Daily Archives: March 12, 2010

Nominations Confirmed: DeLisi, Welters, Kelly, Anderson, DiCarlo, Booth

March 12, 2010 By in Ambassadors, Confirmations, Congress, Nominations, UN

The United States Senate confirmed the following State Department nominations on March 10:  

PN1183 *      Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
Scott H. DeLisi, of Minnesota, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service,
Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
the United States of America to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.
PN1184 *      Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Beatrice Wilkinson Welters, of Virginia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Trinidad and
Tobago.
PN1219 *      STATE/OSCE
Ian C. Kelly, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of
Minister-Counselor, to be U. S. Representative to the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe, with the rank of Ambassador.
PN1242 *      STATE/UN
Brooke D. Anderson, of California, to be Alternate Representative of the United
States of America for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations, with the
rank of Ambassador.
PN1243 *      STATE/UNGA
Brooke D. Anderson, of California, to be an Alternate Representative of the United
States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations
during her tenure of service as Alternate Representative of the United States of
America for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations.
PN1244 *      STATE/UN
Rosemary Anne DiCarlo, of the District of Columbia, a Career Member of the Senior
Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be the Deputy Representative of
the United States of America to the United Nations, with the rank and status of
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and the Deputy Representative of the
United States of America in the Security Council of the United Nations.
PN1245 *      STATE/UNGA
Rosemary Anne DiCarlo, of the District of Columbia, a Career Member of the Senior
Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Representative of the United
States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations,
during her tenure of service as Deputy Representative of the United States of
America to the United Nations.
N1261 *      Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Donald E. Booth, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class
of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the
United States of America to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
CONFIRMATIONS — (Senate – March 10, 2010)
[Page: S1413]  GPO’s PDF
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Huh? News: You Can’t Joke from the Podium, Anymore?

March 12, 2010 By in Countries 'n Regions, Huh? News, People, State Department
Ask Your Questions HereImage by amineshaker via Flickr

The press briefing room of the Department of State (also known as the Carl T. Rowan Press Briefing Room) is at Room 2209 in the Harry S. Truman Building on C. Street. Used to be a fun place to watch. Now, the Spokesman can’t even tell a joke anymore without causing a diplomatic incident:

This one from HuffPo:

The U.S. State Department has been drawn into an international dispute between Libya and Switzerland after Muammar Gaddafi demanded an apology for disparaging remarks by a U.S. official.

[…]
In February, confusion over the term, and the dispute itself, prompted U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley to say Gaddafi’s comments reminded him of Gaddafi’s infamous 2009 speech to the United Nations, which involved “lots of words and lots of papers flying all over the place, not necessarily a lot of sense.”
[…]
Libya responded furiously, with a top official indicating priority for oil rights may now be given to China and Russia. Crowley was forced to make a public apology.
“I understand that my personal comments were perceived as a personal attack,” he told reporters this week. “These comments do not reflect U.S. policy and were not intended to offend. I apologize if they were taken that way.”
While Libya today confirmed they had accepted the apology, the wider situation now appears to be in a state of deadlock, with both Libya and Switzerland refusing to back down.
Read more at HuffPo: Gaddafi-Switzerland Row Escalates, US Forced To Apologize To Libya Leader
On March 10, Asharq Al-Awsat also reported that the Chairman of the Libyan National Oil Company [NOC] has informed them that “Tripoli is seeking to give precedence to Russia and China – at the expense of US oil companies – with regards to the Libyan oil industry because of its dissatisfaction of the Obama administrations support for Switzerland in its current crisis with Libya.”
Related Items:
CNN: Spokesman for US diplomacy apologizes for remark | March 10, 2010   
Forbes: Is Libya Going To Boot U.S. Oil Companies? January 22, 2009

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Report warns of "eve-teasing" in India

March 12, 2010 By in Americans Abroad, Countries 'n Regions, Diplomatic Security, Security
The North Block, in New Delhi, houses key gove...Image via Wikipedia
In early March, OSAC released its 2010 Crime and Safety Report on New Delhi. It has also released reports on other missions in India. See links below.  Summary for  New Delhi:
Petty crime, especially theft of personal property, is common in India, particularly on trains or buses. Pickpockets can be very adept, and women have reported having their bags snatched, purse-straps cut, or the bottom of their purses slit without their knowledge. Theft of U.S. passports is quite common, particularly in major tourist areas, on overnight trains, and at airports and train stations. Train travelers are urged to lock their sleeping compartments and take valuables with them when leaving their berths. Air travelers are advised to carefully watch their bags in the arrival and departure areas outside of airports. Violent crime, especially directed against foreigners, has traditionally been uncommon, although in recent years there has been a modest increase. As U.S. citizens’ purchasing power is comparatively large, travelers also should exercise modesty and caution in their financial dealings in India to reduce the chance of being a target for robbery or other crime. Gangs and criminal elements operate in major cities and have sometimes targeted unsuspecting businessmen and their family members for kidnapping.
U.S. citizens, particularly women, are cautioned not to travel alone in India. Western women continue to report incidents of physical harassment by groups of men. Known as “Eve-teasing,” these incidents can be quite frightening. While India is generally safe for foreign visitors, according to the latest figures by Indian authorities, rape is the fastest growing crime in India. Among large cities, Delhi experienced the highest number of crimes against women. Although most victims have been local residents, recent sexual attacks against female visitors in tourist areas underline the fact that foreign women are also at risk and should exercise vigilance.

Women should observe stringent security precautions, including avoiding using public transport after dark without the company of known and trustworthy companions; restricting evening entertainment to well known venues; and avoiding walking in isolated areas alone at any time of day. Women should also ensure their hotel room numbers remain confidential and insist the doors of their hotel rooms have chains, deadlocks, and spy-holes. In addition, it is advisable for women to hire reliable cars and drivers and avoid traveling alone in hired taxis, especially during the hours of darkness. It is preferable to obtain taxis from hotels rather than hailing them on the street. If women encounter threatening situations, they can call 100 for police assistance.

Related Items:
1 Mar 2010 | India 2010 Crime & Safety Report: Kolkata
1 Mar 2010 | India 2010 Crime & Safety Report: Mumbai


Quickie: HRC Widens Her Circle at Foggy Bottom

March 12, 2010 By in Hillary, Secretary of State, State Department

You may have seen this already. But if you haven’t, here is WaPo on HRC: Hillary Rodham Clinton widens her circle at the State Department

Excerpt below:
But a little over a year into her tenure as secretary of state, allies and detractors alike say Clinton has made a vigorous effort to widen her circle, wooing and pulling into her orbit the agency’s Foreign Service and civil service officials, many of whom said in interviews that she has brought a new energy to the building.
“We have had other secretaries of state who have cared deeply for the institution,” said Patrick F. Kennedy, undersecretary for management and a senior Foreign Service officer. “None who have done as much internal outreach.”
To be sure, Clinton has her share of critics who take aim at her operating style, complaining that she has ceded too much of her power to special envoys and that she has been in a global campaign mode of relentless image-building, intense travel and international media cultivation. Her job-approval ratings top President Obama’s.
One loyalist inside the agency, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid, suggested that Clinton is stretched too thin and has not narrowed her goals or developed signature issues that will define her tenure. “What bothers me is that we’re planting zillions of seeds . . . speeches on every issue, but where’s the thematic coherence?” this aide said.
Stewart M. Patrick, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who worked at the State Department under Colin L. Powell, agreed that Clinton “seems to still be struggling with priorities” and questioned whether she has a “grand strategic vision.”
Read the whole thing here.