|  | | | H I G H L I G H T S
| Thursday, December 15, 2005 | | |
|
 Iraqis Go to the Polls
President Bush (Dec. 14): "We are living through a watershed moment in the story of freedom. Most of the focus now is on this week's elections -- and rightly so. Iraqis will go to the polls to choose a government that will be the only constitutional democracy in the Arab world. Yet we need to remember that these elections are also a vital part of a broader strategy for protecting the American people against the threat of terrorism." full text | The White House: Renewal in Iraq
Improving U.S. Efforts for Reconstruction and Stabilization
President Bush recently issued a directive empowering the Secretary of State to improve the United States’ capacity to manage reconstruction and stabilization efforts for foreign states and regions at risk of, in, or in transition from conflict or civil strife. Special Briefing
 World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference
The Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference is being held in Hong Kong, December 13-18. In general, ministerial conferences are the WTO's highest decision-making body, meeting at least once every 2 years and providing political direction for the organization. more
| | | | | I N O T H E R N E W S | | | | |  At the request of the Iraqi Embassy, the U.S. Government has agreed to allow the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) to hold parliamentary elections for Iraqi nationals residing in the U.S. from December 13 to 15, 2005, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Named after the renowned journalist and former director of the United States Information Agency, Edward R. Murrow, the new "Partnership for International Journalism Program" emphasizes many of the democratic principles that guided Mr. Murrow's practice of his craft: integrity and ethics and courage and social responsibility.
| | Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Maura Harty presented remarks at the ceremony reopening the New Orleans Passport Agency. The reopening of this facility will greatly improve the Department's ability to continue to meet the travel needs of Americans and assure the Department's continued commitment to the City of New Orleans.
Test your ability! See how you'd handle a Foreign Service Officer's work in Assignment Abroad, an interactive feature on the Department's Careers website. Encounter situations that demand creative solutions and quick thinking, while learning how Foreign Service Officers make a difference on behalf of the United States.
|
| | | | |
|
