It's where social media meets foreign policy.

The State Department hosted its first official Twitter briefing Friday where citizens around the world were given an opportunity to tweet their questions to one of the State Department's 10 official Twitter feeds using the hashtag #AskState.

According to State Department Press Secretary Victoria Nuland, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is encouraging employees at the State Department to use new technology and social media as a key part of their foreign policy agenda.

"We're adopting new approaches to meet diplomatic and development challenges around the globe," Nuland said. "Part of this effort is making sure we are using full use of digital networks and essential technologies to more quickly and directly engage audiences around world."

During the State Department Twitter briefing, Nuland answered 5 questions from the Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, English and French language twitter accounts. The questions ranged from the influence of NATO, the State Department's role in the massacre against civilians in Sudan and improving their human rights, Iran cutting off the internet and America's ability to maintain its military existence around the world. (read more)

The decision from the U.S. State Department to delay the Keystone XL Pipeline project received loud applause throughout Nebraska Thursday.

Bold Nebraska, the largest pipeline opposition group, thanked President Obama for making the "right and tough decision for our land and water." Spokeswoman Jane

Kleeb said Thursday's announcement contradicts Nebraska lawmakers "who say it’s too late to put regulations in place" before another oil pipeline is built. 
Kleeb said she hopes the State Department's decision will help put pressure on the state Legislature to take action now.  

"It's really ironic that the folks in Washington, D.C., understand the gravity of the situation in Nebrask, even when some of our own state legislators don't seem to," added Nebraska landowner Randy Thompson, who became the face of the Bold Nebraska campaign.  "Our future generations will thank the president and hopefully will thank our state senators if they do the job they were elected to do for citizens not big corporations." (read more)

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has announced that Ellen DeGeneres has been named as a Special Envoy for Global AIDS Awareness.

Clinton made the announcement on Tuesday during an address on HIV/AIDS at the National Institutes of Health. The Obama administration says that Ms. DeGeneres will use her celebrity to raise awareness about the global fight against AIDS.

"By lending us your energy , compassion and star power to serve as our Special Envoy for Global AIDS Awareness, your words will encourage Americans in joining you to make their voices heard in our campaign to achieve an AIDS-free generation," Clinton stated in a letter to DeGeneres.

"I'm honored to have been chosen," said DeGeneres. "The fight against AIDS is something that has always been close to my heart... Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go look up what "envoy" means.

DeGeneres reaches millions through her television program "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," she also has 8 million followers on Twitter and 5.8 million Facebook fans.

Following attacks on the U.S. and French embassies in Damascus yesterday, State Department Spokesman Victoria Nuland said Tuesday the Syrian Foreign Ministry has returned the U.S. flag that was stolen and replaced with a Syrian flag.

She said the Syrian government has arrested six people in connection with the attacks and it has replaced damaged U.S. security cameras and improved Syrian security forces around the U.S. embassy.

The trouble at the embassies led Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to say Monday that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has lost the legitimacy to rule the nation. Al-Assad's regime has severely cracked down on pro-democracy demonstrators rising up against the Syrian government.

Fox News Producer Wes Barrett contributed to this story.

When the motorcade of Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo pulled up in the horseshoe driveway at State Department's C Street entrance this morning, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was there to greet him. She cheerfully made small talk about the pleasant weather, then guided the septuagenarian Dai to the mark where the two paused to shake hands for photographers.

The scene emphasized the importance of the bi-lateral relationship between the two countries, which collectively account for one-third of the world's gross domestic product - but also the strong degree of stage management present in this, the third round of the "Strategic and Economic Dialogue" that the U.S. and China introduced in 2009.

Originally intended as a new forum in which the nations' top diplomats and financial officials could engage each other, the S&ED was expanded this year, for the first time, to include senior military leaders from both sides. (read more)

While speaking to a group of around 20 people at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, State Department Spokesman PJ Crowley described the Defense Department's treatment of Pfc. Bradley Manning, the accused WikiLeaks source, as "ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid," according to a blogger who attended the event.

The scathing comments from a typically well composed spokesman took officials in the Pentagon and the State Department by surprise.

Manning's lawyer has filed complaints recently arguing his client should not be on maximum detainee and prevention of injury status while being held at the brig on Marine Base Quantico in Virginia. At least twice Manning has been made to stand at attention in the nude at the front of his cell in the morning. Officials at Quantico declined to explain those measures, other than to say it was for his own protection.

Meanwhile the Pentagon offered a terse response to Crowley. "We are aware of Crowley's comments and we have since sent him the facts about Manning's confinement. We also understand from the State Department that he has said the comments were his personal opinion and not reflective of the government," Pentagon Spokesman Col. Dave Lapan told FOX News. (read more)

Speaking in Geneva, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told members of the U.N. Human Rights Council that the world must hold Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi accountable for his actions.

Referring to the pro-Qaddafi troops as "mercenaries and thugs," Secretary Clinton suggested other governing bodies need to join the United States in sanctioning the Qaddafi regime in order to quell the bloody crackdown Libya has placed on its citizens.

She also spoke to the human rights body about the Libyan leader ending his 42 year dictatorship.

"It is time for Qaddafi to go - now, without further violence or delay," Clinton said.

The Secretary traveled to Geneva to meet individually and en masse with her counterparts to discuss stronger actions against Qaddafi's regime. The United States has already imposed financial sanctions and travel restrictions against Qaddafi and other senior members of his inner circle.

But Clinton hinted that the U.S. is not done with Qaddafi saying "nothing is off the table so long as the Libyan government continues to threaten and kill Libyan citizens."

Both active and retired U.S. law enforcement officers could soon be serving in new a jurisdiction - Iraq.

The State Department announced Thursday that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs met last week with local and state law enforcement offices to discuss opportunities available in Iraq this fall. The bureau hopes to build a team of senior level and expert advisers to serve one-year missions there.

The U.S. government will assume full responsibility for the development of Iraq's police and border forces beginning October 1, partnering with the Iraqi government to develop management, leadership and technical skill to support the rule of law and maintain Iraq's internal security.

The announcement comes on a day when an Iraqi government official says twin-bombings killed six policemen and wounded at least 22 people in western Iraq.

A roadside bomb exploded Thursday evening in downtown Ramadi, the region's Sunni-dominated capital. Minutes later, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-packed vest among the crow of police and bystanders responding to the first blast.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a pair of Australian radio hosts that she doesn't want the global perception of America to be from the Kardashians and professional wrestling.

In a funny, wide-ranging discussion with radio personalities Hamish and Andy, a comedy duo whose program is broadcast across Australia, Clinton spoke seriously, at first, about working to maintain a positive perception of America around the world. When one of the hosts mentioned the reality-television-starring Kardashian family, as an example of American television broadcast around the globe, Clinton agreed. The Kardashian clan -- including Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, mom Kris and stepdad Bruce Jenner are famous for -- well, America is still kind of figuring that out, but nonetheless they have a hit TV show about their California-lifstyle on E!.

One of the hosts said, "The Kardashians give us a lot of our...import."

"The Kardashians, exactly," Clinton said. "If you look at American TV as much of the rest of the world does, you would think we all went around wrestling and wearing bikinis," she said.

"I mean, that's what you would think we spend our entire day doing." (read more)

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's top spokesman, P.J. Crowley, sent a birthday message to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad via Twitter Friday, prompting a response by former Governor Sarah Palin who described the post as "mind boggling foreign policy."

Crowley posted two short messages directed at the Iranian president, who turned 54 this week.

"Happy birthday President Ahmadinejad," the first tweet reads. "Celebrate by sending Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer home. What a gift that would be."

Fattal and Bauer were arrested near the Iranian border with Iraq in July of 2009 and have been held in Iran since on charges of espionage." Crowley has called for their return on nearly a daily basis, insisting they are innocent.

The second tweets reads: "Your 54th year was full of lost opportunities. Hope in your 55th year you will open Iran to a different relationship with the world."

Sarah Palin took issue with the message. Shortly after Crowley's post appeared she wrote, "Happy B'day Ahmadinejad wish sent by US Govt. Mind boggling foreign policy: kowtow & coddle enemies; snub allies. Obama Doctrine is nonsense." (read more)