In the briefing room at the State Department, Kerry made brief remarks that touted the latest annual report as an objective, clear-eyed look of what the state of religious freedom is in the world.

He also called the report a catalogue of violence and discrimination in countries that range from entrenched dictatorships to established democracies.

Kerry stressed the struggle in America for religious freedom and said in the U.S. there have been times when everyone has had to push, work and struggle to live up to our promise of the nation’s founding.

Countries listed in the detailed report as being restrictive of religious freedom include North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Iran, along with several allies of the U.S. such as Russia and China. Kerry said the country’s friends have not been exempt from behaving badly with regard to religious freedom.

Kerry said the report does call out directly some of America’s closest friends. He added that the report does so in an attempt to make progress even though some discomfort might be experienced.

Kerry said the birthright of every person on earth was the freedom to practice and profess one’s faith.

Some countries, such as Turkey and Vietnam, were mentioned as having lightened some of the restrictions they had on religious freedom.

Hagel will use this first visit as the Defense Secretary to underscore his opinion that Israel has to decide for itself whether or not to use military force in Iran.

Hagel told reporters during his flight to Israel from Washington that Israel had the right to defend its country and the U.S. and Israel shared the same objective of preventing a nuclear weapon to be made in Iran.

Even though he said the U.S. was together with Israel on stopping Iran from producing a nuclear weapon, Hagel did say the two allies could have some difference on the time when Iran might decide when to move ahead with a bomb.

Hagel will first visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum on Sunday afternoon in Jerusalem. On Sunday night, Hagel will be a dinner guest of Moshe Yaalon the Israeli Defense Minister.

During his stay in Israel, Hagel is also scheduled to have meetings with Shimon Peres the Israeli President and Benjamin Netanyahu the country’s Prime Minister.

Hagel will discuss anticipated arms sales to Israel of military equipment from the U.S. including helicopters and refueling aircraft along with radar systems for fighter jets and systems for anti-radiation.

Officials in Israel said the arms deal would help Israel preserve its military superiority in light of different weapons contracts in other countries in the Middle East.

The real estate tycoon was given the award at a New York special ceremony for the pioneering contributions and outstanding achievements to business. The award is a top recognition from the lead group of financial professionals based in New York.

Alabbar said Dubai for example was a key link in the Silk Road of commerce and trade connecting North America and Asia’s emerging markets. He added that America would need the fast growing markets in Africa, Asia and the Middle East to help increase exports and maintain its growth momentum.

Alabbar said the best opportunity for the U.S. was the region of the Middle East, where there are strong business and more importantly strong political partnerships being forged. The two regions, added Alabbar, need to focus on the skills of the more than 200 million youth in the Middle East today.

In 2012, exports to the Middle East from the U.S. increased over 17% to close to $66 billion. Data recently released from the National U.S. – Arab Chamber of Commerce showed exports from the U.S. to 22 Arab countries rose from just over $56 billion during 2011 to nearly $66 billion in 2012.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is visiting the Middle East this week to discuss the Syria conflict but also the economy in the region, most notably that of Egypt which is going through a very difficult economic time.

Close to 50 protesters from China surrounded a United States official state car carrying Gary Locke the U.S. Ambassador to the country. The State Department in the U.S. said Locke escaped unharmed. The melee took place just outside the U.S. Embassy and guards from the compound were needed to intervene on Locke’s behalf. Officials said that only minor damage was done to the state car.

Officials from the U.S. government lodged their concern and worry over the incident, urging the government of China to do all they could to protect personnel and interests of the U.S. in China.

The Tuesday incident took place while huge crowds protested in mass outside the nearby Japanese embassy demanding the Japanese government to relinquish its control of the island chain that China claims is theirs in waters that separate the countries.

The presumptive leader of China, current Vice President Xi Jinping denounced the decision by Japan to purchase the islands as just a provocation, as the Chinese moved towards snuffing out protests against their neighbor. Jinping said that Japan should stop using acts or words that attempt to undermine the territorial integrity or sovereignty of China.

Some observers in China blame the U.S. for supporting Japan on its claim of the islands and suggest the U.S. is trying to insight unrest in the area so they can return naval forces to the region.

Protestors were starting to gather hours prior to the main demonstration. Included amongst the protestors were peace activists and war veterans, along with those worried about the economy. Signs could be seen that read “War = Debt” and “NATO, Go Home.”

Sunday’s rally was originally expected to attract tens of thousands, but that was because the G-8 summit was originally scheduled for Chicago and then was changed by President Obama to Camp David, the secluded rural retreat located in Maryland.

However, the NATO summit was kept in Chicago, which focuses on the ongoing war in Afghanistan and other security matters internationally, but does not touch on the economy. That caused activists to try to get teachers, union laborers and nurses to come, even though the summit did not focus any issues directly involved with them.

The past two days have seen a number of small demonstrations including one at the Mayor of Chicago’s home. Mayor Rahm Emanuel is the former chief of staff for Obama. Saturday night there were a number of tense altercations between police and protestors. Police used horses and bicycles to try to coax protesters into different routes. In all, 18 arrests were made said police.

Security throughout the city has been very tight. Police are located in masses at street corners, important landmarks and near parks.

That report is what prompted Victoria Nuland, a spokeswoman for the State Department to deny that the administration was taking part in any way with arming rebels in Syria.

“Concerning the assertions with regard to aid, we have no involvement in that sort of stuff,” she said during her daily briefing.

She added, “The U.S. has decided to provide support that is nonlethal to civilian members of Syria’s opposition. That includes medical equipment, communications equipment and the humanitarian part as well.”

The newspaper report said that Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other states in the gulf had been helping for months with amounts totally millions of dollars to arm the rebel opposition. Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, confirmed other countries have armed the opposition that is opposed to Syria’s President al-Assad.

Carney also reiterated President Obama’s support of the U.N. cease fire plan that was crafted by former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, although at the same time, acknowledging that the current regime in Syria has ignored the plan.

Aides to Obama said that having U.N observers deployed on the ground is helping to reduce the violence being carried out by al-Assad’s armed forces.

In a meeting that was closed-door with Tom Donilon, a top security aide for President Barack Obama, Putin discussed different bilateral relations. The two met at Putin’s residence on Friday in Novo-Ogaryovo, just outside of Moscow. The meeting took place just three days before Putin will be inaugurated at the Kremlin.

Putin emphasized in the meeting that he and Russia were set to go as far as possible in developing a relationship on the conditions the U.S. act on principles that are mutually respectful and equal.

Donilon presented Putin with a letter from President Obama that was a multi-page document. The main message of the document was Obama is willing to cooperate with Russia to move forward towards a partnership between Russia and the United States.

Putin’s first official foreign visit after his inauguration will be later in May to the U.S., were he will attend a G8 leaders’ summit and meet with Obama. His second major foreign trip of a major capacity will be at the beginning of June to China.

One of Obama’s top priorities in foreign policy is to “reset” the relationship between the U.S. and Russia. His relationship with the departing Dmitry Medvedev was good. He will now be the new prime minister.

Chen was handed over to U.S. diplomats late in the week, last week. On Wednesday, he was taken from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to a local hospital. He has also been told, said inside sources, that if he left the country, the Chinese government will beat his wife to death.

Sources said the Chinese government told Chen he could leave the country alone and live in exile or stay in China with his family. Chen apparently agreed to stay in China and the U.S. agreed as long as China promised his safety.

Clinton, in a prepared statement said Chen left the U.S. Embassy on his own accord after reflecting on his choices. The resolution of the incident seems to have shelved, at least for the time being an incident that threatened to move the human rights to the forefront of the meetings this week between the two powers.

Now the two governments can discuss ways to build trust between the current world’s superpower and a top rival that is quickly catching up.

Having Chen stay in China could backfire on President Obama, since he will been seen as agreeing to the safety of Chen and not being able to enforce it.

The team that attacked the compound was able to pick up terabytes of information from computers bin Laden had. Five computers were picked up by Navy Seals plus 10 hard drives and over 100 devices for storing such as thumb drives, discs and DVDs. Close to 15,000 documents were included in the data as well as close to 25,000 videos. Many files were duplicated.

Following bin Laden’s death, agents from U.S. intelligence poured through the documents and found out bin Laden was in charge and as dangerous as he always had been even though he was secluded in his compound.

No operational plans were found but broad plans were discussed in the documents about the assassinations of Obama and Petraeus, mass transit and tanker attacks and bombings to be carried out on important anniversaries such as September 2011 the 10^th anniversary of 9/11.

Documents showed that everything still flowed through bin Laden and that he and his second in command, Ayman al Zawahiri considered the Arab Spring to be a threat to the future of their al-Qaeda group. Nothing found in the compound indicated that the government of Pakistan knew of bin Laden’s compound

The latest problems with the agency reveal the uncertainty that has remained about the role of the TSA and how to maintain the safety of the country without violating the rights of air passengers. Many are beginning to believe it may be a cultural difference as people from across the nation are calling their Congressional representatives complaining they have been offended by the actions of the TSA.

Members of Congress believe the TSA may have become much more powerful than what was originally intended when Congress created it following the terrorist attacks of 2001. One Congresswoman wants her bill, the STRIP Act, to prohibit TSA screeners from dressing like policemen or even wearing badges. Another member of Congress wants to see the agency head, John Pistole, lose his job.

TSA has screened over 300 million passengers over the last six months and fewer than 650 people complained about pat-downs, says agency spokesman Kawika Riley. That averages to just a single complaint for 460,000 passengers. He also said it was important for the screeners to have uniforms as it relates to the type of work they perform and the high standards they must uphold.