Secretary of State

The Colors fly over Cuba again

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By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS on August 14, 2015. Pool photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais.

Secretary of State John Kerry was in Havana, Cuba this morning for the formal flag raising ceremony at the U.S. Embassy.  The Colors fly over Cuba again.

Secretary Kerry took with him Three Marines who took down the U.S. flag in Cuba in 1961. Today, they watched it rise again:

It was a few days into January 1961 when three Marines at the U.S. Embassy in Havana were given a sad task: Take down the American flag. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was shutting down the diplomatic compound and pulling Americans out, a response to the downward spiral in U.S. relations with the new government of Fidel Castro.

The noncommissioned officer in charge at the embassy asked for three volunteers — “the biggest, ugliest Marines you can find,” recalled retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Jim Tracy, then a sergeant. He and two others — then-Lance Cpl. Larry C. Morris and then-Cpl. F.W. Mike East — were sent out to part a crowd of about 300 Cubans and take down Old Glory, Tracy said.

“We didn’t have anybody on the sidewalks at all,” Tracy said. “They knew what we were going to do.”

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Marine Corps veterans Francis ‘Mike’ East, James Tracy and Larry Morris wait to present the U.S. flag to Marines stationed in Cuba during the raising of the U.S. flag over the newly reopened embassy in Havana, Cuba on Friday, Aug. 14. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pool)

On Friday, the Marines, now in their 70s, returned to Havana alongside Secretary of State John F. Kerry to take part in a ceremony to raise the flag again. It has been more than 54 years since U.S. relations with Cuba were severed, but the embassy has reopened following an agreement reached earlier this year between Havana and Washington.

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U.S. and Cuba Embassies reopen

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The New York Times reports today that the U.S. Embassy in Cuba Reopens After More Than 50 Years:

us-cuba_relations_300x225_1After more than a half-century defined by mistrust and rancor, the United States officially reopened its six-story embassy in the Cuban capital on Monday, the culmination of many months of negotiations to overcome decades of historical enmity and to restore diplomatic relations between the two nations.

More than two years of effort went into restoring relations between Cuba and the United States, both public and private, yet most observers say they believe it will be many more years before mutual wariness fades.

Re-establishing diplomatic relations does not resolve a host of issues for further negotiations.

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P5+1 powers and Iran agree to nuclear ‘framework’

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There is one certainty that you can take to the bank: regardless of whatever the P5+1 world powers and Iran agree to, Neocon Tea-Publicans will reject it in knee-jerk opposition, because they have invested years in preparing for their Neocon war against Iran. It simply does not matter to them what is in any agreement; they want to get their war on with Iran.

The bloodlust of these sociopaths willing to send your sons and daughters to die in a war in Iran, a war that they themselves will never dirty their hands nor risk their lives fighting but from which they will profit financially, and perhaps politically, rather than to exhaust every diplomatic avenue for peaceful settlement, is truly disturbing and is unconscionable.

From the Whitehouse:

Nuclear-IranIn November 2013, the P5+1 and Iran took an important first step toward that goal with the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA), which halted the progress of Iran’s program and rolled back it back in key areas for the first time in nearly a decade. The IAEA has verified that Iran has met all of its obligations under the JPOA.

Today, after many months of principled diplomacy building on the JPOA, we have achieved a framework for a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The Washington Post reports, Iran and world powers agree on parameters of Iranian nuclear deal:

Negotiators from Iran and major world powers reached agreement Thursday on a framework for a final agreement to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from international sanctions, an accord that President Obama hailed as a “good deal” that would make the world a safer place.

Participants in the talks said the sides, including the United States and its key European allies, would promptly start drafting a final accord to be completed by a June 30 deadline.

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Terry Goddard’s first TV ad

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Democratic candidate for Secretary of State Terry Goddard has released his first television ad. In an email announcement Goddard writes:

goddardI’m very pleased to let you know that our first TV ad starts running statewide tonight.

It is focused on how I plan as Secretary of State to go after Dark Money the same way I went after money launderers for the cartels when I was your Attorney General.

I need your help getting my message out to voters that I am committed to end Dark Money and take the politics out of the Secretary of State’s office.

Please take a moment to watch the ad [below] and share it by forwarding this email to your friends and family or posting on your social media. I also hope you will sign and share my petition to stop Dark Money.

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Terry Goddard on his Secretary of State race

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goddardDemocratic candidate for Secretary of State Terry Goddard spoke to the Democrats of Greater Tucson today and made some news.

Goddard advised the capacity audience that Secretary of State Ken “Birther” Bennett has recently released a Revision to the State of Arizona Elections Procedure Manual to implement the “bifurcated” (dual system) election system that I have been posting about for some time. See, 10th Circuit grants stay pending appeal in proof-of-citizenship voter registration case.

The Revised Election Procedures Manual – Arizona Secretary of State (June 2014) (.pdf) was released without any fanfare or a press release. Here is the Introduction from the Secretary of State:

Screenshot from 2014-06-09 14:18:26

This is followed Governor Jan Brewer’s May 29, 2014 letter of approval of the new manual:

Screenshot from 2014-06-09 14:19:11

And Arizona Attorney General Tom “banned for life by the SEC” Horne’s May 12, 2014 letter of approval of the new manual:

Screenshot from 2014-06-09 14:20:29

Terry Goddard opposes this “bifurcated” dual election system. Goddard explained that the “bifurcated’ system means two lines for voters of every political party on election day: one line for those who registered to vote using the state of Arizona voter registration form, who will receive a full ballot; and one line for those who registered to vote using the National Voter Registration form, who will only be permitted to vote in federal races (congressional races in 2014). He believes this will be “a cloud on elections” in Arizona.

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