Of COURSE Hillary Clinton Designated Boko Haram! Stop being stupid!

There is a lot of BS going on out there about Hillary.  The worst was a report that as Secretary of State she did not designate Boko Haram terrorist. Not true.

Terrorist Designations of Boko Haram Commander Abubakar Shekau, Khalid al-Barnawi and Abubakar Adam Kambar

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

June 21, 2012

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The Department of State designated Abubakar Shekau, Abubakar Adam Kambar, and Khalid al-Barnawi as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. Shekau is the most visible leader of the Nigeria-based militant group Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad, commonly referred to as Boko Haram. Khalid al-Barnawi and Abubakar Adam Kambar have ties to Boko Haram and have close links to al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Under Shekau’s leadership, Boko Haram has carried out numerous attacks in northern Nigeria, its primary area of operation. In the last 18 months, Boko Haram or associated militants have killed more than 1,000 people. Boko Haram is credited with the August 26, 2011 attack on the United Nations building in Abuja that killed at least 23 people and wounded scores more. Boko Haram also claimed responsibility for the December 25, 2011 attack on the Saint Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Nigeria, that killed at least 35 and wounded dozens more. Boko Haram’s deadliest violence occurred on January 20, 2012 in Kano, Nigeria, with a series of attacks that killed more than 180 people. Boko Haram's victims have been overwhelmingly civilian.
The designation under E.O. 13224 blocks all of Shekau’s, Kambar’s and al-Barnawi’s property interests subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with or for the benefit of these individuals. These designations demonstrate the United States’ resolve in diminishing the capacity of Boko Haram to execute violent attacks. The Department of State took these actions in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury.

For more about terrorist designation protocols and listings under Hillary’s command please see this post from last May.

Hillary Clinton Studies: Terrorist Designations

May 8, 2014 by still4hill | Edit

No,  it is not really a course and this is not really an assignment but rather an exercise in reality.  It is ironic, sad, and despicable  that, while reality TV is so popular,  a lot of cable “news” apparently consists of stories woven of fictional tapestries rooted in no reality whatsoever.
SNIP
Hillary’s defenders would do well to go here and do what is unquestionably nitpicky tedious work following terrorist designation chronology.
The rationale for this project is that now Hillary Clinton’s State Department is under media scrutiny for not designating Boko Haram a terrorist entity while she was in charge.  Given that she used the “T-Word” about them yesterday, it is reasonable to expect that opponents are going to sniff an opportunity to go on an offensive.
SNIP
The simplest rebuttal to why she used that word is that indeed Boko Haram now is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).   John Kerry issued that designation in November 2013 based on the groundwork laid by Hillary Clinton’s State Department.  It is the accurate term.

It is instructive to follow the Haqqani network here.
Haqqani individuals were designated first (05/11/11, 08/16/11, 11/01/11).  Later (09/07/12) Hillary sent a report to Congress saying she was designating Haqqani, the entity,  an FTO.    Boko Haram individuals were also designated first (06/21/12) under Hillary Clinton.  Designation of the entity as an FTO  came later under her successor.
Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs under Hillary, a dedicated and diligent public servant and her State Department methodically followed protocol all during her administration at DOS.
Read more >>>>

Secretary Clinton Returns to the State Department!

Hillary Clinton was back at the State Department today to join predecessors Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Madeleine Albright, and Colin Powell as well as her successor, John Kerry, for a ceremonial ground-breaking.  The U.S. Diplomacy Center, located near the Harry S. Truman Building, will be a museum and education center that will 'demonstrate the ways in which diplomacy matters now and has mattered throughout American history

What an amazing lineup of exceptional leaders and public servants!

Hillary ClintonVerified account ‏@HillaryClinton

I’ve broken bread w/ all of my fellow #SecStates but we’ve never broken ground! Great visit to @StateDept yesterday. pic.twitter.com/I4VH9aSX7r

Right now, this is all I have.  If a transcript comes through, I will add it here.

Hillary Clinton to Keynote Voices of September 11th Gala

Hillary Clinton to keynote Voices of September 11th gala

Published 2:57 pm, Thursday, September 5, 2013

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will be the keynote speaker at the Voices of September 11th "Always Remember" Gala on Oct. 16 at Guastavino's in New York City.
Clinton, who also is a former U.S. senator from New York, has been a longstanding supporter of Voices of September 11th, which is based in New Canaan, beginning with the first meetings in her Senate office just days after the terrorist attacks. As a senator, she attended the Voices' annual Day of Remembrance events, taking time each year to visit with 9/11 families following the memorial services at the World Trade Center site.
SNIP
The gala will raise funds to support Voices of September 11th's ongoing work to provide long-term services for 9/11 families, survivors and responders. The event will also support Voices' efforts to help families heal after other tragedies.
For information or reservations, visit www.voicesofseptember11.org or call Frank Fetchet at 203-966-3911.
Clinton served as the 67th secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, after nearly four decades in public service as an advocate, attorney, first lady and senator. In 2000, Clinton made history as the first first lady elected to the U.S. Senate. After Sept. 11, 2001, she helped secure more than $20 billion for the rebuilding of New York City and fought for the health needs of first responders who risked their lives at ground zero.
Read more >>>>

Chris Matthews *Fail* (Again): Hillary Clinton and Victoria Nuland Know "The Building" Is an Organism

Wednesday night, Chris Matthews had one of his apoplectic fits over Victoria Nuland's terminology in the email at the top of this page.  (I will not subject you to the video.  You can click on the link and forward to the end to see his assertion that "my building leadership" means HRC.)

"My building leadership," he insisted had to mean Hillary Clinton.  Never much of a grammarian,  he would not recognize Toria's careful use of "they are" as opposed to "she is."   Further, though,  his frustration stems from his total disinterest in anything and everything Hillary from the moment she entered the State Department,  a disinterest suddenly shattered when he and his cohorts in the media decided she must be the Dem ticket for 2016. 

Had he been paying attention, he would have known that Victoria is very careful grammatically, that there is jargon spoken at the State Department,  and that Toria, a career Foreign Service officer, speaks it fluently. 
Hillary Clinton had already prepared herself for this language experience the day she first set foot in Foggy Bottom as SOS. 

Now, as you may have heard percolating through the building, you know, when I was first nominated, I realized that there was this living, organic creature known as the building.

It is clear to anyone who has taken the time and pains to follow Hillary Clinton at State that Toria was referring to leadership at a level lower than the secretary who have experience with the kind of wordsmithing that was going on in these emails.  

As a special treat for readers, here is our Hillary on her first encounter with the building.

Arrival at the Department of State

Remarks

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State, Secretary of State

Remarks to Department Employees at Welcome Event

Washington, DC

January 22, 2009

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Thank you. Thank you all so much. Well, I am absolutely honored and thrilled beyond words to be here with you as our nation's 67^th Secretary of State. And I believe, with all of my heart, that this is a new era for America. (Applause.)
President Obama set the tone with his inaugural address. And the work of the Obama-Biden Administration is committed to advancing America's national security, furthering America's interests, and respecting and exemplifying America's values around the world. (Applause.) There are three legs to the stool of American foreign policy: defense, diplomacy, and development. And we are responsible for two of the three legs. And we will make clear, as we go forward, that diplomacy and development are essential tools in achieving the long-term objectives of the United States. And I will do all that I can, working with you, to make it abundantly clear that robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America's future. (Applause.) In my testimony before the Foreign Relations Committee, I spoke a lot about smart power. Well, at the heart of smart power are smart people, and you are those people. And you are the ones that we will count on and turn to for the advice and counsel, the expertise and experience to make good on the promises of this new Administration. I want to thank Steve for his comments that really summarized the full range of experience and expertise of both the Foreign Service and the Civil Service, and also to send my appreciation to all of the nationals around the world who work in our embassies and work with government officials. This is going to be a challenging time and it will require 21^st century tools and solutions to meet our problems and seize our opportunities. I'm going to be asking a lot of you. I want you to think outside the proverbial box. I want you to give me the best advice you can. I want you to understand there is nothing that I welcome more than a good debate and the kind of dialogue -- (applause) -- that will make us better. (Applause.) We cannot be our best if we don't demand that from ourselves and each other. I will give you my very best efforts. I will do all that I can, working with our President, to make sure that we deliver on the promises that are at the very core of what this new Administration and this new era represent. So we need to collaborate, and we need to have a sense of openness and candor in this building. And I invite that. Now, not everybody's ideas -- (applause) -- will make it into policy, but we will be better because we have heard from you. I also want to address a word to the USAID family. I will be there tomorrow to greet them and thank them for the work they've done on behalf of development through some very difficult years, because they will be our partners. (Applause.) Now, as Steve candidly said, so far, we're thrilled. (Laughter.) This is not going to be easy. (Laughter.) I don't want anybody to leave this extraordinarily warm reception thinking, oh, good -- (laughter) -- you know, this is going to be great. It's going to be hard. But if it weren't hard, somebody else could do it, besides the professionals of the Foreign Service and the Civil Service and our Diplomatic and Development Corps. (Applause.) Now, as you may have heard percolating through the building, you know, when I was first nominated, I realized that there was this living, organic creature known as the building. (Laughter.) And as you probably already know, we are expecting the President and the Vice President to be here in the State Department this afternoon. (Applause.) Among the many conversations that I've had with the President and with the Vice President, over years, but certainly much more astutely and in a concentrated way in the last weeks, we want to send a clear and unequivocal message: This is a team, and you are the members of that team. There isn't anything that I can get done from the seventh floor or the President can get done from the Oval Office, unless we make clear we are all on the American team. We are not any longer going to tolerate the kind of divisiveness that has paralyzed and undermined our ability to get things done for America. So the President will be here -- (applause) -- on his second day in office to let all of you know, and all who are serving on our behalf around the world, how seriously committed he is to working with us. So this is going to be a great adventure. We'll have some ups and some downs. We'll face some obstacles along the way. But be of good cheer -- (laughter) -- and be of strong heart, and do not grow weary, as we attempt to do good on behalf of our country and the world. I think this is a time of such potential and possibility. I don't get up in the morning just thinking about the threats and the dangers, as real as they are. I also think about what we can do and who we are and what we represent. So I take this office with a real sense of joy and responsibility, commitment and collaboration. And now, ladies and gentlemen, let's get to work. (Applause.) Thank you and God bless you.

Hillary Clinton: Her Departure Part Three and Final

Well, here is the official State Department video and transcript of Hillary Clinton's farewell remarks today. These are probably my last two items on this blog from that source until Hillary goes back there on a visit.

 

Farewell Remarks to State Department Employees

Remarks

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

C Street Lobby

Washington, DC

February 1, 2013

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DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: Good afternoon, everyone. Madam Secretary, four years ago, I stood on this same spot and had the honor of introducing you to the men and women of the Department of State. From that first day on, you’ve touched the lives of millions and millions of people around the world, you have left a profoundly positive mark on American foreign policy, and you have done enormous good for all of us and for the country we serve. We will miss you deeply, but none of us – (applause) – but none of us will ever forget your extraordinary leadership, and each of us will always be deeply proud to say that we served in Hillary Clinton’s State Department. (Applause.) And so now it’s my great honor to introduce, one last time, the 67th Secretary of State of the United States of America, Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Applause.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. Thank you. Well, just standing here looking out at all of you, the people I have been honored to serve and lead and work with over the last four years, is an incredible experience.
When I came into this building as the Secretary of State four years ago and received such a warm welcome, I knew there was something really special about this place, and that having the honor to lead the State Department and USAID would be unique and singular, exciting and challenging. It has been all of those things and so much more. I cannot fully express how grateful I am to those with whom I have spent many hours here in Washington, around the world, and in airplanes. (Laughter.)
But I’m proud of the work we’ve done to elevate diplomacy and development, to serve the nation we all love, to understand the challenges, the threats, and the opportunities that the United States faces, and to work with all our heart and all of our might to make sure that America is secure, that our interests are promoted, and our values are respected. As I look back over these past four years, I am very proud of the work we have done together.
Of course, we live in very complex and even dangerous times, as we saw again just today at our Embassy in Ankara, where we were attacked and lost one of our Foreign Service nationals and others injured. But I spoke with the Ambassador and the team there, I spoke with my Turkish counterpart, and I told them how much we valued their commitment and their sacrifice.
I know that the world we are trying to help bring into being in the 21st century will have many difficult days, but I am more optimistic today than I was when I stood here four years ago, because I have seen, day after day, the many contributions that our diplomats and development experts are making to help ensure that this century provides the kind of peace, progress, and prosperity that not just the United States, but the entire world, especially young people, so richly deserve. I am very proud to have been Secretary of State.
I will miss you. I will probably be dialing Ops just to talk. (Laughter and applause.) I will wonder what you all are doing, because I know that because of your efforts day after day, we are making a real difference. But I leave this Department confident – confident about the direction we have set, confident that the process of the QDDR, which we started for the first time, has enabled us to ask hard questions about what we do, how we do it, and whether we can do it even better. Because State and AID have to always be learning organizations. We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to the President, we owe it to the American people. And so I will be an advocate from outside for the work that you continue to do here and at AID.
So it’s been quite a challenging week saying goodbye to so many people and knowing that I will not have the opportunity to continue being part of this amazing team. But I am so grateful that we’ve had a chance to contribute in each of our ways to making our country and our world stronger, safer, fairer, and better.
Those of you who are staying, as many of you will, please know that I hope you will redouble your efforts to do all that you can to demonstrate unequivocally why diplomacy and development are right up there with defense; how, when we think about who we are as Americans, it’s because we are united and committed across our government to do whatever is required to fulfill the missions we have assumed as public officials and public servants.
So next week, I would expect that all of you will be as focused and dedicated for Secretary Kerry as you have been for me, and that you will continue to serve President Obama and our nation with the same level of professionalism and commitment that I have seen firsthand.
On a personal basis, let me wish all of you the very best, whether you’ve been here a week or 30 or even 40 years, Pat. (Laughter.) Let me give you the very best wishes that I can, because I’m proud to have been a part of you. I leave thinking of the nearly 70,000 people that I was honored to serve and lead as part of a huge extended family. And I hope that you will continue to make yourselves, make me, and make our country proud.
Thank you all, and God bless you. (Applause.)

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Hillary Clinton: Her Departure Part Two

Tomorrow I will be unsubscribing from most of my State Department sources and unpinning those tabs from my browser.  I have been waiting for the department to publish her farewell words and the state video of her departure, but there is nothing official except for one photo.  Since starting now, really, I will have to depend on unofficial sources, I will share what I have found from other sources.


Here is her letter of resignation.

When I think of all that she accomplished at State, from the QDDR to New START, to raising global consciousness of female and LGBT issues, when I think of the recognition and awards she has earned, I continue to believe that tradition can be broken.  At the risk of sounding like a broken record,  I see nothing inappropriate in establishing a Hillary Rodham Clinton museum and library in Seneca Falls.  She has earned that!