Slamming China for its 'poor' human rights record, the Barack Obama administration has accused it of harassing activists and lawyers, repressing Tibetans and censoring e-mails.In China, the government's human rights record 'remains poor and is worsening' in some areas, including increased cultural and religious repression of ethnic minorities, claimed Assistant Secretary for Democracy (Human Rights and Labour) Michael Posner.Posner specifically highlighted two cases.
Republican Congressman Peter King, Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, said this in two separate letters to the Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Senior Obama Administration officials said the 50-member Marine unit was being flown from their base in Europe. This is in addition to two US warships USS Laboon and USS McFaul which are now being moved to the coast of Libya.
'Big countries do not agree on every set of issues.' 'Look, one of the differences in the relationship is that when we do not agree, we are sitting down and talking to each other.'
The State Department remarks came as the World Bank started the process to select its new head, who would replace it current President, Robert Zoellick.
A senior official in the Barack Obama administration, who will accompany Clinton, has said that Sri Lanka would definitely figure in the discussions between the secretary of state and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha when they meet for the first time.
The Barack Obama administration's Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the Department of State Daniel Benjamin, in an interaction with rediff.com on Wednesday, has admitted that the social services the Lashkar-e-Tayiba delivers through its front organisations like Jamat-ud-Dawah make the terror outfit even more insidious and dangerous.
Identifying Pakistan as a frontline state along with Afghanistan and Iraq, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday asked American lawmakers to approve the Obama Administration's proposal of $3.2 billion civil and military aid to Islamabad for the fiscal year 2011.
Officials at a Congressional hearing cited last year's figure of 26 per cent denial to H1B visa applicants, that was the highest in recent years, and also pointed out instances where the visas were denied for flimsy reasons.
United States President Barack Obama on Monday congratulated Hamid Karzai on his re-election as the president of Afghanistan and asked him to improve governance, besides eradicating corruption.
U.S. authorities have identified Sajid Mir as one of the masterminds of the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166, including Gavriel Holtzberg, a young American rabbi, and his wife, Rivka.
US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameroon have jointly warned Syria that it would face a "serious response" if it is found that Syrian forces used chemical weapons on civilians.
With India emerging as a global economic power, the US assistance with India is now moving from bilateral to trilateral one, US officials have said.
Even as he flirts with the idea of running for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Chopra has indicated that he will now campaign feverishly for the election of his former boss Kaine.
Seeking 'utter destruction' of Al Qaeda, the United States has chalked out a strategy to disrupt, dismantle and ultimately defeat the terror network and its core leadership in the Afghanistan-Pak region, where they have found a safe haven.
The top United States admiral involved in the Libyan war has admitted to a US Congressman that forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation are actively targeting and trying to kill Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. House Armed Services Committee member Mike Turner said that Samuel Locklear, commander of the NATO Joint Operations Command in Naples, told him NATO forces are trying to kill Gaddafi.
Pakistan army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, under pressure from his colleagues to "reduce" ties with the United States following the unilateral American raid that killed Osama bin Laden, is said to be "fighting to survive".
As a result of which Pakistan would have to make arrangements for all USD 700 million (around Rs 46 hundred crore) to purchase eight F-16 from the United States.
But Trump is about to announce his candidacy for president in 2024. And it is not clear if Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the present hero of disenchanted Republicans, or Biden, who says he might seek re-election (but will decide in 2023), can checkmate Trump, notes Shreekant Sambrani.
United States lawmakers on Wednesday expressed serious concern over Chinese military buildup, which was agreed to by top officials of the Obama administration at a Congressional hearing.
"From India to Indonesia, China to Russia, and Australia to Japan, millions have moved from poverty to prosperity. China's rapid development helps drive this extraordinary and dynamic growth. In turn, China gains greatly from Asia's growth," assistant secretary of defence Wallace Gregson told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing.
A senior Obama administration official has said that Indian should ensure the full implementation of the India-United States civil nuclear deal and that New Delhi is aware about this but have not done it yet.
Defence Minister A K Antony arrived in Washington on Monday to hold a wide-range of bilateral talks with top Barack Obama administration officials, which would include strengthening military-to-military ties, regional security and purchase of United States defence equipments. Security issues -- both regional and global --- are likely to come up prominently during Antony's talks with top officials including his US counterpart Robert Gates, spread over the next two days.
In less than 12 hours after he officially entered 'Twittersphere', US President Barack Obama's account has attracted 1.46 million followers.
The White House said that Obama, who has been often accused by critics of making an "apology tour" to the Middle East and Europe during the first year of his presidency.
Experts in Washington, DC warn about the potential hazards of a State Department official's recent assertion on a greater Chinese role in South Asia.
Senior US administration sources and law enforcement officials have told rediff.com that it was President Barack Obama's "personal interest" in the David Coleman Headley case that led to the speedy indictment of the Chicago-based Pakistan American and also the dispatching of a team to New Delhi to brief India sleuths.
The Obama Administration is keen to ensure that India, China or Europe do not take lead in clean energy industries that are vital to the 21st century, a top White House official has said.
Just back from a trip to Pakistan, United States Senator John Kerry says the Obama administration expected more from that country to root out terrorist groups holed up there, observing a "fullness of measure of effort" is now required.
The Obama administration has dismissed demands of a group of lawmakers that United States should stop aid to Pakistan in the aftermath of the killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
With China increasing its military power and influence in the strategically crucial Indian Ocean, a noted American expert has urged the Obama administration to partner India to balance and counter Beijing's increasing influence in the region.
Struggling to restore its flagging ties with Pakistan in the aftermath of the deadly strike by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the Obama administration has said it has not cut any civilian aid to the country, noting the move in this regard was part of a defence bill in the Congress. "Well, first of all, just to clarify what has and hasn't happened here in our understanding. We have not cut $700 million in aid to Pakistan," State Department spokesperson said.
The Obama administration hopes to get a treasure trove of information from the materials, including a computer hard drive and disks, recovered from the hideout of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, who was killed in a United States military operation in Pakistan.
The President said that most of the lay offs have taken place in the state and local government sectors as they have witnessed huge drop in their tax revenues.
United States Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O Blake, the Obama administration's point man for the subcontinent, still can't get over the Bharatiya Janata Party's opposition to the US-India civilian nuclear deal, despite the fact that it initiated and championed this accord during the time it was in power.
With Pakistan seeking more international aid following the devastating floods, the Obama Administration and key Congressional leaders are now considering allocating more money under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Bill that allocated US $ 7.5 billion to Islamabad.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has conveyed to the US India's concern over misuse of its military and other kind of aid by Pakistan.
Olson was responding to questions from the lawmakers who expressed concern over Pakistan being "selective" in taking actions against terrorist groups.
Christine Fair, who infuriated New Delhi when she alleged that India was meddling in Balochistan, has been offered the India portfolio in the Obama administration.
Demanding an end to the American drone attacks in the restive tribal belt, Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani has said Pakistan was trying to secure the spy plane technology from the United States and seeking enhanced intelligence- sharing so that it can act on its own against militants.
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