Mystery of Clinton's birthday message to queen solved

Posted By P.J. Aroon Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - 4:58 PM

Last Friday, June 4, I was confused by a birthday message Secretary Clinton made to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II that said, "I am pleased to wish Queen Elizabeth II a happy birthday."

The queen was born on April 21, 1926, according to the British monarchy's website. Had someone at the State Department made a blooper?

Turns out the answer is yes, though the blooper wasn't as bad as I thought. The queen actually has two birthdays! The second one, recognized as her official birthday, is celebrated with a ceremony by British troops on a Saturday in June, and this year it'll be celebrated on June 12. So, Clinton erred in sending her message a week early, but an early message is at least better than a belated birthday message.

An Associated Press article states, "The tradition of celebrating two birthdays began under King Edward VII, who was born in November but wanted his birthday parade to take place in summer weather."

(In the photo above, Clinton meets Queen Elizabeth II at a reception at Buckingham Palace on April 1, 2009.)

Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

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Clinton sought for global crusade against sexism

Posted By P.J. Aroon Thursday, November 12, 2009 - 6:22 PM

Harriet Harman, Oct. 27, 2009 | Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesBritish politician Harriet Harman, deputy leader of Britain's Labour Party and minister for women and equality, wants Secretary Clinton and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to join her in group of women leaders who will meet regularly to advance gender equality. In a speech to EU leaders, Harman said, "'There is, as yet, no international architecture which serves effectively to bring together women leaders who are working for progress along the same lines in each of our own countries. We need to look at how this could be done."

Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

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Clinton heads to Europe

Posted By P.J. Aroon Friday, October 9, 2009 - 3:05 PM

Hillary Clinton, Feb. 18, 2009 | BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty ImagesLater today, Clinton heads to Europe, where she'll visit the following places and do the following things:

Zurich, Switzerland: She will attend the signing of two protocols between Turkey and Armenia that pave the way toward normalization of their relations.

London: Clinton will meet with senior British officials to discuss important issues such as Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

Dublin, Ireland: She will reaffirm the United States' commitment to Ireland during meetings with senior Irish officials.

Belfast, Northern Ireland: Clinton will emphasize the United States' support for political progress and economic recovery in the area.

Moscow: As part of her efforts to reset relations with Russia, she'll meet with President Dmitry Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss a successor agreement to START, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. They'll also discuss Afghanistan, Iran, the Middle East, and North Korea.

Kazan, Russia: Clinton will visit Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, to talk with local officials and religious leaders about promoting tolerance and interfaith dialogue. The city has a large Muslim population, and yesterday, in this clumsy exchange, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Kazan "really shows that the Russian Federation is a multiethnic country."

Bon voyage, Secretary Clinton!

Photo: BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty Images

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Clinton supposedly suppressing torture evidence

Posted By P.J. Aroon Thursday, July 30, 2009 - 8:35 PM

Hillary Clinton, David Miliband, July 29, 2009 | JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images 

Here are a couple of wild headlines from the British press.

From The Guardian:

"Clinton moved to halt disclosure of CIA torture evidence, court told"

From the Daily Mail:

"Hillary Clinton threatens to cut spy links with UK over 'torture'"

Basically, lawyers for Binyam Mohamed, a British resident and former terrorism detainee, want the High Court to disclose a seven-paragraph summary of CIA documents that allegedly support Mohamed's claim that British intelligence agents were complicit in his torture in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Morocco.

In a written statement, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband claims that Secretary Clinton "indicated" to him in May that if the court disclosed the CIA material, it would adversely "affect intelligence sharing." Clinton and the CIA are also said to have written letters stating that the United States would review its intelligence-sharing practices with Britain if the court discloses the CIA material.

Human rights activists say Miliband is just using the U.S. threat to avoid having to reveal the "ugly truth" about British complicity in torture. Lord Justice Thomas was doubtful about the threat to limit intelligence sharing, saying: "So the U.S. has taken the position that this is so serious that it is prepared to reassess its relationship with the UK and put lives at risk?"

So what did Clinton say or write? It's hard to believe that she would threaten a complete cut of intelligence sharing if the material is disclosed. Yesterday, while meeting with Miliband, above, she even said, "The issue of intelligence sharing is one that is critically important to our two countries, and we have both a stake in ensuring that it continues to the fullest extent possible."

Photo: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

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Hillary meets royalty, but no hugs with queen

Posted By P.J. Aroon Thursday, April 2, 2009 - 2:42 PM

Hillary Clinton with Queen Elizabeth II and Nicolas Sarkozy, April 1, 2009

Much has been made about Michelle Obama's hug with Queen Elizabeth II, but let's not forget Secretary Clinton. Yesterday, she too met the queen during the Buckingham Palace reception for world leaders attending today's G-20 summit. Above, it looks like the queen and French President Nicolas Sarkozy are attentively listening to Clinton's wise words.

Some touching did go on, however, though it didn't involve the queen. Below, Sarkozy appears to be sharing a gripping moment with Clinton during the reception.

Hillary Clinton with Nicolas Sarkozy, April 1, 2009

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Hillary and Obama together in Europe

Posted By P.J. Aroon Wednesday, April 1, 2009 - 2:20 PM

Hillary Clinton with Obama and Hu Jintao, April 1, 2009

On Secretary Clinton's official schedule today:

ON FOREIGN TRAVEL WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Do any of you have expertise in reading body language? In the photo above, Clinton, Obama, and Chinese President Hu Jintao all have their hands positioned in the same way while at the Winfield House, the U.S. ambassador's residence in London, earlier today.

What do you think the people in the photo below are thinking? Obama (not pictured) is talking with British Conservative Party leader David Cameron (also not pictured) at the Winfield House while Clinton (diligently taking notes with her pen), U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and U.S. National Security Advisor James Jones (right) listen. Obama was urging countries to "pick up the pace" in finding solutions to the economic crisis.

Hillary Clinton with Geithner and James Jones, April 1, 2009

Photos: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

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Clinton and Miliband talk Afghanistan over lunch

Posted By P.J. Aroon Thursday, March 19, 2009 - 3:29 AM

 

Today, Secretary Clinton and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband met over lunch to discuss Afghanistan, the Middle East peace process, and the G-20 summit. In their remarks, they emphasized that ultimately Afghans -- military and civilian -- need to be the ones taking care of their country.

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Madam Secretary is an obsessive blog about all things Hillary Clinton. From her policies to her pantsuits, Madam Secretary delivers up-to-the-minute news, analysis, and gossip about America's top diplomat.