Secretary Clinton welcomed the release of Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi Saturday, after the Nobel Peace Prize laureate spent most of the past two decades under house arrest. Clinton also urged Burmese leaders to start an "inclusive dialogue" with Aung San Suu Kyi as part of the process of creating a more thriving and democratic Burma. Importantly, she also called on the Burmese regime to "immediately and unconditionally" free all 2,100 political prisoners in the country. Below is Clinton's complete statement:

Today I join with billions of people around the world to welcome the long-overdue release of Burmese democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest.

Aung San Suu Kyi has endured enormous personal sacrifice in her peaceful struggle to bring democracy and human rights to Burma, including unjustified detention for most of the past twenty years. The Burmese regime has repeatedly rejected her offers to engage in dialogue and work together, trying instead to silence and isolate her. Through it all, Aung San Suu Kyi's commitment to the Burmese people has not wavered.

The United States calls on Burma's leaders to ensure that Aung San Suu Kyi's release is unconditional so that she may travel, associate with her fellow citizens, express her views, and participate in political activities without restriction. They should also immediately and unconditionally release all of Burma's 2,100 political prisoners.

We urge Burma's leaders to break from their repressive policies and begin an inclusive dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratic and ethnic leaders towards national reconciliation and a more peaceful, prosperous, and democratic future.

In the photo above, Aung San Suu Kyi smiles at the gate of her home soon after her release from house arrest. 

In a videoconference with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad yesterday, Secretary Clinton announced the transfer of $150 million in U.S. direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority to help it build a viable Palestinian state as part of the two-state solution. Clinton said the latest infusion of money brings the United States' total direct budget assistance to $225 million for 2010 and overall U.S. support and investment to almost $600 million for 2010.

"This figure underscores the strong determination of the American people and this administration to stand with our Palestinian friends even during difficult economic times," the secretary of state said in announcing the transfer of funds.

The money -- whose use will be carefully monitored by the United States, the World Bank, and the IMF -- will go toward the important task of building a well-functioning Palestinian state. Clinton explained, "This new funding will help the Palestinian Authority pay down its debt, continue to deliver services and security to its people, and keep the progress going. It will support our work together to expand Palestinians' access to schools, clinics, and clean drinking water in both the West Bank and Gaza. And it will allow Prime Minister Fayyad's government to build and modernize courthouses and police stations, train judges and prosecutors, and launch new economic development initiatives."

This emphasis on building a viable Palestinian state accords with some of Elliott Abram's advice for President Obama, as detailed in his recent FP piece, "Build Up the West Bank." Abrams writes that instead of focusing on an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, Obama should instead spend the rest of his term helping build a Palestinian state in the West Bank. He writes:

If you build it, they will sign. The only way to reassure Palestinians that a state is possible is to make one, and the only way to reassure Israelis that their security will be enhanced rather than diminished is for them to see it with their own eyes. That won't happen for either side at Camp David or Oslo or Annapolis -- only right there on the ground in the West Bank.

Here is a video of Clinton's and Fayyad's remarks:

Secretary Clinton is back in D.C., and Madam Secretary is back in business! Thanks for bearing with me during my two-week hiatus while I was busy focusing on the print edition of Foreign Policy. It was tough not being able to blog about Clinton while she was doing so much amazing diplomacy overseas.

After a relatively light day in Washington yesterday (her first day back in town), Clinton today has a full plate of meetings on her schedule (an edited version is pasted below). Cheerful and non-jet-lagged-looking, she already videoconferenced this morning with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, as seen in the photo above. Expect more posts to come!

10:15 a.m. Clinton announces the transfer of budget-assistance funds to the Palestinian Authority. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad participates via videoconference.

11 a.m. Clinton meets with Vice President Joe Biden at the White House.

1 p.m. Clinton holds a bilateral meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

3:30 p.m. Clinton holds a bilateral meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova.

5 p.m. Clinton meets with Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

Secretary Clinton presided today over the signing of $275 million in U.S. aid to Jordan for three water and wasterwater projects in the water-poor Middle Eastern country. The assistance, made through the U.S. government's Millennium Challenge Corporation, will help Jordan upgrade its water-supply network, improve wastewater collection, and expand an important wastewater treatment plant, thereby giving nearly 2 million people better access to clean water, Clinton said in her remarks.

Clinton also acknowledged that the $275 million in aid comes at a time when many Americans are struggling with finances, but explained that Americans are "committed to Jordan's future" because a thriving Jordan benefits the entire world:

I want to say a few words directly to the people of Jordan. In a time when many families here in the United States are tightening their own belts and making difficult sacrifices, we are making this investment in your country because we believe in Jordan's promise and we are committed to Jordan's future. Americans understand that a strong and prosperous Jordan is good for the region and good for the world. We want to work with you to realize our shared aspirations and shape the future together.

Clinton also thanked Jordan for its support in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, saying, "The Jordanian Government … [has] worked with us literally side by side and telephone by telephone to support direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians with the goal of two states for two peoples and a comprehensive peace in the region. We could not do this without Jordan's leadership."

In the photo above,  Clinton and Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh stand as U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation CEO Daniel Yohannes (seated at right) and Mohammad Najjar, Jordan's minister of water and irrigation, sign the compact today in Washington. Below is a video of the remarks from the signing ceremony:

Ever wonder about the complex logistics involved in coordinating an overseas trip by the U.S. secretary of state? If so, check out the National Geographic special, Inside the State Department, to air on Monday, Nov. 8, at 9 p.m. U.S. Eastern and Pacific times. The National Geographic Channel followed Secretary Clinton for 20,000 miles as she traveled around the world, from New York to Pakistan, and places in between such as Morocco and Jerusalem. You'll see all sorts of behind-the-scenes stuff, such as bomb-sniffing dogs hard at work and the State Department's "gift vault."

A news release states, "The State Department's role on the world stage has never been more important and the stakes have never been higher. Its leader is arguably the most famous woman in the world, with a traveling staff providing 24/7 support. Now, the National Geographic Channel goes Inside the State Department to open a window into the efforts of the men and women representing critical U.S. interests abroad."

Clinton tells National Geographic, "This job is both a great privilege and an extraordinary challenge. We live on the balance beam of war and peace, of terrorism and stability, of poverty and prosperity."

Steve Hoggard, who filmed Clinton during her travels overseas, states in the news release, "It is astounding to witness the brutal 16- to 20-hour days worked by Secretary Clinton and her team.… They only get a few hours of sleep and are constantly working at a rapid pace traveling from one destination to the next. I have truly been in awe of what they do to represent our county across the globe."

Clinton will be delivering remarks at 7:30 p.m. today at the film's world premier at National Geographic's headquarters. Below are a couple of clips from the special:

Secretary Clinton delivered a special message of support to LGBT teens yesterday in the wake of several suicides by American teenagers who were bullied for being gay or being perceived as gay. To all the teens out there who are bullied and feel all alone in the world, Clinton said, "Hang in there and ask for help. Your life is so important." She told them, "Please remember that your life is valuable and that you are not alone."

She offered a message of hope, saying, "It will get better for you." She referred to the advances made by women and members of racial, ethnic, and religious minorities over the course of U.S. history and said the same progress is being made by gays and lesbians. "The story of America is the story of people coming together to tear down barriers, stand up for rights, and insist on equality, not only for themselves, but for all people," she said.

Clinton has long been a supporter of LGBT rights (10 years ago she was the first First Lady to march in a pride parade), and she declared in June that "Human rights are gay rights and gay rights are human rights." During her tenure as secretary of state, several LGBT-friendly policies has been enacted at the State Department, including equal benefits for same-sex partners of State Department employees, new regulations that make it easier for transgender Americans to amend their passports, and grants to help human rights advocates in other countries who are in danger due to their LGBT status or their work on LGBT issues.

Below is the video of Clinton's special message, with the text of the complete message pasted underneath.

Like millions of Americans, I was terribly saddened to learn of the recent suicides of several teenagers across our country after being bullied because they were gay or because people thought they were gay. Children are particularly vulnerable to the hurt caused by discrimination and prejudice and we have lost many young people over the years to suicide. These most recent deaths are a reminder that all Americans have to work harder to overcome bigotry and hatred.

I have a message for all the young people out there who are being bullied, or who feel alone and find it hard to imagine a better future: First of all, hang in there and ask for help. Your life is so important—to your family, your friends, and to your country. And there is so much waiting for you, both personally and professionally— there are so many opportunities for you to develop your talents and make your contributions.

And these opportunities will only increase. Because the story of America is the story of people coming together to tear down barriers, stand up for rights, and insist on equality, not only for themselves but for all people. And in the process, they create a community of support and solidarity that endures. Just think of the progress made by women just during my lifetime by women, or ethnic, racial and religious minorities over the course of our history —and by gays and lesbians, many of whom are now free to live their lives openly and proudly. Here at the State Department, I am grateful every day for the work of our LGBT employees who are serving the United States as foreign service officers and civil servants here and around the world. It wasn’t long ago that these men and women would not have been able to serve openly, but today they can—because it has gotten better. And it will get better for you.

So take heart, and have hope, and please remember that your life is valuable, and that you are not alone. Many people are standing with you and sending you their thoughts, their prayers and their strength. Count me among them.

Take care of yourself.

Thousands of Filipinos have fled to evacuation centers and at least 14 people have died due to Typhoon Megi, which hit the Philippines yesterday with winds exceeding 155 mph (250 kph). Today, it's dumping heavy rain on the country and is expected to reach southern China later this week. Secretary Clinton offered the following condolences today:

On behalf of the people of the United States, I offer our condolences for the damage and loss of life caused on the island of Luzon by Typhoon Megi. Our embassy in Manila has offered immediate disaster relief assistance, and we are working closely with Philippine authorities to offer additional assistance as needed. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Luzon and all Filipinos affected by this tragedy.

Last November, Clinton visited the Philippines, where she toured a flood-stricken school and announced $5 million in aid to help recover from three massive storms that had hit the country in the previous six weeks.

In the Oct. 19 photo above, people survey typhoon damage in San Jose, Isabela, Philippines. In the Oct. 19 photo below -- too cute to pass up -- an evacuated baby eats handout rice at a converted basketball court in Manila.

Pakistani civilian and military leaders are arriving in Washington this week for a U.S.-Pakistan strategic dialogue, and Secretary Clinton will be formally introducing them to the new U.S. ambassador to their country, Cameron Munter, seen above in Brussels last week, whom she swore in on Oct. 6.

"No country has gotten more attention from Secretary Clinton than Pakistan," Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, told the New York Times recently. Indeed, when Clinton visited Pakistan in July, she announced a giant slew of development projects for the country -- hydroelectric dams, refurbishment of municipal water-supply systems, hospital renovations, agricultural projects, etc. -- that are being funded through the Kerry-Lugar-Berman legislation passed in the United States last year that provides $7.5 billion over five years to fix Pakistan's infrastructure and promote its economic develpment. And, she appealed to Americans to text help to Pakistanis during this year's historic floods and last year's refugee crisis in the Swat Valley.

The new ambassador has a huge job ahead of him. Winning hearts and minds isn't easy, as research by an FP contributor recently concluded: "it's easiest for Westerners to win hearts and minds only when that's not what they're explicitly setting out to do."

Secretary Clinton said today that she and the U.S. government support reintegration and reconciliation with Taliban members who meet specific criteria. We are "willing to support what's called reintegration -- namely, people on the battlefield coming off and going back into their society -- and reconciliation, which is a much more political process to work out terms of peace with people who [have] led the Taliban, but only on very clear conditions," she told ABC's Robin Roberts during an interview in Brussels, where she attended a NATO ministerial meeting.

Those "clear conditions" are: 

• Renouncing violence and laying down arms.
• Renouncing al Qaeda.
• Abiding by Afghan laws and the Afghan Constitution.

Clinton was cautious with her remarks and said she's unsure how many Taliban leaders would agree to these conditions. In fact she said, "I think it's highly unlikely that the leadership of the Taliban that refused to turn over bin Laden in 2001 will ever reconcile. But stranger things have happened in the history of war, but it can only happen if they [are] willing to abide by the red lines that we and the Afghan government have established."

Other the other hand, Clinton sounded somewhat optimistic about lower-level Taliban members who likely joined in the first place just to get a paycheck. "I am increasingly convinced that many of the lower-level Taliban, young men who frankly went to fight for the Taliban because they got paid more than they could make anywhere else -- I believe that they are, in increasing numbers, laying down their arms and coming back into society."

She also told Roberts, "What we are seeing is a move by the lower-level fighters, many of them, to leave the battlefield, which is all to the good because they are being convinced that this fight is no longer one they want to be part of."

Anything about the Taliban joining peace talks or becoming part of the Afghan government will make most Americans nervous. Anyone can pay mere lip service to meeting the three "red line" conditions listed above; how do you tell whether someone isn't surreptitiously supporting violence and al Qaeda on the side? I also wish Clinton had reiterated that no political reconciliation should come at the price of Afghanistan's women -- which is one of the scariest things about involving the Taliban in peace talks and the government. Back in July during her visit to Kabul, Clinton made it starkly clear that Afghan women can't be marginalized in the reconciliation process, saying:

I don't think there is such a political solution that would be a lasting, sustainable one that would turn the clock back on women. That is a recipe for a return to the kind of Afghanistan -- if not in the entire country, in significant parts of the country -- that would once again be a breeding ground for terrorism. So we've got our red lines, and they are very clear: Any reconciliation process that the United States supports, recognizing that this is an Afghan-led process, must require that anyone who wishes to rejoin society and the political system must lay down their weapons and end violence, renounce al Qaeda, and be committed to the Constitution and laws of Afghanistan, which guarantee the rights of women.

Below is an edited video of today's interview:

Aisha, the 19-year-old Afghan whose nose and ears were hacked off by her husband and who appeared on the cover to Time magazine this summer, has a new prosthetic nose!

With her new look, she attended the Grossman Burn Foundation's benefit event in California on Oct. 8 and received an Enduring Heart award from Maria Shriver, wife of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "This is the first Enduring Heart award given to a woman whose heart endures and who shows us all what it means to have love and to be the enduring heart," Shriver said.

The Grossman Burn Foundation paid for Aisha's surgery in California, and plastic surgeon Peter H. Grossman, co-director of the Grossman Burn Centers, is hoping that a "permanent solution" can be found, perhaps reconstructing Aisha's nose and ears from bone, cartilage, and tissue from other parts of her body, reports the Daily Telegraph. Now, Aisha is beginning a new life in the United States. What a brave young woman.

Update, 4:13 p.m.: The brutality inflicted on women like Aisha shows us why Secretary Clinton is so adamant that absolutely no political reconciliation in Afghanistan should come at the price of Afghan women's well-being. As she said in July in Kabul:

I don't think there is such a political solution that would be a lasting, sustainable one that would turn the clock back on women. That is a recipe for a return to the kind of Afghanistan -- if not in the entire country, in significant parts of the country -- that would once again be a breeding ground for terrorism.

Here is a CNN video about Aisha, whose surname has not been disclosed, and her new look:

Today in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Secretary Clinton urged Bosnians to "reject the false promise of self-serving nationalist agendas." She made the remark while dedicating the new U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, saying that's the advice she gave to young people earlier in the day when they asked her how they can get to the goals they had for their country. Clinton said nationalist agendas "will lead only to more distrust, disunion, stagnation, and poverty. No one will create a stable and prosperous future for this country by stoking the animosities of the past."

Here's the remark in context:

I just finished an excellent event with the young people at the National Theater. Their questions were all about how to get to the goal that they believed in, a country that is part of Europe, part of NATO, but most importantly its full self, the promise being realized, the potential fulfilled. I urged them, as I urge every citizen, to reject the false promise of self-serving nationalist agendas. Those will lead only to more distrust, disunion, stagnation, and poverty. No one will create a stable and prosperous future for this country by stoking the animosities of the past.

The only way forward lies in working together toward shared aspirations -- so you can create the jobs, attract the investment, build a better life for everyone.

In the photo above, Clinton poses during the dedication of the new U.S. Embassy and the Robert C. Frasure Street in Sarajevo. Frasure was one of three Americans killed in an automobile accident near Sarajevo in 1995 while on their way to the besieged capital to attend peace talks. Next to Clinton are Frasure's wife Katharina and their daughters, Sarah and Virginia.

Applauding the selection of Liu Xiaobo as the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, Secretary Clinton urged China "to uphold its international human rights obligations and to respect the fundamental freedoms and human rights of all Chinese citizens." She also demanded "Liu Xiaobo's immediate release from prison."

Clinton's statement today is refreshing after remarks she made in February 2009 that  seemed to place human rights in China as a back-burner priority. At the time she said, "[O]ur pressing on those [human rights] issues can't interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis, and the security crisis."

Below is Clinton's complete statement, issued today:

I applaud the Nobel Committee's decision to award this year's Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo. Throughout its history, the Peace Prize has often been used to recognize the heroism of those who have, through persistent and peaceful efforts, sought to build a world that is more fair and free.

Mr. Liu has been a consistent advocate for fundamental freedoms and human rights for his fellow citizens and for peaceful political reform. Mr. Liu's work, including his role in the drafting of Charter '08, and his receipt of this honor highlight the fact that while China has made tremendous economic progress in the last three decades, political reform has lagged behind. As I said in Krakow this summer, governments should recognize the constructive role that citizens such as Liu Xiaobo play. We urge China to uphold its international human rights obligations and to respect the fundamental freedoms and human rights of all Chinese citizens. We reiterate our call for Liu Xiaobo's immediate release from prison.

To everybody in Germany, happy 20 years of reunification! Secretary Clinton congratulates the people of Germany and says, "Today, Germany is a global champion for human liberty and economic freedom -- values that form the foundation for the enduring friendship between our nations."

She made the remark in a statement issued Oct. 1, two days before today's Oct. 3 anniversary:

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Germany as you celebrate the 20th anniversary of German unification.

A year ago, I travelled to Berlin to commemorate the moment in 1989 when history pierced concrete and concertina wire, and Germans tore down the Berlin Wall. It was an hour when the hopes and prayers and sacrifices of millions came together in an unwavering exclamation of freedom. On October 3, 1990, the German people embraced that freedom again. They proclaimed their desire to live as one nation. And they began building a new Germany that would become an anchor of democracy, stability, and prosperity. The progress of the last two decades was not inevitable, and it stands as a monument to the all those who worked for generations to realize the goal of a Germany whole and free.

Today, Germany is a global champion for human liberty and economic freedom - values that form the foundation for the enduring friendship between our nations. The United States joins Germany in honoring this day of national unity. And I look forward to our continuing cooperation to advance the values we celebrate on this anniversary.

In the photo above from Berlin, the Reichstag, the meeting place of Germany's parliament, is illuminated in the colors of the German flag on Oct. 3 as part of celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of reunification.

Secretary Clinton said yesterday that one of her pet peeves is poor countries that don't tax their elite and then expect the United States to come in and save their people.

Clinton made the remark in a round-table discussion on the U.S. administration's new global development policy. Her complete remark was:

It's one of my pet peeves: Countries that will not tax their elite, who expect us to come in and help them serve their people, are just not going to get the kind of help from us that historically they may have.

Moderator Frank Sesno of George Washington University followed up by asking, "You're going to go to countries that are getting [aid] now and say we're going to stop?" Clinton responded by singling out Pakistan:

There's got to be some reciprocity here. Because one of the things that is now happening in Pakistan, and I said this when I was there last year, you cannot have a tax rate of 9 percent of GDP when big landholders and all the other elites do not pay anything or pay so little it's laughable, and you've got such a rate of poverty and everybody is looking to the United States and other donors to come in and help.

Sesno pushed further, asking whether Clinton was truly prepared to tell governments of countries filled with poor people that the U.S. government would withdraw or scale back aid if they didn't tax their elite, who are often the base of political support for those countries' leaders. Clinton said that was one of the messages that the United States was starting to deliver and mentioned that Pakistan's finance minister has already introduced a set of tax and economic reforms.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, another of the participants in the round-table discussion, backed Clinton up, saying:

I've been doing this for a long time. I have never heard a discussion like this where you have a secretary of state saying what Secretary Clinton just said, which is recognizing that unless we are tougher on how we provide assistance, unless we look at those basic simple things, like are they running their country in a way that gives us confidence that our resources will be used well, we should not be financing them at this level. That is an enormously consequential thing.

Something tells me that if Barack Obama's administration is having such a difficult time increasing taxes on the richest Americans, then it's going to have an even harder time getting another country's government to do the same. And in the case of Pakistan, is that country really going to do the United States' bidding? In the interest of national security, the United States will continue pouring billions of dollars into Pakistan; with so many Islamist extremist groups on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the United States isn't going to scale back development efforts just because the Pakistani government won't reform its tax code and crack down on tax evasion.

(For more on this topic, check out my colleague Josh Rogin's report, "Clinton presses Pakistan to raise taxes on wealthy" over at FP's The Cable.)