Foreign Policy

Along with Iraq war veterans and concerned citizens, Iraq Campaign 2008 says it will unfurl a 50-foot replica "Mission Accomplished" banner at the White House tomorrow, marking the five-year anniversary of President Bush's now-infamous speech.

The unfurling is slated to occur at 10:30 a.m. on Pennsylvania Ave.

On May 1, 2003, President Bush declared an end to major U.S. combat operations in Iraq (see the speech here) aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, anchored off the coast of San Diego. The ship bore a large banner that read "Mission Accomplished." CNN reported that, in October 2003, reporters pressed the White House on the banner, as U.S. casualties in Iraq had risen; the White House responded that the banner had been placed by the Navy.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Howard Berman (D-Calif.) today announced he will look at how foreign assistance can be reformed in the next administration, with a hearing tomorrow that the committee's spokeswoman says will be the first of several.

"No matter who wins in Pennsylvania today, or in the national election in November, the next administration will need to work with Congress on addressing problems in how this country distributes aid and conducts development programs in other countries," Foreign Affairs Committee spokeswoman Lynne Weil wrote in an email to reporters today.

Weil told The Hill that Berman wants to conduct a "top to bottom review" of U.S. foreign assistance "with an aim toward working with the next administration to address any large-scale problems."

The State Dept. began restructuring U.S. foreign assistance roughly two years ago when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice created the position of "Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance" at the department in April 2006.

Since a March 2007 full committee hearing where the committee heard testimony from Randall Tobias, the since-retired first director of U.S. foreign assistance, four Foreign Affairs subcommittees have examined foreign assistance in their respective geographic areas of interest.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is circulating a letter sent by the speaker of the Colombian House of Representatives to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). In it, Colombian Speaker Oscar Palacio criticizes Pelosi for her opposition to the U.S-Colombia free trade agreement President Bush sent to Congress April 7.

In the letter, Colombian Speaker Oscar Palacio says the U.S. House's decision to shelve the agreement "affords colonial treatment to us that is unbefitting one of the United States' staunchest allies." The House voted April 10 to circumvent the fast-track law applying to trade deals and shelve the agreement, despite President Bush's attempt to force a vote.

Palacio also says arguments based on violence against Colombian union members are "erroneous." U.S. labor unions have used violence against union members as a cornerstone of their opposition to the deal. The LA Times outlined violence against Colombian unionists in March.

"Under the framework of the Democratic Security Policy, Colombia has made great efforts to prevent crimes of that nature from occurring," Palacio says.

See the text of the letter, as provided by USTR, below. Read more...

Amidst an increase in protests against China by pro-Tibetan activists, President Bush said that Chinese leaders should open up talks with the Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama.

Bush gave his remarks at a press conference with Singapore Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.

"We both agree that it would stand the Chinese government in good stead if they would begin a dialogue with the representatives of the Dalai Lama," Bush said. "They'll find -- if they ever were to reach out to the Dalai Lama, they'd find him to be a really fine man, a peaceful man, a man who is anti-violence, a man who is not for independence but for the cultural identity of the Tibetans being maintained."

Bush also called on China to engage in talks with the Tibetan leader after he awarded him the Congressional Medal of Freedom last October.

The Briefing Room will liveblog today's Senate hearings featuring Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Amb. Ryan Crocker. Starting around 9:30 a.m., the two will give a report on the military surge to the Armed Services Committee. They go before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at 2:30 p.m.

Both Democrats, who are seeking a troop withdrawal, and Republicans, most of whom warn of the consequences of an immediate pullout, will question Petraeus and Crocker over what to expect in coming months, as J. Taylor Rushing reported in today's Hill.

Today's focus will also be on the presidential candidates. Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) are on the Armed Services Committee, while Sen. Barack Obama is a member of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Andy Barr, Chris Good and Walter Alarkon will start liveblogging as soon as Petraeus and Crocker's testimony begins.

Photo courtesy of Getty images

6:54 p.m.: The Foreign Relations committee is wrapping up its hearing. Petraeus and Crocker are done with the Senate but will face two house committees tomorrow. As Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) told Petraeus and Cocker "good luck."

Biden took one last shot at Crocker before adjourning, "no one thinks there is a diplomatic surge, no one, and we need to be surging."

That concludes the Briefing Room's coverage of the Petraeus-Crocker hearing. Check back at the Briefing Room for coverage of the Iraq debate and any other issue on Capitol Hill or the campaign trail. - A.B.

5:30 p.m.: Breaking from the slower question and answer pace conducted be previous Senators, Obama got through five exchanges with Petraeus and Crocker on topics ranging from al Qaeda in Iraq and increase Iranian influence. Obama attempted to get a clearer view of what Petraeus and Crocker would consider a "end game."

"If the definition for success is so high," Obama said "then that portends the possiblity of us staying for 20 or 30 years."

"If on the other hand we have a messy status quo" that does not "pose a threat," Obama asked "what is an achievable time frame?" - A.B.

5:23 p.m.: Hillary Clinton supporter Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) allowed Barack Obama to jump his place in line in order question Petraeus and Crocker ahead of Nelson because of an Obama scheduling issue. - A.B.

5:10 p.m.: Sen. Barbara Boxer's (D-Calif.) question for Petraeus was interrupted by a Code Pink protesters. When the protesters were not immediately silenced by capitol police Boxer yelled at the protesters to "hush up." - A.B.

4:40 p.m.: Talking about the Iranian Quds force, Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) says the group's killing of coalition forces would normally be considered "an act of war." Coleman asked Petraeus what needs to be done to "send the message" that the actions were unacceptable.

Petraeus told Coleman his focus is on Iraq. - A.B.

3:10 p.m.: Ranking Member on the Foreign Relations Committee Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) says the "surge" has had "marginal" impact but that "Iraq will be an unstable country for the foreseeable future, and if some type of political settlement can be reached, it will be inherently fragile." - A.B.

 

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President Bush called Chinese President Hu Jintao today to talk about the recent demonstrations and violence in Tibet.

"The President raised his concerns about the situation in Tibet and encouraged the Chinese government to engage in substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama's representatives and to allow access for journalists and diplomats," White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said today.

Bush told Hu that the recent election in Taiwan would provide both China and Taiwan an opportunity to settle differences and start anew. He also told Hu he appreciated "the important role China has played within the Six-Party framework," Perino said. The six-party framework refers to discussions between the U.S., China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, and Russia about North Korea's nuclear capabilities.

See the Associated Press's timeline of the unrest here. See the full statement by Perino after the jump. Read more...