Here are a few choice excerpts for this week’s report –

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi share some laughs.

Tennesee Guerilla Women 3/25/2010

Norman Finkelstein Responds to Clinton, Netanyahu AIPAC Comments

I’m sure all of your listeners and your viewers are familiar with the magnitude of US aid to Israel. I think the important development is what Amnesty International said after the invasion of Gaza.

They said three main things: number one, that the US is by far the biggest supplier of weapons to Israel; number two, supplying those weapons to Israel is not only illegal under international law, it’s illegal under domestic US law; and number three, it said—and I think it’s important for your viewers to hear it—Amnesty International said what happened in Gaza could—and they describe what happened in Gaza as twenty-two days of death and destruction—what happened in Gaza could not have happened were it not for US taxpayer money.

And now along comes Hillary Clinton, and she’s extolling US military aid to Israel. The part that she left out is, number one, it’s all illegal under international and domestic US law, and number two, it was that US aid that made possible—you have to bear in mind—I know your program chronicled the use of the white phosphorus—every white phosphorus shell they found—you can see it in the Human Rights Watch report on the white phosphorus—every one was made in the United States. We are responsible for that war. It’s not just a cliché. It’s a factual matter. We made that massacre happen.

Axis of Logic 3/27/2010

Chavez: Clinton thinks US owns ‘the continent’

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez scorns US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as an ancient thinker, charging her with interfering in Venezuelan domestic affairs.

“She still considers herself the imperial lady. She is behind the times,” Chavez said during his visit to Ecuador on Friday.

“She still thinks the United States is the owner of this continent,” he added.

Press TV 3/27/2010

U.N. soiree may feature Clinton vs. Clinton

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to grab the spotlight with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Haitian President Rene Preval at a major fundraiser next week and in the process shove her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to the sidelines.

U.N. sources say Hillary, representing the Obama White House, will be a “central” figure at the U.N.’s Haiti Donor Conference to be convened at the organization’s New York City headquarters Wednesday. Bill Clinton, as special envoy, has been the U.N.’s point man on Haitian relief efforts over the last several months.

World Net Daily 3/27/2010

There were indications, some said, that the U.S. had designs on the world stage in which India would play a secondary role. I ended my comments by suggesting the Hillary’s trip to India would answer the question: was the U.S. dumping India for Beijing?  The trip has answered the question — at least partially.

In response to a reporter’s question during a joint appearance with her Indian counterpart, Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna, Madam Secretary reassured India that our two countries have a special bond because we are both democracies. At the same time, she emphasized that U.S. foreign policy is global in nature. We have vital interests and issues to discuss with both China and Pakistan (another historical Indian rival). 

While India seems profoundly snippy about any hint of American “meddling” in their affairs — carbon emissions and nuclear exports being two especially sensitive areas — the question posed to Hillary suggests a continuing, underlying sense of national inferiority and insecurity.

Here’s an excerpt from yesterday’s appearance –

QUESTION: Yeah. First up, I wanted to ask you, ma’am, that as far as Bush Administration was concerned and now the new Obama Administration is concerned, we have seen that there is a sense of feeling that this new Administration is more concerned and inclined toward deepening the relationship with Pakistan and – China and Pakistan. What are your comments on that?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, my comments – if I don’t choke – are that we have demonstrated very clearly the significance and importance of our relationship with India. We entered into this relationship to broaden and deepen it as partners already on the world stage. And what we have outlined today will be a significant expansion of our bilateral relationship. We also have a very important set of issues that we are pursuing with Pakistan, with China, and with many other countries around the world.

But I don’t think you can understate the significance of our relationship as two democracies. We understand the difficulties of decision making in democracies. And we respect the vibrancy of each other’s democracy. That is a much stronger base for a relationship than any other in the world, because it is democracies that are able to expand an understanding of common interests and show mutual respect, and that is what is at the core of our broadening relationship between us.

So yes, of course, we have relations with other countries. The United States is called upon to act globally every single hour of every single day. But as the invitation to Prime Minister Singh’s first state visit in the Obama Administration demonstrates, we are very committed to this relationship.