Just what did Secretary Clinton ask from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during her stern, 43-minute phone call with him last Friday, in the wake of the East Jerusalem housing-project* announcement that Clinton described as "insulting"?

For the answer, check out this report from FP staff writer Josh Rogin over The Cable.

Update, March 23: The phrase "East Jerusalem housing-project announcement" corrects the original phrase, "settlements announcement."

Secretary Clinton arrived in Uruguay today for her weeklong visit to South America and Central America.

Her itinerary:

Uruguay: Today, Clinton will attend the inauguration of José Mujica, Latin America's newest leftist leader.

Argentina: Later today in Buenos Aires, she'll meet with Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Earlier, Clinton said she's willing to assist Argentina and Britain resolve their dispute over the Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas.

Chile: On Tuesday morning, Clinton is bringing communications equipment for the quake-hit country.

Brazil: Next she heads to Brazil, which presently has a rotating seat on the U.N. Security Council. She's going to use her diplomacy skills to try to persuade the Brazilian government to support tougher sanctions against Iran in order to check its nuclear ambitions. Brazil currently opposes further sanctions.

Costa Rica: Clinton will move on to Central America on Thursday, where she'll attend the Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas ministerial meeting, a gathering of the region's foreign ministers that will center on improving the hemisphere's economy.

Guatemala: On Friday, Clinton will conclude her trip by meeting a group of regional leaders, including Honduran President Porfirio Lobo, who became leader in January, succeeding an interim government that outsed former President Manuel Zelaya last June.

FP's The Cable is reporting that the U.S. ambassador to Qatar, Joseph LeBaron, became angry and threw some sort of temper tantrum two weekends ago when Secretary Clinton was meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during her visit to Qatar. (In the file photo above, the two meet in Turkey on March 7, 2009.)

The meeting was only supposed to be 20 minutes, but it had gone on for more than an hour, delaying Clinton's subsequent meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. The details are fuzzy because different witnesses are saying different things, but it appears that LeBaron got into a yelling match with Turkish Ambassador Fuat Tanlay, who wanted to let Clinton and Erdogan continue their meeting. LeBaron then banged loudly on the door leading to where Clinton and Erdogan were meeting.

Here's where witnesses' accounts get really disputed:

• LeBaron was physically restrained and escorted away, says one U.S. government official. 
• Nothing physical happened and LeBaron left voluntarily, another U.S. official says.
• LeBaron "was pulled away from the door, at which time several of us interceded," P.J. Crowley, the State Department's assistant secretary for public affairs, told The Cable.  
• He wasn't pulled away or "restrained in any way," another U.S. official told The Cable.
• "no violence or physical contact occurred," LeBaron himself wrote to The Cable.
• After the heated verbal exchange, LeBaron and Tanlay "proceeded to grab each other by the neck and had to be separated by officials," the Turkish newspaper Sabah is reporting.

Yeaks! Sounds at least like the yelling and door-banging parts are true. Not very diplomatic.

Clinton is a smart and conscientious woman. If she went over her 20 minutes, it's undoubtedly because she was discussing topics of crucial importance and knew that any delay was well worth it. In fact, The Cable reports that Clinton and Erdogan were discussing "substantial" issues, such as sanctions against Iran, a topic on which the United States and Turkey view things very differently.

People should not yell and bang on doors when Clinton is using her star power to engage in high-level diplomacy.

As you all probably know, Secretary Clinton recently answered, "No, I really can't," when asked by PBS's Tavis Smiley Reports whether she'll serve a second term as U.S. secretary of state. In life after being America's top diplomat, Clinton said she'd like to read, write, and maybe even teach. Of course, she said she'll always remain a steadfast advocate for women and girls.

So, if Clinton won't be secretary of state from 2013 through 2016, and if Obama is re-elected for a second term, then who'll be the next secretary of state? Well, FP's The Cable compiled a shortlist that includes:

•Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.)

•Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.)

•James Steinberg, U.S. deputy secretary of state

•Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations

•Richard Holbrooke, special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan (and a former managing editor of FP!)

•George Mitchell, special envoy for Middle East peace

•Chuck Hagel, former U.S. Republican senator, now chairman of the Atlantic Council

•Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command

Photo: SHAUN CURRY/AFP/Getty Images

On its front page yesterday, the Washington Post reported that there are 25 female ambassadors posted in Washington, the most ever. And some have attributed it to the "Hillary effect." Mozambique's female ambassador to the United States, Amelia Matos Sumbana, told the Post, "Hillary Clinton is so visible [as secretary of state].… She makes it easier for presidents to pick a woman for Washington."

Of course, it also also helps that three of the last four U.S. secretaries of state have been women: Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, and Madeleine Albright. "The pictures of U.S. diplomacy have been strongly dominated by photos of women recently.… That helps to broaden the acceptance of women in the field of diplomacy," Meera Shankar, India's ambassador, told the Post.

But it's likely that Clinton in particular has had a strong effect on women's participation in diplomacy because she is very well-known and respected abroad from her eight years as first lady, her presidential campaign, her strenuous efforts to promote women's rights worldwide, and her globetrotting first year as secretary of state. Clinton is indeed transforming the face of diplomacy.

Secretary Clinton departed for her Pacific trip today. Her first stop is Hawaii, where she's supposed to meet the Japanese foreign minister to discuss the United States' controversial Futenma air base on Okinawa. She'll also give give a speech on Asia-Pacific multilateral engagement and meet with U.S. Pacific Command before heading off to Papua New Guinea for the next leg of her trip.

In the photo above, Clinton gets out of her vehicle this morning before boarding her plane at Andrews Air Force Base. As you can see, her hands are already stuffed with foreign-policy memos that she will diligently study during her flight so that when she lands she'll be fully informed with the latest information. As Tina Brown wrote on the Daily Beast last summer:

On her State Department plane, Hillary is always eager to throw off her well-groomed public look and sit up front with no makeup, wearing sweats and her bookworm glasses, as she crunches her way through a big fat file of foreign-policy memos."

In a recent Time magazine article, journalist Joe Klein lists three qualities that could make Clinton "a memorable Secretary of State":

1. "She brings a vision of departmental reform -- the need to elevate foreign aid programs to the same status and rigorous scrutiny as diplomacy -- that could change striped pants into chinos in the developing world."

2. She is also the first elected politician to hold the office since Edmund Muskie briefly did during the Carter Administration, which has enabled her to better understand and interact with the politicians who run places like Afghanistan and Pakistan."

3. "But most important, she is an international celebrity with a much higher profile than any of her recent predecessors and the ability -- second only to the President's -- to change negative attitudes about the U.S. abroad."

And change negative attitudes she has. During her recent visit to Pakistan, she visited a Sufi mosque that been attacked by Sunni extremists. It made quite an impression on many moderate Pakistani Muslims, including one who told Klein, "We saw her praying there, and, for the first time, I'm thinking, 'The Americans have hearts.'"

Clinton also made herself available for students, talk-show hosts, and Pashtun elders, who asked her all sorts of difficult questions, and as Klein puts it, "her candor, her willingness to listen to and acknowledge criticism, had begun to undermine the prevailing Pakistani image of the U.S. as arrogant and bossy." A government spokeswoman and member of Parliament told Klein:

In the past, when the Americans came, they would talk to the generals and go home. … Clinton's willingness to meet with everyone, hostile or not, has made a big impression -- and because she's Hillary Clinton, with a real history of affinity for this country, it means so much more."

Although Klein offers constructive criticism for Clinton (saying that the controversy she sparked about settlements shows she needs "a few lessons in Middle East Haggling 101"), he does praise her as "the second most popular American in the world, an eternally compelling and supremely talented character, … a walking headline."

Klein writes that with her "three qualities," Clinton could become a memorable secretary of state. But for her fans worldwide, she already has become one.

Photo: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

Secretary Clinton is in diplomat overdrive at the U.N. General Assembly this week. Yesterday, she announced a new way forward with Burma: engagement. Speaking to the U.N. Group of Friends on Burma, she said:

To help achieve democratic reform, we will be engaging directly with Burmese authorities. … We believe that sanctions remain important as part of our policy, but by themselves, they have not produced the results that had been hoped for on behalf of the people of Burma."

Clinton said that if Burma's military rulers started behaving better, it could lead to a lifting of sanctions:

We will be willing to discuss the easing of sanctions in response to significant actions on the part of Burma's generals that address the core human rights and democracy issues that are inhibiting Burma's progress."

I suppose if sanctions haven't worked all these years, then it's time to add something new. The plan -- which got a thumbs-up from pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi -- emerges from an almost-complete policy review started in January, so there must be something to it. (And by the way, Clinton has also suggested kicking Burma out of ASEAN if it doesn't release Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest.)

Photo: Hiroko Masuike/Getty Images

It looks like Secretary Clinton will finally be back in the office tomorrow, after her well-deserved vacation. Topping her agenda is an important meeting: a discussion of the Honduras situation with Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted from the Honduran presidency on June 28.

The State Department has already stopped most visa services in Honduras, and $135 million in U.S. aid for Honduras is in jeopardy.

In her superb foreign-policy speech today at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Secretary Clinton (with her right arm free from a sling) presented an "ambitious agenda" that included the call for a different "global architecture" and announced that the United States was ready for engagement with Iran, though only for a limited window of time.

Hopefully now, all the talk of Clinton in the shadows has been put to rest.

Paraphrasing from my notes:

On global governance: No nation can solve the world's problems on its own. Most countries worry about the same threats. These two facts demand a different global architecture -- an architecture of cooperation. Not only are multilateral institutions important, but so are partnerships with people, including outreach through educational and entrepreneurial programs and connecting through technology.

On the new approach: The "you're with us or against us" approach is "global malpractice."

On Iran's election: Clinton said she was "appalled" by the way in which the Iranian government responded to protesters after June 12's disputed election.

On engaging Iran: Clinton said direct talks were the best way to get through to Iran on nuclear arms. However, she said the opportunity for talks would not remain open indefinitely. (Clinton did not say when that window of opportunity would close, though.)

On foreign aid: In keeping with the idea of "smart power," foreign assistance should be provided in an efficient manner to implement country-driven solutions. Development must focus on women as drivers of economic growth and a key to stability.

On the Taliban: Clinton talked about accepting members of the Taliban who reject al Qaeda and lay down their arms. (Perhaps this came from the lessons learned from de-Baathification in Iraq?)

Perhaps alluding to a "reset" in how the United States does foreign policy, Clinton quoted Thomas Paine: "We have it in our power to start the world again."

As a side note, when introducing her, CFR President Richard Haass noted that six other secretaries of state have gone on to become U.S. presidents. Clinton smiled and shook her head at him while the audience laughed.

Two points I'd like to know more about:

•When does the opportunity for dialogue with Iran, which Clinton warned was not "indefinite," close exactly?

•What prompted her to talk of accepting Taliban members who reject al Qaeda and lay down their arms? In the question-and-answer session, she even said it could apply to other organizations.

Photo: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

Thanks to all of you who voted about whether Secretary Clinton should be speaking out more about the Iranian election and its aftermath. To date, 54 percent of you said Clinton should be speaking out more, 35 percent said she shouldn't, and 10 percent were undecided. (Rounding makes the percentages not sum to 100, and no, this poll wasn't scientific.)

Well, it turns out that Clinton did "speak out" in a unique way on Wednesday when she ordered all U.S. embassies and consular missions to rescind July 4 Independence Day party invitations sent to Iranian diplomats. When it comes to Iran, Clinton is canceling the "hot dog" diplomacy. In a cable sent to U.S. diplomatic posts worldwide, Clinton said:

Unfortunately, circumstances have changed, and participation by Iranian diplomats would not be appropriate in light of the unjust actions that the President and I have condemned.  For invitations which have been extended, posts should make clear that Iranian participation is no longer appropriate in the current circumstances.

No Iranian diplomats will be crying about having their hot dogs snatched away from them, though; none had RSVPed that they were coming. 

By the way, I hope that none of those hot dogs that embassies planned to offer contained pork.

Photo: iStockphoto

Iranians flocked to the polls today to elect one of four men as their next president. Top advisors to one of the candidates, Mehdi Karroubi, a moderate, recently suggested that if he wins (which he likely won't), he should appoint a female foreign minister. Why? So she would be able to shake hands with Secretary Clinton, something that would be taboo for a man to do.

[Mehdi Karroubi] recently debated with his team the number of cabinet posts women should fill. Mr Karroubi's top advisers lobbied for the Foreign Ministry, speculating that when relations with the US normalise, the new foreign minister could shake hands with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Not all Muslims, though, think it's improper for people of the opposite sex to shake hands. Below, Secretary Clinton shakes hands with Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, a Muslim, on Feb. 18.

Photo: ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images

While Secretary Clinton has been busy receiving honorary degrees and extending benefits to same-sex partners, she hasn't been neglecting her diplomatic duties. She doesn't have any public appointments on her schedule today, but she's most likely busy working the phones in the wake of North Korea's nuclear test and missile firings.

The Associated Press reports that Clinton has spoken on the phone with foreign ministers in a number of countries, and the Washington Post reports that she is asking them for a "strong, unified" response. As Clinton proved last April, she knows how to handle those 3 a.m. phone calls.

Photo: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

After a day heavy with bilaterals (including one with Israeli President Shimon Peres, above), Secretary Clinton has a crucially important day today. The presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan are in Washington. She has a bilateral with each and a trilateral with both together.

Some people, including Clinton, fear that Pakistan's Taliban insurgency threatens the government. Two weeks ago, with Islamist militants just 60 miles from Islamabad, the capital of nuclear-armed Pakistan, Clinton declared to the House Foreign Affairs Committee: "[We] cannot underscore [enough] the seriousness of the existential threat posed to the state of Pakistan by the continuing advances."

9:15 a.m. Bilateral with His Excellency Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
 
9:45 a.m. Bilateral with His Excellency Asif Ali Zardari, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
 
10:30 a.m. US-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Consultations II

Photo: Amos Ben Gershom/GPO via Getty Images