Former State Dep't Official Says War With Iran Not Inevitable

Nicholas Burns, who teaches at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and worked in the State Department under former President George W. Bush, says that war with Iran is not inevitable, but argues that tough diplomacy is necessary to avoid conflict. (0:43)
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State Dep't Official Describes How She'll Reach Out To Muslim World

Farah Pandith, recently appointed as Special Representative to Muslim Communities at the State Department, discusses her plans for engaging the Islamic world. She said that her plans include facilitating town hall and round-table discussions, and community projects. (0:35)
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Clinton: "Requires a Robust State Department"

By Courtney Ann Jackson-Talk Radio News Service

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discusses the role of the State Department and USAID in these challenging global times during her testimony about the 2010 budget proposal before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. (1:39)
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Clinton: $7.1 Billion Big Sum But Only A Fraction

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

This morning U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations and stated that the $7.1 billion requested in supplemental funds for State Department operations and foreign assistance is a significant sum but expressed that it is only a fraction of what the U.S. spends each year on national security. (00:35)
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Somalia's Piracy Problem

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

Correspondent Michael Ruhl reports on the security and humanitarian crisis presently plaguing Somalia. Ruhl interviews Somalia's Ambassador-At-Large to the U.S., Abdi Awaleh Jama, and also speaks with Joel Carny from Refugees International.

Read the full article here

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Future with Russia will be hard to navigate

Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns explains the future of US and Russian relations and explains that they may be strained.
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No business as usual with Russia

Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns explains the steps that the Bush administration has taken in dealing with Russian hostility.
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State Department struggles to provide training despite budget shortfalls

Ambassador Harry Thomas, who also serves as director general of the Foreign Service and director of human resources at the State Department, says state department employees today are facing more remote, dangerous locations. He reiterates the commitment of the human resources department to providing adequate resources and training to prepare these employees. However, the current budget makes it difficult to provide necessary training (:36).
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Budget and staff shortfalls crippling the State Department

Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) says that at a time when our nation's diplomacy is at an all-time low, the State Department continues to be underfunded. He goes on to describe specific shortfalls the department is facing (:39).
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Duncan Hunter (R-CA) criticizes the "culture of the State Department"

During a hearing on cooperation between the Department of State and the Defense Department, House Armed Services ranking member Duncan Hunter criticized the foreign service. (0:53)
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Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) Addresses Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Regarding Military Affairs in Iraq at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee Meeting

Chairman Biden says the U.S. is  'treading water' in Iraq and while it's better than drowning, it is unsustainable. He goes on to applaud the President's statement that the U.S. seeks no permanent military presence in Iraq. (1:00)
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