By ARTHUR I. CYR, Scripps Howard News Service

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is following up her comprehensive visit to Asia with Washington discussions focused on South Asia, and specifically the expanding war in Afghanistan. This week, she meets with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday and Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta on Thursday.

President Obama, reflecting predecessors, made Canada his first foreign destination in office with a brief visit this week. He and Prime Minister Stephen Harper found common environmental ground and avoided an open clash on the "Buy American" provision of the U.S. economic stimulus plan.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has begun an Asia trip by visiting Japan, still the most important ally of the United States in that massive region despite the rise of China. Asia nations in total account for a steadily growing share of the global economy. Since 1985, total U.S. trade with Asia has surpassed that with Europe.

Both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate moved expeditiously to approve President Barack Obama's economic recovery legislation. Before taking office, he stated he wanted the package by Presidents' Day February 16. Congress has delivered on time.

The European security conference in Munich, Germany has provided a boost for President Barack Obama, even though he was not there and Vice President Joe Biden led the U.S. delegation. The event also has strengthened trans-Atlantic ties after years of discord and tension during the tenure of President George W. Bush

So far, so good for Leon Panetta in confirmation hearings before the Intelligence Committee of the United States Senate.

This week, Vice President Joe Biden jets to Europe for the annual military security conference in Germany. Given the exceptional, perhaps unprecedented, negative state of relations across the Atlantic, this trip is more than routine diplomacy.

The government of Iraq has announced that the private security firm Blackwater will be banned from that country.

The double murder in Russia of two prominent young human rights advocates is a remorseless reminder that the Cold War may be over, but brutality has not been abolished. Near the Kremlin on a sunny day on a public street, activist attorney Stanislav Markelov was murdered. Journalist Anastasia Baburova was killed as well while trying to aid him.

While the presidential campaign and President Barack Obama's initial post-election formal statements have focused heavily on the economy, national security arguably is where the new administration has the greatest independent authority -- and faces the most significant challenges, directly involving life and death decisions.