Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016/Secretary of state
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From January 21, 2009, to February 1, 2013, Hillary Clinton served as secretary of state in President Barack Obama's administration. She was succeeded by former U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.).
Nomination and confirmation
Although Obama criticized Clinton's foreign policy experience during the Democratic presidential primary in 2008, he had considered inviting her to join his "team of rivals" as secretary of state months before he won the general election. Within a week of the election, Obama and Clinton spoke on the phone about the position. She nearly declined the offer with several of her closest advisers, including her future chief of staff Cheryl Mills at the State Department, urging her to do so. Clinton ultimately accepted the position as part of a "call to service."[1]
On December 1, 2008, Obama formally announced that he was nominating Clinton to be secretary of state. "Hillary's appointment is a sign to friend and foe of the seriousness of my commitment to renew American diplomacy and restore our alliance," Obama said.[2]
Clinton was confirmed in the Senate by a vote of 94 to 2 on September 21, 2009.[3] The two nays, U.S. Sens. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and David Vitter (R-La.), were concerned with potential conflicts of interest between the nonprofit Clinton Foundation, which was run by former President Bill Clinton, and the State Department under Hillary Clinton.[4][5] Bill Clinton agreed to limit foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation and to release annual disclosures of new donations.[6]
On the same day as the roll call, Clinton formally resigned from the U.S. Senate and was sworn in as secretary of state.[7]
Diplomatic and regional themes
Smart power
Clinton repeatedly characterized her approach to foreign policy as being underpinned by "smart power." In Hard Choices, Clinton's 2014 memoir about her time at the State Department, Clinton expressed what she intended to accomplish with a foreign policy framework driven by "smart power."
| “ | For decades foreign policy tools had been categorized as either the 'hard power' of military force or the 'soft power' of diplomatic, economic, humanitarian, and cultural influence. I wanted to break the hold of this outdated paradigm and think broadly about where and how we could all elements of American foreign policy in concert.
Beyond the traditional work of negotiating treaties and attending diplomatic conferences, we had to—among other tasks—engage activists on social media, help determine energy pipeline routes, limit carbon emissions, encourage marginalized groups to participate in politics, stand up for universal human rights, and defend common economic rules of the road. Our ability to do these things would be crucial measures of our national power. This analysis led me to embrace a concept known as smart power, which had been kicking around Washington for a few years. Harvard’s Joseph Nye, Suzanne Nossel of Human Rights Watch, and a few others had used the term, although we all had in mind slightly different meanings. For me, smart power meant choosing the right combination of tools—diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal, and cultural—for each situation. The goal of smart power and our expanded focus on technology, public-private partnerships, energy, economics, and other areas beyond the State Department's standard portfolio was to complement more traditional diplomatic tools and priorities, not replace them.[8] |
” |
| —Hillary Clinton[9] | ||
In a speech three years earlier at the John Jay School of Criminal Justice on September 9, 2011, Clinton offered "smart power" as one approach to defeating terrorist networks and propaganda. "We are waging a broad, sustained, and relentless campaign that harnesses every element of American power against terrorism. And even as we remain tightly focused on the terrorist network that attacked us 10 years ago, we’re also thinking about the next 10 years and beyond, about the next threats, about that long-term ideological challenge that requires us to dig deeply into and rely upon our most cherished values," she said.[10]
Clinton listed "disrupting" terrorist networks, "[breaking] down bureaucratic walls so we can act on threats quickly and effectively," improving cybersecurity, uniting global leaders around anti-nuclear proliferation efforts, and humanely and lawfully handling suspected terrorists as elements of this strategy.[10]
Pivot to Asia
Strengthening relations with Asian nations was identified as one of the primary diplomatic drives of the Obama administration. In a speech in Tokyo, Japan, in November 2009, Obama described himself "as America's first Pacific president." He said that the country's "efforts in the Asia Pacific will be rooted, in no small measure, through an enduring and revitalized alliance between the United States and Japan."[11] Indeed, Clinton's first trip abroad as secretary of state in February 2009 was to Japan, followed by travel to Indonesia, South Korea, and China.[12] In total, Clinton visited 26 Asian countries, reflecting an interest in improving diplomatic relations with the region more widely.[13]
Clinton explained her approach to the initiative in an address at the Brookings Institution in September 2015. She said, "I think we’ve got to be much more global in our thinking and globally present. The rebalancing to Asia, otherwise known as 'the pivot,' was in response to the very real sense of abandonment that Asian leaders expressed to me. And my phone calls to them before I ever went to the region in February of 2009, you know, they believed that because we were so focused in Afghanistan and we were so focused in Iraq, and obviously had to be given all that we had invested there, that we were just not paying attention to the developments in Asia."[14]
As a result, the United States increased its direct engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and launched the annual U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in 2009.[15]
According to Bloomberg, Clinton was also involved in drafting the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade agreement between the United States and 11 Asia-Pacific countries seeking to promote trade and strengthen the relationships between the 12 nations by reducing and eliminating tariffs, fostering competition, and creating greater opportunities for businesses, as secretary of state.[16][17][18] The Washington Post reported, however, that Robert Hormats, a high-ranking State Department official, indicated that Clinton was not involved in "granular policy discussions."[19]
Clinton did speak frequently about the agreement. In November 2012, for example, she said that TPP "sets the gold standard in trade agreements to open free, transparent, fair trade, the kind of environment that has the rule of law and a level playing field. And when negotiated, this agreement will cover 40 percent of the world's total trade and build in strong protections for workers and the environment."[20]
Since then, Clinton has tempered her opinion of the trade agreement. During the first Democratic debate, on October 13, 2015, Clinton defended her decision to oppose TPP after supporting the pact while she was secretary of state. Clinton said, “You know, take the trade deal. I did say, when I was secretary of state, three years ago, that I hoped it would be the gold standard. It was just finally negotiated last week, and in looking at it, it didn't meet my standards. My standards for more new, good jobs for Americans, for raising wages for Americans. And I want to make sure that I can look into the eyes of any middle-class American and say, ‘this will help raise your wages.’ And I concluded I could not.”[21]
Russian reset
On March 6, 2009, Clinton met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva, Switzerland, where she announced a "reset" of U.S.-Russia relations. "We think that this is a fresh start not only to improve our bilateral relationship, but to lead the world in important areas, particularly with respect to nuclear weapons and nuclear security. I deeply believe that improved relations between our two countries will advance the common good and will help us secure a safer, more prosperous, more peaceful future," Clinton said.[22][23]
The United States and Russia joined together in the following months to address arms reduction through the New START Treaty, apply sanctions against Iran and North Korea, and provide supplies to American troops in Afghanistan.[24]
Clinton's relationship with then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was strained, however.[25][26] After Russia's parliamentary elections in December 2011, Clinton expressed "serious concern about the conduct of the elections" and called for a "full investigation" regarding reports of fraud.[27] Putin accused Clinton of inciting protests in Russia. “The first thing that the secretary of state did was say that they [the elections] were not honest and not fair, but she had not even yet received the material from the observers. She set the tone for some actors in our country and gave them a signal," Putin said.[28]
Russia's refusal to support the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and opposition to U.N. Security Council measures to condemn violence in Syria further weakened diplomatic relations between the United States and Russia.[29] Commenting on this decline in 2015, Lavrov said, "If you take the original reset, it was not our invention. It was the invention of Hillary Clinton and Obama administrations because with their predecessors, George Bush Jr., Vladimir Putin had very good personal relations. I was on good terms with Condoleezza Rice."[30]
Clinton defended her handling of Russia in Hard Choices, writing, "For those who expected the reset to open a new era of good will between Russia and the United States, it proved to be a bitter disappointment. For those of who had more modest expectations—that de-linking tough issues and toning down rhetoric on both sides could create space for progress on specific priorities—the reset delivered."[31]
Noteworthy events
2009
- Global Partnership Initiative: Clinton launched the Global Partnership Initiative to promote "a new generation of public-private partnerships to strengthen foreign policy, maximize foreign aid impact, and enhance collaboration to solve problems." By the end of Clinton's tenure as secretary of state, $650 million in public and private resources had been committed to diplomacy and development, 1,100 partners were reached, 40,000 youths received job training in the Middle East and North Africa, and 20,000 jobs were created.[32]
- Copenhagen Accord: At the end of 2009, Clinton was involved in negotiations around the terms of the Copenhagen Accord, an agreement seeking to address climate change. Her primary contribution was to revive the talks with a proposal of globally raising $100 billion per year by 2020 to help developing countries reduce carbon emissions. In its final version, China and India pledged for the first time to reduce carbon emissions. The Copenhagen Accord, which 193 countries agreed to "take note" of, was never ratified and is not legally binding.[33]
2010
- Support for Internet freedom: Clinton highlighted Internet freedom and cybersecurity during a speech on January 21, 2010, marking the first time that "a senior American official had articulated a vision for making Internet freedom a plank of American foreign policy," according to The New York Times. Clinton said, "States, terrorists, and those who would act as their proxies must know that the United States will protect our networks. Those who disrupt the free flow of information in our society or any other pose a threat to our economy, our government, and our civil society. Countries or individuals that engage in cyber attacks should face consequences and international condemnation. In an internet-connected world, an attack on one nation’s networks can be an attack on all. And by reinforcing that message, we can create norms of behavior among states and encourage respect for the global networked commons."[34][35]
- Sanctions against Iran: On May 18, 2010, Clinton announced that the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia had reached an agreement on sanctions against Iran to stave off the country's nuclear program.[36] The United Nations Security Council adopted the sanctions on June 9, 2010, "expanding an arms embargo and tightening restrictions on financial and shipping enterprises related to 'proliferation-sensitive activities.'"[37]
2011
- Military intervention in Libyan Civil War: In March 2011, Clinton advocated military intervention in Libya with U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice and foreign affairs adviser Samantha Power. Other members of the Obama administration, including Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon, were to opposed military action. Clinton ultimately succeeded in the debate and the U.N. Security Council "passed a U.S.-backed resolution authorizing 'all necessary measures' to protect Libyan civilians."[38]
- Death of Osama bin Laden: On May 2, 2011, al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by a team of Navy SEALs. As secretary of state, Clinton was a member of President Obama's national security team and advised him to authorize the military raid on bin Laden's suspected compound.[39][40]
2012
- Terrorist attack in Benghazi: On September 11, 2012, the Islamic militant group, Ansar al-Sharia, attacked the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya. Four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were killed during the attack.[41] The Obama administration's response to requests for increased security in Benghazi and handling of the attack were the subject of congressional investigations. For a complete timeline of Clinton's response to the incident and the attendant investigations, click here.
- Ceasefire in Gaza: In November 2012, Clinton met with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to successfully negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after escalating violence in Gaza led to more than 150 deaths. The United States and Egypt were acting as proxies for Israel and Hamas.[42]
Email investigation
- See also: Hillary Clinton email investigation
While serving as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, Hillary Clinton said she exclusively used a private email account to send both personal messages and communications related to official State Department business.[43][44] By managing her email in this manner, Clinton potentially violated record-keeping, transparency, and security regulations.[45][46][47]
There were three lines of inquiry into Clinton's emails:
- Several journalists and watchdog groups filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for Clinton's records, including her emails. The resulting federal court cases led to greater scrutiny of Clinton's private email server usage.[48]
- The House Select Committee on Benghazi, which investigated how the State Department handled the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya, requested information about the management of Clinton's private email server and communications related to Benghazi.[49]
- In August 2015, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began an investigation to determine whether classified documents were mishandled in relation to Clinton's private email server.[50]
For more information about the investigation into Clinton's private email server use, click here.
Foreign travel
As secretary of state, Clinton traveled to 112 countries and held 1,700 meetings with world leaders.[56] Clinton's most frequently visited countries were the United Kingdom, France, and China.[57]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Hillary Clinton Secretary of State. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016
- Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016/Senator
- Hillary Clinton email investigation
- Presidential election, 2016
- 2016 presidential candidates on foreign affairs
- 2016 presidential candidates on national security
Footnotes
- ↑ Allen, Jonathan & Amie Parnes. (2014). HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton. New York: Broadway Books. (pages 48-60).
- ↑ CNN, "Clinton wants to be part of Obama's 'exciting adventure,'" December 1, 2008
- ↑ The New York Times, "Senate Confirms Clinton as Secretary of State," September 21, 2009
- ↑ Council on Foreign Relations, "Transcript of Hillary Clinton's Confirmation Hearing," January 13, 2009
- ↑ NPR, "Senate Confirms Clinton As Secretary Of State," January 1, 2009
- ↑ CNN, "Hillary Clinton sworn in as secretary of state," January 22, 2009
- ↑ Politico, "Hillary Clinton resigns from the Senate," January 21, 2009
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Clinton, Hillary. (2014). Hard Choices. New York: Simon & Schuster. (pages 30-31).
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Council on Foreign Relations, "Clinton's Speech on the 'Smart Power Approach to Counterterrorism,'" September 9, 2011
- ↑ Politico, "'America's first Pacific president,'" November 13, 2009
- ↑ U.S. State Department, "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's Travel to Asia," February 5, 2009
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Did Hillary Clinton’s Pivot To Asia Work?" April 14, 2016
- ↑ Brookings Institution, "Hillary Clinton Addresses the Iran Nuclear Deal," September 9, 2015
- ↑ U.S. Department of State, "U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue," accessed October 7, 2016
- ↑ Office of the United States Trade Representative, "The Trans-Pacific Partnership," accessed February 3, 2016
- ↑ Medium.com, "The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Preamble," accessed February 3, 2016
- ↑ Bloomberg, "How Hillary Clinton Created a U.S. Business-Promotion Machine," January 10, 2013
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Hillary Clinton’s hedge on trade leaves Obama without political cover," May 12, 2015
- ↑ U.S. Department of State, "Remarks at Techport Australia," November 15, 2012
- ↑ The Washington Post, "The CNN Democratic debate transcript, annotated," October 12, 2015
- ↑ U.S. Department of State, "Remarks With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov," March 12, 2009
- ↑ Foreign Policy, "From Reset to Realpolitik, Clinton’s New Hard Line on Moscow," September 22, 2016
- ↑ The White House, "U.S.-Russia Relations: “Reset” Fact Sheet," June 24, 2010
- ↑ The New York Times, "Russia, Suspected in Hacking, Has Uneasy History With Hillary Clinton," July 28, 2016
- ↑ Associated Press, "Clinton's 'Moscow Spring' ended as Putin returned to power," August 7, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "Clinton cites 'serious concerns' about Russian election," December 7, 2011
- ↑ The New York Times, "Putin Contends Clinton Incited Unrest Over Vote," December 8, 2011
- ↑ CNN, "Clinton slams Russia, China over Syria," July 6, 2016
- ↑ The Weekly Standard, "Russian Foreign Minister: Russian Reset 'Invention of Hillary Clinton,' Not Us," June 2, 2015
- ↑ Clinton, Hillary. (2014). Hard Choices. New York: Simon & Schuster. (page 210).
- ↑ U.S. Department of State, "Key Partnership Achievements," December 27, 2012
- ↑ The New York Times, "Getting to $100 Billion in Climate Change Aid," September 29, 2015
- ↑ The New York Times, "Clinton Urges Global Response to Internet Attacks," January 21, 2010
- ↑ U.S. Department of State, "Remarks on Internet Freedom," January 21, 2010
- ↑ CNN, "Reluctant Russia, China have agreed on Iran sanctions, Clinton says," May 18, 2010
- ↑ United Nations, "Security Council Imposes Additional Sanctions on Iran, Voting 12 in Favour to 2 Against, with 1 Abstention," June 9, 2010
- ↑ The Washington Post, "A Tough Call on Libya That Still Haunts," February 3, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Bin Laden raid expected to be a centerpiece of Hillary Clinton’s memoir," June 2, 2014
- ↑ The Hill, "Biden contradicts Clinton's account of bin Laden raid decision," October 20, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "Benghazi Attack Timeline," August 7, 2013
- ↑ The New York Times, "Israel and Hamas Agree to a Cease-Fire, After a U.S.-Egypt Push," November 21, 2012
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Timeline: Hillary Clinton’s Email Chain," March 10, 2015
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ The New York Times, "Judge Says Hillary Clinton Didn’t Follow Government Email Policies," August 21, 2015
- ↑ Wired, "Why Clinton’s Private Email Server Was Such a Security Fail," March 4, 2015
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ The Washington Post, "FBI looking into the security of Hillary Clinton’s private e-mail setup," August 4, 2015
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedRec - ↑ U.S. Department of Justice, "Statement from Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Regarding State Department Email Investigation," July 6, 2016
- ↑ NBC News, "FBI to Re-Open Investigation Into Hillary Clinton's Email Server," October 28, 2016
- ↑ NPR, "FBI Affirms July Decision Not To Charge Clinton, After Review Of Weiner Emails," November 6, 2016
- ↑ ABC News, "Hillary Clinton: The Most Traveled Secretary of State," January 29, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Department of State, "Hillary Rodham Clinton, Travels," accessed October 16, 2016
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