Daily Archives: October 7, 2019

State/OIG Hotline and Resources For Whistleblowers in the Federal Service

October 7, 2019 By in Oversight, State Department, Whistleblowers Tags: , , , , ,

 

 

Trump in His “Great and Unmatched Wisdom” Green-lights Turkish Incursion, Abandons US-Backed Kurds

October 7, 2019 By in Chaos, Defense Department, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Assistance, Foreign Policy, Hall of Shame, Realities of the FS, State Department, Trends, Trump Tags: , , , ,

 

 

Read: Kurt Volker’s Prepared Testimony in Ukraine Investigation

October 7, 2019 By in Ambassadors, EUR|Europe, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Hotspots, Impeachment Inquiry, Political Appointees, Special Envoys and Reps, State Department, Top Ranks, Trends, Trump Tags: , , ,

 

EUR/DAS Matt Palmer as Special Rep For Western Balkans, US Amb to Germany Ric Grenell Dual-Hatted For Serbia-Kosovo

October 7, 2019 By in Ambassadors, Appointments, EUR|Europe, FSOs, Mike Pompeo, Political Appointees, Realities of the FS, Secretary of State, Special Envoys and Reps, State Department, Trends, Trump, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , ,

 

On August 30, 2019, Pompeo appointed career diplomat Matthew Palmer’s as Special Representative for the Western Balkans. 

The Secretary of State has appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Palmer as his Special Representative for the Western Balkans.  In this role, Palmer will lead our efforts to strengthen U.S. diplomatic engagement in support of peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and focus on integration of the Western Balkan countries into Western institutions.

As Special Representative, Palmer will travel to Slovenia beginning on September 1 to attend the Bled Strategic Forum.  He will also represent the United States at the Quint Balkan Directors meeting in Brussels and attend meetings in Vienna and Podgorica, September 4-10.

In addition to serving as the Secretary’s Special Representative, Palmer will continue to serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, a position he has held since 2018.  Previously, he was Director of the Office of South Central Europe.

October 3, 2019, Trump announced his intent to appoint Richard Grenell  to serve concurrently as U.S. Ambassador to Germany and as Special Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations:

Richard A. Grenell has served as the United States Ambassador to Germany since May 8, 2018.  Mr. Grenell, a foreign policy writer and commentator, founded the international consulting firm Capitol Media Partners in 2010. For nearly two decades, he has served as the primary communications adviser for public officials at the Federal, State, local, and international levels, as well as for a Fortune 200 ranked company.  Mr. Grenell is the longest serving United States spokesman at the United Nations (2001-2008) having served four United States Ambassadors.  He earned a B.A. from Evangel University and an MPA from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

 

Miles With Mike This Week: Level Three Orange Alert, and Nothing Remotely Good

October 7, 2019 By in Chaos, Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, Hall of Shame, Impeachment Inquiry, Mike Pompeo, Realities of the FS, Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State, Spectacular, State Department, Trends, Trump, U.S. Missions, Ukraine Tags: , ,

 

U.S. Diplomatic Spouse Suspect in Fatal Traffic Collision Departs UK Under Diplomatic Immunity

October 7, 2019 By in Diplomatic Immunity, Foreign Service, Media, Realities of the FS, Spouses, State Department, U.S. Missions, UK-FCO Tags: , , ,

 

Media reports that an American diplomat’s wife suspected of involvement in a fatal crash that killed 19-year old Harry Dunn in Croughton, in central England has left the UK under diplomatic immunity.
An ITV report says that the American family had a home at RAF Croughton, a U.S.  communications base in Brackley.  Sky News says it has  been told there has been a special arrangement in place as early as 1994 between the UK and US for this particular base in Northamptonshire.
We have not been able to find a record of the diplomat-husband in congress.gov (FSOs require senate confirmations).  According to BBC, the US State Department said on Saturday that the incident involved “a vehicle driven by the spouse of a US diplomat assigned to the United Kingdom” but has not released the name of the individual involved in the incident.
BBC News writes that “Nick Adderley, of Northamptonshire Police, has urged the embassy to waive her diplomatic immunity.” Also that “the US State Department said diplomatic immunity was “rarely waived” but Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab urged the US Embassy to reconsider” and the following:

The US State Department has said it is in “close consultation” with British officials and has offered its “deepest sympathies” to the family of Mr Dunn.

“Any questions regarding a waiver of immunity with regard to our diplomats and their family members overseas in a case like this receive intense attention at senior levels and are considered carefully given the global impact such decisions carry; immunity is rarely waived,” it added.

Publicly available report on US Mission in the United Kingdom notes that Embassy London’s information resource management office operates an extensive program that provides information management and information security, and supports Consulates General Belfast and Edinburgh and a U.S. facility at the Royal Air Force Base Croughton.  Employees at the Regional Information Technical Center, Royal Air Force Base Croughton is under the general direction of the management counselor of the US Embassy in London.
Outrage is building on social media about this incident. While there are official statements circulated in media reports, both US Embassy London and Ambassador Johnson @USAmbUK do not appear to have made any public statement about this fatal crash on their website or social media accounts. Ambassador Johnson’s last two tweets have been taken over with the public’s response to this death, and the hashtag #JusticeForHarry is quietly growing.