If confirmed by the US Senate, Haley, 44, would be the first Indian-American to serve in a Cabinet-level position in any presidential administration.
"My story is an American story", Indian American Nikki Haley said as she shared her experience of growing up in the United States and challenges faced by her family over the years, during her confirmation hearing on Wednesday for the position of US Ambassador to the United Nations.
"I was born in Bamberg, South Carolina, the daughter of immigrants from Punjab, India. My parents had comfortable lives in India, but they chose to give up those comforts and move to America with just eight dollars because of the freedoms and opportunities this country offers," she said in her opening remarks as she testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"Our family's experience is unique, but it is also familiar, because it is one that has been repeated many times, by many people, in American history," she said.
Her parents, husband and son were present at the hearing at the US Capitol.
A long queue was seen outside the room where her confirmation hearing was held.
If confirmed by the US Senate, Haley, 44, would be the first Indian-American to serve in a Cabinet-level position in any presidential administration.
Growing up in a small rural community in the South, Haley, the highest ranking Indian-American to have been nominated in any presidential administration, said her family was different.
"We were not white enough to be white, not black enough to be black. My father wore a turban, my mother a sari. Our new neighbors didn't quite know what to make of us, and so we faced challenges. But those challenges paled next to the abundance of opportunities in front of us," she said.
"My Dad was a professor at a small, historically black college. My Mom was a social studies teacher and started a clothing store from scratch. I started doing the books for the family business when I was thirteen," she said.
"It wasn't until I got to college that I realised that wasn't normal, but it was normal to me in my family, we worked. I was also privileged to take advantage of the educational opportunities America affords. I am painfully aware that the chance for thirteen-year old girls to read and learn and grow is something that does not exist in far too many places around the world today," Haley said.
Thereafter she went on to serve in the South Carolina General Assembly and to be elected and reelected governor of South Carolina.
While South Carolina will always be her home, Haley said she is eager to begin this new chapter.
"International diplomacy is a new area for me. There is much I am learning about the intricacies of the UN and its associated agencies. I don't claim that I know everything, or that leadership at the UN is the same as leading South Carolina," she acknowledged. But diplomacy, she asserted itself is not new to her.
"In fact, I would suggest there is nothing more important to a governor's success than her ability to unite those with different backgrounds, viewpoints, and objectives behind a common purpose. For six years that has been my work, day after day, in times of celebration and in times of great tragedy," she said.
Seeking her confirmation, Haley said most government agencies, the United Nations could benefit from a fresh set of eyes.
"I will take an outsider's look at the institution. As I have in every challenge in my life, I will come to the UN to work and to work smart," Haley said.
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Haley repudiated the idea of a registry for Muslim immigrants or Muslim Americans during her confirmation hearing.
Haley, 44, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, "There is no need of any registry based on religion for American citizens."
"This administration and I don't think there should be any registry based on religion," she said.
"What we do need to do is know which countries are a threat and those are the ones we need to watch and be careful and vet," she said.
Haley stand seemed to contradict President-Elect Donald Trump's views on the matter.
Trump said during the fall of 2015 that he would "absolutely" require Muslims to register in a database. He also called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the US from other countries. After backlash, he amended his push, calling for a ban on immigration from countries with terror ties.
When asked about Trump's openness to the idea of a registry during a rapid-fire round of questioning, Haley swatted aside the suggestion as an idea from "early on" in the presidential campaign that Trump no longer supports.
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'We can't trust Russia'
On Russia, Haley said, "I don’t think that we can trust them."
"We have to try and see what we can get from them before we give to them," Haley told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "We have to continue to be very strong."
Haley insisted that the US cannot send the message that it is comfortable with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or its support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
When pressed by Senator Ben Cardin, Haley also said she believes that Crimea is a part of Ukraine -- a repudiation of Russia's annexation of the region. Haley agreed that the Syrian regime's actions, backed by Russia, constituted "genocide." She also said "Yes, I do," when asked if Russia had committed war crimes in Aleppo, the besieged northern Syrian city.
Haley added that unless Russia takes positive steps, the US should not lift sanctions on the country. But when asked about whether the US should impose new sanctions on Moscow -- for its alleged interference in the US election, among other reasons -- she hedged, saying that's a decision that requires consulting with the incoming president and his national security advisers.
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'US will stand by Israel at UN'
Haley vowed to oppose anti-Israel efforts at the United Nations.
She was critical of the outgoing US President Barack Obama's decision to abstain from the UN Security Council resolution against Israel.
"It is very dangerous when the UN starts to tell what and what should not happen to two different parties... I will always stand with Israel," Haley said.
The South Carolina Governor said says "absolutely" supports the US moving its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Her strong statement in this regard was welcomed by Israel.
Reflecting an aggressive foreign policy of the incoming Trump Administration, Haley threatened to pull out troops of the countries who do not hold them accountable for
their alleged misdeeds at various peace keeping missions.
"We need to represent our country from a point of strength," Haley told lawmakers.
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'The world wants to see a strong America'
If confirmed by the US Senate, she would be the first Indian-American to hold a cabinet-level position in a presidential administration.
"The world wants to see a strong America," she said, in response to a question, adding that is what the world is used to.
The United States, she asserted, needs to start showing its strength. She also insisted on building the American coalition and increasing its allies.
Responding to a question from Senator Robert Menendez, Haley said during her conversation with president-elect Donald Trump both Russia and China popped up in general nature and the challenges in their relationship.
Of the view that Beijing has a lot of leverage on North Korea, she said China is now nervous on North Korea.
China has started to pull back economically, she said adding that the US should talk with in terms of them and tell that it is in their best interest to reign in North Korea.
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'The UN can be fixed'
Responding to a series of questions on reforms of the UN and its alleged anti-US actions, she said the United States is not only the major funder to the world body but also it hosts the United Nations.
The US needs to leverage its power over the world body, she said.
"The UN can be fixed," she said.
For instance, there are 16 peace keeping operations, some are successful, and some are not.
"We need to all of review them," she said, adding in some cases the UN peacekeeping missions are not getting co-operation from their own government.
She also favored whistleblower reforms.
Referring to the alleged misdeeds of some of the peacekeeping troops, Haley said the troop contributing countries need to take action against them.
If the UN pulls out all troops from such contributing countries that might be a big economic loss for them.
She identified Human Rights Council as another area of the UN in the need of reform.
She questioned the presence of countries like China and Cuba on the Human Rights Council, alleging that such nations are only protecting themselves.
Image: Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing on her nomination to be to US ambassador to the United Nations at Capitol Hill in Washington, US, January 18, 2017. Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters
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