Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Clinton confidante at center of Benghazi damage-control tied to probe of suspected diplomat crimes
A longtime confidante of Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton who reportedly played a key role in the State Department's damage-control efforts on the Benghazi attack last year is also named in accusations that department higher-ups quashed investigations into diplomats' potential criminal activity. Published June 13, 2013
Damage control: Hillary Clinton loyalists suspected of criminal cover-ups for diplomats
Congress and the State Department's inspector general are examining allegations that senior officials working under Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton may have suppressed investigations into suspected criminal activity among U.S. diplomats abroad — including the alleged solicitation of prostitutes by an ambassador in Europe. Published June 11, 2013
State Department: No cover-up for diplomats
The State Department on Monday staunchly rejected a news report that claimed high-ranking department officials had quashed several internal investigations into allegations of sexual assault, drug dealing, prostitution solicitation and other criminal activity by American diplomatic personnel overseas in recent years. Published June 10, 2013
Benghazi killers still on the lam after 9 months, may have sought to ‘smoke out’ CIA
Washington is preoccupied with the political decisions surrounding last year's attack in Benghazi, but nine months later the who and why of the terrorist assault that left four Americans dead remains shrouded in mystery. Published June 9, 2013
Obama administration takes a step back after Kerry’s Turkey comments
The Obama administration assumed a careful posture Wednesday toward the uprisings that have engulfed cities across Turkey, where authorities are seeking to calm protests that erupted when police cracked down on demonstrators earlier this week. Published June 6, 2013
Obama uses executive order to expand sanctions on Iran
Amid pressure from Congress to get tougher on Iran, the White House expanded U.S. sanctions on the Islamic republic on Monday, giving broad powers to U.S. authorities to begin targeting the Iranian automotive industry — as well as those found purchasing or selling large amounts of Iranian currency in foreign banks. Published June 3, 2013
Iran may be on invite list for Syria conference
The State Department confirmed Friday that U.S. officials are open to the possibility of allowing Iran to participate in an upcoming peace conference on Syria, despite the Islamic Republic's alleged support for the regime of embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad. Published May 31, 2013
Feds say Iran’s support for terrorism growing
Iran's support of international terrorism has reached levels unseen since the 1990s, but the top cadre of al Qaeda leaders have largely been decimated in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the State Department said Thursday in its latest report on worldwide terrorism. Published May 30, 2013
House presses Kerry for post-Benghazi disciplinary details
Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee are calling on Secretary of State John F. Kerry to "detail what personnel actions" the State Department has taken following security failures in the deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya. Published May 29, 2013
State says Russian missile delivery shouldn’t affect Syria talks
The State Department says Russia's plan to deliver advanced surface-to-air missiles Syrian President Bashar Assad's embattled government should not rule out the possibility that Moscow will work with Washington toward bringing an end to the violence in the Middle East nation. Published May 29, 2013
Russia supplying weaponry to Syria’s Assad; EU lifts ban on aiding rebels
The Obama administration responded sharply to Russia's announcement Tuesday that it will proceed with the delivery of sophisticated weapons to embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad despite the administration's attempts to get Moscow's help toward peacefully resolving Syria's civil war. Published May 28, 2013
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stocks election to replace Ahmadinejad with loyalists
Iran's June 14 elections are expected to produce a president loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and do nothing to improve prospects for an end to its nuclear standoff with the West or support for President Bashar Assad's embattled regime in Syria. Published May 27, 2013
Drug tests ordered for State Department contractors in Israel, Afghanistan
The State Department is pushing a new initiative to ensure contractors and others serving in the department's diplomatic security corps in Afghanistan and Israel are not abusing opiates, amphetamines, steroids, cocaine and other hard drugs. Published May 26, 2013
Letter highlights need for public diplomacy champion at State Department
A group of influential retired diplomats urged the Obama administration to move carefully in filling a key State Department post focused on growing interactive programs with the citizens of America's allies and adversaries around the world. Published May 24, 2013
Pickering complies with House request for Benghazi interview
The career diplomat who led the internal State Department probe into the Benghazi terrorist attacks has agreed to a private, transcribed interview with investigators from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which had issued a subpoena after his initial resistance. Published May 22, 2013
House panel urges Obama to expand sanctions on Iran
A key House panel pushed through legislation Wednesday calling on the Obama administration to significantly broaden U.S. sanctions on Iran, just as the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency released a report saying the Islamic republic's nuclear program had made measurable advances. Published May 22, 2013
Senators call on Obama to arm Syrian opposition
President Obama faces mounting bipartisan pressure for the U.S. to become more deeply involved in Syria's civil war, with a key Senate panel pushing through legislation Tuesday that would clear the way for the administration to supply weapons to rebels fighters in the Mideast nation. Published May 21, 2013
Freedom of religion scarce in Iran, China
Declaring that "freedom of religion is a core American value," Secretary of State John F. Kerry Monday released his department's annual worldwide religious freedom report, which found "worrying" and "negative trends" around the globe. Published May 20, 2013
Obama takes security measures, but Benghazi questions still loom
The Obama administration is trying to move beyond Benghazi, saying Monday that it has tightened security at diplomatic posts and created an official position to ensure "high-threat" missions are properly protected — but House Republicans are pressing on with investigations into the Sept. 11 attack. Published May 20, 2013
Republicans weigh risks, benefits of select committee on Benghazi
House Republicans want their party leaders to name a special committee to take control of the inquiry into the Benghazi terrorist attack, but House Speaker John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican, has resisted — largely, analysts say, because the long-term political risks of a high-profile probe could outweigh any short-term benefit. Published May 19, 2013
