All articles from Howard LaFranchi

'Big heels to fill': What John Kerry signaled to State Dept. on his first day (+video)

On his first day at State Department, John Kerry introduced himself with humor, passion, a nod to the women who preceded him, and a pledge to focus on the 'security and safety of our people.'
Turkey suicide bombing: This time, US calls it a terrorist attack right away (+video)

A Turkish security guard was killed in the attack Friday. The State Department is still sensitive to charges that it was slow to call the attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya, a terrorist attack.
Hillary Clinton departs State: What's her legacy as top US diplomat? (+video)

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton steps down Friday. Her supporters say she has reenergized America’s working relationships with allies and partners, while some critics ask what her defining accomplishments are.
Senate confirms John Kerry, a foreign-policy buff who has Obama's trust

The Senate voted 94-to-3 to confirm John Kerry as secretary of State. He has Obama's trust and appears in sync with him on policy, but the president may be primarily focused on domestic affairs.
John Kerry: 'No one should mistake our resolve' on Iran's nuclear program

Sen. John Kerry appeared Thursday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which he still chairs, to discuss the foreign policy he would promote as the next secretary of State.
Benghazi hearings: Will Hillary Clinton's testimony impact her future? (+video)

In a much anticipated appearance before Congress, Hillary Clinton testified Wednesday on the deadly attack on US diplomats in Benghazi, Libya. Sen. Rand Paul said he would have fired her.
UN unanimously condemns North Korea rocket launch: why China joined in

China's support for the US-sponsored Security Council measure sends a message to North Korea that any future missile launch or nuclear test will likely be met with harsher UN sanctions.
Why elections in Israel may not bring better ties with US

Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have won a new, if narrow, mandate to lead Israel, and key disagreements remain: over Middle East peace, and how to deal with Iran's nuclear program.
Algeria prisoner swap shows how Al Qaeda won't leave US alone

As Al Qaeda-affiliated group proposed exchanging two US hostages in Algeria for two Islamist extremists jailed in the US, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged stepped-up US support for counterterror efforts in North Africa.
Algeria hostage crisis brings world to North Africa's anti-Islamist fight (+video)

US confirms it deployed drones to monitor the fast-moving Algeria hostage crisis, which thrust Algeria onto center stage of the regional battle against radical Islamists.
War crimes in Syria: Time to appeal to International Criminal Court?

Fifty-seven countries on Monday urged the UN Security Council to ask the International Criminal Court at The Hague to investigate possible war crimes in Syria. The call comes as other groups report a spike in sexual violence in Syria.
Afghanistan war: US to shed combat duties sooner (+video)

US troops will hand off responsibility for military operations to the Afghans in the spring, President Obama and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai announced Friday. That represents a modest acceleration from earlier plans.
As Obama meets Karzai, future troop level in Afghanistan isn't only big issue

The meeting Friday at the White House between Obama and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai may lay a foundation for the coming year's negotiations over US role in the country after 2014.
Benghazi investigation falters amid fear of militant reprisals

A four-month investigation is reportedly turning up links between Al Qaeda groups and the Sept. 11 attacks on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. But as Libyan investigators fall prey to harm, concerns rise that the probe may be derailed.
With John Brennan, Obama doubles down on drone strikes (+video)

President Obama wants John Brennan to head the CIA. In the confirmation process, he could face questions from the left and right about his past at the CIA and his vision for the war on terror.
Google exec to visit North Korea: why Obama administration isn't happy

Former US diplomat Bill Richardson is planning to take a Google executive to North Korea. The State Department has said the visit is unhelpful. The concern is about timing, it seems.
Obama-Karzai talks near: How many US troops should stay in Afghanistan?

Afghan President Hamid Karzai will be in Washington next week to meet with President Obama. Top of the agenda: deciding whether US troops should stay beyond 2014 – and how many.
Home for the holidays: Fewer US troops are absent this year

Christmas 2012 marks the smallest deployment of combat troops abroad in at least five years, as the war in Iraq ends and US forces deployed to Afghanistan have been drawing down.
In war-torn Syria, tactic of targeting civilians is on the rise

Under international law, it's a war crime to target civilians in a war zone. That hasn't halted the tactic in Syria, where hundreds of civilians have died in attacks such as one Sunday at a bakery in Halfaya in a rebel stronghold.
John Kerry as secretary of State: expect a more traditional style (+video)

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, with her late-night dancing and talks with children, was known for her 'people to people' style. John Kerry is expected to adopt a more traditional version of diplomacy.