UNITED STATES
The increasing number of political appointments at the United States Department of State is causing a “diplomatic disarmament” some former employees claim.
While there have always been a number of jobs that have gone to friends and supporters of the Administration of the time — usually ambassadorships to small friendly countries that do not require a great deal of experience — the trend has accelerated under President Donald Trump.
The former diplomats say the process is eroding the State Department’s ability to effectively carry out foreign policy.
A career diplomat who retired last month after serving as President of the American Foreign Service Association, Barbara Stephenson (pictured), said the United States stood out from “the whole rest of the developed world … [that] depends on career professionals at the top of their Foreign Ministries”.
Mr Trump has made a disproportionately high number of political appointees as ambassadors, including some campaign donors who have little to no prior diplomatic experience.
In Washington, only one Assistant Secretary of State or equivalent rank position out of 28 is filled by a current Foreign Service officer.
Some of those 28 posts remain unfilled, with lower-ranking career diplomats filling the positions in an acting capacity, and some have always traditionally been filled by people who are not Foreign Service officers.
Former career diplomat, R. Nicholas Burns said the current situation was unprecedented.
“This is not just extremely unusual, it’s a unique situation, and it further erodes the credibility of all of these great people who serve in the Foreign Service,” Mr Burns said.
He pointed to the military as an apt comparison.
“The average American … would say it makes no sense to put someone with no background in the profession into commanding an aircraft carrier, or commanding an air wing in the air force, or commanding a division of American land troops,” Mr Burns said.
“We would never dream of treating the military like this, but the Trump Administration is treating the State Department like this.”
Washington, 15 August, 2019
