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| Outgoing US Secretary of State Hillary clinton [File Photo] |
By RFE/RL
Washington: Hillary Clinton, who steps down as U.S. secretary of state
on February 1, said Iran and Russia continued to provide military and financial
assistance to the Syrian government.
The statement comes close on the heels of Iran decision to step
up its military and financial aid to the Syrian government.
Clinton told reporters on January 31 that keeping Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad in power was one of Iran's "highest
priorities."
She added Iran has increased the number of advisers to
Damascus and improved the quality of weapons it provides.
Clinton said there were reasons to believe Russia continued
to supply Assad with money and "equipment."
She said "the
Russians are not bystanders in their support for Assad."
The outgoing secretary of state said it was "within the
realm of the possible now" that the Syrian conflict spread into the
neighboring countries.
She made the remarks to reporters following her final speech
at the Council of Foreign Relations in Washington.
Clinton told the audience that the United States is
"stronger at home and more respected in the world" than when she
first took the top diplomatic post.
"A lot has changed in the last four years. Under
President Obama's leadership we've ended the war in Iraq, begun a transition in
Afghanistan, and brought Osama bin Laden to justice," Clinton said.
"We have also revitalized American diplomacy and
strengthened out alliances. And while our economic recovery is not yet
complete, we are heading in the right direction. In short, America today is
stronger at home and more respected in the world, and our global leadership is
on firmer footing than many predicted."
21st Century Tools
Clinton said the State Department had begun to implement
"21st century tools" of diplomacy since she became its head in 2009,
including new outreach to emerging powers and average citizens, such as through
the use of new technologies and messaging.
China and Russia, she said, are fast implementing their own
communication and outreach strategies suited to a more interconnected world.
While considering the last four years, Clinton also looked
to the future.
She said the United States would remain the world's
"indispensable power," but must "adapt to new realities of
global power and influence."
Clinton's successor as secretary of state, U.S. Senator John
Kerry, begins work on February 4.
Clinton said pressing foreign policy goals for his tenure
and beyond would include solidifying the U.S. position in Asia, finishing the
war in Afghanistan, navigating the changes in the Middle East, and maintaining
broad economic engagement.
She also called for U.S. leadership on climate change and
for Washington to build on its legacy of defending human rights around the
world.
Clinton described achieving equality for women around the
world as "the unfinished business of the 21st Century."