Michele Kelemen

U.S. To Test The Waters With Iran's New President Rohani

Michele Kelemen — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:14:00 +0000

Iran's newly elected president is signaling he might take a more pragmatic, moderate approach to nuclear negotiations with major world powers. But there's a lot of debate in Washington policy circles about what Hassan Rohani's election might mean for the U.S.

U.S. To Provide Military Support To Opposition In Syria

Michele Kelemen — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:52:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

And I'm Linda Wertheimer. The Obama administration has shifted policy on Syria with an announcement, last night, that it will step up support for rebels who've been losing ground in recent weeks. The White House says it will start providing direct military support to rebel commanders.

The decision was made after administration officials concluded that President Bashar al-Assad's government has been using chemical weapons in the conflict.

Sen McCain Urges U.S. To Do More For Syrian Rebels

Michele Kelemen — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:23:00 +0000

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Senator John McCain is pushing the Obama administration to do more for rebels fighting the Syrian government. This follows his trip last week to opposition-held territory in Syria. McCain warns that a failure to act could send the Middle East deep into sectarian conflict. His comments come as both the rebels and likelihood of planned peace talks appears to be losing ground.

NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: Arizona Republican John McCain says U.S.

Kerry's Agenda: Priorities Emerge With Travel

Michele Kelemen — Sat, 11 May 2013 09:29:00 +0000

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

The U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, has been in the Middle East, Rome and Russia this week trying to find some kind of diplomatic end to Syria's civil war. He's also been trying to revive Israeli/Palestinian peace talks. Mr. Kerry has been the U.S.

Kerry's Visit To Russia A Chance To Talk Syria, Mend Fences

Michele Kelemen — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:44:00 +0000

Secretary of State John Kerry sets off for what he calls "a long overdue" trip to Russia on Monday, and Syria is likely to top the agenda.

But U.S.-Russian relations are frosty these days. The U.S. is imposing targeted sanctions on Russian human rights violators, while Moscow is preventing American families from adopting Russian children.

Kerry would be wise, though, not to dwell on these and other disputes, says Angela Stent, director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies at Georgetown University.

U.S. Wary As Qatar Ramps Up Support Of Syrian Rebels

Michele Kelemen — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:52:00 +0000

President Obama has been hosting a series of visitors from the Middle East, and all of them have been urging the U.S. to get more involved in Syria.

They have included the emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, whose country has been arming rebel forces in Syria. Obama wants to see such aid go to moderates — but that requires more cooperation with partners like Qatar. Problem is, they don't always see eye to eye.

Qatar was already an important U.S.

Syria Conflict Brings Middle East Leaders To White House

Michele Kelemen — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 09:12:00 +0000

In the coming weeks, the Obama administration plays host to the leaders of several Middle Eastern nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar and Jordan.

They are coming, in part, to register their concerns about the ongoing violence in Syria and to nudge the Obama administration to do more to tip the balance in favor of the rebels trying to oust President Bashar Assad.

Already, there's been no shortage of meetings on Syria. Secretary of State John Kerry is heading to yet another one in Istanbul later this month.

John Kerry, A 'Recovering Politician,' Settles Into Diplomatic Role

Michele Kelemen — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:45:00 +0000

Secretary of State John Kerry describes himself as a recovering politician. He's just getting used to the fact that he can't speak quite as freely as he did when he was a senator.

"Each word means more, each relationship is played differently," he said in an interview with NPR, at the end of a nine-nation swing through Europe and the Middle East.

Amid Egypt's Divisive Climate, Kerry Urges Economic Action

Michele Kelemen — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 10:49:00 +0000

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry walked into a chaotic situation in Egypt, the first Arab country he's visited in his new role. The country is in economic and political turmoil, and he is trying Sunday to encourage Islamist President Mohamed Morsi to open up the political process and carry out much-needed reforms. After their meeting, he announced the U.S.

Kerry Stops In Berlin On European Tour

Michele Kelemen — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:21:00 +0000

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Syrian opposition leaders say they plan to attend a conference this week in Rome. They want to see what the new U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has to offer to help them bring an end of President Bashar al-Assad's regime. The opposition leaders had been threatening to boycott the meeting, but Kerry is promising he won't leave them dangling in the wind. NPR's Michele Kelemen is traveling with Kerry this week on his first trip overseas as secretary of state.

Overseas Trip A Road Test For Newly-Minted Sec. Of State Kerry

Michele Kelemen — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 10:05:00 +0000

John Kerry sets off Sunday on his first foreign trip as secretary of state, visiting Europe and the Middle East.

One dominant theme of the trip will be how to resolve the crisis in Syria, where an estimated 70,000 people have been killed over the past two years. Kerry is portraying his trip as a listening tour, and he expects to hear a lot about Syria.

He told reporters recently that he wants to talk with U.S.

Bulgaria Links Hezbollah To Deadly Attack On Israelis

Michele Kelemen — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:15:00 +0000

Bulgarian authorities say they have evidence the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah financed and carried out a bomb attack at a Black Sea resort town last year, killing five Israeli tourists and one Bulgarian citizen.

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov said it was an extremely intensive investigation.

"The results of that investigation leads to a number of persons who are connected to the military wing of Hezbollah," he said.

The suspects incl

Assessing Hillary Clinton's Legacy

Michele Kelemen — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 08:26:00 +0000

Hillary Clinton is preparing to leave the Obama administration after four years as secretary of state, earning generally high marks and fueling all kinds of speculation about what she wants to do next.

Her boss, President Obama, has paid tribute to her, calling her "tireless and extraordinary," though illness and a concussion have kept her out of public view for the past two weeks.

"More than 400 travel days, nearly 1 million miles," President Obama proclaimed at a diplomatic reception recently. "These are not frequent flier miles.

John Kerry Already Considered A Seasoned Diplomat

Michele Kelemen — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 18:51:00 +0000

Long before President Obama nominated John Kerry as the country's top diplomat, the Massachusetts senator was seen as a secretary of state in waiting.

He has been chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has frequently jetted off to Afghanistan and Pakistan whenever the Obama administration needed him.

In an interview on Morning Edition back in 2009, he described the hours he spent with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, having tea and strolling through the presidential gardens.

Rice Drops Out Of Race For Secretary Of State

Michele Kelemen — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 09:42:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning. I'm David Greene.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, is not usually one to back down from a fight. But in taking herself out of the running to become the next secretary of state, she has avoided a bruiser in the Senate. Rice has been under fire from Republicans, who accuse her of misleading Americans about the attack in Libya that left a U.S. ambassador dead.