Clinton Versus Kerry: The Agency for International Development War Begins

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may be headed for a significant fight with Congress over the future of U.S. development policy, just as U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) takes on its biggest humanitarian mission in years with the crisis in Haiti. The main disagreements between Clinton and State and the senators are over whether USAID, and Shah specifically, will be given control over all DOS humanitarian relief functions; whether he will be given real power in the interagency process; and whether the "integration" of development with diplomacy and defense as announced by Clinton will dilute the development mission for the benefit of the other two.