lines in iraq, afghanistan and pakistan. they will be working under very difficult conditions to advance our vital interests through civilian power. tom nides, our extraordinary deputy for resources and management, is leading our american efforts to help iraq become a stable, sovereign, democratic partner, and he could not have had a better partner than jim jeffrey. i'm grateful to all who have been on the team regarding iraq, because it has been a very big challenge for us to get our arms around. a critical element of our path forward in afghanistan will be the success of the afghans in securing and leading their country for themselves. ryan crocker has brought his tremendous lifetime experience to this really difficult job at this moment. they will need help. and i've asked many of you as a

key element of president obama's policy to press the governments to which you are accredited, to pledge substantial financial support to the afghan security forces for the period beyond 2014. i'm also counting on your personal vigorous engagementgar. cameron munter, and before him, patterson, have had a very challenging assignment. there are multiple overlapping worlds in pakistan, and we have to deal with all of them simultaneously. but the country is vital to our counter-terrorism, economic stability and regional cooperation goals for the region. and we will continue to engage where we even have legitimate concerns and disagreements. in these front line states and in all countries facing

instability, we put a special focus on protecting universal human rights, increasing political participation and enforcing the rule of law. it also puts an extra burden on us to live our values and to, both on the military and civilian side, demonstrate who we are as a people. because when people feel safe and empowered to pursue their legitimate aspirations, they are more likely to reject extremism and to invest in their own societies. so human rights and global security are deeply and directly linked. we cannot sacrifice one without damaging both. and we have been working to use our position on the u.n. human rights council to continue standing up for universal human rights on the international scene. now, i recognize that sustainable progress on human rights and democracy can only happen from within. but we do have an obligation to

help amplify those voices of those advocating for change in their own societies, including non-governmental human rights and democracy activists. in recent years, a number of governments have taken actions aimed at disempowering these groups, and today in the middle east and africa and elsewhere, governments are challenging the propriety of american support for civil society organizations. in response to these charnges, need each of you, and especially those of you operating in restrictive environments, to communicate our commitment to working with and supporting individuals and groups that represent not only what we believe are our values but universal values, freedoms and human rights. we need to be clear that this support is a fundamental part of our global human rights policy that is aimed at supporting the building blocks of sustainable democracy.

now, i do think we have to be smart about how we perhaps we can talk more about that in the town hall. because a lot of the countries have legitimate questions and particularly a lot of the transitioning new dmemocraciede. so i don't think we can assume anything. we need to be very humble in making our case, and to do so effectively and consistently. now, for much of the past decade, we have focused by necessity on places where threats and instability are greatest. in the decade ahead, we must also be just as focused on the areas of our greatest opportunities. i think that happens to be the rest of the world. but our second priority is our relationship with the asia pacific region, and when we talk about asia pacific, we are talking about from the indian subcontinent to the americas. we want to expand the appeertur

of what this means to the united states. so we want to be a range of institutions to expands the pacific that complements the success of our durable partnership. we areen asia, watching new strategic dialogues and ni initiatives, enjoying new latitudes to underscore that america is and will remain a pacific power. in the coming century, no region will be more consequenceal to america's future. it's not just a concern for uap, it's also for wha and sca, but it's really for all of us. because the security and economic interest will affect everything we do everywhere. so we have to engage you in our efforts, and we have reached out to, for example, eur to help us with an asia dialogue with the

eu. we're working hard with our friends in latin america to expand their reach to asia, but to do so in a way that helps themselves and not just creates a market for natural resources. we should engage everyone as partners to work to establish a rules-based order for coming years. and that is particularly true, but autocratic regimes to the most democratic region in the world right now.

with such growth happening on both sides of the pacific, there are greater opportunities and natural affinities for our countries to operate, an idea that we have improved and boosted economic growth from the north to the straits of magellan. as we invest in these opportunities in asia, we must also engage with the most consequential development around the world. our nation has responded in precedented ways, but then again, we had to. it couldn't be business as usual from morocco all the way to yemen. and people there really had to think outside the box. so our third priority area is helping those countries complete their transitions to democracy, and this will not be easy, and it certainly will not happen overnight. i often tell leaders in this region that, you know, the united states has been working

on our democracy for more than 235 years, we're still in the process of trying to perfect it, but we have to make steady progress. that's not an excuse for either standing still or going backwards. engaging with islamist parties is going to be a new but necessary effort on the part of the united states which we are undertaking at every level. now, obviously, not all countries in the region are embracing the mantel of reform. we continue to apply pressure on assad and his regime in syria to stop the brutality, and we work with the opposition and like-minded countries to try to help them be in a position to be part of a successful political transition. so as the region transforms, so must our engagement. we must be ready to respond to an unanticipated flood of needs in a way that reflects our leadership. as people in governments make meaningful commitments to

reform, we will support them in tangible ways. whether that means advising on how to build a vibrant civil society, ensuring the full participation of women, providing loan guarantees or promoting educational opportunities, we have to be active across the board. we need to provide the right assistance at the right moment to the right people. and this is also true in sub-saharan africa and southeast asia as well. promoting a development that delivers results for people should be at the heart of our agenda in every part of the world. in this effort and in each of the other areas i've discussed, europe remains our partner of first resort. from the front lines in afghanistan to the table at the u.n. security council, our alliances and friendships with our european friends and with the institutions that they have built have never wavered. and we look to europe as we take

on these global challenges in the 21st century just as much as we did in the 20th. that brings me to our fourth priority, economic state craft. i sent a cable on this subject to every embassy and council at last october. but i want to reinforce in person how important our actions at the crossroads of economics and diplomacy are. at every turn, we should be asking ourselves, how can we use diplomacy and development to strengthen our country? how can we leverage our economic strength to promote our diplomatic goals? how do we build a global economic system that is open, free, transparent and fair? these are not new questions, but we have to bring them to the forefront of our discussions. i think for too long, treasury did economics, the commerce department and ustr, export/import, opec, but we have

the global presence. we are everywhere. we have 1,000 economic officers. we have to be right there at the point of the spear looking for these opportunities, working with and sometimes advising our colleagues in government about the best way to cut through all of the barriers. several weeks ago we hosted a unique, unprecedented event. we partnered with the american chamber of commerce and invited chambers from across the world, along with business leaders. i told them we've made jobs diplomacy a priority mission here at the state department, and i want to put that phrase "jobs diplomacy" in front of you as well. so we do need to do more to help american companies expand their business overseas and to promote for an investment here at home. where we see corruption, red tape, favoritism, disturbing

currencies or property theft that disadvantages american companies, we must push back. because those practices create unfair barriers to transition and slow our economic recovery. it was fascinating at the conference, because a lot of businesses, from very large to quite small, he says, i used to think there was no role for the government. i was out there, a free market decision. and i don't need you all to help me. now i look around and i see our european friends to our asian ones who have a full partner with their government, and we need your help. what we're trying to do is enhance our counselor efforts, speed up the visa process. more people are visiting, and the more people who visit, the more people at home actually work. we're using dollars in order to

create future markets. people have a very clear view about what diplomacy and development are for. find this kind of jobs diplomacy pitch a little bit jarring because, you know, it's not exactly what they've seen but it's always gone on and it always will go on. we're effective in delivering. my fifth point has to do with continuing to elevate development. it's an indispensable pillar in development strategy. an effective development requires indigenous political will, responsive and transparent governance, frameworks that create opportunities. to achieve that, we need to broaden our traditional development assistance tools and focus on mobilizing reform through influence and engagement

that draws on the strengths and resources of all relevant government agencies. diplomacy is central to that. and part of the work we did through the qddr to help you as the chief of mission truly become the chief executive of the u.s. government presence in your countries was to ask you to really support the development side of the ledger as well. i will soon be sending you detailed guidance that covers modernizing our diplomacy to better support development. as we pursue our signature initiatives, the global health initiative, feed the future, we are transforming the way we do development. sometimes it's a little frustrating because we emphasize country ownership, and a lot of people have done development over the years, they go into a country and they say, well, here's what you need, and now countries are saying, no, here's what we want. so negotiating that is really a

diplomatic effort that requires your participation. our global health initiative will reach 6 million people with life-saving hiv/aids treatment by 2013, creating the foundation for an aids-free generation. and our feed the future initiative is driving agricultural growth and improving nutrition. so we're increasing our capacity within countries so they can take on more responsibility. we have to move towards sustainability. we've had so much rhetoric about that, and now we have to translate it into an active agenda. it just doesn't work anymore, that when we go into a country with our aid, the government in the country basically withdraws from that area and uses the money that they were using, for example, on health to do something else. so we have to be much more engaged at all levels of the government. it's not just the ministers of development, it's the finance

ministers, the foreign ministers and everyone else. so i think where we are looking to move is to partner with governments, local groups and the private sector, not substitute for them, and then to deliver measurable results. and dr. roz shaw has made creating a results-oriented a.i.d. his highest priority. and finally, of course, i couldn't speak to this group without stressing the global focus we have on enhancing the status of women and girls. you know the arguments. i've set them forth in a series of speeches, particularly the apex speech in san francisco last fall, making the case that the full participation of women in every economy, including our own, namely knocking down the barriers to participation, whether they be education or access to credit or the right to

inherit would raise the gdp of every country in the world. now, some would only go up a little bit like finland, but some could go up a very long way, and it would be a tremendous step forward for prosperity. and we also are stressing women's unique contributions to making and keeping peace. we worked hard with the defense department and the white house and the first ever national action plan as to how we could involve women more effectively because most peace treaties fail, they don't have buy-in, they don't have support from the p populous, and where it's coincidental, but it is a correlation, where women have been involved like liberia, the chances of it lasting are at least greater than not. so this week i am issuing the first ever policy directive.

it contains specific steps on protecting women and gender policy on every aspect of our work, on our policy, our budgeting, our program management and training practices. women are often the canary in the coal mine. when it comes to transitioning to democracy or sustaining democracy, we need to pay attention to whether they're thriving or not because that's one of the earliest indicators as to whether any society is going to sustain its democratic progress. and i'm counting on your leadership as chief to mission to implement this guidance around the world. i should also note that there will be changes in our ambassadorial core this summer and following the november elections as is customary at the end of a presidential term. the foreign policy of the united

states, however, does not stop for elections. it requires consistent direction and management, so it is important that our ambassadors work to remain at their posts until either the senate has confirmed a replacement or specific departure instructions are given. as i've traveled in so many countries over the last five, six months, a number of you have told me that your time will be up in the spring or in the summer. but we don't know if we will get people confirmed in the current political climate. we don't know who will or won't get confirmed in some last-minute deal that might be worked out before the congress basically goes out for elections. so we very much encourage you insofar as possible to stay. we need you, we look to you, and there is no country in the world that can do it without you.

now, obviously there are many other important issues that i haven't touched on. we can, i'm sure, look forward to hearing about from the speakers today, but also at the town hall later this afternoon. the simple truth is, we have a lot to do, but we have a great team. a great team out in the field and a great team here in washington. i look forward to seeing you at lunch and later this afternoon along with my colleagues to take your questions. both chambers of congress are out today. the house returns monday from a week-long district work period. they'll begin budget business on monday afternoon. paul ryan will present his budget next week. in the senate, also in on monday, starting the day at 2:00 eastern with general speeches. at 4:30, they return to work on a small business bill that aims

to loosens security relations. we also expect amendments. the senate is live on c-span 2. i was quite a radical as a young person. i was the one who thought that we should overcome was not a very effective way of gaining civil rights. i think that more confrontation was needed. >> economics professor, walter williams, on being a radical. >> i believe that a radical is any person who believes in personal liberty and individual freedom and limited government. that makes you a radical. i have always been a person who believed that people should not interfere with me. i should be able to do my own thing so long as i don't violate

the rights of other people. >> more on c-span's q & a. the special investigator has released the report on the late alaskan senator ted stevens. we spoke to a political reporter for more on the topic. >> john, good morning to you. thanks for being with us. what are the details about this? what should people know about the inquiry into the senator stevens trial? we will take it from there about what's next. >> this is a report by special prosecutor henry sulke. he oversaw the corruption trial of the late ted stevens in 2008. stevens was convicted of failing

to report some improper gifts of more than 2$250,000 of gifts. he lost that election the following year. after the conviction, there was an fbi agent that came forward and said prosecutors failed to provide exculpatory evidence into the case. that eric holder asked to have the convictions set aside in a stunning development in 2009. then the judge sullivan agreed to do that. he appointed schultz to lead the investigation. we knew the outlines of the findings since last november. we knew that there were major,

major problems inside the prosecution over the stevens case. i think what was stunning yesterday and the developments is when you go through the report into law, it is over 500 pages. there are responses from the prosecutors and some of the folks involved in the case from the justice department side that has a lengthy response. it is stunning that how much was held and how there were serious doubts within the justice department or their should have been more serious doubts about the case against stevens. and folks knew for a long time that there were senior justice department officials knew for a long time how suspect parts of the case were against the late senator.

>> there was a suspected suicide against the prosecution team and the effects against the stevens family. have you seen any estimates about how much it cost for the federal government to mount this prosecution? >> it is millions of dollars. i mean it's hard to oversee how important the stevens case was. ted stevens was the longest serving republican in senate history. he was a legendary figure. he was dedicated to alaska. he was a small man and a very direct man. you know, his job was he sought to bring federal dollars back to alaska. he was a powerful man. it's hard to overstate how important that case was. they raided his home more than a year before he was indicted.

they had a long time to look at this case. and it was a huge conviction. at the time it was seen as a huge victory for the justice department. now, you know, years later, it's become -- and it is still a political issue in alaska and a political issue here. you have some of stevens' former colleagues bashing the justice department and senator patrick leahy, chairman of the judiciary committee says he may have a hearing on what happened here. it shattered morale. and it is still playing out. doj pulled back from some cases that you would prior to stevens case you would have think they would go after, for instance, the allegations against former senator john ensign. they didn't bring criminal charges. they're still looking at it.

but the shocking developments here, you would have thought they would have gone after him. there were other cases. so it's still playing out. you know, there is still legislation on this trying to change prosecutoral standards. the fallout is stunning. when you look at the report and folks that covered it like myself how strong the special prosecutor was. and the other part is ervin side the justice department was pointing fingers at each other. junior prosecutors in the case, some of them being blamed for the bulk of what happened, they're pointing fingers at their bosses. bosses are saying it was these guys. nobody wants to take responsibility. it is surprising to me how much finger pointing and then -- actually, they take after some of these guys in the report and says, you know, he was interviewing -- he interviewed everybody.

and the justice department officials involved and, you know, they're all blaming each other. and there are certain points where they just, you know, there are five or six of them in the room discussing things about the case that were later came out and, you know, now none of them can recall what happened. >> it's a complex story. obviously, hard to do justice in a couple minutes on the phone here. i would suggest to people they read your story. there is a major piece in "the washington post" on it today. you were there for so much of the trial. are you thinking about maybe a book coming out on this? >> no. i don't know. i'm sure there will be. to me it's stunning. >> not from you? >> i don't know. we'll see. you know, i think it would be fascinating to do so.

i would hope somebody does it. again, for your viewers, i mean it's important that issues like this get explored in depth. we need the justice department and other law enforcement to be able to police congress and police powerful public officials. the thing you have to do so in is a responsible way. the line is very difficult to achieve. i think in this case, it's clear that the goal became more important than actual justice. i think that was a shame for democracy. >> let me jump in at that point with a thank you very much for giving us some of the details involved in this very -- this lengthy report from a special prosecutor in the stevens case with the headlines on it finding major misconduct by the justice department. the prosecution team and the ted stevens case. we encourage you to read more about it this morning.