Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–February 17, 2012.  The United States congratulates Chairman Jalil, Prime Minister al-Keeb, and all the people of Libya on the first anniversary of their historic revolution.  Last February, few could imagine that the peaceful protesters  in cities from Benghazi to Tripoli would bring down a four-decade-old dictatorship.  Through their[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–February 17, 2012.  Today, the President will visit the Boeing assembly facility in Everett, Washington, to announce new steps aimed at promoting American manufacturing and increasing U.S. exports. Manufacturing represents nearly 60% of total U.S. exports, and Boeing is one of the country’s leading exporters of manufactured goods with[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–February 17, 2012.  After 9/11, we pledged that our cops, firefighters and EMTs would have the technology they need to stay safe and do their jobs. Part of that promise included deploying a nationwide, interoperable broadband network for our first responders. Today we made good on that overdue promise. [Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–February 16, 2012.  Leaders of both parties have done the right thing for our families and for our economy by reaching an agreement that will prevent a tax hike on 160 million working Americans.  I urge Congress to pass this agreement so that the payroll tax cut we put[Read More…]

Detroit, MI–(ENEWSPF)–February 16, 2012.  The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 last week that city election officials illegally blocked voters in 2010 from deciding on a municipal ballot initiative that sought to remove marijuana possession penalties for those age 21 or older. Proponents of the ballot measure, the Coalition for[Read More…]

NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–16 February 2012.  The General Assembly today strongly condemned the continued “widespread and systematic” human rights violations by the Syrian authorities and demanded that the Government immediately cease all violence and protect its people. The 193-member body adopted a resolution backing Arab League efforts to resolve the crisis in[Read More…]

Enroute San Francisco, CA–(ENEWSPF)–February 16, 2012 – 11:57 A.M. PST See below for a follow up to a question (marked with an asterisk) posed in the briefing. MR. CARNEY:  Good morning to you.  Welcome aboard Air Force One as we make our way from Los Angeles to San Francisco.  I[Read More…]

WASHINGTON—(ENEWSPF)—February 16, 2012.  Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called “underwear bomber,” was sentenced today to life in prison as a result of his guilty plea to all eight counts of a federal indictment charging him for his role in the attempted Christmas Day 2009 bombing of Northwest Airlines flight 253.  The[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–February 16, 2012.  Index for Today’s Briefing DEPARTMENT Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns Paris Pact Meetings IRAN Correspondence from Iran to Lady Cathy Ashton / Under Secretary Sherman Consultations / Lady Cathy Ashton Visit EGYPT U.S./Egypt Relationship Democracy NGOs AFGHANISTAN Ongoing Talks about Peace, Reconciliation, and Stability /[Read More…]

NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–16 February 2012.  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called again on the Syrian Government to comply with international humanitarian law and put an end to the “mounting loss of life” the country has experienced over the past year. United Nations human rights officials have previously estimated that Syrian security forces have[Read More…]