Clinton confirmed as new US chief diplomat

US: Hillary Clinton on Wednesday became US President Barack Obama’s top diplomat after pledging to fight climate change, push hard for Arab-Israeli peace and take a new approach to US foes like Iran.

The confirmation came on Obama’s first full day in office.

Clinton, a former Obama presidential campaign rival and wife of former president Bill Clinton, was confirmed as secretary of state in a 94-2 vote by fellow senators.

The first “aye” vote came from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, who made an impassioned speech on Clinton’s behalf and declared that Obama had promised him “to be serious” about battling climate change.

“We are staring at an abyss of irreversibility,” Kerry warned, adding that he had discussed the problem with Obama and “he intends to be serious about it.”

Kerry also listed unfinished wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the stalled Middle East peace process, conflicts in Africa and efforts to revamp the tarnished US image overseas among top foreign policy priorities.

Washington, Thursday, AFP