs of keeping it open far exceed the complications involved in closing it. That is why I argued that it should be closed throughout my campaign. And that is why I ordered it closed within one year," Obama said.

In his speech, Obama outlined a five-pronged approach to Guantanamo: sending detainees to other countries when that is possible and does not pose a security risk (50 have been approved so far); putting those who have violated criminal laws on trial in federal civilian court; using the military tribunals for those charged with violating the rules of war; and releasing those who have been ordered released by the courts.

Calling it the "toughest single issue we will face," he also proposed indefinite preventitive detention for those who can't be prosecuted for past crimes but nonetheless represent a danger to the United States.

"These are people who, in effect, remain at war with the United States," Obama said.
"However, we must recognize that these detention policies cannot be unbounded," he added. "That's why my administration has begun to reshape these standards that apply to make sure they are in line with the rule of law. We must have clear, defensible, and lawful standards for those who fall into this category. We must have fair procedures so that we don’t make mistakes. We must have a thorough process of periodic review, so that any prolonged detention is carefully evaluated and justified."

"Let me be blunt: There are no neat or easy answers here. I wish there were," he said. "But I can tell you that the wrong answer is to pretend like this problem will go away if we maintain an unsustainable status quo. As president, I refuse to allow this problem to fester. I refuse to pass it on to someone else. It's my responsibility to solve the problem. Our security interests won’t permit it. Our courts won’t allow it. And neither should our conscience."

His full remarks are below:

Vice President Joe Biden continued his diplomatic tour of the troubled Balkans today, meeting with the leaders of Serbia as he tries to cement the hard-won peace in the region of tinderbox tensions.

"I came to Serbia on behalf of the Obama-Biden administration with a clear, distinct message, Mr. President: The United States wants to, would like to, deepen our cooperation with Serbia to help solve the problems of the region, to help Serbia become a strong, successful democratic member of the Euro-Atlantic community. That's our objective," Biden said, according to remarks released by the White House.

"Ever since the end of World War II, generations of Europeans and Americans have worked very hard to build a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace. Southeast Europe remains the missing piece, and Serbia is central to Southeast Europe's future. Simply put, the region cannot fully succeed without Serbia playing the constructive and leading role."

(His full remarks are below, followed by a joint statement with the European Union envoy.)

On Tuesday, Biden spoke in Sarajevo to the parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, warning lawmakers to resist the nationalism of ethnic strife that led to the bloody civil war during the 1990s that didn't end until intervention by NATO led by the United States.

Biden wraps up his visit Thursday in Kosovo, where he will meet that nation's leaders, address the assembly, and go to Camp Bondsteel to speak to US and NATO peacekeepers

The Obama administration has been urging the Pakistani government to go after the Taliban in the Swat Valley, after a cease-fire seemed to embolden the Islamic militants, who came within 60 miles of the capital last month.

Now that the military response has displaced tens of thousands of residents, the Obama team is offering humanitarian aid to deal with the fallout.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the aid -- $110 million -- at the White House this morning.

In the announcement, Clinton said the money will help ease the plight of about 2 million Pakistanis who have fled fighting.

The White House said $100 million would come the State Department and $10 million from the Defense Department. The largest single item is $26 million for the immediate purchase of wheat and other food.

It was Clinton, herself, who testifying to Congress for the first time in her new post, warned that Pakistan under the control of extremists "poses a mortal threat to the security and safety of Americans and the world." She also asserted that the Pakistani government is "basically abdicating to the Taliban and to the extremists" with the cease-fire, which was approved by Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari.

The Obama administration's new strategy in the region includes giving $1.5 billion a year in additional aid to Pakistan's government to help it take on the militants and sending at least 17,000 more US combat troops to southern Afghanistan and 4,000 troops to train the Afghan military and hundreds of civilian advisers to help the Afghan government.

UPDATE: Senator John F. Kerry, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, applauded the aid. He is pushing for $1.5 billion a year in additional aid to Pakistan to help the government take on the Taliban.

“I applaud the Administration’s pledge of more than $100 million in humanitarian aid for Pakistanis displaced by the violence in Swat Valley. Last week, in a Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Pakistan, I strongly urged Special Representative Richard Holbrooke to take this important action, and to do so as quickly as possible. The scale of the tragedy demands immediate assistance: Some 2 million civilians have been driven from their homes due to fighting initiated by the Taliban," Kerry said in a statement.

“The present emergency carries echoes of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake: following that disaster, the United States provided nearly $1 billion in relief aid—and proved that our nation could be a powerful and faithful friend to the Pakistani people. The legislation that Sen. Lugar and I introduced earlier this month aims to solidify this approach: for the sake of the national security of both of our nations, we seek to demonstrate to the people of Pakistan that we are friends in fair and foul weather alike.”

Clinton's full remarks are below, followed by the White House outline of the funding.

Americans of both major political parties agree with President Obama's decision to fight the release of more detainee abuse photos, a new poll suggests.

In the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey result released this afternoon, 73 percent opposed releasing the images, while 26 percent supported doing so.

Among self-identified Republicans, the opposition to divulging the photos was stronger -- 87 percent, while it was 62 percent among Democrats.

Obama announced his change of mind last week, saying that military commanders had convinced him that the photos' release could endanger US troops in the field in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued a joint statement today to mark the apparent end of the decades-long civil war in Sri Lanka with the government's victory over the rebel Tamil Tigers.

The statement is from Committee chairman John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, ranking Republican Richard Lugar of Indiana, and Senators Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Sam Brownback of Kansas, and Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

“We welcome the news that Sri Lanka’s long-running civil war has been brought to a close. For the past twenty-six years, the people of Sri Lanka have suffered enormously from a conflict that appeared intractable. Some 70,000 were killed, many more injured, and countless others were uprooted and forced to flee the violence. In recent months, civilians in the north-eastern part of the island have faced terrible hardship, and exceptionally difficult conditions still persist for hundreds of thousands that have been internally displaced. The scale of the suffering has been obscured by denial of access to humanitarian workers, journalists, and most other outside observers.

“Today can be a turning point for the people of Sri Lanka. The government has a chance to forge a long-term political solution, one that acknowledges the legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lankans, including Sinhalese, Tamils, and other groups. This means taking steps toward reconciliation and justice, including devolution of power to local bodies as provided for by the constitution of Sri Lanka. It will not be easy, but we are looking to the leaders of the Government of Sri Lanka to move the country forward in peace after more than a quarter-century of conflict.

“In the short term, we urge the Government of Sri Lanka to take immediate steps to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the north for hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons by facilitating humanitarian access to the government camps and by fulfilling its promise to return the majority home by the end of the year. We call on the Government to protect all of its citizens, including those still trapped in the conflict zone such as Doctors Varatharajah, Shanmugarajah, and Sathiyamurthy and other religious and secular leaders who have provided vital humanitarian services.”

President Obama today began a series of meetings to bring new momentum to the Middle East peace process.

First up, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was at the White House for an one-on-one meeting with Obama, a bigger meeting, and a working lunch.

After the sessions, Obama said they were "extraordinarily productive."

He told reporters that the United States has a "special relationship" with Israel, whom he described as a "stalwart ally" with historical and emotional ties and the only true democracy in the Middle East.

Obama said that Israel's security is paramount, and said he wants a positive response from Iran on its nuclear program by the end of the year and is "not precluding" a range of steps, including stronger international sanctions.

The president also said the two men talked about restarting the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian authority toward a two-state solution, and said he told Netanyahu that he has a "historic opportunity" to secure Israel's security and achieve a historic peace.

But that requires fulfilling the 2003 "road map" to a peace deal, including for Israel to stop building settlements in the West Bank.

An Israel-Palestinian peace "strengthens our hand" in dealing with Iran, Obama said.

Netanyahu called Obama a "great friend" of Israel and said that he agrees that the greatest danger Israel faces is an nuclear-armed Iran.

The prime minister also said that he is ready to negotiate with the Palestinians, but also "broaden the circle of peace" to include Arab countries.

He said the Israel is ready to make compromises, but that Palestinian leaders must do their part, including recognizing the Jewish state's right to exist.

(Their full remarks to reporters are below.)

Both the president and Netanyahu are being closely watched both for actions and words. Because of some past associations with Palestinian supporters and the false rumors that he was a Muslim, Obama spent quite a bit of time during the campaign to reassure Jewish voters and others that he was steadfast in his support for Israel.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, has yet to formally and publicly support a Palestinian state -- in opposition to official US policy, which calls for a two-state solution. And before his Feb. 10 election, he dismissed the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which stalled late last year, as a waste of time.

The Israeli leader will be followed to the White House by President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt on May 26, and by President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian authority on May 28.

The leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued a statement this morning calling for the release of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

“The Obama Administration and Congress are reviewing America’s policy toward Burma. At this critical time, some in the junta are trying to leverage the recent alleged unauthorized entry into Aung San Suu Kyi’s compound to extend her detention. This action sends precisely the wrong message to the citizens of Burma, the people of Southeast Asia, and all those in the global community who seek for the Burmese people the opportunity to live in a country where universal human rights are respected, not trampled," said committee Chairman John F. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, and the ranking Republican, Richard Lugar of Indiana.

“Now is the time for reform-minded leaders within the military junta to step forward and be heard. Releasing Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners would signal the start of a constructive dialogue with the United States.”

UPDATE: President Obama this afternoon told Congress he is continuing the US sanctions against Burma. To see his declaration, click here.

President Obama thrilled his liberal backers -- who reviled the Bush administration's war on terror -- when in his first days in office he announced he would shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and banned torture.

But they're none too happy after what appear to be two about-faces this week on terror detainees.

Obama first reversed himself and announced he would fight the release of photos showing US troops abusing detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying he listened to his military commanders who argued their dissemination could inflame local populations and thus threaten US forces.

Today, he announced he will restart the military tribunals for some Guantanamo detainees -- the same process he called during his campaign as "a flawed military commission system that has failed to convict anyone of a terrorist act since the 9/11 attacks and that has been embroiled in legal challenges."

UPDATE: Obama confirmed his move not with a public appearance, but a brief statement from the White House:

"Military commissions have a long tradition in the United States. They are appropriate for trying enemies who violate the laws of war, provided that they are properly structured and administered. In the past, I have supported the use of military commissions as one avenue to try detainees, in addition to prosecution in Article III courts. In 2006, I voted in favor of the use of military commissions. But I objected strongly to the Military Commissions Act that was drafted by the Bush Administration and passed by Congress because it failed to establish a legitimate legal framework and undermined our capability to ensure swift and certain justice against those detainees that we were holding at the time. Indeed, the system of Military Commissions at Guantanamo Bay had only succeeded in prosecuting three suspected terrorists in more than seven years.

"Today, the Department of Defense will be seeking additional continuances in several pending military commission proceedings. We will seek more time to allow us time to reform the military commission process. The Secretary of Defense will notify the Congress of several changes to the rules governing the commissions. The rule changes will ensure that: First, statements that have been obtained from detainees using cruel, inhuman and degrading interrogation methods will no longer be admitted as evidence at trial. Second, the use of hearsay will be limited, so that the burden will no longer be on the party who objects to hearsay to disprove its reliability. Third, the accused will have greater latitude in selecting their counsel. Fourth, basic protections will be provided for those who refuse to testify. And fifth, military commission judges may establish the jurisdiction of their own courts.

"These reforms will begin to restore the Commissions as a legitimate forum for prosecution, while bringing them in line with the rule of law. In addition, we will work with the Congress on additional reforms that will permit commissions to prosecute terrorists effectively and be an avenue, along with federal prosecutions in Article III courts, for administering justice. This is the best way to protect our country, while upholding our deeply held values."

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama will give a speech about Guantanamo detainees next Thursday.

Obama is asking for another 120-day delay in legal proceedings and is working through details of changes in the tribunals he will seek from Congress, Gibbs said.

Asked about alienating some of Obama's supporters, Gibbs said that "first and foremost" Obama will do what's best for the security of the United States.

The Bush tribunal set-up was not working in providing "swift and certain justice," but the changes will make the system workable, Gibbs said.

Pressed about the liberal criticism, Gibbs said it is not true that the tribunals under Obama will be the same as under Bush.

He also said that Obama is being critiqued both that he is too similar to Bush and too different. Gibbs said he'll let the media decide where on the spectrum Obama is.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which sued for the release of the photos, blasted Obama's change of position on that front. And it also criticized the president on the tribunals.

Elisa Massimino, executive director of Human Rights First, added in a statement: “Tinkering with the machinery of military commissions will not remove the taint of Guantanamo from future prosecutions. The president should listen to the many dedicated military lawyers who both defended and prosecuted cases in the commissions at Guantanamo who have said that the commissions are irredeemable. We cannot achieve justice by reverse engineering a process to enhance the likelihood of convictions. That’s not how we do things in this country. The federal criminal justice system has credibility and a proven track record of prosecuting terrorism cases without compromising national security or our Constitution’s values. President Obama should use it.”

The American Liberal Newsvine today is portrayed the decision this way: "Breaking a key promise from his campaign, President Barack Obama is expected to announce Friday the return of military commission trials for a small number of terrorism suspects. Obama had previously promised to abolish them. The tribunals, often criticized as overly protective of state secrets and willing to accept evidence obtained while defendants were allegedly tortured, were suspended mere hours after Obama took office."

The TalkLeft blog said: "There's no fixing those military tribunals. If your team can't come up with a solution other than one that reverts to one of the worst policies of Bush Administration, it's time to get a new team in place. Suggestion: Start with the lawyers representing the Guantanamo detainees. They know exactly what's necessary for a fair trial. Suggestion two: Try them in federal court like you said you would. Show some backbone and stick to your campaign promises. As a last resort, consider trials under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. But leave those military commission trials dead and buried where they belong."

By James F. Smith, Globe Staff

Dr. Paul Farmer, the global health crusader who has crafted life-saving projects from Haiti to Rwanda, has told colleagues privately that he is mulling a possible appointment by the Obama administration to coordinate growing US overseas health initiatives.

Farmer told faculty members at Harvard Medical School on Monday that he is in discussions with the State Department, which this month proposed a surge in funding over the next six years for global programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and tropical disease, and to improve children's health.

It could not be confirmed today exactly what job Farmer is being considered for, but one person who was present at the medical school meeting said Farmer described it as a position overseeing all foreign health aid. Farmer told the gathering that he hadn't decided whether to accept the appointment if it is formally offered but that he was considering it seriously.

Farmer did not respond to email and phone messages seeking comment. Partners in Health also declined to respond, as did Harvard Medical School's Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, where Farmer is vice-chairman.

A State Department spokesman refused any comment on personnel discussions in progress or on potential new positions. It could not be confirmed today whether Farmer is being considered for a full-time policy position or an advisory role, or whether an appointment would be to a new job or an existing one.

The top positions at the US Agency for International Development are vacant, including the administrator and deputy administrator as well as assistant administrator in charge of global health. The top positions are presidential appointments and require Senate confirmation. There could also be health policy roles within the State Department, which this month announced a plan to spend $63 billion over the next six years to fight global diseases including HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other preventable diseases. That would build on an ambitious effort launched by the Bush administration.

Farmer has gained international acclaim for more than two decades of work treating the poorest villagers in the poorest countries, while also carrying out groundbreaking medical research and reshaping health policies in the Third World. When he was still a Harvard medical student he co-founded Partners in Health, the Boston-based nonprofit that supports an array of global health efforts and pushes governments to provide better care.

In 2003, Tracy Kidder published a best-selling book, "Mountains Beyond Mountains," about Farmer.

He remains very active in Partners in Health and its initiatives, including the remaking of Rwanda's health system amid the twin ravages of AIDS and the aftermath of genocide, as well as building programs in other countries -- Russia and Peru among them -- to counter multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis.

One person who was at the Harvard gathering said some colleagues suggested to Farmer that he was being given an opportunity to make a real impact on US policy, and they urged him to take up the challenge.

The New England delegation divided on the issue today as the House approved funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as the US winds down its involvement in the former and increases its push in the latter.

The $97 billion measure includes President Obama's war funding request as he promises to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq by August 2010 and sends 21,000 more troops and military trainers to Afghanistan and It adds nearly $12 billion, including money for new weapons and military equipment and more foreign aid. The bill also includes a pledge that any Guantanamo Bay detainees will not be released on US soil.

Among Massachusetts representatives, Michael Capuano, Barney Frank, Edward Markey, James McGovern, Richard Neal, John Tierney, and Niki Tsongas voted no. Stephen Lynch and John Olver supported the funding and William Delahunt did not vote.

Both Maine representatives, Michael Michaud and Chellie Pingree, voted no, while both of Rhode Island's, Patrick Kennedy and Jim Langevin, voted yes.

New Hampshire's delegation split, with Paul Hodes voting yes and Carol Shea-Porter opposing the funding.

Vermont's Peter Welch also voted no.

The overall tally was 368-60, with 200 Democrats and 168 Republicans voting yes and 51 Democrats and 9 Republicans voting no.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is testifying this afternoon on the Middle East peace process, on the eve of President Obama's one-on-one meetings starting next week with the leaders of Israel, Egypt, and the Palestinian authority.

Blair, a close ally of former President Bush whose support for the Iraq war cost him politically at home, has been leading the effort by the Middle East Quartet (the European Union, the US, the United Nations, and the Russian Federation) for a two-state solution.

“Since ending his decade of service as Britain’s Prime Minister, Tony Blair has continued to lead on global challenges from development in Africa to interfaith tolerance to climate change. Tony Blair left office and volunteered for another tough assignment: Middle East Quartet Representative. I look forward to hearing his thoughts on the prospects for peace in the Middle East,” Senator John F. Kerry said in a statement announcing Blair's appearance before the Foreign Relations Committee.

Kerry's prepared opening statement is below:

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- Representative James McGovern of Massachusetts, who has launched the only effort in the US House to oppose President Obama's plans for the Afghan war, received an unexpected boost of support today from a group of Afghan and Iraqi war veterans, who raced around Capitol Hill lobbying for his bill.

Congress is expected on Thursday to swiftly approve the $94.2 billion war funding bill, which would support the 21,000 additional combat troops and military trainers that Obama plans to deploy. But McGovern's bill, which he plans to file Thursday, would require the Pentagon to come up with an exit strategy by the end of the year.

The veterans, who are part of a small but growing group of Americans who oppose the Afghan war, traveled to Washington this week, shadowed by the Brave New Foundation, a California-based nonprofit film company that produces social justice documentaries and has launched a campaign called Rethink Afghanistan.

Realizing that it could not stop the supplemental, the group focused instead on getting more support for McGovern's bill.

"Without an exit strategy, then the mission is doomed to fail," said Jake Diliberto, who fought in Afghanistan in 2001 as a Marine. Diliberto, who said he is now getting his master's degree in ethics from Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., said that he strongly believed in the mission, but that the US presence has grown extremely unpopular among Afghans, as civilian casualties have increased.

Former Marine Corporal Rick Reyes, who also served in Afghanistan shortly after the US invasion, said he never thought he would lobby Congress. But by midafternoon, he had met with representatives from 20 offices. The group planned to fan out and meet with 100 more.

"So far the response has been positive, but you never know how they will vote," said Reyes, who believes that the United States was made less safe by the operations in Afghanistan. He said his team was ordered to break down doors and beat people who later turned out to be innocent.

Still, many members of Congress are reluctant to question a war that is directly linked to an attack on the United States, not to mention a popular president.

Representative Raul M. Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat who chairs the Progressive Congressional Caucus and shares skepticism about the troop increase, told the veterans that their message is still a hard sell.

"I think there is a sense that there is no other option," he said, adding that people routinely ask him "'What do we do if we don't do this?' "

Grijalva told the vets that an atmosphere of fear of opposing the president has permeated Capitol Hill over the past eight years. But he said he has not faced much backlash for his anti-war stance, despite the fact that 15 percent of his constituents are veterans.

"I support Barack very much but I think sometimes we tell our friends and colleagues that we have to part ways," he said.

But so far, the only member of Congress to introduce legislation to restrain Obama's actions on Afghanistan is McGovern, a Worcester Democrat and an outspoken opponent of the Iraq war. (Click here to read the bill.)

So far, 60 members of Congress have already signed onto the bill, which McGovern opted to file as stand-alone piece of legislation, not linked to the supplemental.

"After 8 years, he is getting a sinking feeling that we are getting in deeper and deeper into Afghan without any idea how we are going to get out," said Michael Mershon, a spokesman for McGovern. "He feels very strongly that no matter who the president is, or whether he has a 'D' or an 'R' next to his name, if you believe our military efforts need to have a clearly defined strategy, then that's what you have to fight for."

President Obama has insisted he would listen to his commanders on the ground before making decisions as commander in chief.

And it appears he did just that, reversing himself on releasing dozens, if not hundreds, of new photos that purportedly show abuses of detainees.

According to press reports, the top US commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan told Obama that their troops could be in greater danger if the new photos are released this spring.

UPDATE: In a brief appearance to mostly call for peace in Sri Lanka, Obama confirmed his decision.

"This is not a situation in which the Pentagon has concealed or sought to justify inappropriate action," he said. "Rather, it has gone through the appropriate and regular processes. And the individuals who were involved have been identified, and appropriate actions have been taken.

"It's therefore my belief that the publication of these photos would not add any additional benefit to our understanding of what was carried out in the past by a small number of individuals. In fact, the most direct consequence of releasing them, I believe, would be to further inflame anti-American opinion and to put our troops in greater danger."

"Any abuse of detainees is unacceptable," he added. "It's against our values." (His full remarks are below.)

An Obama administration official told the Associated Press that the president told his legal advisers last week that he agreed that releasing the photos would endanger US troops. Obama wants the issue to go back to the courts, although federal appeals judges have ruled the photos could be released.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama has been debating the issue for several weeks.

The photos "have the potential to cause harm to our troops," Gibbs told reporters.

They could also get in the way of investigations of detainee abuse, he said, and don't help the probes but only add a "sensationalistic" element.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told the AP that military commanders "are concerned about the impact the release of these photos would have for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq," and that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates shares their concerns.

The images will reportedly show mistreatment at locations other than Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, where photos emerged in 2004 of soldiers posing with detainees, some naked, being held on leashes or in painful positions.

The Pentagon had planned to release the latest photos by May 28 in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

And the civil liberties group quickly criticized Obama's reversal.

"The decision to suppress the photos is profoundly inconsistent with the promise of transparency that President Obama has made time after time," ACLU lawyer Jameel Jaffer told the AP.

But military groups praised Obama's change of heart.

"This is the very best news we could hear," American Legion Commander David Rehbein said in a statement, "and we applaud the president for his response to those, like The American Legion, who are putting the welfare of our troops and our country ahead of political considerations."

Rehbein made similar arguments as the military commanders in an opinion piece first published in the Wall Street Journal.

Senator John F. Kerry responded with outrage this afternoon to reports that school girls in Afghanistan are being targeted by poison gas to scare them away from going to class.

The Associated Press reported that Afghan officials accused extremist militants of launching a poison gas attack today in the northeastern part of the country that caused dozens of schoolgirls to collapse with headaches and nausea. The Taliban and other Islamic fundamentalists have regularly attacked girls schools in Afghanistan and the second apparent poisoning in two days has raised concerns that they have now found a new weapon to scare girls, the AP said.

“I am deeply troubled by reports of poison attacks on school girls in Afghanistan, endangering hundreds of students and teachers," Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement.

"Today’s attack on girls in a school in Kapisa province follows two recent attacks on school girls in the nearby town of Charikar in Parvan province. This should be a wake-up call that girls and women in Afghanistan are still under physical threat and their security must be a top priority. Girls in Afghanistan should not have to risk their lives just to attend school. This is non-negotiable. My thoughts are with these brave young girls, their families, their teachers and principals, and I commend their courage for continuing to go to school. I urge the Afghan authorities to do all they can to stop these horrific attacks on innocent children.”

Ask most Americans about former President Jimmy Carter and energy, and they'll probably recall the long gas lines during the 1970s Arab oil embargo and the 1979 "malaise" speech in which he outlined his plan for energy efficiency and reducing oil imports.

Today, he is being called upon to offer a "historical review"of US efforts to address energy security before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Carter testified that there has been "a long period of energy complacency" and that the US is now lagging behind "many other nations in the production and use of windmills, solar power, nuclear energy, and the efficiency of energy
consumption."

"Our inseparable energy and environmental decisions will determine how well we can maintain a vibrant society, protect our strategic interests, regain worldwide political and economic leadership, meet relatively new competitive challenges, and deal with less fortunate nations. Collectively, nothing could be more important," he said, according to prepared remarks.

“President Carter has an unparalleled understanding of the depth and scope of the energy security challenges facing our nation, and we are honored to welcome him to the committee,” committee Chairman John F. Kerry said in a statement announcing Carter's appearance.

“This hearing will launch a series of targeted investigations into the manifestations and implications of our dependence on foreign oil, as well as the geopolitical challenges associated with current patterns of global energy flows.”

Kerry's opening statement at the hearing is below:

Richard Holbrooke, the special US envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, is testifying today before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as it consider President Obama's new strategy for the intertwined nations.

Obama is sending 21,000 more troops to Afghanistan, agreed to the replacement of the top US general in Afghanistan, announced Monday, and supports a bill being pushed by Senator John F. Kerry to increase aid to Pakistan's government to $1.5 billion a year.

Holbrooke testified that "a stable, secure, democratic Pakistan is vital to US national security interests."

"We must support and strengthen the democratic government of Pakistan in order to eliminate once and for all the extremist threat from al-Qaeda and affiliated terrorist groups," he continued in prepared remarks.

Relations between the US and Pakistan have been "inconsistent," he added. "In Pakistan, many believe that we are not a reliable long-term partner and that we will abandon them after achieving our counterterrorism objectives. Many in the U.S. question the dedication of some elements of the Pakistani government to ending safe haven for terrorists on Pakistani soil. But our engagement has to be aimed at putting our relationship on a better long-term footing."

(His full prepared remarks are below.)

In his opening statement at the hearing, Kerry, the committee's chairman, declared that "with its nuclear arsenal, terrorist safe havens, Taliban sanctuaries and growing insurgency, Pakistan has emerged as one of the most difficult foreign policy challenges we face."

The Massachusetts Democrat said that Obama's meetings last week with Pakistani President Asif Zardari and Afghan President Karzai were "a significant step forward," but much work remains to succeed with a "bold new strategy."

"Since President Obama called on Congress to pass a Pakistan aid bill, the dangers of inaction have risen almost by the day. The government has struck an ill-advised deal that effectively surrendered the Swat Valley to the Taliban. Predictably, this emboldened the Taliban to extend their reach ever closer to the country’s heartland. In recent days we have seen encouraging signs that Pakistan’s Army is finally taking the fight to the enemy, but much remains to be done," Kerry said, according to prepared remarks released by the committee.

"Even as we help Pakistan’s government to respond to an acute crisis, we also need to mend a broken relationship with the Pakistani people. For decades, America sought Pakistani cooperation through military aid, while paying scant attention to the wishes of the population itself. This arrangement is rapidly disintegrating. Today an alarming number of Pakistanis actually view America as a greater threat than Al Qaeda. Until this changes, there’s little chance of ending tolerance for terrorist groups— or persuading any Pakistani government to devote the political capital necessary to deny such groups sanctuary and covert material support."

The additional aid is an important first step, Kerry said. " Our aid to Pakistan aims to achieve more than just good deeds: It will empower the civilian government to show that it can deliver its citizens a better life.

His full opening statement is below:

The White House this morning announced a series of meetings later this month between President Obama and key partners for a Middle East peace effort.

New Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be the first to come to Washington, on May 18. He will be followed by President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt on May 26, and by President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian authority on May 28.

"With each of them, the president will discuss ways the United States can strengthen and deepen our partnerships, as well as the steps all parties should take to help achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians and between Israel and the Arab states," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced this afternoon that he is replacing the top US commander in Afghanistan, asserting that despite the lack of resources in the past, the military must do better.

Gates, just back from an on-the-ground visit, noted that President Obama has put in a new strategy for Afghanistan, and there is a new ambassador,

"I believe new military leadership is also needed," he said at a Pentagon news conference.

Gates did not specifically criticize General David McKiernan, who has been on the job for about 11 months. McKiernan has asked repeatedly for additional forces, and he's about to get them. Obama has ordered 21,000 additional forces to Afghanistan this year, 17,000 combat troops and 4,000 military trainers.

"If there were to be a change, this is the right time to make the change," Gates added, saying "fresh thinking" and "fresh eyes" were needed.

Gates said he is asking the Senate to swiftly confirm McKiernan's replacement, Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal, who has experience in counterinsurgency.

UPDATE: White House spokesman Robert Gibbs issued a statement on the change:

“The president agreed with the recommendation of the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the implementation of a new strategy in Afghanistan called for new military leadership. The President was grateful for and impressed by the leadership that General McKiernan demonstrated in calling for additional resources for the fight in Afghanistan. This change of direction in Afghanistan in no way diminishes the President’s deep respect for Gen. McKiernan and his decades of public service.”

While he already addressed Muslims around the world during his trip to Turkey, President Obama will give his official speech to Muslims that he promised on June 4 in Egypt, the White House announced this afternoon.

Spokesman Robert Gibbs said that the following day, the president plans to visit Germany, stopping in Dresden, which was fire-bombed by the Allies during World War II, and the Buchenwald concentration camp where thousands of Jews and others were killed by the Nazis.

The day after that, Obama will be in France to join in the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

Asked why Egypt was picked, Gibbs said, "It is a country that in many ways represents the heart of the Arab world. And I think it will be a terrific opportunity for the president to address and discuss our relationship with the Muslim world."

The trip will be Obama's second major foreign tour, following his trip last month to London for G-20 summit, then to Europe for meetings with NATO allies, then Turkey.

After meetings with the presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan, President Obama declared this afternoon that progress is being made in how the three nations are cooperating to fight militants and prevent them from carving out a stronghold where more terrorist attacks can be plotted.

Obama met separately with Afghan leader Hamid Karzai and Pakistani leader Asif Ali Zardari, then huddled together with the two men, who also pledged to ramp up the battle.

Obama also pledged "every effort" to prevent civilian casualties in the war in Afghanistan, amid reports that dozens might have been killed in a US strike this week.

"We just wanted to say that we've had an extraordinarily productive day," Obama told reporters. "And what is represented around the table is not just three Presidents but rather it's ministers, agency heads at every level, and that reflects the kind of concrete cooperation and detail that is going to ultimately make a difference in improving opportunity and democracy and stability in Pakistan and in Afghanistan."

Obama's full remarks are below:

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- Vice President Joe Biden today said a viable Palestinian state, existing peacefully with Israel, "must be achieved" -- sending a strong signal that the Obama administration will push Israel's new right-wing government to move towards peace with Palestinians.

In a speech before 5,000 delegates to the annual conference of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, one of Washington's most powerful lobbying groups, Biden said: "Israel has to work toward a two state solution and -- you are not going to like my saying this -- but [do] not build more settlements, dismantle existing outposts, and allow the Palestinians freedom of movement . . . This is a show-me deal. Not based on faith. Show me."

Biden's tough love on Israel took up one line in a speech that was otherwise devoted to reiterating Obama's commitment to Israel's security, and Biden's own decades-long personal connection to Israel, starting from the day he met the chain-smoking Golda Meir, Israel's fourth prime minister, when he was a young senator.

But Biden's words could signal rough times ahead for Israel's new right-wing prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, who has backed away from endorsing the creation of a Palestinian state. Netanyahu is slated to meet Obama at the White House for the first time on May 18. Today, Obama met with Israeli President Shimon Peres.

At AIPAC, Senator John F. Kerry, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, also called on Israel to stop building settlements on Palestinian territory occupied after the 1967 war.

"Nothing will do more to show Israel's commitment to making peace than freezing new settlements activity," the Massachusetts Democrat told the audience, to slight applause. "Settlements make it more difficult for Israel to protect its own citizens. New settlements...don't just fragment a future Palestinian state. They also fragment what the Israeli defense forces must defend, they undercut [moderate Palestinian president Mahmoud] Abbas, and strengthen Hamas by convincing the Palestinians that there is no reward for moderation."

Kerry warned that the " window of opportunity for a two-state solution is fast closing."

Both Kerry and Biden sweetened their message with pledges of unflinching support for Israel's security.

Kerry received his most sustained applause when he suggested that Israel should not be expected to pull out of the West Bank any time soon.

"Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon, only to face Hezbollah; Israel withdrew from Gaza, only to face Hamas rockets. Israel is not about to let the same thing happen in the West Bank, nor should they," Kerry said.

Kerry, who recently traveled to Gaza and Syria, also said he pressed during his trip for the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and a halt to rocket fire on Israel.

In his speech, Biden also warned that if diplomacy fails to curb the "grave danger of a nuclear-armed Iran," then the United States will have greater international support to "consider other options."

Biden also urged Israel's Arab neighbors to show they are serious about an Arab proposal to normalize relations with the Jewish state if Israel gives up occupied land.

"Now is the time for Arab states to make meaningful gestures to show the Israeli leadership and the people to show that the promise...is real and genuine," Biden said.

Their full remarks are below:

The White House announced today that it is seeking $63 billion for a six-year drive to fight illness and disease around the world.

President Obama cited the swine flu outbreak as one reason for the initiative.

"In the 21st century, disease flows freely across borders and oceans, and, in recent days, the 2009 H1N1 virus has reminded us of the urgent need for action," he said in a statement. "We cannot wall ourselves off from the world and hope for the best, nor ignore the public health challenges beyond our borders. An outbreak in Indonesia can reach Indiana within days, and public health crises abroad can cause widespread suffering, conflict, and economic contraction. That is why I am asking Congress to approve my Fiscal Year 2010 Budget request of $8.6 billion -- and $63 billion over six years -- to shape a new, comprehensive global health strategy. We cannot simply confront individual preventable illnesses in isolation. The world is interconnected, and that demands an integrated approach to global health."

The Associated Press reports that Jack Lew, an assistant secretary of state, called the effort "an extraordinary step to save the lives of men, women and children," while praising former President George W. Bush's fight against HIV-AIDS, particularly in Africa.

Obama's full statement and a White House fact sheet are below:

Senator John F. Kerry issued a statement today in support of the government of the republic of Georgia after what appears to be an isolated mutiny.

“It is our understanding that the mutineers have been apprehended and the situation is now calm. Georgia is an independent, democratic republic and any attempt to change the government of that country through non-democratic means is unacceptable. The Georgian people are committed to live in a sovereign, democratic nation and their will must be respected,” Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement.

According to the Associated Press, Georgia said it had ended a brief mutiny at a military base near the capital and thwarted a plan to disrupt NATO exercises.

The Interior Ministry first declared that the mutiny was part of a Russia-supported plot to overthrow the government, but later backed off and said the plotters were intent mainly on disrupting NATO military exercises set to begin Wednesday, the AP said.

Russia, which fought a brief war with Georgia last year, has criticized the NATO exercises.

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman John F. Kerry and ranking Republican Dick Lugar today introduced a bill that would triple nonmilitary assistance to Pakistan to $1.5 billion annually for the next five years in a bid to help stabilize the democratically-elected government of president Asif Ali Zardari, who is besieged with a festering insurgency and a domestic financial crisis.

The aid plan, which Kerry attempted to get passed last summer, would fund roads, schools, and clinics at a time when many average Pakistanis have grown disillusioned with their government and the US-prompted war against Taliban militants who have taken control of large parts of the country.

When asked at a news conference whether the funding would come too late to help Zardari, Kerry acknowledged that "we have lost a lot of time."

But the Massachusetts Democrat said the money would be an important signal of America's long-term commitment to Pakistan, where many see the United States as a fair-weather friend who will withdraw its aid as soon as its goals are accomplished.

"This legislation is the first time we have made a longer-term commitment," Kerry said. "While governments may change, I don't believe the country itself is about to fall apart."

"The dangers of inaction are rising almost by the day," Kerry added in a speech on the Senate floor. Kerry said that the bill "will empower the moderates, who will have something concrete to put forward as evidence that friendship with America bring rewards as well as perils."

Zardari is due to meet President Obama for the first time Wednesday as part of a trilateral summit with Afghan president Hamid Karzai aimed at countering growing violence in the region. On Thursday, Kerry and Lugar, of Indiana, will host a 70-person lunch at the Capitol for Zardari, Karzai, and the US special envoy to the region, Richard Holbrooke, to discuss the plan.

Aides said that the bill was aimed at giving the Obama administration and USAID wide discretion, given the rapidly-changing situation on the ground.

Kerry urged the administration to use "the vast majority of these funds" on nonmilitary economic assistance, but left the door open for some of the money to be used for military purposes, if necessary.

Congress will not dictate which institutions, or even which parts of Pakistan, would receive the funds, leading some analysts to doubt that the money will reach the federally-administered tribal areas, the home of Pakistani Taliban, which has long been starved of development funding.

A similar aid bill introduced in the House that included nearly two-dozen pages of detailed conditions drew scathing criticism from Pakistani officials who said they could not accept aid with such strings attached. But the Kerry-Lugar bill, which has been endorsed by the Obama administration, contains only a few modest conditions -- such as the requirement that Obama certify that the Pakistanis are fighting terrorists -- although Obama can also waive the conditions.

Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, could not be immediately reached for comment.

But Mark A. Siegel, a partner at Locke Lord Strategies, a lobbying firm retained by the Pakistani government, praised Kerry for introducing the bill.

"The world has a lot at stake in the success of the government of Pakistan in defeating terrorism," he said. "If Pakistan wins, the world wins."

The full bill summary is below, followed by Kerry's prepared speech on the Senate floor:

The ship captain from Vermont who survived a harrowing hostage ordeal testified this afternoon before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is examining the threat of piracy off the Horn of Africa, and possible solutions.

Captain Richard Phillips, 53, who was freed earlier this month after US Navy snipers killed three Somali pirates, testified on a panel with John Clancey, Chairman of Maersk, Inc., the ship's owner. Stephen D. Mull, acting assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, also testified.

Phillips testified that the "most desirable" solution to piracy is putting military escorts aboard US vessels.

But given the logistical issues, ships' defenses could also be strengthened, he said.

Arming crews should be only one component and only a limited number of crew members should have access to weapons, and should be well trained, Phillips said. Read Phillips' full remarks below.

In his opening remarks, committee Chairman John F. Kerry noted that piracy is claiming innocent lives and costing significant amounts of money.

"To make matters worse, we know that pirates use much of their ransom money to buy better weapons and bigger engines to make it even easier to overtake larger vessels. They also use ransom money to arm and equip private militias. This is a dangerous and vicious cycle," he said in prepared remarks.

"Piracy goes to the heart of our national security and economic interests. America has always been a seafaring nation, and securing the world's sea lanes has been a source and a symbol of our strength. In the face of instability and crises around the globe, our ability to project naval power and to help ensure the free passage of goods and humanitarian aid is as important as ever." Read Kerry's full opening statement is below.

Modern-day piracy, the experts were to testify, is the product of lawlessness in places like Somalia and is motivated by money more than ideology. It's a dangerous business nonetheless, with pirates carrying small arms and rocket launchers.

The International Maritime Bureau recorded 111 attacks in the waters off the Horn of Africa in 2008, almost double the number of the year before. The bureau has recorded at least 84 attacks in the first quarter of 2009.

About 300 non-U.S. crew members remain in Somali captivity aboard 18 hijacked vessels, according to the Senate panel.

The problem requires a complex regional response between the United States and other powers such as China, India and Russia, Ambassador Mull told the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He said U.S. officials are working with other countries to deny pirates whatever they might gain from taking ships and crews.

PHILLIPS REMARKS

I am Captain Richard Phillips. I am a graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, I have been a member of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots Union since 1979, and I am a licensed American merchant mariner. I was the captain of the MAERSK ALABAMA when it was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia on April 8th. Thankfully, that episode ended with the successful return of the ship, its cargo of US food aid for Africa and, most importantly, my crew. All of us have returned home safely and for that my entire crew and I are deeply appreciative of the actions taken by the Administration, the Department of Defense and, most specifically, the US Navy, the Navy SEALS and the crew aboard the USS Bainbridge. All of the US military and government personnel who were involved in this situation are clearly highly trained and motivated professionals and I want to use this opportunity to again say "thank you” to everyone involved in our safe return.

I want to thank the management of Maersk and Waterman Steamship Corp. who handled the situation, the crew and our families with great care and concern.

And equally important, I want to publicly commend all the officers and crew aboard the MAERSK ALABAMA who responded with their typical professionalism in response to this incident. The Licensed Deck Officers who are members of the Masters, Mates & Pilots Union, the Licensed Deck Officer and Licensed Engineers who are members of the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association, and the unlicensed crew who belong to the Seafarers International Union are dedicated merchant mariners, typical of America's merchant seamen who are well-trained and who are ready and able to respond when necessary to protect the interests of our country.

I am honored to come before this Committee today to discuss my views on making commercial shipping safer, and worldwide sea lanes more secure from the threat of piracy.
I need to make clear at the outset that I am unable to discuss the incident itself because of the ongoing investigation and pending legal action against one of the pirates. But I've had a lot of time to think about the difficult and complex issues of protecting vessel, cargo and crew in crime-ridden waters. So instead of a recount of the MAERSK ALABAMA incident, the focus of my comments will be my beliefs, based on my years of experience at sea, as to what can or should be done to respond to piracy and to protect American vessels and crews.

I should also say at the outset that I realize that my opinions may differ in some ways from other recommendations you have heard before and may hear today from others on the panel. Nevertheless, I do believe that all of us in the maritime industry understand that it is imperative that we work together to address this complex problem, and I believe we are in general agreement on the main principles of keeping crew, cargo and vessel safe.
First, I believe it is the responsibility of our government to protect the United States, including U.S.-flag vessels that are by definition an extension of the United States, their U.S. citizen crews, and our nation's worldwide commercial assets. So, it follows then that the most desirable and appropriate solution to piracy is for the United States government to provide protection, through military escorts and/or military detachments aboard U.S. vessels. That said, I am well aware that some will argue that there is a limit to any government's resources - even America's. In fact, due to the vastness of the area to be covered – and the areas of threat are continually growing larger - our Navy and the coalition of other navies currently positioned in the Gulf of Aden region may simply not have the resources to provide all the protection necessary to prevent and stop the attacks.

So what other things can be done?

In my opinion, the targets – the vessels – can be "hardened” even beyond what's being done today and made even more structurally resistant to pirates. In addition, more can be done in terms of developing specific anti-piracy procedures, tools and training for American crews. I do however want to emphasize that contrary to some reports that I've heard recently, American mariners are highly trained and do receive up-to-date training and upgrading at the private educational training facilities jointly run by the maritime unions and their contracted shipping companies. I believe that discussions are underway now between the industry and government on the details of specific proposals to harden the vessels (the specifics of which should remain secret) and I am confident that we will soon have additional methods for protecting vessel and crew. And while they will be an improvement, there is no way they can be foolproof.

I've also heard the suggestion that all we have to do to counter piracy is "just arm the crews”. In my opinion, arming the crew cannot and should not be viewed as the best or ultimate solution to the problem. At most, arming the crew should be only one component of a comprehensive plan and approach to combat piracy. To the extent we go forward in this direction, it would be my personal preference that only the four most senior ranking officers aboard the vessel have access to effective weaponry and that these individuals receive special training on a regular basis. I realize that even this limited approach to arming the crew opens up a very thorny set of issues. I'll let others sort out the legal and liability issues but we all must understand that having weapons on board merchant ships fundamentally changes the model of commercial shipping and we must be very cautious about how it is done.

Nevertheless, I do believe that arming the crew, as part of an overall strategy, could provide an effective deterrent under certain circumstances and I believe that a measured capability in this respect should be part of the overall debate about how to defend ourselves against criminals on the sea.

As for armed security details put aboard vessels, I believe, as I indicated earlier, that this idea could certainly be developed into an effective deterrent. My preference would be government protection forces. However, as long as they are adequately trained I would not be opposed to private security on board. Of course, I realize that very clear protocols would have to be established and followed. For example, as a captain, I am responsible for the vessel, cargo and crew at all times. And I am not comfortable giving up command authority to others… including the commander of a protection force. In the heat of an attack, there can be only one final decision maker. So command is only one of many issues that would have to be worked out in for security forces to operate effectively.

While there are many new ideas and much discussion going on about how to deal with piracy, I would respectfully ask the Committee to be mindful that the seafarers I've met and worked with over my career are resourceful, hardworking, adventurous, courageous, patriotic and independent. They want whatever help you can offer to make the sea lanes more secure and their work environment safer. But we realize that while preparation is absolutely critical, not every situation can be anticipated. And we accept that as a part of the seafarer's life. So, I will just close with a request for you to please proceed carefully and to please continue to include us in your discussions and debates.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak and I look forward to answering your questions.

A Senate panel today begins the hard slog toward an overhaul of immigration policy -- the goal that Congress punted during the Bush administration and the issue that animated the rank-and-file during last year's Republican presidential primaries.

The Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship will hold a hearing titled, "Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009: Can We Do It and How?"

Advocates hope it is the first step to a change that includes a path to citizenship for some of those already in the country illegally.

"For far too long, our state and local governments have been plagued by an out-of-date and broken federal immigration system. Now more than ever, Congress must take the necessary steps to reform our immigration system in a way that honors our laws, rewards honesty and hard work, and fosters economic prosperity," Benjamin Johnson, executive director of the American Immigration Law Foundation, said in a statement.

"The upcoming hearing marks a new day in the conversation on immigration. Rather than dwell on the problems of our broken system, we will hear a discussion that focuses on solutions....This is a discussion that must take place throughout the country because resolution of our immigration crisis will require all sectors of American society to work together to create an immigration system that works for our nation."

The National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, also praised the hearing. “For far too long, we have allowed a bullying minority to block the road to solutions and seed intolerance, yet recent elections have demonstrated that Americans want leaders who will solve tough problems, including immigration,” Janet Murguía, NCLR president and CEO, said in a statement.

The group wants the overhaul to include: Getting the 12 million undocumented people in our country to come forward, obtain legal status, learn English, and assume the rights and responsibilities of citizenship; creating smart enforcement policies that uphold national security; cracking down on unscrupulous employers and take away their incentives for hiring undocumented workers; widening legal channels that reunite families and allow future needed workers to come to the U.S. with the rights and protections that safeguard our workforce and prevent the dramatic increase in deaths along the border; and enacting proactive measures to advance the successful integration of new immigrants into our communities.

Pressed on the issue during his news conference Wednesday night, President Obama confirmed his support for comprehensive reform, but said that his administration must lay the groundwork first -- most notably improving border security so Americans are confident that illegal immigrants won't flood the country.

"We can't continue with a broken immigration system. It's not good for anybody," Obama said. "It's not good for American workers. It's dangerous for Mexican would-be workers who are trying to cross a dangerous border. It is putting a strain on border communities who oftentimes have to deal with a host of undocumented workers, and it keeps those undocumented workers in the shadows, which means they can be exploited at the same time as they're depressing US wages."

He said he expects to convene a working group "to start looking at a framework of how this legislation might be shaped. In the meantime, what we're trying to do is take some core -- some key administrative steps to move the process along to lay the groundwork for legislation, because the American people need some confidence that if we actually put a package together we can execute."

"If the American people don't feel like you can secure the borders, then it's hard to strike a deal that would get people out of the shadows and on a pathway to citizenship who are already here, because the attitude of the average American is going to be, 'Well, you're just going to have hundreds of thousands of more coming in each year.' On the other hand, showing that there's a more thoughtful approach than just raids of a handful of workers -- as opposed to, for example, taking seriously the violations of companies that sometimes are actively recruiting these workers to come in -- that's again, something that we can start doing administratively," Obama continued.

"So what we want to do is to show that we are competent in getting results around immigration, even on the structures that we already have in place, the laws that we already have in place, so that we're building confidence among the American people that we can actually follow through on whatever legislative approach emerges. I see the process moving this first year, and I'm going to be moving it as quickly as I can."

UPDATE: As part of the administrative changes, the Department of Homeland Security issued policies today that put more emphasis on going after employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, though it will still continue to arrest illegal workers.

The Bush administration was criticized by advocacy groups after a series of large raids that resulted in the arrests of about 6,000 workers last year.

"This is a good first step in realigning enforcement priorities," the Immigration Policy Center said. "However, DHS's ability to truly focus on abusive employers is limited by the fact that our current immigration system doesn't provide immigrants or legitimate employers the protections and tools they need to comply with the law. Rather than trimming around the edges, real reform must involve an overhaul of the entire system to ensure that enforcement of our immigration laws is effective, fair, and humane."

Some advocates of tighter immigration rules are jumping on the swine flu public health emergency to call for the closing of the border with Mexico, including a ban on all air and ground traffic and importation of products.

"The Obama administration's failure to secure our borders against a possible pandemic is putting American lives at risk at a time when days and hours matter," said William Gheen, head of the Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, accusing the Obama administration of "treating Mexico like a 51st state, instead of separate nation."

The group also pointed out that Obama does not have a secretary of Health and Human Services -- though that is due to Republican opposition to his nominee, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius -- and has not appointed a surgeon general or head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Obama was playing golf Sunday. Instead, he should have been addressing the nation, securing the borders, and filling the gaps in our government leadership from an emergency command center!" Gheen said. "He refuses to send troops to the border to stop the violence from spilling over or the Mexican flu from crossing into America. Instead we get second tier bureaucrats telling Americans to wash our hands and cover our mouths when we cough like a bunch of 1st grade students."

UPDATE: White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said during his regular briefing that the government response is "in no way" hampered by the absence of a permanent health secretary or CDC chief.

The CDC did say this morning that closer border monitoring has started, with officials asking those crossing the border about their health. There have been more 1,600 swine flu infections and dozens of deaths reported in Mexico.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, meanwhile, plans to start hearings Tuesday on comprehensive immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for some of those who entered the country illegally.

UPDATE: The National Council of La Raza, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, today condemned the assertions by groups linking the swine flu outbreak to the immigration issue.

“As an organization that works to improve health outcomes for all Americans, we believe that Americans are right to be concerned about reports of swine flu outbreaks in Mexico, California, New York, and Texas. The administration's declaration of a public health emergency this weekend was a prudent, routine step,” Janet Murguía, NCLR president and CEO, said in a statement.

“Public health experts are unanimous about key measures required in situations like this,” Murguía's statement continued. “If affected individuals are driven underground and deterred from seeking treatment or reporting their illness, it will hamper the authorities' ability to accurately track the disease's progress or develop the most effective vaccines.

“It's unfortunate that certain individuals with an obvious axe to grind are shamelessly exploiting a public health emergency for their own purposes. It's not surprising that some are implying that all immigrants are a threat to our health—that's standard fare on the hate group circuit. Ironically, the very act of attempting to demonize and stigmatize entire groups, and even entire countries, is likely to impede these and other critical steps that the authorities are taking to protect all Americans from the spread of the flu.”

Senator John F. Kerry is holding a hearing today on clarifying how the nation should declare war.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is hearing testimony from former secretaries of state Jim Baker and Warren Christopher and former Representative Lee Hamilton, who all favor repealing the 1973 War Powers Act, passed after uncertainty over the role of Congress in authorizing the Korea and Vietnam conflicts.

"There fundamental tension in the way America decides to go to war: the President is commander in chief of the armed forces while Congress has the power to declare war. How these constitutional powers interact is the subject of much debate," Kerry said in his opening statement, without endorsing a particular solution.

His full prepared opening remarks are below:

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced this afternoon that the hearing for Yale Law dean Harold Koh's nomination as the State Department's top legal adviser will be Tuesday afternoon.

Koh, who is also believed to be on the short list for the Supreme Court, is facing growing opposition from conservatives, who say that he puts too much stock in foreign legal opinions.

Koh has been an outspoken critic of the Bush administration's decisions on torture and other issues.

Just today, Frank Gaffney, a former Reagan administration official, said on the website of his Center for Security Policy that the Foreign Relations Committee "will have an opportunity to demonstrate why the framers gave the Senate the constitutional power to confirm presidential appointees. If they fail to exercise that power vigorously with respect to the nomination of Harold Koh to be the top State Department lawyer, they will not only have been derelict. They will be accomplices to an assault on our Constitution that will ultimately result in an unprecedented, and likely permanent, derogation of the Senate's vital role and responsibilities."

(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Rep. Jim McGovern is arrested by US Secret Service agents in front of the Sudanese Embassy while demonstrating against the genocide in Darfur.

WASHINGTON -- Representative James McGovern was locked up on misdemeanor charges today after demonstrating against the "crimes against humanity'' that Darfur activists blame on the Sudanese government.

After a brief series of speeches in front of the Sudanese embassy, the Massachusetts Democrat and four other members of Congress stood quietly and refused to move to the other side of yellow police tape -- a deliberate act they knew would get them arrested. After giving the small group of demonstrators three chances to move, police approached the lawmakers and activists and bound their wrists loosely behind their backs with plastic restraints.

The protestors were taken to a police station in northwest Washington, where they were expected to be fined $100 and released within a few hours.

UPDATE: McGovern was released this afternoon on a charge of crossing a police line.

McGovern -- forgoing a tie and belt, which would have been confiscated before his lock-up -- noted that he had been arrested three years ago for demonstrating for action in Darfur, where millions have died from sectarian violence and where the State Department has declared a genocide is underway.

"I don't want to be here in 2012, calling on the Sudanese government to stop the killing,'' McGovern said. "We need to care. We need to act. Every life is of equal value.''

The lawmakers -- who also included Democratic Representatives John Lewis of Georgia, Donna Edwards of Maryland, Lynn Woolsey of California, and Keith Ellison of Minnesota -- want the Sudanese government to allow international aid organizations back into Darfur to ease the escalating humanitarian crisis there. Further, the group wants President Obama to pressure the international community -- including China, which has influence in Sudan -- to force the Sudanese government into action.

Sudanese President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir "has a choice," McGovern said. "He can choose to let the humanitarian groups return; he can choose to end the violence and the killing; and he can choose serious negotiations for a just and lasting peace. Or he can continue to commit crimes against humanity -- crimes with which he is already charged -- and charges that will one day catch up with him and bring him down."

Jerry Fowler, head of the Save Darfur Coalition, added in a statement: "We know President Obama and members of his administration care passionately about ending the Darfur crisis and promoting peace in Sudan. As President Obama nears his 100th day in office this week, he can demonstrate that Sudan is a strategic priority for the United States by committing to build a multilateral coalition for peace and investing in the diplomacy necessary to achieve an equitable and lasting solution for Darfuris and all Sudanese."

Will he or won't he -- declare the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians a genocide, that is?

It turned out, neither.

President Obama tried to thread the needle on the issue, not actually using the word "genocide" -- but acknowledging he has used the word before -- in the annual presidential statement he issued today marking the 94th Armenian remembrance day.

Most scholars consider the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World War I the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey, however, steadfastly denies that a genocide occurred, arguing the death toll has been vastly inflated and blaming civil war and unrest.

Obama called the killings "one of the great atrocities of the 20th century."

"History, unresolved, can be a heavy weight. Just as the terrible events of 1915 remind us of the dark prospect of man’s inhumanity to man, reckoning with the past holds out the powerful promise of reconciliation," he said in the statement.

"I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view of that history has not changed. "My interest remains the achievement of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts."

Instead, Obama looked forward, noting that Turkey and Armenia, which have no diplomatic ties, jointly announced on Wednesday that they were getting close to a reconciliation.

"The best way to advance that goal right now is for the Armenian and Turkish people to address the facts of the past as a part of their efforts to move forward," Obama's statement said. "I strongly support efforts by the Turkish and Armenian people to work through this painful history in a way that is honest, open, and constructive. To that end, there has been courageous and important dialogue among Armenians and Turks, and within Turkey itself. I also strongly support the efforts by Turkey and Armenia to normalize their bilateral relations.

(His full statement is below.)

During his campaign, Obama described the deaths as a genocide. But during his high-profile visit earlier this month to Turkey -- now a crucial US ally -- he also shied away from using that description.

"History is often tragic, but unresolved, it can be a heavy weight. Each country must work through its past. And reckoning with the past can help us seize a better future," he told the Turkish parliament. "I know there's strong views in this chamber about the terrible events of 1915. And while there's been a good deal of commentary about my views, it's really about how the Turkish and Armenian people deal with the past. And the best way forward for the Turkish and Armenian people is a process that works through the past in a way that is honest, open and constructive."

However, when pressed by a reporter about using the word "genocide," Obama replied, "Well, my views are on the record and I have not changed those views."

The issue is life-or-death for Armenian- and Turkish-Americans, and both sides have an army of lobbyists in Washington pressing their case. The Hill newspaper reports today that a bill for the United States to formally recognize the deaths as a genocide has passed the 100-cosponsor mark.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic ties, but they jointly announced on Wednesday that they were getting close to a reconciliation.

"We've already seen historic and courageous steps taken by Turkish and Armenian leaders," Obama told the Turkish parliament. "These contacts hold out the promise of a new day. An open border would return the Turkish and Armenian people to a peaceful and prosperous coexistence that would serve both of your nations. So I want you to know that the United States strongly supports the full normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia. It is a cause worth working towards."

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- One held the hand of a dying fellow soldier and told himself that the sacrifice would not be in vain. Another watched an Afghan tribal leader risk his life to seek American protection for his village -- only to be told that it was not possible. A third interviewed insurgents who expect American troops to get tired and go home. A fourth beat suspected terrorists, only to find out later that they were innocent.

The veterans of the Afghan war testified today before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about a seven-year conflict that has attracted little debate, even as President Obama sends reinforcements to take on the Taliban.

The hearing took place as instability in Afghanistan spreads through neighboring Pakistan, and a day after the 38th anniversary of committee chairman John F. Kerry's testimony -- as a Vietnam veteran -- against that war in 1971.

Today, the young veterans gave a sobering picture of the failures of US policy, but none advocated a complete withdrawal.

However, one veteran -- Rick Reyes, a former corporal in the US Marines -- called Obama's decision to send 17,000 additional combat troops to Afghanistan "a mistake."

"At a minimum, this occupation needs to be rethought," he said.

Reyes, who was among the first US forces sent to Afghanistan after the 2001 terrorist attacks, said he arrested suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda in their homes based on tips by paid informants.

"Almost 100 percent of the time, we would find that the suspected terrorists were just innocent civilians," he said. "We began to feel we were chasing ghosts. How can you tell the difference between members of the Taliban from an Afghan civilians? The answer is: You can't."

In his written testimony, Reyes said he and his fellow Marines sometimes broke "hands, arms, legs" and wrecked homes during their midnight raids. But he did not describe these incidents to the committee today, saying later that he did not want to distract from his message of opposition to a troop increase.

However, three other Afghan vets argued passionately for a stepped-up US commitment, saying the mission could be saved by more troops and smarter tactics.

Westley Moore, a former Army captain who led a program that persuaded moderate Taliban to pledge allegiance to the new Afghan government, called the 17,000 additional troops "a paltry number" compared with what is required to protect the population in the rural areas.

"We are underfunded and undermanned in Afghanistan," he told the senators. "We asked two brigades to have coverage over a 1,600-mile area that is. . the most dangerous terrain in the world."

Moore said it would send the wrong message to the world if the United States were to simply leave.

"[The Taliban's] entire strategy depends on our political and national will faltering," he said. "Many of them are fond of saying, 'The Americans have the wristwatches, but we have the time.' "

Speaking today at a Holocaust remembrance ceremony in the august Capitol rotunda, President Obama urged the world not to tolerate the hatred and injustice that can lead to such horror if even good people just stand by.

"We gather today to mourn the loss of so many lives and celebrate those who saved them, honor those who survived, and contemplate the obligations of the living," he said. "It is the grimmest of ironies that one of the most savage, barbaric acts of evil in history began in one of the most modernized societies of its time, where so many markers of human progress became tools of human depravity.

"Science that can heal, used to kill. Education that can enlighten, used to rationalize away basic moral impulses. The bureaucracy that sustains modern life, used as the machinery of mass death, a ruthless, chillingly efficient system where many were responsible for the killing, but few got actual blood on their hands."

The president also paid tribute to those who tried to save Jews and others, including five "righteous men and women" from Poland. "We are awed by your acts of courage and conscience. And your presence today compels each of us to ask ourselves whether we would have done what you did. We can only hope that the answer is yes," he said.

And he assailed those who deny the Holocaust happened and further hatred and intolerance.

"Today and every day we have an opportunity as well as an obligation to confront these scourges, to fight the impulse to turn the channel when we see images that disturb us or wrap ourselves in the false comfort that others sufferings are not our own," he said.

"Instead we have the opportunity to make a habit of empathy, to recognize ourselves in each other, to commit ourselves to resisting injustice and intolerance and indifference in whatever forms they may take, whether confronting those who tell lies about history or doing everything we can to prevent and end atrocities like those that took place in Rwanda, those taking place in Darfur. That is my commitment as president. I hope that is yours as well."

The event was sponsored by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, which designated this year's theme as “Never Again: What You Do Matters.” A video of the ceremony is on its website.

“The notion that the Holocaust was the result of the actions of one man or a handful of leaders is false,” museum director Sara J. Bloomfield said in a statement. “The ability to carry out the genocide depended upon the participation of tens of thousands and the acquiescence of millions. This year, as we remember the victims of Nazi Germany and its collaborators, let us reflect on our own responsibilities in a world of rising antisemitism and continuing genocide.”

While Obama mentioned the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, which the State Department has called a genocide, advocacy groups called today on Obama to do more to stop the killing.

The open letter from the groups, including the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur, urges the Obama administration to embark on a "public diplomacy blitz" to get more countries to demand that Sudan not interfere with humanitarian relief, conduct a private diplomatic effort to explore how governments could force out Sudan's president, and to pressure Sudan to implement a peace agreement.

The text of the full letter is also below:

President Obama wants another former Harvard official to join his administration, in a key diplomtic post in Asia.

The White House said this afternoon that Obama plans to nominate Kurt Campbell, formerly associate professor of public policy and international relations at Havard's Kennedy School of Government and assistant director of Harvard's Center for Science and International Affairs, as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

He is now CEO and co-founder of the Center for a New American Security, described as an organization dedicated to advancing a strong, centrist national security strategy. He is also director of the Aspen Strategy Group and as chairman of the Editorial Board of the Washington Quarterly.

According to the White House, Campbell previously served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asia and the Pacific in the Pentagon, a director on the National Security Council Staff, deputy special counselor to the president for NAFTA in the White House, and White House fellow at the Department of the Treasury. Campbell also served as the Co-Chairman of the recently completed 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Fund. He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and in the Chief of Naval Operations Special Intelligence Unit.

The White House also announced that Obama plans to nominate Philip Mudd as undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis, Department of Homeland Security; Eric P. Schwartz, assistant secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration, State Department; and Edward M. Avalos, under secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, United States Department of Agriculture.

"As we work to solve the problems our nation faces, my administration will be strengthened by the addition of these dedicated individuals. I am confident that they will meet the expectations the American people demand and deserve of their public servants,” Obama said in a statement.

Senator John F. Kerry, opening a hearing with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans today, said while he resists comparisons to the Vietnam War, the conflicts in the two nations now do hold some parallels.

Once again, we are fighting an insurgency in a rural country with a weak central government. Our enemy blends in with the local population and easily crosses a long border to find sanctuary in a neighboring country. Our efforts to win the loyalty of the locals are hampered by civilian casualties and an inability to deliver the security that we promised more than seven years ago," he said, presiding over the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"We ignore these similarities at our peril."

"There are fundamental differences, too," he added. "We have a responsibility to the men and women fighting in Afghanistan to understand those differences and adapt to them.

"First and foremost, the North Vietnamese never posed a direct threat to our country. The extremists we are fighting today in Afghanistan and across the border in Pakistan do represent a direct threat to the security of the United States.
They planned the attacks on New York and Washington that killed 3,000 Americans. They have killed hundreds of other innocents in terrorist attacks worldwide since then. And they are preparing new attacks on the United States and our interests even as we sit here today."

Unlike the divisive Vietnam conflict, Kerry said, there is universal support for the troops. "We are all standing on common ground now: We are saying thank you to the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who have served. We are not confusing the war with the warriors. So I want to thank you, your fellow veterans and those who are still serving," he said.

And while Kerry told USA Today earlier this week that he has concerns about the Obama administration's new strategy in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, he sounded more optimistic today.

"There is much still to be done in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but our new focus creates a sense of determined optimism for us and our coalition allies," he said. "Better defined objectives should lead to a better battle plan for our troops. But this remains an immensely complicated task, one that leaves our troops simultaneously on the front lines of the struggle against extremists and in the absolute middle of nowhere."

As the Globe reported earlier this week, while Kerry and other antiwar veterans testified in 1971 before the committee, he did not invite members of the analogous group of critics to this hearing.

Kerry's full prepared remarks are below:

Democrats are seizing on a newly declassified report on harsh interrogations conducted by the military of terror suspects to push for a full inquiry of the Bush administration's use of what critics call torture.

The 232-page report released Tuesday by the Senate Armed Services Committee concluded that the military's use of interrogation tactics -- such as stripping detainees, placing them in stressful body positions, and depriving them of sleep -- were authorized at the top levels of the Bush administration, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

"This exhaustive report offers more evidence of failures within the Bush Administration that allowed officials to set history and the law aside to torture detainees despite evidence such methods don’t work," Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, said in a statement today. “Our country is turning away from this dark moment. But we cannot afford to leave it behind until we fully understand what went wrong, and do what we can to ensure that America never again loses sight of its most sacred principles."

"This report is just one in a number of ongoing efforts to learn the whole truth about the Bush Administration's detention and interrogation program. I am an active participant in the investigation underway in the Senate Intelligence Committee, and I continue to believe that we will eventually need an independent commission of inquiry to provide unassailable recommendations to the nation.”

Besides the Intelligence Committee's investigation, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont has been calling for a "truth commission." On Wednesday, President Obama appeared to open the door to an bipartisan congressional probe.

Top Bush officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, steadfastly claim that the interrogations produced information that helped prevent terrorist attacks. Cheney is seeking the declassification and release of memos that he says would show that.

UPDATE: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today also endorsed the establishment of a formal "truth commission" to investigate Bush administration anti-terrorism policies, including an examination of the Justice Department lawyers who wrote the memos justifying the interrogations, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The release last week of the four Justice Department memos has re-energized the push for an investigation or possible prosecution. "Our members are upset about it," Pelosi said of Democrats.

But Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that he opposes such a commission "because all of the facts are readily available to the Department of Justice."

"As I have said before, once the administration has a key to the front door, which they've had for several months, all they have to do is find the right filing cabinets and open them, which they're already doing," Specter said.

Meanwhile, Senators John McCain, Joseph Lieberman, and Lindsey Graham sent a letter to Obama today strongly urging him not to prosecute government officials who provided the legal advice on interrogations.

“Pursuing such prosecutions would, we believe, have serious negative effects on the candor with which officials in any administration provide their best advice, and would take our country in a backward-looking direction at a time when our detainee-related challenges demand that we look forward," they wrote.

“Some of the legal analysis included in the OLC memos released last week was, we believe, deeply flawed," the senators added. "We have also strongly opposed the overly coercive interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, that these memos deemed legal. We do not believe, however, that legal analysis should be criminalized, as proposals to prosecute government lawyers suggest."

They concluded: “As you have made clear, we are a nation at war.  Appreciating that reality, we look forward to working with you on the panoply of detainee issues, ranging from interrogation standards to the disposition of detainee cases, which will engage our country going forward.  In the interest of national security, it is the future, rather than the past, on which we believe America's gaze must be fixed.”

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- House Republicans grilled Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today on renewed US support for abortion overseas and on recently released memos detailing harsh interrogation techniques against terrorist suspects in CIA custody, prompting frank and often feisty exchanges with the nation's top diplomat.

At Clinton's first appearance before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Dan Burton, an Indiana Republican, told Clinton that the harsh interrogation techniques -- which included mock drownings known as waterboarding -- "were cleared with the leadership of both the House and the Senate," apparently referring to classified briefings that some members received on the tactics.

"They knew about them," he said, adding that the CIA officials involved in the interrogations should not be prosecuted.
"We need both hands untied with our intelligence agencies to really stop terrorism."

Representative Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican, repeatedly asked Clinton whether the administration would declassify documents that former Vice President Dick Cheney has said paint the CIA interrogators in a more heroic light and show the important information produced from the interrogations.

Clinton said she had no knowledge of such documents. "It won't surprise you that I don't consider him a particularly reliable source," she said, to some laughter.

The Obama administration has walked a fine line on the issue, last week releasing the documents detailing the torture and declaring that those techniques would not be used again. But Obama has said he would not prosecute CIA officials who followed techniques they believed were lawful, although he left the door open for the investigation of those who went beyond the legal guidance and the Bush lawyers who gave the guidance.

Republicans also repeatedly attacked Clinton for repealing Bush-administration-era rules that prohibited US support for family planning overseas to abortion providers.

Representative Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican who is strong anti-abortion advocate, criticized Clinton for recently accepting an award in the name of Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, saying the group had "killed over 305,000 children by abortion in the US and millions more worldwide."

Clinton told Smith she respected his views, but gave a vigorous defense of the new family planning policy, to applause from the gallery. "We obviously have a profound disagreement," she told him.

Representative Jeff Fortenberry, a Nebraska Republican, asked Clinton if "forcing US taxpayers to fund abortion [overseas] is in keeping with the highest values of America," while Representative Bob Inglis, a South Carolina Republican, asked why Clinton had not been more outspoken during her visit to China about forced abortions.

Clinton said that she deeply opposes China's policy on forced abortion, and has been on record opposing that policy since her time as first lady.

"Why didn't you say it as Secretary of State?" Inglis asked.

"I just did," Clinton replied.

Clinton also promised not to deal with a power-sharing Palestinian government that did not recognize Israel's right to exist and did not renounce violence, although she said the administration wanted to "leave the door open" to Hamas participating in a unity government.

Clinton also said that, while the Obama administration wants to reach out to Iran to solve the impasse over its nuclear program, Tehran would face "crippling sanctions" if such talks do not succeed.

But Clinton reserved some of her most urgent statements for Pakistan, the troubled ally in the war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and the border region straddling the two countries.

"Pakistan poses a mortal threat to the security and safety of Americans and the world," Clinton said.

She urged Pakistani-Americans to "speak out more forcefully against a policy that is ceding more and more territory to the insurgents" who have advanced to territory that is "within hours" the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. She said the "existential threat" posed by the extremists to the state of Pakistan should not be underestimated, painting the picture of a nuclear-armed state that is in danger of collapsing.

Senator John F. Kerry, opening a hearing on global warming on Earth Day, says this is a "make-or-break" year on the issue and calls on the United States to spearhead the effort.

Covening the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Massachusetts Democrat notes that a key international conference on climate change is later this year in Copenhagen, Denmark.

"The clock is ticking on the best chance the countries of the world will have to marshal an effective global response," he said in his prepared opening remarks.

"All policymakers involved in this process need to realize that if we aim too low, America and the global community will fail to do what is necessary to meet this challenge. It’s that simple."

He added, "We here in Washington must realize that the world is taking its cues from us. In my meetings over the past several months with environment ministers from Germany to China to Bangladesh, I have been struck by the extent to which the eyes of the world are focused on the U.S. Congress and our domestic policy process. Without a clear signal from Congress on the scope, format and ambition of our domestic program, our negotiators will lack the leverage to secure the participation of all the major contributors to climate change. Ultimately, the strength of our domestic policy will be a critical factor in galvanizing the world to enter into a global agreement."

Kerry also asserts that the crucial debate will revolve on what steps the United States takes -- and what is required of China, which passed the US inb 2007 as the largest carbon emitter.

"While China is implementing policies to address its energy use – in some cases more ambitious than our own– their emissions trajectory continues to pose a grave risk to the global climate," he said. "We have to find a way to reconcile two imperatives: on one hand, China requires a treaty that gives it room to develop; on the other hand, unless we can convince the world’s most populous nation to pursue a sustainable, low-carbon development path, we cannot hope to solve climate change. These two constraints define the scope and structure of any viable agreement."

Kerry's full prepared statement is below:

Mitt Romney, past and possible future GOP presidential hopeful, jumped today into the bashing of President Obama's foreign policy.

The former Massachusetts governor writes today in National Review's online edition that Obama has failed his first tests as commander-in-chief and damaged America's standing in the world by not objecting to verbal attacks on the United States and by apologizing for past actions.

"The words spoken by the leader of the free world can expand the frontiers of freedom or shrink them," Romney wrote in the op-ed.

Romney says that "when our nation was slandered," Obama "offered silence, smiles, and a handshake."

"Even more troubling than what he has or has not said is what he has not done," Romney adds. "Kim Jong Il launched a long-range missile on the very day President Obama addressed the world about the peril of nuclear proliferation. As one of the world’s most oppressive and tyrannical regimes is on the brink of securing the “game changing” capability to reach American shores with a nuclear weapon, the president shrinks from action: no seizure of North Korean funds, no severance of banking access, no blockade."

Romney concludes: "Vice President Biden was right that the new president would be tested early in his administration. What the world learned was not good news for freedom and democracy. The leader of the free world has been a timid advocate of freedom at best. And bold action to blunt the advances of tyrants has been wholly lacking. We are still very early in the Obama years — the president will have ample opportunity to defend America and freedom, and to deter nuclear brinkmanship. I am hoping for change."

Obama is also being assailed by the likes of former Vice President Dick Cheney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who say he was too friendly with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez at a summit over the weekend, and who offer a broader critique that the new president is being weak.

UPDATE: Obama told reporters today, "I wake up every day thinking about how to keep the American people safe. And I go to bed every night worrying about keeping the American people safe."

In an interview with CNN this afternoon, Romney elaborated on his critique of Obama's actions on North Korea's and Iran's nuclear programs.

"Well, with North Korea, I would have made it very clear that we're not taking military options off the table rather than saying there's 'nothing we can do about it,' " Romney said. "I'd make it very darn clear that America intends to defend itself and that North Korea continuing to flaunt its agreements is not something which we're going to find acceptable."

On Iran, he said, "We and our friends around the world can make it very difficult for them to get commercial credit, to get banking access, to be able to move goods in and out of their ports. There are a lot of things we can do, short of military action, that -- that can have an impact."

"But sitting back and just talking is not going to do anything to get North Korea or to get Iran to become reasonable and -- and backing away from this nuclear brinkmanship that they are pursuing."

The US Senate this afternoon confirmed Christopher Hill as the new US ambassador to Iraq, setting aside Republican objections about his lack of experience in the Middle East.

The vote was 73-23 for Hill, a veteran diplomat who hails from Rhode Island and who was an envoy to North Korea during the Bush administration.

“It took much longer than it should have, but I am pleased that Chris Hill has finally been confirmed as President Obama’s ambassador to Iraq," Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement. "He is one of the best diplomats we have in our country. Despite the significant security improvements, Iraq remains in a precarious state, and we need our Ambassador on the ground immediately. Ambassador Hill has personally assured me he will get to Baghdad as quickly as he can, and I look forward to working with him and supporting his efforts in any way I can.”

Some conservatives, notably Republican Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, attacked Hill's record on North Korea, accusing him of ignoring human rights abuses and negotiating a flawed nuclear disarmament pact.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich today joined the critics of President Obama's supposed chumminess with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, a thorn in America's side for years, over the weekend at the Summit of the Americas.

And in accusing Obama of softness, Gingrich threw in painful blow for Democrats -- a comparison to Jimmy Carter.

“This administration is opposed to looking for oil in America, but bows to the Saudi king, embraces the Venezuelan dictator, I think it’s a very unhealthy strategy for us,” Gingrich said on Fox News Channel. “I think there is something fundamentally wrong with weakness in America, and then playing to placate dictators.”

“This does look a lot like Jimmy Carter," Gingrich added. "Carter tried weakness and the world got tougher and tougher because the predators, the aggressors, the anti-Americans, the dictators, when they sense weakness, they all start pushing ahead.”

On NBC's "Today" show, Gingich warned, "Everywhere in Latin America, enemies of America are going to use the picture of Chavez smiling and being with the president as proof that Chavez is now legitimate that he is acceptable."

Obama told reporters on Sunday that the symbolism of his joint appearance with Chavez is being blown way out of proportion."It's unlikely that as a consequence of me shaking hands or having a polite conversation with Mr. Chavez that we are endangering the strategic interests of the United States," the president said.

UPDATE: Former Vice President Dick Cheney is piling on, saying he "didn't think much" of the hand clasp.

"I mean, I've seen Hugo Chavez in operation before, and Daniel Ortega down in Nicaragua. These are people who operate in our hemisphere, but who don't believe in and aren't supportive of basic fundamental principles and policies that most of us in this hemisphere adhere to,” Cheney says in an interview airing tonight on Fox News Channel's "Hannity" show.

Cheney, who has accused Obama of making America less safe with foreign policy reversals, also said while he understands blaming the previous administration, he's concerned that the new president is appearing weak.

“What I find disturbing is the extent to which he has gone to Europe, for example, and seemed to apologize profusely in Europe, and then to Mexico, and apologize there, and so forth,” Cheney says, according to excerpts released by Fox News.

“And I think you have to be very careful. The world outside there, both our friends and our foes, will be quick to take advantage of a situation if they think they're dealing with a weak president or one who is not going to stand up and aggressively defend America's interests. The United States provides most of the leadership in the world. We have for a long time. And I don't think we've got much to apologize for."

Under fire for releasing a series of Justice Department memos on harsh interrogations of terror suspects, President Obama made a morale-boosting stop this afternoon at the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters.

Obama told about 1,000 employees that he will protect classified intelligence information, but defended the release of the memos.

"I know that the last few days have been difficult," he said. "As I made clear, in releasing the OLC memos, as a consequence of a court case that was pending and to which it was very difficult for us to mount an effective legal defense, I acted primarily because of the exceptional circumstances that surrounded these memos, particularly the fact that so much of the information was public, had been publicly acknowledged.

"The covert nature of the information had been compromised," he added. "I have fought to protect the integrity of classified information in the past and I will do so in the future. And there is nothing more important than protecting the identity of CIA officers. So I need everybody to be clear. We will protect your identities and your security as you vigorously pursue your missions. I will be as vigorous in protecting you, as you are vigorous in protecting the American people."

He argued again that ending harsh interrogations -- what critics call torture -- will make America more safe, not less so.

"What makes the United States special and what makes you special is precisely the fact that we are willing to uphold our values and our ideals even when it's hard, not just when it's easy; even when we are afraid and under threat, not just when it's expedient to do so. That's what makes us different," the president said.

"So yes, you've got a harder job and so do I. And that's OK, because that's why we can take such extraordinary pride in being Americans. And over the long term, that is why I believe we will defeat our enemies because we're on the better side of history. So don't be discouraged by what's happened in the last few weeks. Don't be discouraged that we have to acknowledge potentially we've made some mistakes. That's how we learn."

UPDATE: Meanwhile, former Vice President Dick Cheney is joining other Bush administration officials criticizing the release of the memos, and is now calling for the declassification and release of memos that he says shows the information gleaned from the interrogations.

“One of the things that I find a little bit disturbing about this recent disclosure is they put out the legal memos, the memos that the CIA got from the Office of Legal Counsel, but they didn't put out the memos that showed the success of the effort. And there are reports that show specifically what we gained as a result of this activity. They have not been declassified,” Cheney says in an interview airing tonight on Fox News Channel’s "Hannity" show.

“I formally asked that they be declassified now. I haven't announced this up until now, I haven't talked about it, but I know specifically of reports that I read, that I saw that lay out what we learned through the interrogation process and what the consequences were for the country,” according to excerpts released by Fox News.

“And I've now formally asked the CIA to take steps to declassify those memos so we can lay them out there and the American people have a chance to see what we obtained and what we learned and how good the intelligence was, as well as to see this debate over the legal opinions.”

President Obama's weekend schedule, besides the anticipated NATO summit and European Union speech, includes a symbolic flourish and more bilateral meetings with European leaders.

The White House announced this afternoon that on Saturday morning, the president will join German Chancellor Angela Merkel and walk across the Passarelle Mimram, a pedestrian bridge over the Rhine River connecting Kehl, Germany, and Strasbourg, France. French President Nicolas Sarkozy will meet them at the center of the bridge, then they will all walk across the bridge to Strasbourg for a tribute to NATO military personnel, including those killed in action.

After the NATO summit, Obama plans to meet with leaders of Greece.

On Sunday, before the EU summit, Obama plans to meet with Czech President Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek. Laer, he will hold separate bilateral meetings with leaders of Spain and Poland, and plans to meet with former Czech President Vaclav Havel before leaving for Turkey and the final leg of his trip.

President Obama may have surpassed even Jerry Lewis as the most popular American in France.

But the trick will be to turn all that personal acclaim into political pressure to support the United States on security and economic issues.

Hosting the Obamas today on the second leg of their European sojourn, French President Nicolas Sarkozy continued his man-crush on the new president, effusively praising him. Sarkozy also gave Obama a tangible gift -- more development aid and training for police in Afghanistan.

"We totally endorse and support America's new strategy in Afghanistan," Sarkozy said at a news conference. (The transcript of the press availability is below.)

And the crowds were rapturous on the way to and inside a sports arena in Strasbourg for an Obama town hall meeting.

There, Obama sought to hammer home a message that without a partnership between America and Europe -- despite disagreements from time to time -- there is no way to address shared concerns and global problems.

"We must be honest with ourselves," Obama told the crowd. "In recent years, we've allowed our alliance to drift."

In part, he blamed the Iraq war, which most of continental Europe strongly opposed, but he also told the audience that Al Qaeda is still a threat and the alliance must still confront terrorism.

"I've come to Europe this week to renew our partnership," Obama said, assigning blame to both sides -- arrogance by America and a "failure to appreciate Europe's leading role in the world," and casual, sometimes "insidious" anti-Americanism in Europe.

"On both sides of the Atlantic, these attitudes have become all too common," he said. "They are not wise. They do not represent the truth."

(The transcript of the town hall is also below.)

How will a Barack Obama town hall come off in France?

We'll find out Friday, as the new president holds a town hall meeting at Rhenus Sports Arena in Strasbourg with students and local residents. The town hall, even of the online variety, has been the favored forum for Obama during the campaign and since he took office to sell himself and his agenda.

The town hall, announced by the White House this afternoon, is part of a busy schedule on Friday, which also includes a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Palais Rohan, a quick jaunt across the border to Baden-Baden, Germany, where Obama will meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Rathaus.

Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will also attend a NATO concert. And in an appointment that will be closely watched by fashion mavens, Michelle Obama wil do lunch with her French counterpart, former model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.

President Obama had reason to smile at his news conference today at the close of the G-20 economic summit.

After all the hype over dissension between Europe and America, the meeting of the world's leading economies produced a wide-ranging deal that includes some more stimulus -- though not nearly as much as the United States sought -- and more regulations wanted by Europe.

Obama said the agreement will mark a "turning point in the pursuit of global economic recovery," calling it an unprecedented package of coordinated actions and contrasting it to the delayed response to the Great Depression and the 1980s recession.

"Today, we've learned the lessons of history," the president said. "I know that in the days leading up to this summit, some confused honest and open debate with irreconcilable differences. But after weeks of preparation, and two days of careful negotiation, we have agreed upon a series of unprecedented steps to restore growth and prevent a crisis like this from happening again."

He added, "In an age when our economies are linked more closely than ever before, the whole world has been touched by this devastating downturn. And today, the world’s leaders have responded today with an unprecedented set of comprehensive and coordinated actions.".

Still, he said the crisis is causing real pain around the world for people losing homes, jobs, and the chance to go to college. He noted that new jobless numbers out today in the United States are the highest in a quarter-century.

Asked what out of the summit would directly help struggling Americans, Obama said that the US economy is inextricably linked with the rest of the world, particularly when it comes to exports. "We've got to make sure the global economy as a whole is successful," he said.

Obama said the leaders made significant progress in stimulating the world economy, reforming financial regulations, increasing transparency, and protecting the poor and voiceless He announced he would work with Congress on $448 million in aid. To see details on the aid, click here and here.

But Obama also said that the agreement is only a first step, and more steps might be needed. The G-20 will meet again in the fall and monitor progress, he said. (Read Obama's remarks and the subsequent transcript.)

The leaders pledged an additional $1 trillion to restore credit, growth, and jobs; agreed to renounce protectionism and pledged $250 billion in trade finance over the next two years; and outlined new measures, including a crackdown on tax havens and hedge funds and new rules on linking executive pay to performance.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who said he would not sign the final communique if it did not include enough progress on stricter financial regulation -- the diplomatic equivalent of walking out on the summit -- told reporters that the agreement represents "great progress."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had expressed similar concerns that lack of regulation had led to the financial crisis, said the agreement was "a very, very good, almost historic compromise" that will create a "clearer financial market architecture."

In his press conference, the summit's host, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, bragged about unprecedented progress, according to the Associated Press.

"Today the largest countries of the world have agreed on a global plan for economic recovery and reform," Brown said. "For the first time we have a common approach to cleaning up banks around the world to restructuring of the world financial system. We have maintained our commitment to help the world's poorest. This is a collective action of people around the world working at their best."

In the first of three bilateral meetings today with foreign leaders, President Obama called for a "stern, united" world response if North Korea goes ahead with a long-range rocket launch that the unpredictable country says is a satellite launch but which other fear is a missile test.

Obama met with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak before the official G-20 economic summit sessions, and agreed to keep working together to stop North Korea's nuclear weapons program and to meet again in Washington on June 16.

The post-meeting White House statement is below.

Before the session, Obama called South Korea, where thousands of US troops still help keep the peace, "one of America's closest allies and greatest friends."

"We are very interested in discussing the economic crisis, which is the topic of the G-20 meeting," the president said. "But obviously we also have a great range of issues to discuss -- on defense, on peace and stability in the Korean peninsula, on the outstanding contributions that Korea has made with respect to the Afghanistan situation, and their global role and global leadership on issues like climate change."

Obama also has meetings scheduled today with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah.

In his new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy, President Obama last week highlighted and incorporated the proposal by Senators John F. Kerry and Richard Lugar to send $1.5 billion a year in humanitarian aid to Pakistan, conditioned on more help from Islamabad taking on terrorists.

Today, the Massachusetts Democrat and Indiana Republican stood up for Obama, introducing an amendment to restore $4 billion cut from the president's international affairs budget, specifically money to beef up the US civilian presence abroad as the administration tries to ramp up diplomacy.

UPDATE: The Senate voted this afternoon to approve Kerry's amendment.

"Returning diplomacy and development to their rightful place cannot be achieved through words alone: It takes money to drive civilian foreign policy -- and if it keeps us safer, as I believe it will, then that is money well spent," Kerry said on the Senate floor, according to prepared remarks released by his office.

"Full funding of the President’s international affairs budget is a vital step toward greater civilian capacity, and I urge my colleagues to support it," added Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

His full prepared remarks are below:

For a White House that is meticulous about every small detail, President Obama might want to seek more help in the gift-giving department.

Maybe something more personal than consumer electronics would be nice.

Today, he gave Queen Elizabeth II an iPod. The BBC reports: "President Obama has given the Queen an iPod during their private meeting at Buckingham Palace. It contains footage of her state visit to the US in May 2007. The Queen has given the president a silver framed photograph of herself and her husband. The official picture is what she gives all visiting dignitaries."

As a secondary present, Obama also gave a rare songbook signed by Richard Rodgers of Rodgers and Hammerstein fame.

Last month, when British Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited Washington, Obama gave him a parting gift of 25 DVDs of classic American movies.

That got the cackles up of the British press, which noted that Brown offered the president a more thought-out present: an ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the Victorian anti-slave ship HMS Gannet.

In between G-20 economic summit sessions, President Obama will continue his tour Thursday of leaders around the world, the White House announced this afternoon.

Laying out his schedule, the White House said Obama will meet with South Korean leaders first thing in the morning, London time. Sure to be high on the agenda is the upcoming launch of what North Korea says is a satellite, but which the United States, Japan, and South Korea say is a missile test.

He also plans to meet with top officials of Saudi Arabia and India, before holding a press conference at about 12:45 p.m. EST. The kingdom, of course, is crucial to any progress in the Arab world, and India is essential to dealing with Pakistan as well as issues including global warming.

Obama met today with the presidents of Russia and China, and announced plans to visit both countries later this year.

Debuting on the world stage, President Obama is playing nice, pledging to listen and not lecture other leaders.

"I came here to put forward our ideas, but I also came here to listen, and not to lecture," Obama said in a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. "Having said that, we must not miss an opportunity to lead. To confront a crisis that knows no borders, we have a responsibility to coordinate our actions and to focus on common ground, not on our occasional differences. If we do, I believe we can make enormous progress."

Obama said while there are some disagreements, there is much more consensus on the approach to fixing the global economy.

"History shows us that when nations fail to cooperate, when they turn away from one another, when they turn inward, the price for our people only grows. That's how the Great Depression deepened. That's a mistake that we cannot afford to repeat," he added.

On the even of the G-20 economic summit in London, he is also meeting one-on-one with allies and potential enemies alike.

After their huddle, he and Russian President Dmitriy A. Medvedev announced that Obama will visit Moscow in July and that the two countries will try to reach agreement on cutting nuclear weapons stockpiles before an existing treaty expires at the end of the year.

And after their meeting, Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao to seek more cooperation on security and the economy, including a new dialogue.

Both joint statements, issued through the White House, are below:

The Obama team is getting vehement criticism from some quarters for its latest break from the Bush administration.

The State Department announced today that the United States will seek election to the UN Human Rights Council, which the Bush White House had visibly boycotted because of its criticism of Israel and its refusal to criticize Sudan and other countries.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and UN ambassador Susan Rice said in a statement that the administration will join the council to help make it more effective as part of Obama's desire to create a "new era of engagement" with the international community, the Associated Press reported.

"Human rights are an essential element of American global foreign policy," Clinton said in the statement. "With others, we will engage in the work of improving the UN human rights system to advance the vision of the UN Declaration on Human Rights."

But Republican Jewish Coalition executive director Matthew Brooks ripped the decision, saying his group is "outraged."

"The Human Rights Council is an arena in which undemocratic regimes, such as Saudi Arabia, Cuba, and Angola, have equal standing with truly free countries such as Canada, France, and the United Kingdom," he said in a statement. "The Council's record of upholding human rights is abysmal. The Council has failed to address some of the most serious human rights abuses of our time, including those taking place in Darfur. It is especially blind to human rights abuses by its own member countries.

"On the other hand, the Council is a central venue for the most virulent Israel-bashing," Brooks added. "President Bush understood that there could be no positive result from American participation in an international body so inherently hostile to Israel and so fundamentally incapable of acting in defense of human rights. That President Obama has chosen to reverse American policy on this question is a blow to the US-Israel relationship and a cause for deep concern among American Jews."

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee today sent to the full Senate the nominations of some key members of President Obama's team.

By voice vote, the committee endorsed Karl Eikenberry to be ambassador to Afghanistan, Christopher Hill to be ambassador to Iraq, Esther Brimmer to be Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, Philip Gordon to be Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Rose Gottemoeller to be Assistant Secretary of State for Verification and Compliance, Richard Verma to be Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, and Melanne Verveer to be ambassador at large for global women’s issues.

The Rev. Gloria White-Hammond of Boston will be among a select group of activists who will huddle this afternoon with President Obama, members of Congress, and his special envoy to Sudan, General Scott Gration, ahead of Gration’s first trip to the war-torn nation.

Hammond, co-pastor at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain, is board chairman for the Save Darfur Coalition, whose president, Jerry Fowler, has also been invited, the coalition said.

Hammond, who was a pediatrician at the South End Community Health Center for a quarter century until she retired in 2007, has been focusing on the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, which the US State Department has declared a genocide.

"The group will be discussing the immediate humanitarian crisis in Darfur given [Sudanese leader] Bashir’s decision to expel many of the aid groups in the region; along with necessary measures that need to be taken in order to achieve long-term peace in the region," the coalition said.

After the meeting, Obama said the Sudan crisis is worsening and he hopes Gration can persuade President Umar-al Bashir’s government to allow aid groups back in the country.

The aid groups are needed back in Sudan to "avert an enormous humanitarian crisis,” Obama told reporters.

"Even as we're dealing with that immediate issue, we can't take our eyes off the longstanding conflicts in Sudan that have resulted in all of these persons being displaced," Obama said.

"This is going to be very difficult. It will be a time-consuming task. We don't expect any solutions overnight to the longstanding problems there. Fortunately, what has happened in Darfur has touched so many people around the world," he added. "And we have seen such an extraordinary mobilization of advocates, many of who are sitting at this table. We've got bipartisan interest on the part of members of Congress around this issue that I actually think that America can speak effectively with one voice and bring the moral and other elements of our stature to bear in trying to deal with this situation."

(His full remarks are below.)

Also after the session, Fowler issued a statement:

“The coalition was reassured to hear the Obama administration’s commitment to bring peace to Sudan during a meeting at the White House today with Darfur advocates and congressional leaders. During his trip to Sudan this week, it is critical that Special Envoy Gration convey to the Sudanese government that they now face a fundamental choice as a direct result of President Bashir’s actions. They must choose between continuing policies which have thrown the lives of millions of Sudanese civilians on the fire and have placed Sudan on a path toward greater international isolation, or reversing those policies and reconciling with an international community whose support for Bashir, and thus for Sudan, will only grow weaker as time passes.

“The coalition is also hopeful that Gration will soon travel to key capitals to directly engage with leadership and garner support for multilateral efforts to convince – and if necessary compel – the Bashir regime to reopen humanitarian access and make real progress towards achieving a true peace in Darfur. Bashir’s recent decision to expel 13 international aid organizations has left millions of Darfuri civilians at immediate risk of starvation and disease. With this expulsion, approximately 1.1 million civilians will soon run out of food, nearly 1 million will soon run out of potable water, and 1.5 million will be denied medical attention.

“During his campaign, President Obama often touted the power and necessity of using transformational multilateral diplomacy to address international crises. Ending the current humanitarian crisis in Darfur and bringing peace to Sudan calls for exactly this type of complete and fully resourced diplomatic effort. Gration’s role will be vital and must continue to be supported by the president’s engagement.”

Opening a field hearing on Mexican drug violence, Senator John F. Kerry called this morning for reinstituting a ban on the importation of assault-style weapons and criticized calls for sending the National Guard to the southwest border as " premature and possibly counterproductive."

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led by Kerry, is holding a hearing today in El Paso, Tex.

The assault weapon ban, passed under President Clinton in 1994, was taken off the books under President Bush in 2004. Law enforcement officials say that the vast majority of the high-powered guns used by Mexican drug cartels come from north of the border.

"Stopping the guns also requires a strong US-Mexico partnership," Kerry said in his prepared opening statement. "Just a few miles from here is the Bridge of the Americas, one of the busiest border crossings in the country. Drivers coming north from Mexico are stopped by US agents and subjected to a thorough examination for drugs and other contraband.
This doesn’t happen to southbound traffic. We do not have the barriers and booths in place to stop vehicles headed into Mexico. Four lanes of traffic from US Highway 54 speed over the border. An agent who gets intelligence about a car carrying contraband would risk life and limb stepping into traffic to stop the suspect vehicle."

Kerry also voiced support for the plan that the Obama administration announced last week to send more resources to the border, and voiced support for the Mexican government.

To those who say that Mexico is in imminent danger of becoming a "failed state," Kerry retorted, "We have to be very careful about that kind of rhetoric – not just because it is simply untrue, but because it makes cooperation more difficult. Mexico is a functioning democracy, with a vibrant and open economy and stable institutions and civil society. I commend President Felipe Calderon for his courage and determination in challenging the cartels. He and the Mexican people must know that we stand beside them in this fight, not that we’ve written him off."

"Make no mistake: right now, Mexico’s institutions are under enormous stress from the rising level of violence," Kerry added. "....Drug trafficking and the ruthless violence it spawns know no borders. So far, the United States has largely been spared. But it is in our national interest, and it is our solemn obligation, to take steps today to help curtail the killing in Mexico."

Kerry's full statement is below:

While most members of Congress agree with President Obama that US military might and diplomacy needs to refocus on Afghanistan, there are some dissenters.

A group of 14 House members, including Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, wrote to Obama late last month to object to his plan to send 17,000 more combat troops to the war-torn country.

They asserted that a continuing counterinsurgency war conflicts with the congressional resolution authorizing military action to prevent terrorist acts against the United States, and argued that the operation could harm US security.

"Mr. President, in reviewing the past history of Afghanistan and the nations that have failed to conquer it -- Russia spent nine years in Afghanistan and lost many billions of dollars and more than 15,000 Russian soldiers -- we urge you to reconsider the decision to send 17,000 additional troops and to resist pressure to escalate even further," wrote the group, which also includes Ron Paul of Texas, who sought the Republican presidential nomination last year.

Read the letter here.

Outlining his new strategy for Afghanistan, President Obama declared this morning that the "situation is increasingly perilous" and the "safety of people around the world is at stake."

"Many people in the United States – and many in partner countries that have sacrificed so much – have a simple question: What is our purpose in Afghanistan? After so many years, they ask, why do our men and women still fight and die there? They deserve a straightforward answer," Obama said.

"So let me be clear: al Qaeda and its allies – the terrorists who planned and supported the 9/11 attacks – are in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Multiple intelligence estimates have warned that al Qaeda is actively planning attacks on the U.S. homeland from its safe-haven in Pakistan. And if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban – or allows al Qaeda to go unchallenged – that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can."

The comprehensive plan was carefully constructed with input from diplomats, military leaders, and others, Obama said, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates behind him.

"As president, my greatest responsibility is to protect the American people. We are not in Afghanistan to control that country or to dictate its future. We are in Afghanistan to confront a common enemy that threatens the United States, our friends and allies, and the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan who have suffered the most at the hands of violent extremists," he said.

"So I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future. That is the goal that must be achieved. That is a cause that could not be more just. And to the terrorists who oppose us, my message is the same: we will defeat you."

Obama's plan calls for as many as 4,000 more US troops who would train and advise the Afghan military, plus several hundred civilian advisers to build up the Afghan government and assist it in extending its authority. The reinforcements, he said, are needed to control the resurgent Taliban and to ensure that Al Qaeda does not have safe havens from which to plan and execute terrorist attacks.

The goal of the training is to build an Afghan army of 134,000 and a police force of 82,000 by 2011.

Obama also backed $1.5 billion a year in direct aid to Pakistan, and called for more action by Pakistan to root out terrorists. He also called for enhanced diplomacy and cooperation among Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United States.

While not setting a timetable or exit strategy, the president said there will be clear benchmarks to measure progress, and a requirement that the Afghan government deal with corruption.

"Going forward, we will not blindly stay the course. Instead, we will set clear metrics to measure progress and hold ourselves accountable," he said. "We’ll consistently assess our efforts to train Afghan Security Forces, and our progress in combating insurgents. We will measure the growth of Afghanistan’s economy, and its illicit narcotics production. And we will review whether we are using the right tools and tactics to make progress towards accomplishing our goals."

Obama also asked for more help from NATO and the rest of the international community.

"None of the steps that I have outlined will be easy, and none should be taken by America alone. The world cannot afford the price that will come due if Afghanistan slides back into chaos or Al Qaeda operates unchecked," he said. "We have a shared responsibility to act – not because we seek to project power for its own sake, but because our own peace and security depends upon it. And what’s at stake now is not just our own security – it is the very idea that free nations can come together on behalf of our common security."

He announced the new gameplan before a very interested audience -- development officials, policymakers, and diplomats, along with civilian and military personnel who will be serving in Afghanistan and Pakistan in coming months, plus ambassadors and other representatives of countries in the region.

Combined with 17,000 additional combat troops Obama had previously announced he is sending, the total US military force in Afghanistan would grow to nearly 60,000.

That would be more than the as many as 50,000 US troops in the residual force that Obama plans to leave in Iraq after withdrawing most combat troops by the end of August 2010.

The changing balance of numbers reflects Obama's argument that the United States took its eye off the ball in Afghanistan while getting bogged down in Iraq, a war he opposed before it started in 2003.

Obama noted that "painfully" last year was the deadliest for US forces since the Afghanistan war began eight years ago, after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and has become more dangerous than Iraq.

Senator John F. Kerry, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, praised Obama's plan, which incorporates his bill for more humanitarian and other aid to Pakistan, conditioned on more cooperation from that country's government in fighting terrorists.

“President Obama’s new strategy for Pakistan and Afghanistan is realistic and bold in a critical region where our policy needs rescuing,” Kerry said in a statement. “Many of us have long advocated more troops for training Afghan security forces and a clear mission for our forces that are risking their lives, and this new policy is a downpayment in that direction.

"I am particularly encouraged that the President has centered his Pakistan strategy around the legislation which Sen. Lugar and I will introduce in the coming days," Kerry added. "It will be the keystone of a new ‘smart power’ approach to this vital nation. On the non-military side, it will authorize a tripling of U.S. aid to $1.5 billion annually for five years including funds that will build schools, roads, and clinics. On the military side, it will institute strict new accountability for security aid that has for too long been a blank check. This combined strategy will enable the U.S. and Pakistan to work together to root out Al Qaeda, quell the threat of violent radicalism, and give us a shot at building a secure future for the entire region.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also backed Obama's plan.

"I support President Obama's comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan," she said in a statement. "The President's plan is the result of a detailed study and is wisely centered on dismantling al Qaeda and denying safe havens in both Afghanistan and Pakistan to those who would attack the United States. This strategy recognizes a point that I have emphasized for years, and one that I shared with the President following my visit last month to Afghanistan, which is that we must have a regional approach to countering terrorism.

"By aiding Pakistan in their efforts to defeat terrorists, investing in and training Afghan Security Forces and their Army, creating conditions to marginalize insurgents and foster democracy, and cooperating with our allies to achieve these goals, we can strengthen our global counterterrorism efforts and prevent another catastrophic attack, such as the horrific one Osama bin Laden launched on September 11th. The President's strategic and comprehensive approach is the right plan to stabilize Afghanistan and to protect the American people."

Obama's full remarks are below:

On his second major foreign trip, Vice President Biden arrived today for a four-day tour of South and Central America to consult with Latin American leaders gathered in Chile and Costa Rica to discuss the upcoming Summit of the Americas.

The White House said that in Chile, Biden will attend the Progressive Governance conference, which will be attended by the presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay, and the prime ministers of Spain, Norway and the United Kingdom.

The vice president will also meet separately with Uruguay’s President Tabare Vazquez; Argentina’s President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner; British Prime Minister Gordon Brown; and Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet. In Costa Rica, the Vice President will hold a bilateral meeting with President Oscar Arias. Afterwards, the Vice President will participate in a multilateral meeting with Central American leaders hosted by President Arias.

In advance of the trip, Biden penned an op-ed piece published today in 11 Latin American newspapers that focuses on the economic crisis and the need for global cooperation.

"The President and I understand that only by working together can our countries overcome the challenges we face," he wrote. "Today, we are more than just independent nations who happen to be on the same side of the globe. In today’s interconnected world, we are all neighbors who face many common concerns."

The full op-ed is below:

By Farah Stockman and Bryan Bender, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- President Obama plans Friday to unveil his long-awaited new strategy for Afghanistan, calling for sending as many as 4,000 more troops to train and advise the Afghan military, along with hundreds more civilian advisers to help the Afghan government.

The reinforcements -- aimed at beating back a Taliban resurgence in the country and preventing Al Qaeda from reforming a launching pad for terrorist strikes -- come in addition to 17,000 combat troops Obama already announced that he would deploy this spring. They would bring the total number of US forces in the country to nearly 60,000; there are another 32,000 NATO troops.

Obama's decision to send additional US troops has drawn praise from many in Congress, who worried that the mission there suffered from neglect since 2003, as troops and resources flowed to Iraq, though some are wary of the build-up. Last year, with 155 US military deaths in Afghanistan, was the bloodiest for US forces since the war began in 2001.

Senator John F. Kerry, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, applauded the renewed focus on Afghanistan, but expressed concern today that the new strategy should set out limited, realistic goals, and not be an open-ended commitment for more troops and more money.

"I want to hear with clarity what... the mission is," Kerry said. "Because there just have to be some limits."

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told reporters in Mexico today that Obama is proposing "an integrated military-civilian strategy," and that the effective use of "civilian trainers, aid workers, technical assistance" is critical to success. It was not clear how many civilian advisers Obama will propose.

Today, Obama's nominee for ambassador to Afghanistan -- Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry, a Harvard-educated military official who has served two tours in Afghanistan -- appeared to set the stage for Obama's announcement, telling the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that additional US military trainers were badly needed to bolster the Afghan army.

He said the White House supported the Afghan government's goal to expand its army to 120,000 troops by next year. "This will be contingent on our ability to deliver a sufficient number of trainers," said Eikenberry, who said it has been evident since 2006 that "more energy was needed for the Afghan national army."

Eikenberry said the Obama administration is also trying to beef up coordination with neighboring Pakistan to reduce safe havens for the Taliban and Al Qaeda, who strike at Afghanistan across a lawless border. The State Department has already held a rare, trilateral meeting in Washington with top Pakistani and Afghan officials, and will hold another meeting in May aimed at intelligence cooperation, he said at his confirmation hearing.

Obama, who briefed congressional leaders in person and Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari by phone late today, was also expected to included increased humanitarian aid to Pakistan in his new strategy.

For more than a year, Kerry and Vice President Biden, the Foreign Relations Committee's former chairman, have sought to dramatically increase development aid to Pakistan, contingent on its government stepping up its fight against the militants.

Today, Kerry said he would reintroduce the measure in a bill that would triple humanitarian assistance to $1.5 billion a year -- a move that officials said the White House supports.

President Obama made an unscheduled stop today at Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in honor of National Medal of Honor day.

Now presiding over two wars, he was accompanied by some recipients of the nation's highest honor for valor, and later issued a statement:

"We are grateful to all those who wear the uniform of our Armed Forces and serve and sacrifice on behalf of our great nation. Members of our Armed Forces hold themselves to the highest standards and set an example of responsibility to one another and to the country that should inspire all Americans to serve a purpose greater than themselves. Today we pay our respect to those who distinguished themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty - the recipients of the Medal of Honor.

"Since it was first awarded during the Civil War to the current battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, Medal of Honor recipients have displayed tremendous courage, an unfailing determination to succeed, and a humbling willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice. It is telling that so many Medal of Honor recipients received the award posthumously. These soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsman embody the best of American values and ideals.

"Medal of Honor recipients are the foremost example of greatness in service and sacrifice. Their bravery and humble strength continues to reassure our nation of the strength of its character and ideals even in these difficult times. We owe these heroes a debt of gratitude that our nation can never fully repay. So, it is on this day that we salute that fact and celebrate their lives and heroic actions that have placed them amongst the 'bravest of the brave.' We must never forget their sacrifice and will always keep the Fallen and their families in our thoughts and prayers."

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced this afternoon that it will hold the confirmation hearing Thursday for President Obama's pick to be ambassador to Afghanistan.

If confirmed, Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry would play a key role in carrying through on the new path forward that Obama is expected to outline this week, which includes 17,000 more US troops but also more regional diplomacy.

“At this crucial moment, after too many years of policy drift, we simply must get our Afghanistan strategy right. With the Taliban resurgent and U.S. troops increasingly at risk, we cannot afford a continuation of the status quo,” the panel's chairman, Senator John F. Kerry, said in a statement. “At such a time, Karl Eikenberry brings exceptionally valuable skills to the table. After two much-lauded tours of duty there, he knows the military side of the equation as well as anyone can. In his new civilian capacity, he is uniquely placed to get the civil-military balance right. I’m looking forward to hearing his testimony.”

The committee also announced that new Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire will preside Thursday for the confirmation hearings for Rose Gottemoeller as Assistant Secretary of State for Verification and Compliance and Philip Gordon as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.

Shaheen is chairwoman of the subcommittee on European Affairs, which has jurisdiction over NATO, the European Union, Russia, Turkey, Kosovo, NATO efforts in Afghanistan, and energy security issues.

Senator John F. Kerry is weighing in today on the global economic crisis, with a focus on the security threats that it could pose.

Opening a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Kerry quoted national Intelligence Director Dennis Blair's recent warning to Congress that the financial crisis and its geopolitical implications present the “primary near-term security concern of the United States" and that the longer the crisis lasts, the greater the likelihood for damage to US security interests.

"That is an amazing statement given the ongoing risks we face from terrorism, two wars, and rogue nuclear programs in Iran and elsewhere," Kerry said, according to prepared remarks.

"We will have to confront the potential for increased political instability; large-scale failures of other countries’ financial systems; escalating financial protection or trade wars that could help to deepen the crisis; increased poverty and hunger in the developing world; and competitors exploiting financial instability in ways that diminish our influence," Kerry added. "And these problems are not confined to traditionally unstable corners of the globe: Europe too is in deep financial trouble, and Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan, three of our most important partners in the Muslim world, today face acute balance of payments crises.

"We must also confront the fact that there is a great deal of anger out there among people who blame the model we exported. Even as we restore confidence in our markets, we will also need to find a strategy to project leadership, share burdens, and spread stability as this crisis continues to reverberate worldwide."

Kerry's full opening statement is below:

Huddling ahead of the NATO summit next month, President Obama and NATO's secretary general today discussed how to step up the battle against Islamic militants in Afghanistan.

Obama, who is sending 17,000 more US troops to Afghanistan, is expected to detail a new strategy for the war as early as this week.

"We have been in close consultation with them, and we believe that we are going to be able to ensure that the NATO members who make so many sacrifices and have been working so hard already are reinvigorated, and the coordination that's going to be taking place will make it even more effective for us as we complete a successful NATO mission," Obama told reporters.

NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said that "in Afghanistan there are still major challenges. Many things are going right, but many things are not going right. We are, of course, waiting the results of the review going on in the United States of America, very relevant for the other allies, very relevant for NATO."

The president and Scheffer also spoke about improving US-Russian relations.

"My administration is seeking a reset of the relationship with Russia," Obama said, "but in a way that's consistent with NATO membership, and consistent with the need to send a clear signal throughout Europe that we are going to be abide by the central belief that countries who seek and aspire to join NATO are able to join NATO."

The transcript of their post-meeting press availability is below:

Jumping on a hot issue these days, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is hitting the road next week for a hearing on US-Mexico border violence.

Senator John F. Kerry, the committee's chairman, announced today that the forum will be Monday morning at the University of Texas at El Paso.

“The drug-related violence at the border has sent shock waves through both countries, and we need to increase cooperation between the United States and Mexico to combat it before it reaches a tipping point,” Kerry said in a statement. “President Calderon has bravely taken on these lawless cartels at great cost to his government and the Mexican people. We have a responsibility on our side of the border to work more closely with our Mexican counterparts to stem the flow of weapons from the United States and deal with a drug problem festering for decades.”

The Obama administration on Tuesday outlined a plan to send dozens more agents and other law enforcement resources to the southwest border to take on the Mexican drug cartels and to make sure violence doesn't spill into the United States.

Congressman Silvestre Reyes of El Paso, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and a former Border Patrol officer, will also take part in the hearing.

“I commend Senator Kerry for convening this critical hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in El Paso,” Reyes said in a statement. “While I am pleased that Congress has held hearings on Mexico’s drug-related violence in Washington, D.C., it is imperative that our top congressional leaders get a first-hand account of the situation on the ground.”

Hillary Rodham Clinton, like her boss, is in something of a honeymoon period as well.

Today, the secretary of state is in Mexico to sell the Obama administration's revamped plan to deal with Mexican drug cartels. She made her first big foreign trip to Asia, where she won generally high marks, though she dismayed human rights advocates when she seemed to soft-pedal the issue in China.

And she's riding high in the polls.

According to the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, 71 percent of Americans approve of her job performance and 23 percent disapprove.

Her predecessor, Condoleezza Rice, had lower approval ratings in similar polls, weighed down by the unpopular war in Iraq. In December 2006, her rating was 57 percent, and in March 2005 it was 61 percent.

The new survey, conducted March 12-15, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Senator John F. Kerry is giving a full-throated defense of Christopher Hill's credentials as the Foreign Relations Committee opens a hearing this morning on Hill's controversial nomination as ambassador to Iraq.

While some Republicans have questioned Hill's lack of experience in the region, Kerry, the panel's chairman, highlighted Hill's resume of tackling tough problems.

"Often, the reward for diplomats who succeed in difficult postings with long odds is tougher assignments with longer odds. Ambassador Hill has made a career, now entering its fourth decade, of tackling seemingly intractable diplomatic challenges," Kerry said in his opening statement, according to prepared remarks released by the committee. "And make no mistake: Iraq today still presents extraordinary challenges."

Kerry also implored his Republican colleagues not to delay a vote on the nomination. "Of course, senators have every right to vote against Ambassador Hill. But I believe that using Senate procedures to delay his arrival to Baghdad at a critical time in this war would do a serious disservice to our efforts there," he said.

Kerry's full opening statement is below:

President Obama will address an international audience today just after 8 p.m. EDT in his second prime-time press conference of his young administration.

In advance of that, and of the G-20 economic summit next month in London, he called for global cooperation to stem the recession in an op-ed piece that ran today in 31 newspapers around the world, including the Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune, and Los Angeles Times.

"We are living through a time of global economic challenges that cannot be met by half measures or the isolated efforts of any nation. Now, the leaders of the Group of 20 have a responsibility to take bold, comprehensive and coordinated action that not only jump-starts recovery, but also launches a new era of economic engagement to prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again," Obama wrote.

"My message is clear: The United States is ready to lead, and we call upon our partners to join us with a sense of urgency and common purpose. Much good work has been done, but much more remains," he added. "Our leadership is grounded in a simple premise: We will act boldly to lift the American economy out of crisis and reform our regulatory structure, and these actions will be strengthened by complementary action abroad."

Obama also acknowledges the central role of the financial crisis in the United States in causing the cascading economic crisis around the world.

"I know that America bears our share of responsibility for the mess that we all face. But I also know that we need not choose between a chaotic and unforgiving capitalism and an oppressive government-run economy. That is a false choice that will not serve our people or any people," he wrote. "This G-20 meeting provides a forum for a new kind of global economic cooperation. Now is the time to work together to restore the sustained growth that can only come from open and stable markets that harness innovation, support entrepreneurship and advance opportunity."

The full list of newspapers and the full op-ed, both provided by the White House, are below.

UPDATE: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, meanwhile, announced this afternoon that it will hold a hearing Wednesday afternoon to focus on the economic impact of the financial crisis and its political and national security implications, also leading up to the G-20 meeting in London on April 2.

The scheduled witnesses are Lawrence Lindsey, president and CEO of the Lindsey Group; George Soros, chairman of Soros Fund Management and Open Society; and Martin Wolf, associate editor and chief economics commentator at Financial Times.

“The economic crisis we’re experiencing in the United States is being felt around the world,” Senator John F. Kerry, the panel's chairman, said in a statement. “The national security and geopolitical issues emanating from a crisis of this magnitude are of concern to this committee. We look forward to exploring not only the problems but perhaps some of the solutions on the table to prevent bigger security threats from emerging out of this crisis down the road.”

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John F. Kerry announced this afternoon that the panel's hearing on the contentious nomination of Christopher Hill as ambassador to Iraq will be Wednesday morning.

“I have every confidence that Ambassador Hill is the right person to represent the United States in Baghdad,” Kerry said in a statement. By nominating Ambassador Hill to serve in Baghdad, President Obama has chosen one of our very best to help bring lasting peace to Iraq. I look forward to his nomination hearing, and am confident that those of my colleagues who may not yet be familiar with his service to the nation will be as impressed by his skill and dedication as I have been.”

But Republicans, notably GOP presidential nominee John McCain, have blasted the nomination, saying that Hill is not qualified because he lacks experience in the Middle East. Some also criticize Hill's role in negotiating with North Korea on its nuclear program.

"The next ambassador should have experience in the Middle East and in working closely with the U.S. military in counterinsurgency or counterterrorism operations. Mr. Hill has neither,” McCain said in a statement after President Obama announced his selection of Hill.

In the strange way that politics sometimes echoes around the globe, President Obama welcomes to the White House today a comrade in arms: Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Like Obama, Rudd replaced an older, more conservative leader. And like Obama, Rudd's opposition to the Iraq war helped define him. Rudd, however, doesn't quite have the personal charisma that serves Obama so well.

Still, in November 2007, Rudd defeated John Howard, a leading member of the allied coalition in Iraq, in a landslide.

Among foreign leaders, Howard was one of the closest friends and allies of Bush. And it turned out that Howard was the last official guest of the former president, staying at the Blair House in January and forcing the Obamas to stay at a hotel for several days before the inauguration.

UPDATE: After their Oval Office meeting, Rudd and Obama told reporters that the US-Australia alliance remains strong.

"Obviously, there are very few countries that are closer than the US and Australia," Obama said.

"It's a first-class alliance and a first-class partnership," Rudd chimed in.

Obama also said that his administration is "very confident" that the United States will work together with other nations to stabilize global financial system.

He also pledged closer cooperation with coalition forces in Afghanistan, saying that the United States will stay "on the offensive" to ensure that "vicious killers" will not have a safe haven from which to plan terrorist strikes.

Obama, who is sending 17,000 more US troops to Afghanistan this spring, is expected to unveil a new strategic plan for the war as early as this week.

The transcript of their joint press availability is below:

The Obama administration today is laying out a sweeping plan to deal with the deteriorating security at the border with Mexico, which is being breached by drug cartel gangs bringing horrific violence to the United States.

Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano, her deputy Jim Steinberg, and Deputy Attorney General David Ogden are briefing reporters this morning on what the White House calls a "comprehensive response to the situation along the border with Mexico."

"President Obama and his administration are focused on all aspects of the US relationship with Mexico because it is vital to core US national interests," the White House says in a summary of the plan. "The president is concerned by the increased level of violence, particularly in Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana, and the impact that it is having on the communities on both sides of the border. He believes that the United States must continue to monitor the situation and guard against spillover into the United States. And the president is firmly committed to ensuring our borders are secure and we are doing all we can to reduce illegal flows in both direction across the border."

The White House also says that Obama "admires President Calderon’s courage and determination to confront and dismantle the drug cartels and we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him in that fight. Mexico undoubtedly faces serious challenges, but it is vigorously confronting them. Mexico's drug-related violence is carried out among the warring cartels and against government forces. To the extent we have seen related violence in the United States it has been cartel-on-cartel."

Among the highlights of the plan, the administration says it will spend $700 million this year to work in collaboration with Mexico on law enforcement and courts. Also the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Treasury are increasing personnel and efforts directed at the Southwest border. And the White House it is renewing the commitment to reduce the demand for illegal drugs in the United States.

More detail on the proposals is below:

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, under the gavel of chairman John F. Kerry, is holding a hearing today on what the United States can do to help alleviate the global food crisis.

“We’re faced with two disasters—soaring food prices leaving millions hungry every year and an ailing economy. The challenges are overwhelming, but we have to do much more than send emergency food aid to countries facing scarcity,” Kerry said in a statement.

“We live in a world where nearly one billion people suffer from chronic food insecurity,” Senator Richard Lugar, the panel's ranking Republican, added,. “Hungry people are desperate people, and desperation often sows the seeds of conflict and extremism."

He is a cosponsor of a bill designed to improve US and global efforts to increase crop yields, create rural economic opportunities, broaden trade relations, and improve scientific cooperation.

The scheduled witnesses are: Daniel R. Glickman, former Secretary of Agriculture during the Clinton administration; Catherine Bertini, former executive director of the World Food Program; David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World; Robert Paarlberg, professor of political science at Wellesley College; Edwin C. Price, associate vice chancellor and director of Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture; and Gebisa Ejeta, professor of agronomy at Purdue University.

Kerry's opening statement is below:

In one of his first major actions in office, President Obama declared that the United States would no longer torture terrorism suspects and would close the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

In a "60 Minutes" interview on Sunday, he hit back at former Vice President Cheney's assertions that his moves were making the country less safe.

And today, Obama announced he will nominate one of the most forceful legal critics of the Bush administration's legal rationale for its anti-terror policies as legal adviser to the State Department: Harold Hongju Koh, dean of Yale Law School and a Harvard Law grad.

Obama also announced he will nominate David H. Stevens as assistant housing secretary and federal housing commissioner, and Dr. Yvette Roubideaux as director of the Indian Health Service.

Their mini-biographies, provided by the White House, are below:

President Obama chose the first day of spring, a major holiday in Iran, to directly address the people of the country that poses one of the biggest foreign policy challenges to his administration.

The video released today was timed to the festival of Nowruz, which means "new day" and marks the arrival of spring. .

"I would like to speak directly to the people and leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Obama says in the video, which will be released in the Persian Gulf region with Farsi subtitles. "Nowruz is just one part of your great and celebrated culture. Over many centuries your art, your music, literature and innovation have made the world a better and more beautiful place.

"Here in the United States our own communities have been enhanced by the contributions of Iranian Americans," Obama continued. "We know that you are a great civilization, and your accomplishments have earned the respect of the United States and the world.

"For nearly three decades relations between our nations have been strained. But at this holiday we are reminded of the common humanity that binds us together. Indeed, you will be celebrating your New Year in much the same way that we Americans mark our holidays -- by gathering with friends and family, exchanging gifts and stories, and looking to the future with a renewed sense of hope.

"Within these celebrations lies the promise of a new day, the promise of opportunity for our children, security for our families, progress for our communities, and peace between nations. Those are shared hopes, those are common dreams."

Obama has pledged to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, but has also offered to increase diplomatic efforts.

"So in this season of new beginnings I would like to speak clearly to Iran's leaders," Obama also says in the video. "We have serious differences that have grown over time. My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community."

According to the Associated Press, the Iranian government played down the significance of Obama's video.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's press adviser said that "minor changes will not end the differences" and that Iran will never forget US meddling in Tehran's affairs. The two countries broke off relations after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The full transcript of the video is below:

Senator John F. Kerry convened a hearing today on US-Russia relations, saying that he "wholeheartedly" agrees with President Obama that it's time to "reset" the relationship.

"In recent years, America’s relationship with Russia has reached arguably its lowest and least productive phase in two decades," the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said, according to prepared remarks released by his office. " While it is not yet clear what this new chapter in our relations can bring, it is clear that our common interests demand that we try to work together more constructively.

"Our differences are real, but so too is our potential to cooperate and even lead together on global challenges," Kerry added. "From Iran’s nuclear program to human rights in Burma to our presence in Afghanistan, there is scarcely an issue of global importance which would not benefit from greater cooperation with Russia. Our challenge will be to ensure that, to the extent possible, we enlist Russia to act not just as a great power but also as a global partner."

In recent months, Russian and US leaders have sparred over the Russian incursion into Georgia last August, a proposed US anti-missile system in Poland, and other issues.

Witnesses scheduled to testify at the hearing include Andrew Kuchins, director and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Ariel Cohen, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation; and Stephen Sestanovich, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Kerry's full prepared remarks are below:

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced today that the Army will basically end by March 2011 the controversial "stop loss" practice that prevents soldiers from leaving after their service obligation is up.

Gates also said soldiers whose service is extended under the policy will get extra pay. About 13,000 soldiers are serving in the Army under the stop-loss policy, nearly double the number of two years ago.

Critics call the practice, needed to keep the ranks filled in the all-volunteer force while fighting two wars, a backdoor draft.

Senator John F. Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, campaigned against "stop loss" in his 2004 presidential run and applauded Gates's decision.

"The stop-loss policy has amounted to a backdoor draft during years of an overstretched, overextended military,” Kerry said in a statement. “I applaud the President and Secretary Gates for ending a practice that has for too long abused the trust and tested the strength of our incredible military families.”

President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named Major General J. Scott Gration as the special envoy for Sudan, and rededicated himself to end what the United States has declared a genocide in Darfur.

"General Gration’s personal and professional background, and his service to the country as both a military leader and a humanitarian, give him the insights and experience necessary for this assignment," Obama said in a statement, calling his appointment "a strong signal of my Administration’s commitment to support the people of Sudan while seeking a lasting settlement to the violence that has claimed so many innocent lives."

"Sudan is a priority for this Administration, particularly at a time when it cries out for peace and for justice. The worsening humanitarian crisis there makes our task all the more urgent," Obama added.

"I have made clear my intention to work with the international community to end the suffering. That means supporting the full, unobstructed deployment of the joint African Union/United Nations peacekeeping force and the negotiation of a political solution that will give the people of Darfur a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect their future. The Government of Sudan’s disastrous decision to expel humanitarian relief organizations leaves a void that will be filled by deprivation and despair and they will be held accountable for the lives lost.

"As we work to bring peace to Darfur, we will continue to work with both parties to Sudan’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement to ensure its full and complete implementation. All parties must see this through if Sudan and the surrounding region are to enjoy lasting stability.

The Save Darfur Coalition applauded the appointment.

"His experience, gravitas and close relationship with President Obama will contribute greatly to his effectiveness. Equally important, he must have the mandate and authority to drive U.S. policy on Sudan," coalition president Jerry Fowler said in a statement.

President Obama met this afternoon in the Oval Office with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in the wake of harsh words between the two countries over a confrontation between Navy ships in the South China Sea.

According to the White House account of the closed meeting, Obama stressed the importance of raising the level and frequency of the U.S.-China military-to-military dialogue in order to avoid future incidents.

Obama and Yang also discussed the overall state of the U.S.-China relationship and ways to improve it, along with other issues including the international financial crisis, North Korea, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the situation in Sudan, the White House said.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was criticized by human rights advocates for seeming to soft-pedal the issue on her recent visit; the White House said Obama noted that the promotion of human rights is an essential aspect of US foreign policy and expressed hope there would be progress in the dialogue between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama’s representatives on Tibet.

The full White House synopsis is below:

In his push for more diplomacy, President Obama has highlighted the role of the United Nations in helping preserve peace around the globe.

So the White House didn't take too kindly to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon describing the United States as a "deadbeat" because it is habitually late paying its dues.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Ban's choice of words in a private meeting with members of Congress on Wednesday -- a day after meeting Obama for the first time -- was "unfortunate."

"I think given the contribution that the American taxpayer makes, I do think it would be appropriate to acknowledge that role," Gibbs told reporters at his daily briefing, noting that the United States is the biggest funder of the UN, ponying up more than one-fifth of its nearly $5 billion annual operating budget.

President Obama announced this afternoon his nominations for several key foreign policy posts.

He selected Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry as ambassador to Afghanistan, Christopher R. Hill as ambassador to Iraq, Ivo Daalder as ambassador to NATO and Alexander Vershbow as assistant secretary of defense for International Security Affairs.

If confirmed by the Senate, Vershbow and Daalder will coordinate on US defense, development, and diplomatic objectives at the NATO summit next month in Germany, the president said.

“I am honored and grateful that these dedicated public servants have agreed to join my administration as we work to tackle the great challenges of our time. These extraordinarily accomplished individuals have served their country with great distinction, and they have each agreed to take on tough assignments. I am confident that they will work with a sense of purpose and pragmatism, along with Secretary Clinton and Secretary Gates, as we renew American diplomacy, strengthen our military, and advance our values and interests around the world,” Obama said in a statement.

The mini-biographies of the nominees, as provided by the White House, are below:

Before dispatching Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to lay the groundwork for the G-20 economic summit next month, President Obama today stressed the need for global action to stem the worldwide recession.

"We can do a really good job here at home with a whole host of policies, but if you continue to see deterioration in the world economy, that's going to set us back," Obama told reporters. "And I think it's very important for the American people to understand that as aggressive as the actions we are taking have been so far, it's very important to make sure that other countries are moving in the same direction, because the global economy is all tied together."

Geithner added, "Everything we do in the United States will be more effective if we have the world moving with us. You know, we're the most productive economy in the world, most productive workers in the world, but they need markets for their products that are expanding, and we have a lot of work to do, but I think we can make a lot of progress."

Obama, seated with Geithner in the Oval Office, also said he has two goals for the G-20 meeting April 2 in London: "to make sure that there is concerted action around the globe to jumpstart the economy" and to move forward on "a regulatory reform agenda that ensures that we don't see these same kinds of systemic risks and the potential for this kind of crisis again in the future."

Their full remarks are below:

President Obama met today for the first time with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and according to the pool report, Darfur, where the United States has declared a genocide is underway, was a major topic.

Obama told reporters that it is crucial to send a unified international message on the crisis. “The United States wants to work as actively as possible to try to resolve the immediate humanitarian crisis and to start putting us on the path for long-term peace and stability in the Sudan,” he said.

The president said the two leaders also discussed global climate change, Afghanistan, and the economic crisis.

The UN was a favorite target for Republicans during the Bush administration, but Obama said, “I think the United Nations can be an extraordinarily constructive, important partner in bringing about peace and stability to people around the world.”

According to the pool report, Ban said it is “a very good sign” for the UN that the meeting was happening only 50 days into Obama's administration.”

Ban, who is to meet Wednesday with Senator John F. Kerry, the new chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said 2009 is a "make or break year” for the UN on a range of crises and said the UN will be relying on the United States on Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Iraq, nuclear nonproliferation, and North Korea.

“The United Nations stands ready to work together with you Mr. President to make this make-or-break year turn into a make-it-work” year, he said.

Their full remarks (transcript provided by the White House) are below:

Vice President Biden, on his first major foreign trip, is trying today to sell the US push in Afghanistan to wary European allies.

"I know the people of Europe, like the people of my country, are tired of war, and they are tired of this war," Biden said at a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels. "But many of our citizens both here in Europe and at home question why we need to send troops and treasure so far from our homes. But we know, we know that it was from the space that joins Afghanistan and Pakistan that the attacks of 9/11 occurred. We know that it was from the very same area that extremists planned virtually every major terrorist attack on Europe since 9/11, and the attack on Mumbai. We know that it was from this same area that al Qaeda and its extremist allies are regenerating and conceiving new atrocities to visit upon us.

"As leaders entrusted with the security of our citizens, none of us -- none of us -- none of us can deny that the new threats of the 21st century must be dealt with. None of us can escape the responsibility to meet these threats," he added, according to a transcript provided by the White House.

President Obama is sending 17,000 more US troops to Afghanistan to take on the resurgent Taliban, bringing the total American force there to about 55,000. He has also launched a full strategic review of US policy.

Biden said the US strategy will include clear and achievable goals and will acknowledge how closely tied Afghanistan's fate is to Pakistan's.

"We need to look at Afghanistan and Pakistan together, because success in one requires progress in the other; the imperative of a comprehensive approach with a strong civilian and diplomatic effort is necessary because we know there is no purely military solution to either Afghanistan or Pakistan; the centrality of building up Afghan security forces -- because our goal is not to stay in Afghanistan, it's to be able to leave, and to leave behind Afghan forces that can provide for the security and safety of the people of Afghanistan; and the need to ensure the security and legitimacy in this year's presidential elections," he said.

But Obama is also seeking more European help, and Biden said the meeting represented just the beginning of consultations.

In the press conference, Biden was asked by Obama's remarks in an interview late last week with the New York Times in which he suggested possible negotiation with some elements of the Taliban.

Biden said that "5 percent of the Taliban is incorrigible, not susceptible to anything other than being defeated. Another 25 percent or so are not quite sure, in my view, the intensity of their commitment to the insurgency. And roughly 70 percent are involved because of the money, because of them being -- getting paid. "

Biden said any accommodation would not undermine a legitimate Afghan government, but like Obama said it could be similar to what the US did in Iraq with some Sunnis

"We engaged in Iraq the most extreme elements of the Sunni resistance in Anbar province. We ended up with an operation called the Sons of Iraq, because we accurately determined, as some of us had pointed out in numerous visits there, that the idea that every Sunni was a supporter of -- every Sunni insurgent was a supporter of al Qaeda was simply not true -- simply not true," Biden said.

"The same principle pertains here. Whether or not it will bear as much fruit remains to be seen. There's only one way, and that is to engage -- engage in the process, looking for pragmatic solutions to accomplishing what our goal is; that is an Afghanistan that is, at minimum goal, is not a haven for terror and is able to sustain itself on its own and provide its own security."

Biden's full remarks are below:

Hillary Rodham Clinton made one of her biggest splashes as first lady when she spoke out on women's rights in Beijing.

This afternoon, Clinton, as secretary of state, and her boss, President Obama, jointly announced a new post of ambassador at-large for global women's issues.

"The president’s decision to nominate an ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues is unprecedented and reflects the elevated importance of global women’s issues to the president and his entire administration," the White House said in a statement announcing Obama's intent to nominate Melanne Verveer, CEO of an international nonprofit that grooms female leaders, to the job.

She also served as Clinton's chief of staff and was her chief assistant in her international activities, and took the lead in establishing the President’s Interagency Council on Women.

Obama also announced nominations for two other top State Department posts: Esther Brimmer as assistant secretary for international organizations and Phil Gordon as assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs.

“Each of these individuals brings a deep knowledge and expertise in their field, along with a commitment to strengthen American diplomacy to meet 21st century challenges. They will be joining a leadership team at the State Department which will be at the forefront of our effort to renew America’s security and standing in an uncertain world,” Obama said in a statement.

Clinton added: “In my testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I spoke about the use of smart power. At the heart of smart power are smart people, and these talented individuals are among the smartest I know. Along with the entire State Department team, I will count on and turn to these individuals for their expertise, experience, and creative vision to make good on the promises of this new Administration.”

The nominees' mini-biographies, provided by the White House, are below:

Maybe she should have just given him one of those "Easy" buttons from Staples.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton tried today to inject a little humor into the tense relationship with Russia, giving Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov a bow-topped box containing a mock "reset" button.

Her "little gift," she said, alluded to what President Obama and Vice President Biden have been saying about starting again, according to Bloomberg's account. "We want to reset our relationship," she said.

Only one glitch: instead of saying "reset" in Russian, the button said "overcharge," Lavrov told Clinton. "You got it wrong," he said.

"We won't let you do that to us," Clinton joked.

President Obama plans his first extended foreign trip -- late this month to Europe to cement trans-Atlantic ties and to coordinate strategies on the worldwide economic downturn.

At a meeting today of NATO foreign ministers, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced that Obama's tour will start March 31 and end April 5 and include stops at the G-20 economic summit in Britain, NATO meetings in France and Germany, and a US-European Union conference in the Czech Republic.

UPDATE: The White House confirmed the trip, issuing this statement:

"President and Mrs. Obama will visit the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Czech Republic March 31-April 5, 2009. In the United Kingdom, the President will continue discussions on important bilateral and global issues with British leaders and work with other G-20 Leaders to address the global financial crisis at the London Summit. On April 3, the President will participate in bilateral programs with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The President then looks forward to participating in NATO Summit events in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany, April 3-4, where leaders will celebrate 60 years of providing peace and security culminating in a unified Europe, discuss challenges and strategies for success of NATO’s mission in Afghanistan and other issues, and commit to preparing NATO to combat the new threats of the 21st century. The President will travel to Prague, Czech Republic, April 4-5 to meet with Czech officials and with leaders of European Union (EU) member states and the European Commission president to build a stronger partnership between the United States and the EU, one which will enable us to better confront our shared challenges together."

Since taking office on Jan. 20, Obama has left the country only once -- a one-day jaunt to Canada to meet with that country's leader. The president has taken to the road across the country to sell the economic stimulus plan and last week to North Carolina to announce his Iraq pullout plan.

By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- Senator John F. Kerry, who recently returned from a Middle East trip that included stops in Syria and Gaza, called today for loosening sanctions on Syria, which he praised a for opening a stock market and sending an ambassador to Iraq.

"Loosening certain sanctions in exchange for verifiable changes in behavior can actually benefit US businesses," Kerry, the new chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee told a packed auditorium at the Brookings Institution. "The sanctions can always be tightened again if Syria backtracks."

In his speech, the Massachusetts Democrat urged the Obama administration to play a role in mediating ongoing peace talks between Syria and Israel -- a move that he said Syrian President Bashar Assad would welcome.

The Bush administration shunned Syria for more than four years, accusing the regime of fostering the insurgency in Iraq, meddling in Lebanon's affairs by assassinating its elected leaders, and supporting anti-Israeli militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas.

But the Obama administration has signalled a thaw in relations, in an attempt to encourage Syria to make peace with Israel and to pry the regime from its close alliance with Iran. Syria's ambassador to the United States, Imad Moustapha, who attended Kerry's speech yesterday, met last week for two hours at the State Department after years of relative diplomatic silence. Under Obama, the Treasury Department has also authorized the transfer of $500,000 of Syrian funds which had been frozen to a Syrian charity and the repair of aircraft with US parts.

US laws still discourages trade with Syria. Medicine and food can be sent to Syria, but other goods must apply for special permission.

Critics called it premature to loosen sanctions. David Schenker, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a conservative-leaning think tank, said that Syria is still "actively undermining every US interest in the Middle East."

In today's speech, Kerry also described his visit to the town of Izbet Abed Rabo in Gaza, a rare trip for US officials who have avoided the territory for years because of the danger of militant attack, and because it is controlled by Hamas, which the United States considers a terrorist organization.

"I saw little Palestinian girls playing in the rubble where, just months ago, buildings stood," Kerry said. Upon seeing the ruins of the American school there, he said: "I was moved by the enormity of the humanitarian challenge."

Kerry called for a regional "road map" based on a 2002 Saudi peace initiative in which Arab states would commit to specific actions -- such as ending support for Hamas -- to bring about a regional peace with Israel.

He said he believes that Israeli prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu, despite his hard-line reputation, is prepared to do "important things" for peace. Kerry also called on the Obama administration to take measures to ensure that Israel freezes settlements in the West Bank.

"Nothing will do more to make clear our seriousness about turning the page than demonstrating - with actions rather than words - that we are serious," Kerry said. "For decades, American presidents, Democrat and Republican alike, have opposed new settlement activity and recognized that the settlements are an obstacle to peace. But in our honest moments we would all acknowledge that this policy has usually existed on paper alone."

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown gets the bragging rights today as the first European leader to visit the White House under President Obama.

Brown could also use some of Obama's popularity to rub off on him. He is facing much dissent back home and a resurgent Conservative Party that could soon unseat him.

Besides cementing the "special relationship" between the United States and Britain, Brown, who is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, is also preparing for the G-20 economic summit in London next month that he is leading.

Brown is calling for a coordinated global "New Deal" and for tougher financial regulations as well as economic stimulus plans.

"Well, there's got to be deep regulatory change. We've just been talking, Barack and I, about the need for proper supervision of shadow banking systems, of areas where there was bank practices that were unacceptable, where remuneration policies got out of hand and weren't based on long-term success, but on short-term deals. And these are the changes that we've already announced that we are going to make," Brown said.

Obama also talked about keeping up the ties between the two countries and the need for global cooperation on the economy.

"The banking system has been dealt a heavy blow. It has to do with many of the things Prime Minister Brown alluded to: lax regulation, massive over-leverage, huge systemic risks taken by unregulated institutions as well as regulated institutions," Obama said. (Click here for their full remarks.)

Obama also picked a deeply unpopular leader of a close ally for his first foreign visitor. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso stopped by last week.

WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama posed for pictures alongside Gordon Brown. John McCain met with Tony Blair. Ed Markey was briefed by Ed Milliband.

In today’s British Invasion of Washington, Markey's guest -- Brown’s secretary of state for energy and climate change -- may have been the least prestigious, but carried his own particular power of suasion. The Massachusetts congressman chairs a shiny select committee on global warming, and is embarking on its first major quest: trying to pass environmental legislation in time for a December conference in Copenhagen intended to draw up a new international agreement to lower emissions.

"It's obvious that the rest of the world has been waiting for the United States to take over leadership on this issue," Markey said at a press conference. "Until we act, a lot of people won't act."

Milliband was on Capitol Hill with Danish climate minister Connie Hedegaard, largely to reaffirm those global expectations. Both voiced optimism at Obama's promise to take climate issues more seriously than his predecessor did and encouraged Congress to think of the moment as "an opportunity to rethink business as usual," as Hedegaard put it.

"It's right to say that Europe has a palpable sense of new American leadership," said Milliband. "This is an economic crisis that we face politically. The wrong thing would be to say that you can't tackle the economic crisis at the same time as tackling the climate crisis."

Markey and Congressman Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, said they expect to be able to pass a bill by the end of the year, using Obama's targets and proposed cap-and-trade system as a guide.

Michelle Obama, who has swiftly taken her place as fashion style-setter, seems to be enamored of sleeveless sheaths.

She wore one to President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. She is pictured with one on the cover of People magazine that hit newsstands today. And she's wearing a black Michael Kors in her official portrait newly posted on the White House website.

The portrait in the Blue Room is accompanied by her biography.

"When people ask Michelle Obama to describe herself, she doesn't hesitate. First and foremost, she is Malia and Sasha's mom," it says. "As First Lady, Michelle Obama looks forward to continuing her work on the issues close to her heart -- supporting military families, helping working women balance career and family, and encouraging national service."

President Obama defends his Iraq pullout plan against critics among fellow Democrats and antiwar groups who say it doesn't keep his campaign pledges to withdraw nearly all US combat troops within 16 months of his inauguration.

"Well, what I would say that is that they maybe weren't paying attention to what I said during the campaign," Obama says in an interview airing tonight on "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" on PBS. "I said that we were going to take 16 months to withdraw our combat troops from Iraq. We are now taking 18 months rather than 16. I said that we would have a residual force, a transition force that could continue so stand up Iraq security forces, provide them logistical support and training and also make sure that we are protecting US civilian and military personnel. I said that we would have a counterterrorism capacity to make sure that Al Qaeda or other extremist organizations did not try to take advantage of a diminished U.S. presence there.

"So everything that I said I would do during the campaign I am now doing," he adds. "Obviously because of consultation with commanders on the ground, something I also said we would do, there are some modifications to the plan. But this is basically the thrust that I have been talking about for several years and I think it is a responsible solution."

Obama, asked directly whether the accomplishments in Iraq were worth the US and Iraqi casualties, answered, "I don’t want to look backwards. As you know, I opposed this war, I did not think it was the right decision, but I don’t want to in any way diminish the enormous sacrifices that have been made by our men and women in uniform. I think the fact that Saddam Hussein is gone is a good thing. I think the fact that Iraq has now carried out a series of elections with diminished violence each time, I think that's a good thing. A lot of the ultimate outcome in Iraq now is going to depend on how the political issues that have dogged Iraq for a very long time get resolved."

The president was also asked what he hopes to accomplish in Afghanistan, where he is sending 17,000 more troops.

"Now, I can articulate some very clear, minimal goals in Afghanistan, and that is that we make sure that it’s not a safe haven for Al Qaeda, they are not able to launch attacks of the sort that happened on 9/11 against the American home land or American interest," he said. "How we achieve that initial goal, what kinds of strategies and tactics we need to put in place, I don’t think that we’ve thought it through, and we haven’t used the entire arsenal of American power.

"We’ve been thinking very militarily, but we haven’t been as effective in thinking diplomatically, we haven’t been thinking effectively around the development side of the equation, you know, what are we doing to replace poppy crops for Afghans that allow them to support themselves," he added. "Obviously, we haven’t been thinking regionally, recognizing that Afghanistan is actually an Afghanistan/Pakistan problem, because right now the militants, the extremists who are attacking U.S. troops are often times coming over the border from Pakistan."

The full transcript of the interview is below:

The White House this afternoon released its "fact sheet" on President Obama's withdrawal plan.

On his first day in office, President Obama ordered a comprehensive review of United States Iraq policy by military commanders on the ground, the Joint Chiefs, Secretary Gates, and his national security team. That review led to the President’s February 27, 2009 announcement at Camp Lejeune of a plan to responsibly end the war in Iraq. The three-part strategy he announced will make our country more secure by transitioning to Iraqi responsibility and by allowing the United States to focus on a broader set of national priorities. The Administration will pursue broad support for this plan and other major national security priorities by consulting closely with the Congress, on a bi-partisan basis, and by working closely with friends and allies.
Responsible Removal of Combat Brigades
Based on the recommendations of his military commanders and national security team, the President has chosen a timeline that will remove all U.S. combat brigades from Iraq over the next 18 months. By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end and Iraqi Security Forces will have full responsibility for major combat missions.

After August 31, 2010, the mission of United States forces in Iraq will fundamentally change. Our forces will have three tasks: train, equip, and advise the Iraqi Security Forces; conduct targeted counterterrorism operations; and provide force protection for military and civilian personnel.

The President intends to keep our commitment under the Status of Forces Agreement to remove all of our troops from Iraq by the end of 2011.

Sustained Diplomacy
Iraq’s future is now its own responsibility and the long-term success of the Iraqi nation will depend upon decisions made by the Iraqi people. A strong political, diplomatic, and civilian effort on our part can advance progress and help lay a foundation for lasting peace and security. A new American Ambassador will be supported by the courageous and capable work of American civilian personnel, diplomats and aid workers.

We will work to support Iraqi national elections in 2010, help improve local government, serve as an honest broker for Iraqi leaders as they resolve difficult political issues, increase support for the resettlement of Iraqi refugees, and help strengthen Iraqi institutions and their capacity to protect rule of law, confront corruption, and deliver services.

Comprehensive Engagement Across the Region
The future of Iraq is inseparable from the future of the broader Middle East. It is time for Iraq to be a full partner in a regional dialogue and for Iraq’s neighbors to establish productive and normalized relations with Iraq. Going forward, the United States will pursue principled and sustained engagement with all nations in the region, including Iran and Syria. We have already begun to renew our diplomacy in the region, to refocus on: eliminating al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan; preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon; and actively seeking a lasting peace between Israel and the Arab world.

Finally, the President made a commitment to give our men and women in uniform the resources and clear direction they deserve and to build our civilian national security capacity so that we can use all elements of American power to achieve our objectives in the world.

The White House also released the remarks of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates about the plan. They are below:

In April 2003, a month into the Iraq war, then-President Bush gave a major speech at Camp Lejeune, paying tribute to the Marines Corps leading the fight.

"These missions are difficult and they are dangerous, but no one becomes a Marine because it's easy. Now our coalition moves forward. Marines are in the thick of the battle. And what we have begun, we will finish," Bush told them.

"The United States and our allies pledged to act if the dictator did not disarm. The regime in Iraq is now learning that we keep our word. By our actions, we serve a great and just cause: We will remove weapons of mass destruction from the hands of mass murderers. Free nations will not sit and wait, leaving enemies free to plot another September the 11th, this time, perhaps with chemical or biological or nuclear terror. And by defending our own security, we are freeing the people of Iraq from one of the cruelest regimes on Earth."

Today, nearly six years and 4,300 US military deaths later, President Obama goes to the sprawling base in Eastern North Carolina to announce his plan for withdrawal.

It will be his highest profile appearance yet in his role as commander in chief, as he has been focusing on his role as CEO of the economic recovery.

Obama is expected to say that most of the 142,000 troops will come home by the end of August 2010, though the vast majority will stay through the end of this year to safeguard national elections in Iraq and though 35,000 to 50,000 will stay beyond the pullout date with a new mission of training, civilian protection, and counterterrorism. Under the plan Obama is expected to detail, all US troops would withdraw by Dec. 31, 2011 -- the deadline set under the agreement signed by former President Bush.

The size of the residual force and the timetable -- slower than the 16 months candidate Obama promised -- is drawing criticism from some fellow Democrats and antiwar groups.

Thursday evening, Obama had an unscheduled huddle at the White House to dampen the dissent.

Senator John McCain of Arizona, Obama's Republican presidential rival, is more supportive.

"I think the plan is reasonable," he said on the Senate floor today. "I am cautiously optimistic that the plan laid out by the president will lead to success."

But McCain also argued, "I think the plan is significantly different than the plan Obama had during the campaign."

Obama has already announced plans to send 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan, including a big contingent from Camp Lejeune.

President Obama is holding an unscheduled huddle this afternoon with Senate Democrats, trying to quell a rebellion in the ranks over his Iraq plan he is expected to unveil Friday.

At Camp Lejeune, the huge Marine base in North Carolina, Obama is widely expected to confirm plans for a withdrawal by August 2010, though as many as 52,000 of the 142,000 troops now in Iraq could remain and some could retain combat roles.

"I have been one for a long time who has called for significant cutbacks in Iraq," Harry Reid of Nevada, the top Senate Democrat, told reporters. "I’m happy to listen to the secretary of defense and the president but when they talk about 50,000, that’s a little higher number than I anticipated."

The senators, along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are questioning whether 50,000 is too many to actually "end the war," as Obama promised.

Some liberal critics have already been raising concerns about the 19-month timetable -- three months longer than what Obama pledged during the campaign.

In an CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll last week, 67 percent of Americans said they opposed the Iraq war, up slightly from December, and 69 percent supported removing most troops, while Americans were evenly divided whether the United States is "winning."

In the same survey, however, 63 percent favored Obama's plan to send 17,000 more troops this spring to Afghanistan, though a majority oppose the war. Also, only 31 percent said the US is winning the war in Afghanistan, though 62 percent said the US can win.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced this afternoon that the Pentagon has decided to lift the complete ban on video and photos of the return of the war dead to US soil.

Now, it will be up to the families of the service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan whether to allow such media coverage.

Gates said the decision "should be made by those most directly affected, on an individual basis, by the families of the fallen. We ought not presume to make that decision in their place."

At his daily briefing, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said, "The president asked that the secretary of defense review our policy toward media and photos at Dover air base for victims returning of -- from Iraq and Afghanistan. And what the...president supports is a policy consistent with that that we have at Arlington cemetery, which allows at the families position for that to be open, which allows them to make that decision and protect their privacy if that's what they wish to do."

President Obama said earlier this month he was reconsidering the policy, which was put in place during the 1991 Persian Gulf war and covers the solemn transfer of flag-draped caskets at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, the first US stop on the journey to the final resting place for the military personnel.

Press groups pushed for the change, but the American Legion and other military groups opposed lifting the ban.

The Associated Press says that the emerging policy mirrors one for military services at Arlington National Cemetery, where families largely decide whether they want media coverage.

A poll this month suggested that two-thirds of Americans generally support the policy change.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey conducted last week asked, "When the remains of U.S. troops who were killed in Iraq or Afghanistan are flown back to the U.S., brief ceremonies are held when the caskets are taken off the plane at an air force base. Do you think the government should or should not allow the public to see pictures of those events on TV, in newspapers, and on websites?"

Sixty-seven percent said the government should allow such coverage, while 31 percent said it should not.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, which bills itself as the country's first and largest nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, applauded the policy shift as a way to show Americans the true cost of the wars.
“Less than 1% of the American population has served in Iraq or Afghanistan. There has never been a greater disconnect between those who serve in harms warm and those back home. All too often, the sacrifices of our military are hidden from view. The sight of flag-draped coffins is, and should be, a sobering reminder to all Americans of the ultimate sacrifice our troops have made and the high price of our freedom,” said IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff.

Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts also issued a statement of support.

“Secretary Gates has made a courageous, respectful decision that first and foremost is accountable to all the families of our fallen heroes,” Kerry said. “I’ve heard from many families of our fallen soldiers who wanted the entire nation to share in the mourning when we bring our heroes home to Dover Air Force Base. This is one way our grateful nation keeps faith with those in uniform, and the new policy is appropriately sensitive to the families who prefer to close an arrival to the media.”

Word of the policy shift comes a day before Obama goes to Camp Lejeune, the sprawling Marine base in eastern North Carolina, to announce the "way forward" in Iraq.

He is widely expected to confirm plans for a withdrawal by August 2010, though as many as 52,000 of the 142,000 troops now in Iraq could remain and some could retain combat roles.

Obama has already announced he is sending 17,000 more troops this spring to Afghanistan.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator John McCain come at the subject of Afghanistan from vastly different viewpoints.

But they agreed today that the Obama administration, which is sending 17,000 more US troops this spring to the war-torn country, faces a tough slog there.

"I have to give straight talk and that is I think things are going to get worse in Afghanistan before they get better," McCain said this afternoon at the American Enterprise Institute. "And so I think that it's very important that the president and members of Congress and other people in leadership and respected positions inform the American people that it's going to be a long and hard and tough."

Pelosi, who just returned from leading a congressional delegation to Afghanistan, called it "a tragedy."

In an interview airing tonight on MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show," Pelosi said the Bush administration, while waging war in Iraq, was "without a plan, adrift" for 7 1/2 years on Afghanistan, where Al Qaeda is believed to have re-established havens on the border with Pakistan.

"Everyone in the military says this cannot be accomplished militarily only. So it's about how we work with our allies in NATO for a military presence there that will be effective in our defeating the Taliban and eliminating Al Qaeda," she added. "It's about governance. It's about the government of Afghanistan and how legitimate, and reducing corruption and the whole poppy trade, the drug trade, the rest of that."

Japan Prime Minister Taro Aso looked over at President Obama during today's meeting. (AP)

In another sign of the primacy of Asia for the Obama administration, the first foreign leader with an official Oval Office visit is Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso today.

Hillary Clinton, President Obama's secretary of state, chose Asia for her first foreign tour last week, making stops in Japan, Indonesia, Korea, and China, and causing quite a stir along the way.

Aso, unlike Obama, is deeply unpopular with his people and is struggling to stay in power. Still, Japan is the world's second largest economy, behind the United States, and can offer some lessons on what to do -- and what not to do -- to deal with a financial crisis.

During the traditional pre-meeting photo opportunity, Obama said that the two nations have key shared concerns and said that Japan "has been a great partner" on issues such as climate change and Afghanistan.

"I'm looking forward to a very constructive dialogue," the president said.

Aso said he and his nation were "very honored" to be the first foreign guest and agreed that there are many issues the two countries must cooperate on as the world's two largest economies.

"We have to work together, hand in hand," Aso said.

(Their full remarks, as provided by the White House, are below.)

After the meeting, the White House issued this summary:

President Obama today held in-depth consultations with the Prime Minister of Japan on the global economic crisis and other areas for bilateral cooperation. The President underscored his firm commitment to the U.S.-Japan Alliance and called for continued progress in modernizing the Alliance by implementing the joint realignment initiative.

The two leaders agreed to work closely and urgently, as the world’s leading economies, to stimulate demand at home and abroad, to help other countries respond to the global crisis, to unfreeze credit markets, and to seek concrete results from the April London Economic Summit and through the G-8. They agreed fully on the need to resist protectionism.

With respect to regional issues, they pledged to work closely through the Six-Party process to verifiably eliminate North Korea’s nuclear program and to deal with the problem of North Korea’s missiles, as well as other matters including Japan’s abducted citizens.

Noting the importance of stabilizing Afghanistan, President Obama expressed appreciation for Japan’s extensive contributions to date and strongly welcomed Japan’s intention to play a greater role in assisting Afghanistan as well as Pakistan to improve security and economic development.

The two leaders both saw climate change as a priority for both nations and discussed ways of working together, including in an effort to assist developing nations. They pledged to build on the strong record of joint research and development on clean energy technology.

Representative Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts met with US troops over the weekend in Afghanistan, where the Obama administration plans to send 17,000 more this spring.

In a statement today, Markey criticized the truce between the government and a Taliban group in the Swat Valley.

“I saw many encouraging signs on the trip. However, inside Pakistan, a truce declared between the government and a Taliban group inside the Swat Valley is totally unacceptable. This truce represents a capitulation by the Pakistani government and a refusal to provide basic security to the people of the Swat Valley. We have to acknowledge that the security situation in Pakistan is critical in order to succeed in Afghanistan, and we need a strategy that reflects that reality.”

He made the visit as part of a congressional delegation led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that visited Italy. In Afghanistan, Markey and the delegation went Camp Eggers in Kabul and were briefed by US Ambassador William Wood, and US and allied military commanders, Markey's office said today. The delegation also met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss the political and security situation in Afghanistan.

“I am grateful for the sacrifice and dedication of all of our brave men and women serving in Afghanistan,” Markey said in the statement. “I am honored to witness firsthand, their commitment, valor and sacrifice in the name of America's security.”

Worth noting that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did make it official today while on her Asia tour -- Stephen W. Bosworth, the dean of the Fletcher School of Diplomacy at Tufts University will be her special envoy to North Korea.

Clinton told reporters that Bosworth is "a capable and experienced diplomat."

Bosworth, a former ambassador to South Korea, will have a full plate -- with North Korea's nuclear program and worries about the successor to its leader, Kim Jong Il.

Even before his formal appointment, Bosworth went on a fact-finding mission to North Korea earlier this month.

President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, emerging with smiles after a meeting in Harper's office and a working lunch, said this afternoon they had agreed to work closely on stimulus plans to tackle the global recession, to create a joint clean energy initiative, and to pursue stability and progress in Afghanistan.

"The people of North America are hurting and that is why we are acting," Obama said at a joint news conference.

Obama expressed America's gratitude for Canada's contribution in Afghanistan, where more than 100 of its soldiers have died. Canada plans to withdraw its 2,500 combat troops by 2011 from Afghanistan, where Obama announced this week he is sending 17,000 more US troops.

Questioned by a reporter, Obama said he did not press Harper on the planned troop pullout, and mostly just wanted to thank Canada.

Harper said only the Afghans themselves can ultimately bring peace and security to their country.

Harper said while it's too early to lay out a "harmonized" policy on global warming, Canada will closely watch the US debate and is now optimistic that he has a partner on the issue, pointing out that regulations won't work only on one side of
the border.

Obama stressed the global nature of climate change and said that as two of the world's wealthiest countries, the US and Canada must take leadership roles.

Obama said he picked Canada for his first foreign trip to underscore the closeness and importance of the two countries' relationship -- and to renew that friendship. America's renewed leadership in the world, the president said, relies on such close alliances.

Harper also emphasized the close ties between the two neighbors and their shared values, including "equality of opportunity epitomized by the president itself."

"This has been a very constructive visit," Harper said, speaking first in French and then repeating his remarks in English.

He did not mention Canadian worries on trade.

The $787 billion stimulus plan Obama signed this week includes "Buy American" provisions, but the White House says it will follow all international trade deals. As a candidate, Obama vowed to renegotiate NAFTA, which unions say devastated manufacturing jobs, to incorporate more labor and environmental protections.

Asked about NAFTA, Obama said while he wants to include the labor and environmental standards in the main agreement, he wants to be careful to avoid any protectionism.

On the "Buy American" provisions, Obama said the US will keep its obligations under trade agreements.

Harper said there are ways to deal with concerns on NAFTA without unraveling the entire agreement, and argued that trade deals have "been nothing but beneficial" to the two countries.

Before wrapping up his first foreign visit and returning to Washington, Obama will meet with Canadian opposition leader Michael Ignatieff and US embassy employees and their families this afternoon at the Ottawa airport.

The White House summary of the Obama-Harper huddle is below:

As President Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper meet today, the leaders of the major labor federations in the two countries weighed in on perhaps the most contentious issue on their agenda.

In a joint letter to Obama and Harper, the AFL-CIO and Canadian Labour Congress called on the leaders to review and renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and to cooperate to address the current global economic crisis. The AFL-CIO says it represents 11 million members in the United States and Canada, while the Canadian Labour Congress claims 3.2 million members. To see the letter, click here.

As a candidate, Obama pledged to push for reopening NAFTA -- blamed by unions for steep manufacturing job losses -- to incorporate more labor and environmental protections. But he isn't talking as forthrightly in office, despite overwhelming labor support in the election.

Harper told CNN on Wednesday that he does not want to renegotiate NAFTA, which he said is working well for both countries.

"President Obama fully appreciates the gravity of the global economic crisis and knows that our recovery will come through the rebuilding of a strong middle class with good jobs for all," AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said in a statement. "We urge the United States, Canada, and Mexico to work together to build a stronger and more equitable North American economy, where workers' voices are heard and their rights are fully respected."

"Working people in both the United States and Canada are being hit hard by an economic crisis that was not of their making. They are paying a terrible price for the unfettered greed and recklessness of a corporate elite upon whose advice our political leaders have relied for too long," Canadian Labour Congress President Ken Georgetti said in his statement. "Now is the time for a different approach; one that includes working people and shifts the focus towards their prosperity."

Michael Ignatieff (REUTERS)

On his first foreign trip in office, President Obama will observe diplomatic protocols -- one measured in how much time he is scheduled to spend with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and how little with the leader of the opposition.

Obama's itinerary has him on tap for three-and-a-half hours at Parliament Hill meeting with Harper, then having a working lunch, then holding a joint press conference.

He is scheduled to only have 20 minutes at an Ottawa airport conference room with Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff, who spent five years at Harvard.

But the Canadian press reports that Ignatieff has a clear agenda to push, including making clear that there is no give on our northern neighbor's plan to pull out of Afghanistan. Canada plans to withdraw its 2,500 combat troops by 2011, after the deaths of more than 100 since 2001. Obama announced this week he is sending 17,000 more US troops to take on the resurgent Taliban.

While Harper gets more face time, there's also a lot of buzz in Canada that Ignatieff might have the ear of the White House.

Harper leads the Conservative Party and was tied to former President George W. Bush. Ignatieff, on the other hand, knows quite a few key players in the Obama administration from his stint as director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard, including Obama's top economic adviser Lawrence Summers (who is accompanying Obama on the trip), legal adviser Cass Sunstein, and foreign policy adviser Samantha Power.

Ignatieff, a human rights activist and journalist, entered Canadian politics in 2005, then was chosen leader of the Liberal Party in December after its crushing loss in parliamentary elections in October.

On the eve of President Obama's first trip abroad, the foreign leader he is going to meet on Thursday said today that he's optimistic that they'll find common ground on touchy issues such as trade.

Canadians are antsy because of Obama's campaign promises to renegotiate the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement and because of the "Buy American" provisions in the $787 billion stimulus plan.

The stimulus requires that US iron, steel, and other manufactured goods be used for public buildings and other public projects, but also says that the US must comply with existing trade deals, including NAFTA.

During the Democratic nomination fight, Obama told unions and other NAFTA foes that he might withdraw from the deal that cover the US, Canada, and Mexico, to get better labor and environmental standards.

In an interview aired Tuesday night on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., Obama seemed to step back, stressing the importance of the $1.5 billion in daily trade between the US and Canada.

In an interview today with CNN, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said while he's willing to improve NAFTA, he opposes reopening the agreement.

"We're always willing to look at ways it could work better," Harper said . But it's a fine line between looking at ways to make it work better and actually starting to open the agreement. I think if you actually open the agreement, I think you would get into a negotiation that would never terminate. I don't think that's what President Obama is looking for. But obviously I'm looking forward to having a discussion on these kind of trade and economic matters with him.

Harper also said that Canadian officials will watch how the stimulus plan is implemented. He also noted that Canada's recent stimulus package did not include "Buy Canadian" rules, and indeed lowered trade tariffs.

"If there is one thing that could turn a recession into a depression, it is protectionist measures across the world," Harper said on CNN. "I'm very encouraged by the fact that President Obama said that he was concerned about that as well."

The full excerpts from CNN are below:

A public opinion survey out today suggests that while Americans give President Obama the benefit of the doubt on how he's handling terrorism, they remain deeply divided on the best approach.

The poll released by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that 50 percent of respondents approve of Obama's handling of terrorist threats, but that there is a huge partisan division: 66 percent of fellow Democrats, but only 26 percent of Republicans approve.

Also, 47 percent of Republicans say that Obama's policies make a terrorist attack more likely, while 76 percent of Democrats say the policies make a strike less likely.

And on his decision to eventually close the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, 46 percent overall are in favor, but 64 percent of Democrats and only 19 of Republicans.

The poll, conducted Feb. 4-8, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

President Obama tells Canadians tonight that he stands behind free trade and that he appreciates their sacrifices in Afghanistan, while sticking by his pledge to reform the North American Free Trade Agreement and to intensify US operations against the Taliban.

In an interview tonight with our northern neighbor's best-known newsman, Peter Mansbridge of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., Obama says he still hopes to persuade Canada's leaders to stay in Afghanistan past 2011, when the Parliament has decided to withdraw troops and end combat.

"I'm in the process of a strategic review of our approach in Afghanistan," said Obama, who makes his first foreign visit as president, to Canada's capital of Ottawa, on Thursday. "Very soon we will be releasing some initial plans in terms of how we are going to approach the military side of the equation in Afghanistan. But I am absolutely convinced that you cannot solve the problem of Afghanistan, the Taliban, the spread of extremism in that region solely through military means. We're going to have to use diplomacy, we're going to have to use development, and my hope is that in conversations that I have with Prime Minister Harper, that he and I end up seeing the importance of a comprehensive strategy, and one that ultimately the people of Canada can support, as well as the people of the United States can support, because obviously, here as well, there are a lot of concerns about a conflict that has lasted quite a long time now and actually appears to be deteriorating at this point."

Asked about the "Buy American" provisions in the $787 billion stimulus package, Obama said he will oppose protectionist policies, but reiterated that he wants to strengthen the environmental and labor protections in NAFTA.

"I think there are a lot of sensitivities right now because of the huge decline in world trade," the president says. "As I've said before, NAFTA, the basic framework of the agreement has environmental and labor protections as side agreements -- my argument has always been that we might as well incorporate them into the full agreement so that they're fully enforceable.

"But what I've also said is that Canada is one of our most important trading partners, we rely on them heavily, there's $1.5 billion worth of trade going back and forth every day between the two countries and that it is not in anybody's interest to see that trade diminish."

The full transcript of the interview, as provided by the White House, is below:

President Obama has approved thousands more US troops to take on the resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan.

Officials said that Obama plans to send one additional Army brigade and more Marines to Afghanistan this spring. One official told the Associated Press the total is about 17,000 troops.

Obama issued a statement confirming the deployment order:

"There is no more solemn duty as President than the decision to deploy our armed forces into harm’s way. I do it today mindful that the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan demands urgent attention and swift action. The Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan, and al Qaeda supports the insurgency and threatens America from its safe-haven along the Pakistani border.

"To meet urgent security needs, I approved a request from Secretary Gates to deploy a Marine Expeditionary Brigade later this spring and an Army Stryker Brigade and the enabling forces necessary to support them later this summer. This increase has been requested by General McKiernan and supported by Secretary Gates, the Joint Chiefs and the Commander of Central Command. General McKiernan’s request for these troops is months old, and the fact that we are going to responsibly drawdown our forces in Iraq allows us the flexibility to increase our presence in Afghanistan.

"This reinforcement will contribute to the security of the Afghan people and to stability in Afghanistan. I recognize the extraordinary strain that this deployment places on our troops and military families. I honor their service, and will give them the support they need.

"This increase is necessary to stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, which has not received the strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires. That is why I ordered a review of our policy upon taking office, so we have a comprehensive strategy and the necessary resources to meet clear and achievable objectives in Afghanistan and the region. This troop increase does not pre-determine the outcome of that strategic review. Instead, it will further enable our team to put together a comprehensive strategy that will employ all elements of our national power to fulfill achievable goals in Afghanistan. As we develop our new strategic goals, we will do so in concert with our friends and allies as together we seek the resources necessary to succeed."

During and since the campaign, Obama has said that the Taliban cannot be allowed to retake control and that Al Qaeda cannot have safe havens in Afghanistan, noting that the Sept. 11 plotters were there, not in Iraq.

Obama's GOP presidential rival, John McCain, largely agreed during the campaign about the need for more focus on Afghanistan. He issued a statement this evening in support of the reinforcements, but calling on Obama to give the public a clear strategy.

"I welcome the President's decision to deploy additional troops to Afghanistan,” Senator McCain said in a statement. “The situation there has deteriorated for several years, particularly in the south, and it is now dire. It is clear that success in Afghanistan will require additional troops and resources, including from the United States. In light of conditions on the ground, the additional force levels announced today can make a significant difference. “More troops alone, however, will not lead to success there.

“I believe the President must spell out for the American people what he believes victory in Afghanistan will look like and articulate a coherent strategy for achieving it. Today, notwithstanding the administration's ongoing policy reviews, there still exists no integrated civil-military plan for this war – more than seven years after we began military operations. Such a strategy should spell out the way forward, including the additional resource requirements for its execution. “So while I welcome today's announcement, I hope it is just the first step in a new comprehensive approach to Afghanistan. A major change in course is long overdue.”

President Obama is adding another political hot potato to his inbox by considering whether to allow photos and video footage of the return to the United States of remains of those killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He said last week he is looking at ending the ban, which was put in place during the 1991 Persian Gulf war and covers the solemn transfer of caskets at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, the first US stop on the journey to the final resting place for the military personnel.

The National Press Photographers Association is pushing for lifting the restrictions. "We believe that the Department of Defense ban on media coverage of the return of our fallen heroes, which in turn prevents the public from seeing images of these events, violates the very principles of free speech and free exchange of ideas, for which these very heroes have died," the group's president, Bob Carey, wrote to Obama.

But today, the American Legion came out strongly in opposition.

"From our point of view, there is nothing to discuss," the Legion's national commander, David K. Rehbein, said in a statement. "Photographing the caskets containing the remains of men and women who have made the supreme sacrifice on behalf of our country and its freedoms is little short of sacrilege. The practice would be intrusive and hurtful to the warriors' families. The return of fallen heroes is also a sacred moment for our armed forces, and should be respected.

"In The American Legion's opinion, our fallen warriors deserve to be honored without compromise and not made the object of a media event or be made vulnerable to exploitation for propagandistic purposes," Rehbein continued. "Unless a warrior's family expressly wishes media coverage of the return of their son or daughter in this fashion, and respectful accommodations can be made, we can see no good reason to allow it."