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SecState-Designate Rex Tillerson Nomination Thread
Topic Started: Jan 11 2017, 04:01 PM (127 Views)
Webster
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(The Guardian) Tillerson confirmation hearing begins
--As we continue our coverage of Trump’s denial of the accuracy of pages of “sensitive information” circulated about him and his alleged secret salacious ties to Russia, we’re going to check in on the confirmation hearings of secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson, which have just started.
-Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/11/rex-tillerson-senate-congressional-hearing-key-points-live
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Webster
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--It's shameful Tillerson refused to answer my questions on his company's role in funding phony climate science. Bottom line: #ExxonKnew (Sen. Tim Kaine, D-VA - 11 Jan. 2017)
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--Tillerson, during confirmation hearing, says Russia poses 'danger' but refuses to call Putin 'war criminal' (Fox News, 11 Jan. 2017)
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--"We've got to get control of this border. We've got to prevent and stop the flow of people coming across." - Rex Tillerson (Transition 2017, 11 Jan. 2017)
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--Rex Tillerson: "more effective programs with better use of taxpayer dollars" for USAID. "Need for a complete and comprehensive review." (Aram B. Zamgochian, 11 Jan. 2017)
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CNN: Tillerson Fails To Win Over Key Republicans On Panel
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Washington (CNN)President-elect Donald Trump's choice for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, is facing resistance from a notable quarter -- Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.

Rubio -- who refused to say if he would vote for Tillerson after a day of testimony -- pressed the former ExxonMobil CEO hard Wednesday on a slew of human rights questions, pushing him to denounce the behavior of Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines and expressing deep disappointment when the Texan refused to do so.

Rubio's vote could make the difference in Tillerson's progress, as Republicans have only a one-vote margin on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and Democrats may not support him. But it is possible, should Tillerson stall in committee, for the Senate to bypass the panel and bring the nomination to the full Senate for a vote. "This is a very important decision and I recognize the partisan split on the committee and what it means," Rubio told reporters after the hearing. "I'm prepared to do what's right."

The Florida senator -- who lost to Trump in the GOP presidential primary and had heated personal exchanges with him during the campaign -- told Tillerson that "moral clarity" is crucial to US foreign policy and expressed disbelief that Tillerson wouldn't deliver judgments on countries' alleged human rights abuses when information is widely available. "The position you've been nominated to is, in my opinion, the second-most important position of the US government, with all due respect to the vice president," Rubio said.

When the world sees that "the United States is not prepared to stand up and say, yes, Vladimir Putin is a war criminal, Saudi Arabia violates human rights, it demoralizes these people all over the world," Rubio said.
Rubio wasn't alone on the fence. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said he is also undecided about Trump's choice.

"I think probably what happened today is he is a good man, an honest guy, well qualified in terms of his life experience, but I don't think he grew the vote today," Graham said. "I think there are a lot of Democrats that may have been thinking about voting for him are going to have a harder time of it."

Graham said Tillerson failed to answer a key question at this hearing about what he intends to do about Russian election-related hacking. "Real fuzzy answer," Graham said. "He needs to clear that up. If he doesn't clear that up, it would be a problem, and I think he can clear it up and he needs to clear it up."
-Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/11/politics/tillerson-confirmation-hearing/index.html
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Los Angeles Times: SecState Designates Raises Eyebrows With Comments Over China

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Did Rex Tillerson, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for secretary of State, misspeak or did he intend to take a stand that if implemented could be interpreted by China as an act of war?

Tillerson said during his confirmation hearing Wednesday that the United States would have to block China’s access to artificial islands that the country is building to assert its claim over disputed waters in the South China Sea.

"This is a threat to the entire global economy, if China is allowed to somehow dictate the terms of passage through these waters," Tillerson told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Obama administration has sent warships close to the artificial islands to challenge Beijing’s territorial claims. The U.S. position is that these are international waters, where ships from all countries are free to travel.

But Tillerson’s comments had foreign policy experts in the United States and China scratching their heads in befuddlement.

“Unless Washington plans to wage a large-scale war in the South China Sea, any other approaches to prevent Chinese access to the islands will be foolish,’’ editorialized the Global Times, the state-run Chinese newspaper known for its nationalistic views.

Pressed by reporters at a news conference Thursday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang declined to speculate about what Tillerson might have meant or how Beijing might respond. But he defended China’s actions in disputed waters as “above reproach.”

“We hope that the U.S. would be upright and unbiased, honor its commitments and stop taking sides on issues of sovereignty,” he told reporters.

Among U.S. Asia experts, the consensus appeared to be that Tillerson, a former chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp. without diplomatic experience, had engaged in a flight of hyperbole in keeping with the tough rhetoric about China favored by Trump.

People familiar with the confirmation process said Tillerson had not been sufficiently briefed for the hearing; according to one expert with firsthand knowledge, the Trump transition team had reached out only a few days before for an Asia specialist to brief Tillerson.

“He was not well prepared. Transitions are messy, but this was especially chaotic,’’ said the expert, who asked not to be named.

In the hearing, Tillerson said that China's activities in the South China Sea, where it is building up remote reefs and deploying military assets in areas also claimed by other countries, were tantamount to Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine.

"You're going to have to send China a clear signal that first, the island building stops, and second, your access to those islands is also not going to be allowed,” he said.

“As a practical matter, we don’t have the maritime power to set up a blockade in the South China Sea,’’ said Carl Baker, a former Air Force officer and policy analyst based in Honolulu with the Pacific Forum CSIS. “A problem like the South China Sea requires some finesse and careful thinking.’’
-Read more: http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-fg-china-tillerson-20170112-story.html
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The Hugh Hewitt Show: Fmr. U.S. War Crimes Ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper On Why Rex Tillerson Will Likely Be Confirmed
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Ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper was America’s ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues from 2001 to 2005, as well as a prosecutor at the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. He joined me Monday morning to talk about the upcoming Committee and Senate votes on Rex Tillerson for SecState:

HH: I begin with a gentleman far across the [world]. Ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper is an old law partner of mine. He was, for many years, the United States Ambassador for War Crimes. He was a war crimes prosecutor as well at the United Nations. He is now a lawyer at Arent-Fox and a good friend. Ambassador Prosper, welcome, good to have you up. What time is it, I think you’re in Singapore, aren’t you, or Hong Kong?
PRP: Yeah, no, good morning. I’m in Singapore. It’s a little after 7pm here.

HH: Well, thank you for spending, staying up a little bit later for us tonight and taking some time after a long day at work. I read your Washington Post op-ed and thought I want to talk to Ambassador Prosper about this. I’ll also send you a copy of The Fourth Way as a complimentary parting gift for staying up late.
PRP: Perfect.

HH: Mr. Ambassador, first of all, you’re a proud graduate of Pepperdine. Ron Phillips will be very happy that I’m talking to you this morning, Dean Ron Phillips from Pepperdine Law School. How did you end up going from Pepperdine Law School to being United States Ambassador for War Crimes?
PRP: Well, you know, it wasn’t a route that was planned. I started off as a deputy D.A. in Los Angeles in the hard-core gang unit. Then, I went and became an assistant U.S. Attorney out of Los Angeles. And in the mid ’90s, I was tapped to be the U.S. prosecutor assigned to the Rwanda, the U.N. Rwanda tribunal. And after prosecuting the first case of genocide in history, I came back and started to work in Washington as a foreign policy adviser in the State Department first to Madeleine Albright, and then when President Bush came in, he decided to elevate me to the role of Ambassador-at-large.

HH: So as Ambassador-at-large, your piece, Rex Tillerson Wouldn’t Call Putin A War Criminal: That Was The Right Choice, reflected on a very interesting exchange that most people have seen. I played it a few times last week, I’m not going to play it again, between Senator Marco Rubio and Secretary of State nominee-designate Rex Tillerson, wherein Marco Rubio asked is Vladimir Putin a war criminal, and wherein Rex Tillerson said I would not use that language. Your point is that Rubio asked the right question, Tillerson gave the right answer. Would you explain why?
PRP: Yeah, so I think Senator Rubio’s instincts were correct. I mean, when you look at what’s happening or what happened in Syria, and perhaps even elsewhere, it’s appalling. I mean, you do, you have civilians that are being killed, you have a disproportionate use of weapons. But the problem is you can’t take that and jump to a conclusion that the head of state of a particular country, here Russia, is a war criminal. These are determinations that are made after lengthy investigations of facts and law, and you’re looking at every single act of bombing or shooting to make a conclusion as to whether it was lawful or not.

HH: You noted in your piece that you co-authored with John Bellinger, who was legal adviser at State for a while, that genocide was a legal determination made about Darfur, and the government of Sudan was held responsible. And in Iraq, in the terrorist organization Islamic State, was held responsible. But I remember leading up to the declaration of genocide in Iraq by the Islamic State, it took them a lot of pressure and a lot of argument and a lot of detail, because there are significant consequences. You just don’t kind of throw that off in a hearing, do you?
PRP: No, no, you don’t. I mean, the consequences does have, it has a legal significance. It begins to be, to form part of the international dialogue, and it invokes certain responsibilities of states. I can speak to the Darfur situation, because I was intimately involved in that with Secretary Powell, General Powell. And we actually sent a team to Darfur to the border to speak with refugees. We looked at satellite imagery. We looked at all sorts of information before forming that conclusion and calling it a genocide.

HH: Now you’ve served with Secretary Albright, Secretary Powell, Secretary Rice. You’re deeply and well known and respected in the international diplomatic community as well as at home, and you’re one of us. You’re a conservative. The question is do you think Rex Tillerson will make a good Secretary of State?
PRP: You know, I actually think he will. You know, his background is one that is obviously unique the role, but there are a lot of skill sets that he brings. You know, the oil and gas business is a tough business, and I think people really need to recognize when you’re out there negotiating with these various states and emerging markets in the developing world. They’re not easy pushover negotiations. And obviously, he did well representing the interests of Exxon, and I believe he’ll do well representing the interests of the United States. I will add to it also that in addition to the obviously, you know, oil and gas, he had to deal with issues such as indigenous populations, corporate social responsibility, you know, the human rights aspects of the industry. So I do believe that he’ll bring a breadth of knowledge that will be transferable.
...continued in next post...
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...continued from previous post...
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HH: Rand Paul announced yesterday that he will be voting for Mr. Tillerson, so that really comes down to Marco Rubio’s vote. I believe Senator Rubio did the right thing by calling attention to the atrocities in Syria and Ukraine. He absolutely did the right thing, because that’s what Senators ought to do. But I found myself agreeing with you. I would be a little bit worried about a Secretary of State who was quick to answer a question like that where the tempting answer is the grandstand play, but the diplomatic answer is to wait and be fully informed and follow through on the consequences.
PRP: That’s absolutely right. You know, there’s a process for this. And again, once you, and as a state label a country as having acts of genocide, war crimes, or a head of state as having committed those acts, there are a series of ramifications, important ramifications, that unfold. So it’s important to make an informed decision, a knowledgeable decision, understanding not only the gravity of the offenses, but also the magnitude that the determination will have. And one point I just want to quickly add on this, you know, we have seen this in the United States where people just throw out the term against, they said for President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, and it’s, they’re politicizing. And by politicizing the term, you dilute the meaning and significance and the importance.

HH: Now Ambassador, I’m talking with Ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper, former U.S. Ambassador-at-large for War Crimes, and a veteran diplomat and very well respected around the world. Mr. Ambassador, when I wrote The Fourth Way, it’s mostly about domestic policy, the investment, the infrastructure investment, overhaul of entitlement, expansion of Obamacare or reform and repeal of Obamacare and the military build-up. I left diplomacy alone largely because it is so unpredictable. So when I look at the confirmation hearings this week, tomorrow they have Ryan Zinke before the Natural Resources Committee, predictable set of controversies. Health, Education and Labor and Pensions, Betsy DeVos goes up there on Tuesday – predictable. Wednesday, we’ve got Wilber Ross going to Commerce, and we’ve got Scott Pruitt going to Environment and Public Works, predictable set of controversies. Nikki Haley goes to Foreign Relations, though, on Wednesday, I expect she will be confirmed. The one that is least predictable is Secretary of State. You really, and that’s why I didn’t write about it in The Fourth Way, and that’s why I think people ought to give the President great, great deference on Defense and State, on CIA and on DNI and on Attorney General, because that’s our national security team, and you never know what’s coming.
PRP: That’s absolutely right. You know, being a diplomat, the Secretary of State is a very fluid job. The facts on the ground change, I was about to say daily, but probably hourly. I recall when I was in the Department, the first thing you do when you wake up is look at the news, look at the cable, the intelligence, to see what happened overnight while I was asleep, what changes actually took place, and what should the U.S. response be. So it’s an extremely important role, one that requires someone that is nimble, someone that can actually think through these things and have a clear view of the direction that the President has asked for and the country should be going.

HH: So what’s your advice to Senator Rubio, who has the deciding vote on the Committee, which is divided 11-10? I’m not sure Democrats will vote against Mr. Tillerson, but if Rubio votes for him, his confirmation is secure. What’s your advice to Senator Rubio?
PRP: Well, my advice to him is to vote for the Secretary-designate. And again, I do think that Senator Rubio did the right thing by raising the issue. I think we need to continue to raise the issue. He should also, once the Secretary, Mr. Tillerson is confirmed, he should hope that and press the Department of State to continue to look at these issues not only as it relates to Russia, but around the world. We’re seeing atrocities and human rights abuses everywhere. And if Senator Rubio is as passionate as he showed last week, then I imagine he will continue to ring the bell, so to speak.

HH: 30 seconds, Pierre, how long does it take to staff State? Foggy Bottom’s big. I mean, Exxon-Mobil’s 70,000. But how long is it going to take Rex Tillerson to staff up State?
PRP: Oh, it’s going to take quite a while, because we, you know, you have, not only do you have beneath him the two deputy secretaries and five undersecretaries of State, but we have, you have a whole host of assistant secretaries and other positions that are all critically important. And it’s important to take the time to find the right people that will get the job done.

HH: And to get moving, though, for the Senate to move it along. Ambassador Pierre Prosper, thank you, my friend, for staying up a little bit later far across to bring some additional illumination to a fine, fine piece in the Washington Post. Ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper, thank you.

-Listen here: http://www.hughhewitt.com/wp-content/uploads/01-16hhs-prosper.mp3
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The Guardian: Rex Tillerson One Step Closer To Confirmation

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One of Donald Trump’s most important and precarious cabinet picks, former oil executive Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, was narrowly approved by a Senate committee on Monday as the last Republican holdout in the upper chamber declared his support.

Tillerson is widely expected to win confirmation from the full Senate when his confirmation goes to a vote, expected next week, after its foreign affairs committee voted 11-10 along party lines to support him.

Florida senator Marco Rubio said he still had reservations about Tillerson’s commitment to defending human rights abroad but would vote for him in view of his business credentials and the national interest, and because the former ExxonMobil chief had addressed at least some of Rubio’s concerns during a combative Senate hearing earlier this month.

Two other sceptical Republican senators, John McCain and Lindsey Graham, announced their backing on Sunday. They also voiced reservations “about his past dealings with the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin”, but said they were encouraged by his stated support for US alliances.

After the committee vote on Monday evening, its chairman, Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, said: “I personally have no doubt that Rex Tillerson is well-qualified. He’s managed the world’s eighth largest company by revenue with over 75,000 employees. Diplomacy has been a critical component of his positions in the past, and he has shown himself to be an exceptionally able and successful negotiator who has maintained deep relationships around the world.”

Senate Democrats, however, remained unanimously opposed to Tillerson. Ben Cardin, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said the nominee had been “repeatedly prioritising narrow business interests ahead of these core national security interests”.
-Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/23/rex-tillerson-secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-backing
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--@TheEconomist This may sound surprising coming from me, but I agree with The Economist. Rex Tillerson has the potential to be an excellent Sec of State. (Elon Musk, 24 Jan. 2017)
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(Daily Telegraph) Tillerson clears Senate hurdle
--Donald Trump's nomination of Rex Tillerson for secretary of state cleared a Senate hurdle on Monday, setting the stage for an extended debate over the president's order banning travel from specific Muslim-majority countries and US policy toward Russia.

Senators voted 56-43 to put Tillerson's bid to be the nation's chief diplomat on track for confirmation later this week. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., pressed unsuccessfully for a delay in the vote until Tillerson answered for Trump's travel ban order.

Although many Democrats - including Schumer - will oppose Tillerson, they'll need at least several Republicans to join them to derail the nomination. That appeared unlikely, even after two of the Senate's leading Republican voices on national security voiced concern over Trump's desire for a better relationship with Moscow.
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MSN News: Rex Tillerson Confirmed As Secretary of State

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The Senate confirmed former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of State on Wednesday, even as Democrats blocked progress on other Cabinet nominees chosen by President Trump.

The vote puts a man who has negotiated business deals with countries around the world, including some hostile to the United States, in position to negotiate on behalf of Trump in matters of war and peace, climate change and human rights.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, praised Tillerson before Wednesday’s vote.

“His experience and aptitude and talent will be put to work for the American people,” Cornyn said. “He’s a man of character who believes in putting his country first.”

Tillerson's first task may be to calm a State Department where nearly 1,000 diplomats signed a letter of dissent objecting to Trump's executive order that temporarily suspends the U.S. refugee program and bars immigrants from seven majority-Muslim countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said he opposed Tillerson’s confirmation because “negotiating oil deals does not prepare you to be a diplomat advocating for American values.”

He faulted Tillerson, 64, for saying during his confirmation hearing that he needed more information before he could respond to senators’ questions about whether women suffered human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. The answer is known to every school child, Heinrich said.

Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., said he would vote against Tillerson because as chief of ExxonMobil, he did business with countries that were at odds with the U.S., like Russia, Iran, Syria and Sudan.

“Putting a company’s interest before American interest is inexcusable and a disqualifying characteristic for America’s next secretary of State,” Donnelly said.

As CEO of the largest U.S. oil company, Tillerson developed oil fields in the Arctic Sea, Siberia and the Black Sea in Russia. His contributions to Russia’s bottom line was so great that President Vladimir Putin awarded him his nation’s Order of Friendship in 2013.

“Right now when we’re trying to hold Russia accountable for its illegal aggression in eastern Europe, war crimes in Syria … how can we trust someone to represent our interests to someone with such a cozy relationship with Russia as Rex Tillerson?” Heinrich said.

Heinrich also questioned how Tillerson would represent U.S. interests on climate change.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a Democrat, opened a formal investigation in 2015 into whether ExxonMobil had misled investors and regulators about the risks of climate change, despite having research proving the contrary. Tillerson, who served as president of the Boy Scouts of America from 2010 to 2012, called the charges “pretty unfounded.”
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