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Kerry heading back to Middle East, visiting Africa

Agence France-PresseMay 17, 2013 19:30

Amid moves to end the Syrian war and kick-start Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Secretary of State John Kerry is traveling back to the Middle East next week, a top US official said Friday. The new top US diplomat will also make his first trip to Africa since replacing Hillary Clinton in early February. Kerry will first visit Oman for talks with Omani officials on Tuesday, before then heading to Jordan, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

'Quiet man' Kerry's strategy for Middle East peace

Agence France-PresseMay 1, 2013 02:00

US Secretary of State John Kerry is moving cautiously and smartly towards fresh Middle East peace talks, but deep distrust between all sides means success is far from guaranteed, analysts say. Wresting an important concession from Arab League nations on Monday that land swaps could be on the table in any deal between Israel and the Palestinians, is one sign of a new seriousness to resume the negotiations.

Kerry meets Arab ministers on peace process

Agence France-PresseApril 29, 2013 17:01

US Secretary of State John Kerry hosted talks with top Arab League officials Monday as he pursued painstaking efforts aimed at revitalizing the Middle East peace process. The new top US diplomat has devoted time and energy to trying to find a way out of the impasse and bring all sides back to the negotiating table since taking office on February 1. He has traveled three times to the region, meeting senior Israeli and Palestinian officials as well as Egyptian, Saudi, Jordanian, and Qatari leaders, in a bid to revive the peace talks, which last collapsed in late 2010.

Kerry says doubling U.S. non-lethal aid to Syrian opposition

Thomson ReutersApril 21, 2013 15:30

By David Brunnstrom ISTANBUL (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday that the United States would double its non-lethal aid to opposition forces in Syria to $250 million. Kerry stopped short of a U.S. pledge to supply weapons to insurgents fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But he said that the rebels' foreign backers were committed to continuing support and had decided to channel all future aid through the insurgents' Supreme Military Council.

Pleas for US to name first ambassador to Arctic

Agence France-PresseApril 18, 2013 20:32

Top US diplomat John Kerry said Thursday he would mull ways to deepen US engagement in the Arctic amid pleas from lawmakers to name America's first ambassador to the resource-rich region. The secretary of state agreed the United States could get left behind in the race to exploit a potential wealth of undersea riches, with China and Russia already looking for ways to move into the territory.

Kerry praises Egyptian army's role in avoiding war

Agence France-PresseApril 18, 2013 16:31

The Egyptian army helped prevent a civil war during the 2011 uprising, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday, adding American aid to the nation's military had been a good investment. But he reiterated concerns to US senators about the direction being taken by the new government of President Mohamed Morsi, who was elected Egypt's leader after the toppling of Hosni Mubarak.

Kerry to visit Ethiopia for AU summit

Agence France-PresseApril 18, 2013 13:47

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday revealed he will attend an African Union summit in Ethiopia next month, and said Washington had be more engaged with Africa. The May 19-27 summit in Addis Ababa will mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African Unity, the predecessor to the AU. Kerry told US lawmakers he was concerned by China's growing influence in Africa, and viewed a recent tour of three African nations by Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a "negative development."

'No one lied' about Benghazi attack, says Kerry

Agence France-PresseApril 17, 2013 19:15

US Secretary of State John Kerry pledged Wednesday that nobody had lied about last year's attack on a US mission in Libya that killed four Americans, and he urged lawmakers to move on. The former senator found the tables turned as he was grilled about the hot-button issue by his old congressional colleagues during his defense of the State Department's 2014 budget request at the House foreign affairs committee.

Only two years left for Mideast deal, Kerry warns

Agence France-PresseApril 17, 2013 17:32

US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Wednesday that time was slipping away to reach a Middle East peace deal, stressing for the first time that there may only be a year or two left. Appearing before US lawmakers for the first time since becoming America's top diplomat in February, Kerry said his three trips to the region already were proof of his commitment to try to find a way to resume peace talks.

Kerry blames Iran for attack on Iraq camp

Agence France-PresseApril 17, 2013 16:15

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday blamed the Iranian government for a deadly attack on an opposition camp in Iraq, and voiced fears of another assault. "We are deeply engaged in this. I am very concerned about the potential of another attack," Kerry told US lawmakers when asked about the February attack on a camp housing members of an exiled Iranian dissident group, the MEK.