President Obama marked the death of Ghana's president Tuesday with a statement applauding John Evans Atta Mills' for strengthening the west African country's “strong tradition of democracy.”

The English-speaking country has long been held up in the United States as a model of democratic stability and economic growth in a part of the world often riven with coups. Obama visited in July 2009 in his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa, during which he delivered a speech to lawmakers and visited an oceanfront fort once used to ship slaves to the Americas.

“Under his leadership, the United States and Ghana deepened our partnership in the promotion of good governance and economic development. He was also a strong advocate for human rights and for the fair treatment of all Ghanaians.”

Atta Mills, 68, died of throat cancer just months before running for a second term.

Obama's full statement is below:

Three lawmakers have signed on to Rep. Frank Wolf's (R-Va.) effort to have the Obama administration replace its ambassador to Vietnam over concerns that he hasn't done enough to boost human rights in the country.

Reps. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.), Joseph Pitts (R-Pa.) and Chris Smith (R-N.J.) signed on to a letter – Wolf's third – to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging the dismissal of David Shear. Wolf began gunning for Shear's head earlier this month after finding out that he had not contacted the family of Vietnamese-American imprisoned in Hanoi and did not invite many prominent human-rights activists to the embassy's July 4th party.

“We do not believe that this administration, especially Ambassador David Shear, have sufficiently advocated for basic human rights and religious freedom in Vietnam,” the letter states. “In fact, Ambassador Shear has sidelined these issues, which has been a cause for concern.” Read more...

In his speech to the VFW, Romney's attacks targeted a perceived Obama strength: national security. 

The nation's top trade official pressed for Congress to continue on the path toward normalizing trade relations with Russia. 

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk told the U.S.-Russia Business Council on Tuesday that failing to pass a measure to extend permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) by eliminating the Jackson-Vanik provision "could jeopardize well-paying jobs here at home."

“As we mark the significant progress made so far, it’s important for everyone to stay focused on the positive impact that Russia PNTR will have on U.S. trade and jobs, so that we can pursue a legislative path forward," he said. 

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Tuesday called recent moves by China to assert control over disputed islands in the South China Sea “unnecessarily provocative.”

The statement comes after China over the weekend elected 45 legislators to govern over the Spratlys, the Paracels and the Macclesfield Bank, which are also claimed by Vietnam. On Sunday, China also approved the deployment of soldiers to guard the islands.

“The decision by China’s Central Military Commission to deploy troops to islands in the South China Sea, which are also claimed by Vietnam, is unnecessarily provocative,” McCain said. “Similarly, China’s appointment of legislators to govern all of the islands and waters that China claims in the South China Sea only reinforces why many Asian countries are increasingly concerned about China’s expansive territorial claims, which have no basis in international law, and the possibility that China will attempt to impose those claims through intimidation and coercion.”

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will fault President Obama for looming automatic defense cuts during a speech at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) national convention on Tuesday aimed at painting the commander in chief as weak on national security.

Romney delivers the speech ahead of his trip to Great Britain, Poland and Israel, where' he'll seek to demonstrate his foreign policy chops. 

And while congressional Republicans seek to make the impending sequestration cuts a campaign issue, the presumptive GOP nominee will accuse Obama of playing politics with the nation's defense budget.

“Don’t bother trying to find a serious military rationale behind any of this, unless that rationale is wishful thinking,” Romney will say, according to excerpts of his planned remarks. “Strategy is not driving President Obama’s massive defense cuts.” 

“I am an unapologetic believer in the greatness of this country,” Romney will add. “I am not ashamed of American power.”

Your morning global affairs speed-read

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivers the keynote address at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's symposium on preventing genocide. The event, in cooperation with the Council on Foreign Relations and CNN,  will explore the challenges of preventing genocide in the 21st century, including emerging global trends such as economic uncertainty, political upheaval, resource scarcity, population migration, new technologies and other factors that could affect at-risk populations.

It will also feature a large-scale poll on Americans' opinion about what should be done in places like Syria and Sudan. Here's the agenda. 

Romney's plan: GOP presidential candidate lays out his foreign-policy vision at a speech at the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention in Reno, Nev., this afternoon, ahead of his tour of Great Britain, Poland and Israel starting Thursday. Romney's speech follows President Obama's appearance at the VFW on Monday, during which he told the veterans he has stuck by his promise to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan responsibly and accused Republicans of endangering defense spending by refusing to allow higher taxes on the rich.

African trade: The House is scheduled to vote today on legislation giving certain African countries another three years of duty-free access to the U.S. apparel market for goods that are produced with imported yarn and fabric. The Congressional Budget Office gave the amendment to the African Growth and Opportunity Act an extra boost Monday when it scored it as saving $5 million.

Afghanistan scrutiny: Kabul's troubled Dawood hospital is back on Congress's radar less than a month after House defense lawmakers grilled DOD officials over allegations of rampant corruption and abuse at the U.S.-funded Afghan military hospital. Military officers who served in Afghanistan will tell Congress that top U.S. commanders covered up the situation when they testify before the House Oversight national security subcommittee on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Separately, the Senate Armed Services oversight subcommittee examines the Afghan National Security Forces' ability to take the lead in protecting the country.

Mitt Romney has hit Obama hard for not visiting the U.S. ally since a 2008 campaign trip.

The House voted down two suspension bills Monday night — one aimed at encouraging private interests in Turkey to invest in U.S. Indian tribal economies, and another allowing North Dakota to constructs levees on certain properties designated as open space lands.

Suspension bills are those that are not subject to the normal House rules of debate. Because they are usually non-controversial, they are subject to much less debate, and therefore must receive a two-thirds majority vote to pass.