What an Ambassador Does

  • Dennis C Jett
Chapter

Abstract

The embarrassing performances of the nominees to be the ambassadors in Norway, Argentina, and Hungary in their confirmation hearings in early 2014 did not only become the fodder for satirical reports on The Daily Show. They also set off a f lurry of critical articles in the media and another round of debates about what qualifications are necessary to be an ambassador. This chapter will discuss the qualifications question—what an ambassador actually does and how well those duties are performed.1

Keywords

Foreign Policy Career Officer Inspector General Inspection Report Country Team 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

5 What an Ambassador Does

  1. Juliet Eilperin, “Gaffes Prompt Diplomatic Debate,” Washington Post, February 15, 2014.Google Scholar
  2. ADST, “Moments in Diplomatic History—Shirley Temple Black, Diplomat,” January 10, 2010, http://adst.org/2014/02/shirley-templeblack-diplomat.
  3. Aljean Harmetz, “Shirley Temple Black, Hollywood’s Biggest Little Star, Dies at 85,” The New York Times, February 11, 2014.Google Scholar
  4. ADST Oral History Project, “William Bradford,” March 9, 1989.Google Scholar
  5. The ADST oral histories have a convenient search function.Google Scholar
  6. ADST Oral History Project, “John Linehan,” April 6, 1993; “L. Dean Brown,” May 17, 1989; and “John Evans,” October 19, 2099.Google Scholar
  7. ADST Oral History Project, “John Evans.”Google Scholar
  8. Author interview with former State Department official, March 14, 2014.Google Scholar
  9. Department of State, daily press briefing, February 7, 2014, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2014/02/221458.htm.
  11. “Minimal Demonstrated Qualifications for Their Posts,” AmericanGoogle Scholar
  13. AFSA, “Chiefs of Mission Guidelines,” https://www.afsa.org/chiefsofmission.aspx.
  14. AFSA, “Guidelines for Successful Performance as a Chief of Mission,” http://www.afsa.org/Portals/0/com_guidelines.pdf.
  15. Department of State, daily press briefing, March 7, 2014, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2014/03/223150.htm#DEPARTMENT.
  16. AFSA, “AFSA Works with White House and State Department to Increase Transparency of Ambassador Nominations,” AFSA press release, April 4, 2014, https://www.afsa.org/OutreachPrograms/MediaandPressReleases/AFSAWorkstoIncreaseTransparencyofNominations.aspx.
  17. Only the certificates of nominees who have been announced since April 2014 have been posted.Google Scholar
  18. Matt Bewig, “Ambassador to Norway: Who Is George Tsunis?” AllGov, December 7, 2013, http://www.allgov.com/news/appointments-and-resignat ions /amba s sador-to-norway-who-i s -george-t suni s -131207?news=851850.
  19. “Obama’s Pick for Norway Post Has ‘None of the Skills,’” MPR News, May 6, 2014, http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/05/06/dail-circuit-norwayambassador.
  20. Associated Press, “Franken, Klobuchar Oppose Obama’s Nominee for Norway Ambassador,” Minnesota Post,, June 3, 2014.Google Scholar
  21. This is based on a number of inspectors and former inspectors the author has interviewed.Google Scholar
  22. Shankar Vedantam, “Minority Aspirants to Federal Bench Are Hindered by Underrating,” NPR News, February 26, 2014, http://www.npr.org/2014/02/26/283066703/minority-aspirants-to-federal-bench-arehindered-by-underrating.
  23. ADST Oral History Project, “Charles Schmitz,” July 29, 1993.Google Scholar
  24. Shawn Zeller, “Who’s in Charge Here?” Foreign Service Journal, December 2007.Google Scholar
  25. Thom Shanker and Scott Shane, “Elite Troops Get Expanded Role on Intelligence,” The New York Times, March 8, 2006, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/08/international/americas/08forces.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0.
  26. David Ignatius, “The Blurring of CIA and Military,” Washington Post, June 1, 2011, http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-blurring-ofcia-and-military/2011/05/31/AGsLhkGH_story.html.
  27. State Department, OIG inspection report of Embassy London, report no. ISP-I-09–37A, July 2009, http://oig.state.gov/documents/organization/130931.pdf.
  28. “US Embassy Nassau: Where Absence Makes the Heart Not/Not Grow Fonder,” DiploPunidit, March 1, 2012, http://diplopundit.net/2012/03/01/us-embassy-nassau-where-absence-makes-the-heart-notnot-grow-fonder, and State Department, OIG inspection report, no. ISP-I-12–08A, January 2012, http://oig.state.gov/documents/organization/184725.pdf.
  29. White House, “President Obama Announces Intent to Nominate Key Administration Posts,” White House press release, June 4, 2009, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/President-Obama-Announces-Intent-to-Nominate-Key-Administration-Posts-6-4-09.
  30. Michelle Malkin, “A Failed Celebr-Ambassador Returns to Washington,” May 5, 2014, and “US Embassy Nassau,” DiploPundit.Google Scholar
  31. Center for Responsive Politics, “Barack Obama’s Bundlers,” http://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/bundlers.php?id=N00009638.
  32. Center for Responsive Politics, “Contributions from Celebrities,” http://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/celebs.php?cycle=2012.
  33. State Department, OIG inspection report, no. ISP-I-12–8A, January 2012, http://oig.state.gov/documents/organization/184725.pdf
  34. White House Press Office, Remarks by President Obama at a DNC event, April 22, 2011, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/04/22/remarks-president-dnc-event.
  35. State Department, OIG inspection report, no. ISP-I-09–40A, July 2009, http://oig.state.gov/documents/organization/129778.pdf.
  36. State Department, OIG inspection report, no. ISP-I-11–17A, January 2011, http://oig.state.gov/documents/organization/156129.pdf.
  37. Frank James, “U.S. Ambassador Exits Europe Post before Scathing Report about Her,” National Public Radio, February 4, 2011, http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/02/04/133506783/u-s-ambassador-exits-europepost-before-scathing-report-on-her-style.
  38. Al Kamen, “Embassy Openings for Open Wallets,” Washington Post, January 11, 2011.Google Scholar
  39. E. J. Dionne, Jr., “For an Obamacon, Communion Denied,” Washington Post, June 3, 2008.Google Scholar
  40. State Department, OIG inspection report, no. ISP-I-11–16A, Febuary 2011, http://oig.state.gov/documents/organization/160374.pdf.
  41. Ewen MacAskill, “US Ambassador to Malta Resigns after Critical State Department Report,” The Guardian, April 18, 2011.Google Scholar
  42. Ted Kopan, “Ex-Ambassador Eyes Hillary Clinton VP Spot,” Politico, January 17, 2014, http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/douglas-kmiechillary-clinton-vice-president-102321.html.
  43. State Department, OIG inspection report, no. ISP-I-11–19A, March 2011, http://oig.state.gov/documents/organization/161345.pdf.
  44. State Department, OIG inspection report, no. ISP-C-12–20, March 20, http://oig.state.gov/documents/organization/187831.pdf.
  45. Matt Bewig, “Ambassador to Denmark: Who Is Laurie Fulton?” July 9, 2009, AllGov, http://www.allgov.com/news/appointments-and-resignations/ambassador-to-denmark-who-is-laurie-fulton?news=839163.
  46. State Department, OIG inspection report, no. ISP-I-12–38A, August 2012, http://oig.state.gov/documents/organization/196460.pdf.
  47. Jason Straziuso, “US Ambassador to Kenya Resigns over ‘Differences,’” Associated Press, June 29, 2012, http://news.yahoo.com/us-ambassadorkenya-resigns-over-differences-093557493.html.
  48. State Department, OIG inspection report, no. ISP-I-14–07A, March 2014, http://oig.state.gov/documents/organization/224205.pdf.
  49. Marie Harf, Deputy Spokesperson, daily press briefing, March 28, 2014.Google Scholar
  50. State Department, Office of the Historian, “Chiefs of Mission for Bahrain,” http://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/chiefsofmission/bahrain.

Copyright information

© Dennis C. Jett 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Dennis C Jett

There are no affiliations available

Personalised recommendations