Kerry arrives in Vietnam on his last trip as Secretary of State

[karynnj]

Source: Washington Post

Secretary of State John F. Kerry returned to Vietnam on Thursday for his fourth and final visit as the top U.S. diplomat, his presence embodying the transformation of the two countries from enemies to partners.
<snip>
In Vietnam at the close of his career in public office, Kerry will meet with government and ruling Communist Party officials and review the arc of the bilateral relationship in a policy speech. The capstone will be a riverboat trip in the Mekong Delta, where he captained a Swift Boat patrol vessel during the Vietnam War. Aides said he will go to the spot in the river in Ca Mau province where he earned a Silver Star.

The United States has been providing aid to help maintain the health of the river so it can continue as an economic engine of the region. It is being undermined by hydroelectric dams upriver and the impact of climate change — an issue to which Kerry is expected to devote much of his post-government life.
<snip>
In a sign of the remarkable degree to which relations have changed between Vietnam and the United States, the secretary of the Communist Party of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, will host a dinner for Kerry on Friday night. By next year, the United States plans to send Peace Corps volunteers to Vietnam for the first time.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/kerry-arrives-in-vietnam-on-his-last-trip-as-secretary-of-state/2017/01/12/e156554d-4c23-4a85-bf74-1cee4a8e0f7b_story.html?utm_term=.2bf2d1f64094

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It sounds like this will be an incredibly symbolic trip for John Kerry, a generation of soldiers who fought in Vietnam and the United States. Contrary to Tillerson's comments, this is one of the many many areas where President Obama has worked hard and has made lasting impacts to heal wounds. The US is FAR more respected around the world because of President Obama and Secretaries Kerry and Clinton.

[milestogo]

1. Thank you John Kerry.

You will be greatly missed.

[underpants]

2. Indeed

Saw him on Charlie Rose last night. Amazing accomplishments.

[karynnj]

5. That was a good interview with a pretty tough interviewer

Here is a link if anyone else wants to see that interview or any of a long series he did in the last week or so. He has also given a lot of speeches in the last two weeks. https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2017/index.htm

[jcboon]

3. Now this is worth getting choked up over

[burfman]

4. It was President Clinton who took the big step of normalizing relations and he does deserve credit.

[karynnj]

7. True - and he could not have done so without the work Kerry and McCain did

Without the POW/MIA work, signed off on by that whole group of Vietnam War vets in the Senate, there was no way to move forward. Clinton in his book spoke of how important they were in that effort - though he gave more credit to McCain in his 2004 published book than to Kerry. McCain, in his book, spoke of how Kerry did an amazing job holding that committee - and McCain himself - together and how he was able to negotiate with the Vietnamese to get access to areas with no warning to people there.

[blm]

8. Kerry did the heavy lifting on Vietnam. Clinton agreed to the effort.

But, ALL the heavy lifting was done by Kerry, and even John McCain admitted that in his book. When Clinton wrote about it he only praised McCain. Why? Politics. Clinton's book came out summer of 2004 and they knew Kerry was the nominee by midJanuary. There was another time schedule they had in mind.

[Corey_Baker08]

6. John F Kerry Is My Hero For Life!

[karynnj]

9. He is inspirational and never gives up!

Although he will not have the megaphone that President Obama will have, Kerry's activist roots will likely show when he speaks out after January 20.

[SteamAddict]

10. The last two months have been a long extended funeral

A great statesman like Kerry leaves to have his post taken by a used car salesman controlled by a blowhard orange fascist Putin puppet.

[karynnj]

11. And it appears the transition is not even trying to get

Information from outgoing people in the department.

[karynnj]

12. An interesting view of this trip from Hong Kong

http://realmoney.thestreet.com/articles/01/13/2017/record-breaking-traveler-john-kerrys-final-mission-back-vietnam