The Secretary of State was doing her 24/7 job this morning. We see her below with Iraqi Parliamentary Speaker al-Nujaifi prior to a meeting on Friday at the State Department. She met with him again today.
There was not a great deal of fallout following President Obama's Afghanistan speech this past week, but we are reminded, as we see the SOS with the Iraqi Speaker, that Iraq operations are not over. They are solidly centered in the State Department. This will also be the destination of Afghanistan operations as the Defense involvement draws down. We will not simply leave. People need to remember that. Operations will continue, as they do in Iraq, but they will evolve from military engagement under the Defense Department to diplomatic and developmental engagement under the State Department and USAID.
"The Three Ds" - Defense, Diplomacy, Development - are the pillars of the Hillary Clinton Doctrine of smart power.
- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi at the State Department in Washington,DC prior to talks on June 24, 2011. AFP PHOTO/Nicholas KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
Secretary Clinton Meets with Iraqi Council of Representatives Speaker
Media Note
Office of the SpokespersonWashington, DCJune 26, 2011
Secretary Clinton met today with Iraqi Council of Representatives Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi to discuss the latest political developments in Iraq and the future of the U.S.-Iraqi partnership. In addition, they discussed a number of bilateral issues of mutual interest and the Secretary offered our continued support as Iraq strengthens its democratic institutions and develops its economy to provide greater opportunity to its people. The Secretary and the Speaker discussed our shared interest in achieving a long-term partnership between the United States and Iraq based on the Strategic Framework Agreement that will broaden the emphasis on political, economic, environmental, technological, and cultural cooperation, while also building on success in the security realm of recent years.
