George Mitchell is Special Envoy for Middle East Peace. -Visit
Middle East Digest
The "Middle East Digest" is a collection of excerpts from the U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefings that are related to U.S. foreign policy interests in the Middle East.
Iraqi Elections
Assistant Secretary Crowley (Feb. 2): "We are saying the same thing to Iraq today that we have in past years: Have an effective political process, an inclusive political process, one that gives all segments of Iraqi society an opportunity to contribute to Iraq’s future." Full Text»
Secretary Clinton Meets With Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani 
Secretary Clinton
(Jan. 26): "...It is indeed an honor for me to welcome President Barzani here to the State Department. President Barzani had excellent discussions with both President Obama and Vice President Biden at the White House yesterday. And we will cover a number of important issues as part of our strong support of the Kurdish Regional Government and the Kurdish people as part of a unified Iraq." Full Text»
Special Briefing on Yemen
Coordinator Benjamin (Jan. 25): "The Secretary will be discussing Yemen, along with 21 other – leaders from 21 other countries later this week at the conference in London. Obviously, she views this as being an enormously important matter and is missing the State of the Union for that reason." Full Text»
Special Envoy Mitchell's Travel to the Middle East
Special Envoy George Mitchell is traveling to Lebanon, Syria, and Israel to meet with foreign officials. His trip is part of ongoing U.S. efforts to encourage Israelis and Palestinians to return to negotiations as soon as possible to secure a lasting, comprehensive peace in the region.
P-5+1 Meeting in New York
Assistant Secretary Crowley (Jan. 19): "We had a very useful meeting in New York on Saturday within the P-5+1 process, and we will continue to discuss with our partners and a range of countries appropriate next steps and options that might exist going forward." Full Text»
Urging Release of Mourning Mothers in Iran
Secretary Clinton (Jan. 12): "The United States urges the immediate and unconditional release of the dozens of members of the Mourning Mothers group who, according to reports, were violently dispersed and arrested by Iranian security forces during a peaceful vigil in Tehran on Saturday, January 9." Full Text»
Persecution of Religious Minorities in Iran
Assistant Secretary Crowley (Jan. 11): "The United States strongly condemns the Iranian government’s decision to commence the espionage trial against seven leaders of the Iranian Baha'i community: Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, Mr. Vahid Tizfahm and Mrs. Mahvash Sabet." Full Text»
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The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA), headed by Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Feltman, deals with U.S. foreign policy and U.S. diplomatic relations with Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Regional policy issues that NEA handles include Iraq, Middle East peace, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, and political and economic reform. -Clickable Map
Yemen on the Brink: Implications for U.S. Policy
Assistant Secretary Feltman (Feb. 3): "U.S. strategy toward Yemen is two-pronged: (1) strengthen the Government of Yemen’s ability to promote security and minimize the threat from violent extremists within its borders, and (2 )mitigate Yemen’s economic crisis and deficiencies in government capacity, provision of services, transparency, and adherence to the rule of law." Full Text»
Secretary Clinton Meets With Iraqi Vice President Dr. Tariq Hashimi
Secretary Clinton (Feb. 2): "I’m delighted to welcome the vice president here today. He has already had the opportunity to meet with the President, the Vice President, and this afternoon we’ll have the chance to go into more detail about what’s happening in Iraq and the kind of challenges that are being faced and overcome every day." Full Text»
Statement before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Yemen
Assistant Secretary Feltman (Jan. 20): "Due to increasing concerns about instability in and threats emanating from Yemen, the Obama administration decided to undertake a full-scale review of our Yemen policy, under the aegis of the National Security Council, in the spring of 2009. The primary threat to U.S. interests in Yemen and a grave threat to the security and stability of the Government of Yemen (ROYG) is the presence of Al-Qaeda-related extremists in the country." Full Text» Remarks by Coordinator for Counterterrorism Benjamin»
Assistant Secretary David Johnson Visits Beirut; Meets With ISF Command
Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs arrived in Beirut Sunday, January 10, 2010, to observe the U.S.-funded capacity building program for the Internal Security Forces (ISF). While in Beirut, Ambassador Johnson and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michele Sison met with the command staff of the ISF led by Director General Achraf Rifi. Full Text»
Secretary Clinton Welcomes Egyptian Foreign Minister Gheit
Secretary Clinton (Jan. 8): "... I am very happy to welcome again the foreign minister from Egypt along with his delegation. I’m looking forward to a very thorough and comprehensive discussion about the issues that we are facing together in this new year. Welcome." Full Text»
Secretary Clinton Meets With Jordanian Foreign Minister Judeh 
Secretary Clinton (Jan. 8): " It is a personal pleasure and, of course, an honor to welcome back the foreign minister to the State Department, representing a country that is such a valued ally and partner of the United States." Full Text»
U.S. Embassy in Yemen Reopens (Jan. 5)
The U.S. Embassy in Yemen re-opened for business on January 5, following a two-day closure prompted by credible information that pointed to the likelihood of imminent terrorist attacks in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a. Full Text»
Secretary Clinton Meets With Qatari Prime Minister Al-Thani
Secretary Clinton (Jan. 4): "Qatar is a friend and an ally of the United States, and the partnership between our two countries is a model of the new beginning based on mutual respect and mutual interest that President Obama called for in Cairo." Full Text»
Countering al-Qaida in Yemen
Spokesman Kelly (Jan 4): "We’re very concerned about the emergence of al-Qaida in Yemen, and that’s why we’re increasing our efforts to help Yemen deal with the terrorist threat." Full Text»
Protecting the Nation Against Extremists
President Obama (Jan. 2): "We will do whatever it takes to defeat them and defend our country, even as we uphold the values that have always distinguished America among nations." Full Text»
