Australia Drawing Win

We've also pushed hard for civil aviation liberalization, which could lead to more frequent and convenient air service, probably initially via code-sharing, between Hong Kong and cities like Houston and Dallas. After some disappointment last year, we're looking forward to another round of talks in the near future. We hope these will lead to an agreement on code-sharing and expanded cargo and passenger flights by U.S. airlines beyond Hong Kong to other points in Asia. An agreement would be win-win -- U.S. airlines, passengers and shippers would benefit from expanded services and Hong Kong would advance its objective of making its new airport a pre-eminent air services hub in Asia. ... [Read More]

USIS Washington File: TEXT: SEC. DALEY 10/21 REMARKS TO WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL

Following is the text of Daley's remarks, as prepared for delivery: ...

Washington -- The growing U.S. trade deficit with China and some of China's trade practices could seriously hurt U.S.-China relations if they continue, according to Secretary of Commerce William Daley. ...

Then early next year, I plan to lead a trade mission to China. The China trip will focus solely on infrastructure. The huge number of highways, and airports, and power plants on the drawing board convinced us to do that. ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Transcript: State Department Noon Briefing, March 19

And you have to remember that we're in this with our families, the people who are out there at our embassies, and the predilection has to be, unless there is evidence to the contrary, to let people be with their families. Most of them take these assignments knowing where they are going, knowing the possible difficulties of the places they're going. And to the extent that we can let people be with their families, that's what we try to do. So in each specific case we have to look at the current environment in the location and decide whether there's any additional risk or unacceptable risk of family members being there. ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Transcript: Bush Cites "Good Progress" in Iraq, War "Far from Over"

I'm proud, also, to be here with Charles Holland, Commander of SOCOM -- (applause), the Wing Commander of MacDill Air Force Base, Colonel Tanker Snyder. (Applause.) He told me that was his given name, Tanker. (Laughter.) That's a heck of a name, Tanker. (Laughter.) ...

Iraqis are a good and gifted people. They deserve better than a life spent bowing before a dictator. The people of Iraq deserve to stand on their feet as free men and women -- the citizens of a free country. (Applause.) ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Text: U.S. Asking Countries to Repatriate Iraq Funds

The United States is moving forward with an aggressive anti-corruption/transparency action plan that we have proposed jointly in the G8 [Group of 8 industrialized nations] with the U.K. Reducing corruption and enhancing transparency are top priorities because they are central to advancing our national security interests and supporting stable democracies. The U.S. has long been a leader in the campaign to stop corruption by promoting transparency and strengthening judicial systems and rule of law. The United States was the first country to outlaw foreign bribery in 1977 with enactment of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Our goal is to improve country public financial management and governance systems, drawing upon international best practices and the help of the international financial institutions' experience in this field. ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Reagan Leaves Imprint on World Affairs, Domestic Policy, Politics

But while he exhorted Gorbachev, he also worked well with the reform-minded Soviet leader. He met with Gorbachev at a 1986 summit in Reykjavik, Iceland -- a summit that produced no immediate results but led to approval the following year of the first-ever pact to eliminate an entire class of nuclear weapons: intermediate range nuclear force missiles. A later treaty limited strategic arms. ...

On the world stage, Reagan was motivated by a steadfast commitment to freedom and opposition to communism, coupled with an unshakeable conviction that freedom would win out. ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Text: Fight Terrorism to Preserve Civilization, Ambassador Says

The United States and Malaysia have also worked well on the diplomatic front in the fight against terrorism. Our two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on counter-terrorism when Prime Minister Mahathir was in Washington last spring. Subsequently, drawing from that text, the U.S. and ASEAN signed a declaration on counter-terrorism at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in August. The United States looks forward to co-hosting with Malaysia next month in Sabah the ARF Intersessional Meeting on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime. ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Byliner: Finding a Smoking Gun in Iraq Not the Objective

The real problem lies with the way the searches are being conducted, period. The fact that day after day, the inspectors go to sites, most of which were inspected in the 1990s and put under long-term monitoring, has served Iraq's claims that it is complying with the inspections. It also ensures that these non-threatening inspections will continue for some time. Hans Blix, the chief U.N. weapons inspector, said last week that his required Jan. 27 report (stating whether Baghdad is fully complying with U.N. demands to disclose and dismantle any weapons of mass destruction program) will simply be an interim one. It will mark, Blix said, "the beginning of the inspection and monitoring process, not the end of it." That statement no doubt came as a surprise in Washington: Many members of the Bush administration have told me they were expecting the report to provide the basis for Security Council endorsement of military action to compel Baghdad to disarm. Blix appears to be drawing a very dif ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Transcript: President Bush's Remarks at Pentagon Memorial Service

Following is the transcript of the president's remarks: ...

We have a unified country. We have the patience to fight and win on many fronts: Blocking terrorist plans, seizing their funds, arresting their networks, disrupting their communications, opposing their sponsors. And we have one more great asset in this cause: The brave men and women of the United States military. ...

This week, I have called the Armed Forces into action. One by one, we are eliminating power centers of a regime that harbors al Qaeda terrorists. We gave that regime a choice: Turn over the terrorists, or face your ruin. They chose unwisely. The Taliban regime has brought nothing but fear and misery to the people of Afghanistan. These rulers call themselves holy men, even with their record of drawing money from heroin trafficking. They consider themselves pious and devout, while subjecting women to fierce brutality. ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: U.S. Announces New Worldwide Landmine Policy

Landmines, Collins continued, "act as force multipliers, allowing us to fight and win with ... fewer forces ... against numerically superior opponents; and they also protect our forces, saving the lives of our men and women in uniform. At present, no other weapon system exists that provides all of these capabilities." ...

Following a long review, the Bush administration arrived at its position, Bloomfield said, drawing on 16 years of U.S. experience assisting mine-affected countries around the world. He pointed out that the United States is already "the world's largest contributor to humanitarian mine action," he said, having spent nearly $800 million in 46 countries in the past 10 years for landmine clearance, mine risk education and survivor assistance. ... [Read More]