Pictures of behind the scenes on the Syria negotiations

[karynnj]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/statephotos/sets/72157635533092743/

[BeyondGeography]

1. Great stuff...love the close

http://www.flickr.com/photos/statephotos/9757076696/in/set-72157635533092743/

[karynnj]

3. I loved that one and the one of him photographing the flowers.

That one reminded me that he went to grade school for a couple of years in the mountains of Switzerland. I remembered that in Tour of Duty in a letter written to his friend (and future brother in law) of how memories of that place were something he thought of when he was faced with the horrors of Vietnam.

[BeyondGeography]

4. Thought of his school years there, too, when I saw that

Kerry has soul.

[karynnj]

5. Found link that has the letter that Kerry wrote Thorne from Tour of Duty

He does nave soul. I find it incredible that the letter was written by a 25 year old - reaching out to a friend, troubled like he was about war.

http://books.google.com/books?id=3cflOX-NLP4C&pg=PA28&lpg=PA28&dq=Tour+of+Duty+Kerry+Thorne+Alps+princess&source=bl&ots=pp1LKZeqg6&sig=GMrm4e6XXKZv5ltTTIz87XZggOg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_783UqviJer94AOEuYDACA&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Tour%20of%20Duty%20Kerry%20Thorne%20Alps%20princess&f=false

[BeyondGeography]

6. Reminds me of the speech his daughter gave at the 2004 convention

Years later, when I was driving back to college with him, brooding as only a nineteen-year-old can, my father told me to look outside. He said, “Ali, this is a beautiful day. Feel the sun. Look at the country you live in.” The passion of his words makes me remember them, still, ten years later. He said: “I know men your exact age, who thought they had the same future you have. Whose families were never born, who never again walked on American soil. They don’t feel this sun. Ali,” he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/29/politics/campaign/29TEXT-ALEXANDRA.html

[karynnj]

7. I never connected that - but it is very similar

Thanks

[ProSense]

13. Yup, nice photo. n/t

[wisteria]

2. Nice Pictures.n/t

[Luftmensch067]

8. Thanks for the links!

I have actually been following this Flickr stream regularly and the pictures speak volumes more than the soundbites and sometimes snide articles elsewhere about Secretary Kerry's tenure so far.

From this stream (and the email updates I signed up for on Kerry's daily public schedule) it's clearly evident how hard and deliberately he's been working since he took on the job. Along with relationships he'd formed as a senator and head of the SFRC, he has laid the groundwork in his first few months, by traveling to every corner of the globe, for the intense, effective diplomacy we've seen over the past week with Lavrov, Fabius, Hague, Abbas and Netanyahu. And now he's going to fold the Chinese minister in on Syria, too.

He is proving himself a superb statesman and a great American in his role as Secretary of State. Many of us have long thought him so, but now the world is seeing it and the world is better for his dedication.

Besides his hard work and constant travel, following this picture stream does also show the "soul" you speak of, and his heart, too. He never fails to connect with groups of embassy employee kids during visits with their parents, and he takes much delight in walking (and eating!) in local public places wherever he is visiting. He shows great respect for his staff and for embassy staff and I imagine he's a great SoS to work for. I did have to laugh when I read the other day that one of his principal connections with Lavrov is their shared love of hockey and soccer -- those of us who follow JK's doings know he is fluent in Sportsese!

[karynnj]

9. It is ironic that Kerry's real love and connection to sports works better

internationally, where soccer and (maybe) hockey than they did in the US, where the obsession is with football, baseball and Basketball. I remember how frustrating it was to see yahoos on the Boston Herald board mocking Kerry because he got a baseball player's name wrong. That it was likely that most of these idiots were far less athletic than Kerry and because I can see no reason a person could be better qualified to be President because they are obsessed with baseball. This shows I was wrong on the latter - it could be a basis for bonding.

I also loved the picture of him taking a photo of the beautiful flowers - I wonder who is known to love flowers that he could have sent the photo to.

How do you get the emailed schedule - I just follow the State Department twitter feed.

I am disappointed by the whiny response of the left to an agreement - that if it works - could set a real precedent for the international community on weapons of mass destruction. The reaction here over the weekend and yesterday was pathetic.

On DU - It was even to some jumping on a comment - clearly jostling for position - from Lavrov on "chapter 7". Lavrov was given 100% credibility and Kerry 0% by one poster - who then whined when I posted their joint comments from Saturday - showing Kerry saying the same thing then and Lavrov (whose English is good) not contradicting him. - that I did not provide a "snip" which I was informed is how things were done. (I was in a hurry, but the full contest was needed to make the point.)

On MSNBC, Hayes had Alan Grayson - who went on about how this was a victory brought on by people like him. This is just graceless - and likely because they need to hold on to their having been right. (I would have more respect if they said that this was a better resolution (or not) than doing nothing, but they still disagree that it would have been reasonable to have a strike - no matter how targeted. In Grayson's case, I doubt he could posit a likely reason that - had Obama ignored the attack as Grayson advised - what would have precipitated Russia, which had not moved to do this when the attack occurred and STILL argues it was possibly the rebels, would have pushed Syria on its own. The US unilaterally - even with the threat of force - did not have that kind of leverage.

[Luftmensch067]

10. You've probably found it already, but...

...here: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USSTATEBPA/subscriber/new?

[ProSense]

14. Nice comment. Agree. n/t

[Inuca]

11. Cool & interesting

Thanks karyn!

A couple of comments:

- I assume that it is JK on the floor in the 2nd picture, right? So wonderful! Can you imagine the previous SoS in his place in that picture? (and no, the different sex has nothing to do with it)
- 1st picture, row 6 - did you notice the amount & variety of chocolates on the table ?
- the picture just below - those cords or whatever they are -
- the hug with undersecretary Sherman - lovely

[karynnj]

12. From the label - and the hair - that is Kerry

in jeans and an orange hoody - and I don't think the former SoS would have been as comfortable sitting on the floor - but I would bet that she has in informal meetings. That is a LOT of chocolate, but if it helped them have the energy to get the result they did - great.