Tag Archives: Suriname

Susan Pompeo wants you to know she’s making happiness, security of diplomatic families her mission

July 31, 2019 By in Diplomatic Life, Foreign Service, Huh? News, MEDical, Mike Pompeo, Pompeo, Realities of the FS, Security, Spouses, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , ,

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On July 6, 2019, just days after the July 1st CNN report  on a whistleblower claiming Secretary Pompeo’s security picks up Chinese food, and the dog, Sherman, apparently from the groomer, the Washington Times has a rollicking coverage of Susan Pompeo.
‘Do you feel safe?’ Susan Pompeo makes happiness, security of diplomatic families her mission” blares the headline. She’s not a government employee, so the  chances of getting her on the podium to speak about this mission is not high, but the next time reporters get a chance to er … grill her, please ask her where she was when State Department employees were terrified while trying to find an accommodation for their special needs children and their education while overseas.
Where was Mrs. Pompeo when the medical provider at State was deemed to lack a “fundamental lack of compassion”  and lack of understanding and empathy for Foreign Service personnel and families?
Where was Mrs. Pompeo when a senior official of her husband’s agency appears to believe that individuals and families with any sort of special need should not serve overseas, should curtail or break assignments, should stay indefinitely in the United States, or even leave the Foreign Service altogether?
Employees and family members already facing physical, mental and educational challenges, also had to face fear of retribution given the reported hostile and adversarial relationship fostered by a bureau tasked with taking care of employees and families.
Despite reported mistreatment, Foreign Service families have not publicly pushed back, and anything reported are only on background, for fear that their actions could result in the denial of financial support for needed services for special needs children  or fear that it would put in jeopardy clearances for themselves and their dependents. Without appropriate clearances, employees would not be able to work overseas or may have to contend with family separation for members with limited clearances.
If taking care of diplomatic families has become her mission, we’re curious where was Mrs. Pompeo when this issue was causing so much pain, fear, and distractions among FS families? (Also see Under Secretary Bulatao on Enhancing Support for Employees with Children with Special Needs June 30, 2019).
If Mrs. Pompeo wants to make “happiness” and “security” her mission, and that’s the reason she is traveling the globe with her husband, fine. Foreign Service families are short of advocates, and they could use the help. But, if she is  running around telling us this is her mission but was somehow not around for the most vulnerable members of the FS family, what does that say about her mission? 
As an aside – we should note that following the furor over her travel with Secretary Pompeo during the January 2019 government shutdown, CNN reported that the secretary described his wife’s trip as a “working trip”  — apparently telling reporters she joined him to try to help the department “be better.” “So she meets with the medical officers. She’ll tour housing. She will write up her thoughts and comments after that. And I wish I had time to do each of those things myself, but she is a force multiplier,” Secretary Pompeo said according to CNN.
If she did a trip report for that January trip, it has so far remained a secret.  By March 2019, as she became increasingly visible flying around with Secretary Pompeo, the official word coming out of Foggy Bottom is that the secretary “reimburses the United States government for all appropriate expenses, including Mrs. Pompeo’s travel, in accordance with the law.”
Oh, by the way, we think employees at a small post — with leaks in a new embassy compound building roofs in Paramaribo and suffering from exposure to mold — needs help. The health hazard was identified in March 2017!  And the problem still had not been resolved.  Imagine that. We’re guessing that they are not terribly happy nor feeling heath-safe over there.
Also, to the 7th floor denizens reading this post, can you please suggest to Mrs. P. not/not to parachute to posts for coffee or for housing tour during the summer transfer season when spouses are preparing to pack-out (them with their mile-long lists of things to do)?  Just between us, if we’re in the spouses’ shoes, we’d want to scream at our coffee cups, too, especially as these events are never really voluntary.

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CDC Issues Zika Virus Guidance For 14 Countries and Territories in the Western Hemisphere

January 19, 2016 By in Americans Abroad, Foreign Service, MEDical, Realities of the FS, State Department, U.S. Missions, WHA|Western Hemisphere Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted: 12:58 am EDT
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The Centers for Disease Control on January 15 issued an interim travel guidance related to Zika virus for 14 countries and territories in Central and South America and the Caribbean. Out of an abundance of caution, the CDC is advising pregnant women to consider postponing travel to areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing.  We have not seen any guidance from the State Department. If you are in the Foreign Service, pregnant, and assigned to these 13 countries in the Western Hemisphere, please contact State/MED for guidance.

Zika was reported for the first time in Brazil in May 2015, and the virus has since been reported in 14 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean:  Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.  For a list of countries that have past and current evidence of the virus, please click here.

Map from cdc.gov

Map from cdc.gov

Below is an excerpt from the CDC announcement:

CDC has issued a travel alert (Level 2-Practice Enhanced Precautions) for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing: Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

This alert follows reports in Brazil of microcephaly and other poor pregnancy outcomes in babies of mothers who were infected with Zika virus while pregnant. However, additional studies are needed to further characterize this relationship. More studies are planned to learn more about the risks of Zika virus infection during pregnancy.

Until more is known, and out of an abundance of caution, CDC recommends special precautions for pregnant women and women trying to become pregnant:

  • Pregnant women in any trimester should consider postponing travel to the areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. Pregnant women who must travel to one of these areas should talk to their doctor or other healthcare provider first and strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites during the trip.
  • Women trying to become pregnant should consult with their healthcare provider before traveling to these areas and strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites during the trip.

Because specific areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing are difficult to determine and likely to change over time, CDC will update this travel notice as information becomes available. Check the CDC travel website frequently for the most up-to-date recommendations.

Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat Zika. Four in five people who acquire Zika infection may have no symptoms. Illness from Zika is usually mild and does not require hospitalization. Travelers are strongly urged to protect themselves by preventing mosquito bites:

  • Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants
  • Use EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), or IR3535. Always use as directed.
    • Insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, and IR3535 are safe for pregnant and nursing women and children older than 2 months when used according to the product label. Oil of lemon eucalyptus products should not be used on children under 3 years of age.
  • Use permethrin-treated clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents).
  • Stay and sleep in screened-in or air-conditioned rooms.

Read the full announcement here.

CDC is reportedly working with public health experts across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take additional steps related to Zika.  In addition, efforts are also underway across HHS to develop vaccines, improved diagnostics and other countermeasures for Zika according to CDC.

 

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Officially In: Jay N. Anania – from Iraq to the Republic of Suriname

April 17, 2012 By in Ambassadors, Countries 'n Regions, FSOs, Nominations, Officially In Tags: , , ,

On April 11, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Jay N. Anania to be the next Ambassador to the Republic of Suriname. The WH released the following bio:

Jay N. Anania, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, currently serves as Management Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.  From 2009 to 2011, he served at the State Department as Executive Director of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.  From 2006 to 2009, Mr. Anania was the Minister-Counselor for Management Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, where he served for seven months as Acting Deputy Chief of Mission.  Prior positions in Washington include Acting Chief Information Officer in the Bureau of Information Resource Management (2005-2006) and Director of the Office of Management Policy (2002-2005).  Additional overseas posts include assignments at the U.S. Consulates General in Hong Kong and Tijuana, Mexico; U.S. Embassies in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, and at the U.S Interests Section in Havana, Cuba.  

Mr. Anania holds a B.A. from Kenyon College and an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

The Kabalebo Dam project is already indicated ...

The Kabalebo Dam project is already indicated on this CIA World Factbook map. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If confirmed, he would succeed career diplomat, John Nay who was appointed chief of mission at the US Embassy in Paramaribo in 2009. Mr. Anania, who joined the Foreign Service in 1985, holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s in business administration. He began his career as a consular and management officer handling visas in Tijuana. According to Government Executive, as acting CIO, he helped realign the Bureau of Information Resource Management to hew to the goals of the President’s Management Agenda. In 2003, he also established and led the department’s Office of Rightsizing the U.S. Government Overseas Presence.

Domani Spero
Related item:
April 11, 2012 | President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts