@StateDept Corrections Over Tillerson’s Afghanistan Remarks Get an Easy “F”

August 23, 2017 By in Af/Pak, Ambassadors, Rex Tillerson, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , 1 Comment

Posted: 10:07 am PT
Updated: 7:00 pm PT
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Via state.gov:

The published corrections actually need corrections:

Tillerson: Our Afghan ambassador [1] is remaining on the job at this time.
[1] State Dept Correction: The U.S. ambassador to Pakistan remains in position.

Let’s help with the correction: In the absence of a Senate-confirmed Ambassador to Afghanistan, Special Chargé d’Affaires to Afghanistan is Ambassador Hugo Llorens; he remains on the job.  The most recent Senate-confirmed COM was P. Michael McKinley; he departed post in December 2016. Afghanistan and Pakistan are two different countries.

“Our Afghan ambassador”  –  The U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan is not the “Afghan Ambassador.” Any “Afghan Ambassador” is an Afghan who represents Afghanistan and holds office at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan either in Washington, D.C. or at whatever country he is accredited to. While “Afghanistan Ambassador” is not wrong, there’s really no usefully correct way of abbreviating “U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan,” or, for that matter, any country.  It is way too easy to cause confusion, not just in the title, but whom the Ambassador represents.  A “U.S. Ambassador” to anywhere is an American who represents the United States. The “Afghan Ambassador” is not.

Tillerson: We have a Pakistan ambassador [2] that’s been nominated; we hope to have that person cleared through the process soon.
[2] State Dept Correction: A nominee for U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan has been named.

Let’s help with the correction: The current U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan is Ambassador David Hale who was  confirmed as Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on August 5, 2015. As far as we can tell, no nominee has been announced as new ambassador to Pakistan. The current U.S. Ambassador to Turkey John Bass has been nominated to be the next ambassador to Afghanistan.  Afghanistan and Pakistan are two different countries.

Tillerson: And even in the transition in Afghanistan, as Ambassador Hale [3] transitions out, we’ve nominated Ambassador Bass.
[3] Correction: Chargé d’Affaires Ambassador Hugo Llorens remains in position.

Sigh! Special Chargé d’Affaires to Afghanistan Ambassador Hugo Llorens remains in position. Ambassador Llorens was appointed to Kabul in December 2016. Which could mean he will stay on as DCM after Ambassador John Bass is confirmed, or he will transition out when his tour concludes in January if he’s on a 13 month assignment. Ambassador Hale is the chief of mission at the US Embassy in Pakistan. Afghanistan and Pakistan are two different countries. Period.

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One response

  1. Don’t know who is in charge? Check out the state.gov website and type in Afghanistan Desk.

    “The Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, led by Acting Special Representative Alice G. Wells, coordinates across the government to meet U.S. strategic goals in the region while engaging NATO and other key friends, allies, and others to support these efforts.”

    Wasn’t that office shuttered two months ago? Yes it was.

    Afghan issues are handled by SCA/A which is the actual Afghanistan Desk. (Don’t be fooled by the Department’s latest (2017) Country Office’s list which still has SA/AR for Afghan Reconstruction!)

    It has been years since there was an Office for Afghan Reconstruction. And the bureau hasn’t been “South Asia” for just as long.

    State Department media. Sigh!