Travel: Day One, Secretary Clinton in Qatar

On Sunday, February 14th, Hillary Clinton was wheels down in Doha, Qatar to begin a three-day visit to the area for talks aimed at gathering Arab support for countering Iran's disputed nuclear program and to bring to light the Arab-Israeli peace process.

On her schedule for the first day she was in a series of high-level meetings before addressing an annual US-Islamic World Forum. These meetings included a bilateral with with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan as well as meetings with the staff and families from the Embassy in Doha.

Her speech focused on winning backing for the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, which basically have been frozen for more than a year. The Obama administration has made little headway in efforts to restart the talks, with the Palestinians refusing to sit down until Israel halts all settlement activity in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

In her remarks she said the Obama administration's efforts in the region have often been "obscured by suspicion and misunderstanding".

It is time, as President Obama said in his speech in Cairo, for a new beginning based on a commitment to open dialogue and equal partnership. A new beginning that confronts the tensions between us and commits all of us to doing the hard work necessary to resolve them... Building a stronger relationship cannot happen overnight. It takes patience, persistence and hard work from all of us... We are and will remain committed to the president's vision for a new beginning.

Read the full remarks of her speech at the US-Islamic World Forum here or watch below:

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Sheeee'sss Baaaackkk!

The Secretary was in today and had a full day of appointments and bilaterals.

She began the day presiding over the swearing-in ceremony for incoming Ambassador to Ireland Daniel Rooney in the Treaty Room of the State Department. She started off her remarks with another joke about her injury: "I came off the injured reserve list in order to officiate at this ceremony."

She gave great remarks expressing her delight "to make official what is going to be so well received in Ireland and means so much to Americans, not only Irish Americans but all Americans" in the swearing-in of the new ambassador to Ireland.

She also spoke about Pittsburg, and all that the city has to offer, because it is not only the home of the new ambassador, but it is also the site chosen by President Obama for the G-20 meeting in September.

You can read the full text of the event here or watch the video below:

Today the Secretary also met with the Palestinian Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad. They spoke briefly to the press, shook hands awkwardly and answered no questions sadly for the press...

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Israel rebuffs Hillary Clinton's call for halt in West Bank settlements hours before meeting at with Palenstine's Abbas

** More Photos Added! ** Yesterday Hillary met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at a dinner. Earlier in the day she delivered strong words to Israel that the U.S. wants to "see a stop to settlements – not some settlements, not outposts, not natural growth exceptions." She continued by saying, "We think it is in the best interests of the effort that we are engaged in that settlement expansion cease. That is our position. That is what we have communicated very clearly, not only to the Israelis but to the Palestinians and others. And we intend to press that point."

Today the Secretary attended the President's meeting this afternoon with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. This came a day after Secretary Clinton called for Israel to halt all construction of settlements, considered illegal by the international community as they are civilian communities built on war-conquered land. Read the post on it here.

But today, just hours before President Obama and Secretary Clinton's meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the Israeli government flatly rejected the U.S.'s demand.

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said that "normal life in those communities must be allowed to continue," meaning that some construction will continue in existing settlements.

A spokesman for Mr Netanyahu said that permission would be given to continue construction in existing settlements, some of which are sprawling towns built in the four decades that Israel has occupied the West Bank. “Normal life in those communities must be allowed to continue,” said spokesman Mark Regev.

Mr Netanyahu refuses to endorse the concept of an independent Palestinian state, but today the President insisted that a two-state solution is the only way ahead.

Read more about the meeting with Abbas or a full transcript at the White House blog here.

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Hillary Clinton Demands Israel Halt Settlements

Today Secretary Clinton met with Foreign Minister Ahmed Ali Aboul Gheit of Egypt at the State Department.

The Secretary said this during their appearance before the press:

"We just had a very good working lunch with the foreign minister, General Suleiman, and the delegation from Egypt. I had the opportunity to thank them for their commitment to working with us and strengthening and deepening our bilateral relationship, and for the leadership that Egypt is showing on both regional and global matters.

I asked them to extend our thanks to President Mubarak and others in the Egyptian Government who are working to resolve conflicts and bridge divides. And I assured them that President Obama and I are fully committed to a comprehensive peace in the Middle East, to a two-state solution, and that we regard Egypt as an essential partner in helping us to realize that vision.

We appreciate the leadership that Egypt has shown in recent months, including convening the convention in Sharm el-Sheikh that I attended, as well as undertaking sensitive mediation among various parties in the region. I know that the President is looking forward to his trip to Cairo next week and the opportunity to speak about America’s relationships, not only in the Middle East and not just in the Islamic world but to people everywhere about what our common concerns are and how to seek common ground and realize our common objectives. And I look forward to continuing to work with the foreign minister and others in the Egyptian Government to address the full range of bilateral and mutual concerns."

Also during their remarks to the press, Secretary Clinton urged Israel in blunt terms to completely halt settlements on land that Palestinians claim as part of a future state of their own.

"He (Obama) wants to see a stop to settlements _ not some settlements, not outposts, not 'natural growth' exceptions," Clinton said, referring in the last case to population growth on existing Israeli settlements in the West Bank from births and from allowances for adult offspring of settlers to buy homes near their parents.

"We think it is in the best interests (of the peace process) that settlement expansion cease," Clinton added, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit at her side.

"That is our position. That is what we have communicated very clearly. ... And we intend to press that point."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is putting settlements at the center of his talks with Obama at the White House on Thursday, and he has said he won't resume peace talks without a freeze. Hillary had dinner with Abbas this evening. Read their full remarks here or watch below:

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