The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA), headed by Acting Assistant Secretary Beth Jones, deals with U.S. foreign policy and U.S. diplomatic relations with Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Regional policy issues that NEA handles include Iraq, Middle East peace, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, and political and economic reform. Clickable Map»
Examining the Syrian Refugee Crisis
Assistant Secretary Richard (Sept. 19): "Until peace returns, the role of my bureau at the State Department is to support international efforts to deliver aid and alleviate suffering." Full Text»
UN Report on Chemical Weapons in Syria
Secretary Kerry (Sept. 19): "Thanks to this week’s long-awaited UN report, the facts in Syria only grew clearer and the case only grew more compelling. ... The UN report confirms unequivocally that chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, were used in Syria." Full Text» More»
Framework for Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons
Secretary Kerry (Sept. 14): "The principles that the U.S. and the Russian Federation have agreed on today can, with accountable follow-through, allow us to expedite the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons." Full Text» Background Briefing» More» Trip Page»
Meeting on Syria
Secretary Kerry (Sept. 12): "We have come here to define a potential path forward that we can share with our international partners, and together we will test the Assad regime’s commitment to follow through on its promises." Full Text» Background Briefing»
Syria: Weighing the U.S. Response
Secretary Kerry (Sept. 10): "We have always been talking about the necessity to hold the Assad regime accountable for its possession of chemical weapons, which up until right now, but for the threat of the use of force, they have never even admitted they have." Full Text» Remarks by President Obama in Address to the Nation» More»
Syria: Weighing the Obama Administration's Response
Secretary Kerry (Sept. 4): "We have important strategic national security interests--not just in preventing the proliferation of chemical weapons--but to avoid the creation of a safe haven or a base of operations for extremists...to use these chemical weapons either against us or against our friends." Full Text»
Related Releases:
• 09/06 - Secretary Kerry's Op-Ed in the Huffington Post»
• 09/05 - Secretary Kerry's Interview With MSNBC»
• 09/03 - Secretary Kerry's Testimony Before the SFRC» and DipNote»
• 09/03 - President Obama's Remarks Before Meeting With Congress»
• 09/01 - Secretary Kerry's Interviews: ABC» CBS» CNN» FOX» NBC»
• 08/31 - President Obama's Statement»
• 08/30 - Secretary Kerry's Statement» and DipNote»
• 08/30 - Government Assessment» and Map»
• 08/26 - Secretary Kerry's Remarks»
