US Embassy Beirut Hosts #USSRamage on ‘One-Day Goodwill Visit, First Ship Visit to Lebanon in Over 30 Years

September 16, 2019 By in Ambassadors, Defense Department, Foreign Affairs, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

 

SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas Swears-In U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau

September 16, 2019 By in Ambassadors, Foreign Service, Mike Pompeo, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

 

The new U.S. Ambassador to Mexico had a ceremonial swearing at the State Department officiated by SCOTUS Associate Justice Clarence Thomas last week.
Ambassador Landau was officially sworn in as United States Ambassador to Mexico on August 12, 2019. His bio says that after graduating from law school, he clerked for then-Judge Clarence Thomas of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.  He later clerked for Associate Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States during the 1990 and 1991 terms.
His father, George Walter Landau (1920–2018), a career Foreign Service officer, served as U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay from October 13, 1972–October 14, 1977. Ambassador George Landau who also served as U.S. Ambassador to Chile and Venezuela passed away last year.
The new ambassador speaks fluent Spanish, and earned a Certificate in Latin American Studies at Harvard College.  He was born in Madrid, Spain, and attended the American School of Asunción, Paraguay, for five years.

#

Pompeo Accuses Iran in Saudi Aramco Attacks, His Boss Tweets, US “Locked and Loaded”

September 16, 2019 By in Foreign Affairs, Hotspots, Iran, Mike Pompeo, Pompeo, Trends, Trump Tags: , , Leave a comment

 

 

@StateDept to Launch ‘Heroes of U.S. Diplomacy’ Initiative – Friday, September 13, HST

September 13, 2019 By in Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Service, Mike Pompeo, Pompeo, Secretary of State, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , ,

 

Via state.gov:

The Heroes of U.S. Diplomacy initiative will launch at U.S. Department of State in the Harry S. Truman Building in Washington, D.C. on Friday, September 13, 2019. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo will kick-off the event, and the Director of the Foreign Service Institute Ambassador Daniel B. Smith will serve as Master of Ceremonies. The inaugural event features the first “Hero” Elizabeth “Lizzie” Slater in conversation with Director General Ambassador Carol Z. Perez. Lizzie will discuss her actions following the embassy bombings in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi in 1998 as she helped re-build the communications systems for both embassies, as well as the professional values she modeled throughout her career. Read more below.

The Heroes of U.S. Diplomacy initiative will run through 2020.  This initiative highlights the stories of modern-day “Heroes Among Us,” alongside heroic figures from our Department’s rich history.  These individuals displayed sound policy judgment, as well as intellectual, moral and/or physical courage while advancing the Department of State’s mission, thereby elevating U.S. diplomacy.

More about this initiative:

This initiative highlights the stories of modern-day “Heroes Among Us,” alongside heroes from our Department’s rich history. These heroes have displayed sound policy judgment, as well as intellectual, moral and physical courage while advancing the Department of State’s mission, or elevating U.S. diplomacy.

With support from the Una Chapman Cox Foundation, this initiative will include Department of State remarks and panel discussions, programming around the country, and other videos, podcasts, reading lists, and exhibits to tell these Heroes’ stories. New Heroes are announced on a semi-monthly basis. Learn about our first Hero here.

It is our hope that the Heroes of U.S. Diplomacy initiative will raise awareness about diplomacy as an instrument to advance the interests of the American people at home and around the world. This initiative will also educate current and future Department of State employees about the shared history for all foreign affairs professionals.

The Heroes of U.S. Diplomacy Steering Committee, comprised of senior Department officials, established the eligibility and criteria befitting of the Hero designation. Nominees must be affiliated with the Department of State as current or former Civil Servants, Foreign Service Generalists or Specialists, non-career appointees, Eligible Family Members, or Locally Employed Staff. To allow for historic perspective, the actions and accomplishments for which they are being recognized must have occurred at least five years prior to their nomination.

For updates and continual coverage, visit www.state.gov/HeroesofUSDiplomacy/ . You may also follow the hashtag #HeroesofUSDiplomacy on social media. For general inquiries, send message to HeroesOfDiplomacy@state.gov.

 

New @USUN Ambassador Kelly Craft Enters World Stage, Also Get Ready For #UNGA74

September 13, 2019 By in Ambassadors, Confirmations, Functional Bureaus, international organizations, Political Appointees, U.S. Missions, UN Tags: , , , , ,

 

On September 12, new USUN Ambassador Kelly Craft presented her credentials to the UN Secretary General. The U.S. Senate confirmed her as US Ambassador to the United Nations in a 56-33 vote on July 31, 2019.  On September 10, she was also confirmed to be Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA) during her tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations in a 56-38 vote.

The 74th session of the General Assembly opens on Tuesday, 17 September 2019. For more information, see the Provisional Agenda of the Session. The first day of the high-level General Debate will be Tuesday, 24 September 2019.

Secretary Pompeo Will Not Take Second Job as National Security Advisor #nodualswagger

September 13, 2019 By in Mike Pompeo, Pompeo, Secretary of State, State Department, Trends, Trump Tags: , , ,

 

 

American Academy of Diplomacy’s Sisco Memorial Forum: “Why Diplomats Need to Accept More Risk,” Friday, Sept 13

September 12, 2019 By in Ambassadors, Congress, Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Service, FSOs, Realities of the FS, State Department, Trends, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , ,

 

On Friday, September 13, the American Academy of Diplomacy (AAD) and Foreign Policy for America (FPA) will convene two similar discussions with four former U.S. ambassadors on how critically important it is for diplomacy that diplomats posted overseas are empowered to take a certain amount of risk. The forum is part of AAD’s Joseph J. Sisco Memorial Forum. “Joseph J. Sisco was the Chairman of the American Academy of Diplomacy from 1999-2004. When he passed away in the fall of 2004, he requested that gifts in his honor be made to the Academy. The Academy decided that the best use of the generous donations made by his friends and family was to stimulate public discussion on the foreign policy themes to which Dr. Sisco dedicated his career.”
This two-part event is free and open to the general public. The following former diplomats will be at the Forum:
Ambassador Anne Patterson, former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and North African Affairs, and former Ambassador to El Salvador, Colombia, Pakistan, Egypt, and the United Nations
Ambassador Charles Ray, former Ambassador to Cambodia and Zimbabwe,
Ambassador Richard Olson, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and former Ambassador to Pakistan, and United Arab Emirates
Ambassador Ronald Neumann, former Ambassador to Algeria, Bahrain and Afghanistan.

 

Part I
SENATE BRIEFING
Friday, September 13, 2019
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Dirksen 124

Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
RSVP FOR SENATE BRIEFING 

Part II
HOUSE BRIEFING
Friday, September 2019
12:30 pm – 2:15 pm
Rayburn 2075

Lunch will be served at 12:30 pm
Panel discussion at 1:15 pm – 2:15 pm

Sponsored by:
Rep. Gil Cisneros and Rep. Michael Waltz
RSVP FOR HOUSE BRIEFING

#

Season Finale: Trump Breaks Up With His Third National Security Advisor

September 12, 2019 By in Hotspots, Huh? News, Top Ranks, Trends, Trump, US Presidents Tags: , , ,

 

 

 

Pompeo: “I’m flattered when people say Mike will be a good United States senator representing Kansas.”

September 9, 2019 By in Elections, Mike Pompeo, Politics, Pompeo, Secretary of State, State Department, Trends, U.S. Senate Tags: , , ,

 

Secretary Pompeo returned to Kansas last week to deliver the 190th Landon Lecture in the McCain Auditorium at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. He also did at least seven local interviews; all asked him about a potential senate run.  See his response below, particularly the part about what flattered him, and spending “every waking moment” … “to try and achieve good diplomatic outcomes for the  people of Kansas.”
He said that he’s been “unambiguous” about the senate run but that he “continue to get asked.”
Especially as he kept going back to Kansas.

Via: SECRETARY POMPEO:  Steve, that’s why I always love coming on your show.  Look, I’m focused on my mission.  I’m serving America and working on President Trump’s team to deliver America’s foreign policy.  That’s what I’m focused on.  I do see the noise.  I’m flattered when people say Mike will be a good United States senator representing Kansas.  Susan and I love this place.  We miss our Shockers.  We miss our church there in Wichita and all our family and friends.  But I’m doing something that I consider an incredible privilege, an opportunity of a lifetime to lead the State Department, and I’m focused on doing that each and every day.

Via:  SECRETARY POMPEO:  Oh, goodness.  I’m so focused on what I’m doing.  We just ripped through half a dozen topics.  There’s another 20 we could’ve gone through.  I spend every waking moment working to try and achieve good diplomatic outcomes for the people of Kansas.  That’s my mission set; it’s what I’m focused on.  As for what happens tomorrow, a week from now, or two years from now, goodness only knows.

Via:  SECRETARY POMPEO:  Every day I am focused on my mission as the Secretary of State, America’s most senior diplomat.  It’s what I think about.  It’s what I’m focused on.  I kind of miss following Kansas politics as closely as it sounds like you are, but I have a very clear mission from President Trump and from the American people to deliver on his America First foreign policy, and me and the team that I have the privilege to lead here for a little bit are going to continue to do that.

Via:    SECRETARY POMPEO:  I have no Earthly idea.  I’m so focused on what I’m doing each and every day and so proud to represent the great people at the State Department every day.  I haven’t spent a heck of a lot of time thinking about my future.  I think there’s a lot of other people thinking about my future an awful lot more than Susan and I think about it.

Via: SECRETARY POMPEO:  Yeah.  I’m very focused on what I’m doing.  You just heard me recount half a dozen opportunities for America around the world.  I get the privilege to serve as President Trump’s Secretary of State, and I’m focused on that every day and plan to continue that.

Via: SECRETARY POMPEO:  Well, Pete, I always want to come back to Kansas.  Susan and I love it here.  We miss it.  When I flew in last night, it certainly feels like home.  But I’ve seen the speculation. I’ve been unambiguous, but I continue to get asked.  I’m focused on what I’m doing every day.  I want to be the Secretary of State as long as President Trump wants me to continue to do this.  That’s my focus.  What comes next, goodness knows.  But every day my sole focus is ensuring that I’m doing my best to deliver American diplomacy, and leading my team to successfully protect American people all around the world.

Via: SECRETARY POMPEO:  I’m still focused on what I’m doing, Lily.  I see the noise, I hear it, but my mission set every day is very clear.  I intend to stay in this current role just as long as President Trump says, “I want you to be my most senior diplomat.”  That’s the mission set. I came back to Kansas for this incredible privilege to give a lecture at K-State as part of the Landon Lecture Series where amazing people – presidents and all kinds of great leaders – have had the opportunity to come.  Mikhail Gorbachev – he had this opportunity to speak to K-Staters and people of this community.  And I’m really looking forward to it.

 

Related posts:

Massive Turn-Out as Pro-Democracy Protesters March to U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong

September 9, 2019 By in Congress, Consulate General, Dissent, EAP|East Asia, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Service, Hotspots, Protests, Real Post of the Month, Social Media, Trends, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , , ,

 

On Sunday, September 8, a massive crowd of pro-democracy protesters  marched to the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong seeking support from the U.S. Congress to pass H.R.3289 – Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019.
On June 13, 2019, the house bill was introduced by Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]. It has 21 co-sponsors and was “referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.”
There is also related bill in the U.S. Senate, the S.1838  Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, introduced on June 13, 2019 by Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL].  The bill with nine co-sponsors has been read twice and referred to the Foreign Committee on Foreign Relations (SFRC).
A bill must be passed by both the House and Senate in identical form and then be signed by the President to become law. GovTrack gave the house bill a 20% chance of being enacted citing Skopos Labs (details); and the Senate bill a 41% chance of being enacted citing Skopos Labs (details).
As for the U.S. Consulate General, due to the unique status of the Hong Kong and Macau SARs under the “one country, two systems” frameworks, U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau reports directly to the State Department in Washington, D.C. It is not part of U.S. Mission China.
Post is currently headed by Consul General Hanscom Smith who assumed his duties as the Consul General representing the United States to Hong Kong and Macau in July, 2019. According to his bio, Mr. Smith is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, most recently acting as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State responsible for China affairs. Mr. Smith previously served as Consul General in Shanghai and as Director of the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs at the Department of State. His foreign languages are Mandarin Chinese, French, Danish, and Khmer.
Post’s Deputy Consul General is DCM Paul Horowitz, a career member of the U.S. Department of State Senior Foreign Service assumed his duties in June 2019. According to his bio, Mr. Horowitz has spent much of his career in East Asia, focused primarily on economic and trade issues, including assignments in Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing, and Hong Kong. He speaks Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, and Bosnian.

#