Daily Archives: October 31, 2017

U.S. Missions Around the World Go Sweet and Spooky For Halloween

October 31, 2017 By in Foreign Service, Holidays and Celebrations, Round-Up, U.S. Missions Tags: , ,

Posted: 1:42 pm PT
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U.S. Embassy India

U.S. Embassy Tokyo Consular Section

U.S. Embassy South Korea

U.S. Consulate General Nogales, Mexico

U.S. Consulate Halifax, Canada

U.S. Consulate General Auckland, New Zealand

U.S. Embassy Uruguay

U.S. Embassy United Kingdom

U.S. Embassy Montenegro

U.S. Mission United Nations

Here’s a bonus from the International Space Station:

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Libyan National Charged in 2012 Attack on U.S. Special Mission and Annex in #Benghazi

October 31, 2017 By in Ambassadors, Americans Abroad, Defense Department, Diplomatic Attacks, Federal Agencies, Foreign Service, FSOs, Govt Documents, Media, State Department, Terrorism, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Posted: 2:22 am ET
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Media reports say that U.S. special forces have captured a militant who was allegedly involved in the 2012 deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound and CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya.  The suspect has been identified as Mustafa al-Imam. An unnamed official told the AP that the suspect was captured in Misrata, on the north coast of Libya and was taken to a U.S. Navy ship at the Misrata port for transport to the United States.

Per DOJ announcement:

Mustafa al-Imam, a Libyan national approximately 46 years old, has been charged for his alleged participation in the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. Special Mission and Annex in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the deaths of four Americans.

“The murder of four Americans in Benghazi on September 11, 2012 was a barbaric crime that shocked the American people. We will never forget those we lost – Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Ambassador Christopher Stevens – four brave Americans who gave their lives in service to our nation,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions.  “We owe it to them and their families to bring their murderers to justice. Today the Department of Justice announces a major step forward in our ongoing investigation as Mustafa al-Imam is now in custody and will face justice in federal court for his role in the attack.  I am grateful to the FBI, our partners in the intelligence community and the Department of Defense who made this apprehension possible.  The United States will continue to investigate and identify all those who were involved in the attack – and we will hold them accountable for their crimes.”

“The apprehension of Mustafa al-Imam demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding accountable all of those responsible for the murders of four brave Americans in a terrorist attack in Benghazi,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia.  “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will do all that we can to pursue justice against those who commit terrorist acts against the United States, no matter how far we must go and how long it takes.”

Mustafa al-Imam is charged in a recently unsealed three-count criminal complaint.  The complaint, which was filed under seal on May 19, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, charges al-Imam with:

  • Killing a person in the course of an attack on a federal facility involving the use of a firearm and dangerous weapon and attempting and conspiring to do the same.
  • Providing, attempting and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists resulting in death.
  • Discharging, brandishing, using, carrying and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.Al-Imam is in U.S. custody, and upon his arrival to the U.S. he will be presented before a federal judge in Washington, D.C.

Read the full announcement here.

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American Academy of Diplomacy Opposes Nomination of Stephen Akard as @StateDept Personnel Chief

October 31, 2017 By in Appointments, Foreign Service, FS Groups, FSOs, Nominations, Political Appointees, Realities of the FS, Senators, SFRC, State Department, Trends, Trump Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Posted: 2:10 am ET
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In a letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) Chairman Bob Corker and Ranking Member Ben Cardin, released publicly on October 30, the American Academy of Diplomacy (AAD) requests that the senators oppose the nomination of Stephen Akard to be Director General of the Foreign Service:

The American Academy of Diplomacy requests that you oppose the nomination of Stephen Akard to serve as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources at the State Department. We have concluded that voicing our concerns with Mr. Akard’s nomination is required if the Academy is to meet its most important mission: to promote and protect America’s interests in a dangerous world by supporting an effective American diplomacy based on a strong Foreign Service and a strong Civil Service.

It looks like the AAD requested to meet with the nominee but had not been successful. The letter authored by former senior diplomats Ambassadors Tom Pickering and Ronald Neumann on behalf of the group says about Mr. Akard, “We hold no personal animus toward him.”  But added that ” … we have concluded that Mr. Akard lacks the necessary professional background to be the Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources at the State Department. His confirmation would be contrary to Congress’s long standing intent and desire to create a professional American diplomatic service based on merit.”

The letter further adds: “While Mr. Akard is technically eligible for the position, to confirm someone who had less than a decade in the Foreign Service would be like making a former Army Captain the Chief of Staff of the Army, the equivalent of a four-star general.”

The full letter is available to read here (pdf).

We’ve previously blogged about the Akard appointment on October 17 (see Trump’s Pick For @StateDept Personnel Chief Gets the Ultimate “Stretch” Assignment).

With the exception of noting this nomination on Twitter, and separately urging FS members “to embrace their roles as stewards of the institution”, we have not seen any public position on this nomination by the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), the professional association and labor union of the Foreign Service since 1924.

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New U.S. Ambassadors Say Hello in Fresh Intro Video Playlist

October 31, 2017 By in Ambassadors, Foreign Service, FSOs, Political Appointees, Social Media, U.S. Missions, Video of the Week Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted: 1:59 am ET
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U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone Maria Brewer

U.S. Ambassador to Algeria John Desrocher

U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Michael Raynor

U.S. Ambassador to Senegal Tulinabo Mushingi

U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Luis Arreaga

U.S. Ambassador to Italy Lewis Eisenberg

U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica Sharon Day

U.S. Ambassador to Portugal, George E. Glass

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty

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