Obama’s Arrogant Appointment

G. Philip Hughes (Ambassador to Barbados and Eastern Caribbean, 1990-1993)

Cross-posted from Ambassador Hughes’ June 6, 2013 opinion piece as published in U.S. News & World Report.

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You’ve got to hand it to him: President Obama’s appointment of his U.N. ambassador, Susan Rice, to be his new national security advisor shows chutzpah!  

Obama’s administration is mired in accumulating scandals – from the Internal Revenue Service targeting his political enemies in the two years between a humiliating mid-term election drubbing and a successful re-election bid, to his attorney general’s wholesale seizure of Associated Press phone records and fingering of Fox News correspondent James Rosen as a potential violator of the Espionage Act, to the public dissembling over the Benghazi attack and its fatal consequences for an American ambassador and three others. 

How to Play Well with China

Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. (Ambassador to Singapore, 1992-1993; Ambassador to China, 2009-2011) and Ian Bremmer

Cross-posted from Ambassador Huntsman and Mr. Bremmer’s June 2, 2013 op-ed in the New York Times.

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Presidents Obama and Xi Jinping will meet in California for two days starting this Friday.

It’s about time.

New sources of friction are constantly appearing in the relationship between the United States and China: trade disputes, tension over North Korea, debates over curbing carbon emissions, allegations of cyberattacks by China.

Fixing the Second Term Narrative

David M. Abshire (Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 1983-1987) a

Cross-posted from Ambassador Abshire’s May 30, 2013 op-ed in the Latin American Herald Tribune.

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As President Obama now can attest, the second term of a presidency seems to be accursed by scandal. The most egregious example is the fall of Nixon, from a landslide reelection victory against George McGovern to his resignation under the dark cloud of Watergate. For Reagan, it was Iran-Contra. For Clinton, it was the Lewinsky scandal and impeachment.

However, while the current scandal with the IRS is nowhere near as serious as Iran-Contra, there is a lesson from the Reagan administration that can instruct the President on how to move from scandal to higher ground. Stories of trading arms for hostages ate at the Reagan administration almost for two months before he then organized an extraordinary breakout.

U.S. Unwisely Ignores Sub-Saharan Africa

John Price (Ambassador to Mauritius, Seychelles and Comoros, 2002-2005)

Cross-posted from Ambassador Price’s May 28, 2013 Special to The Washington Times.

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African leaders are skeptical about President Obama’s engagement of sub-Saharan Africa, in part, because he has been there only once since becoming president, visiting Ghana in 2009 for less than 24 hours.

What’s more, when Mali’s government called out for help to subdue Islamist extremists who had overrun the northern part of the country, the Obama administration demurred.

Mistrust and resentment exist in sub-Saharan Africa, and present a challenge for the administration as Mr. Obama plans to visit Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania from June 26 to July 3.

What do you see as the impact of a U.S.-European trade deal? Do you think it would be successful in countering China’s rising economic power?

Thomas F. Stephenson (Ambassador to Portugal, 2007-2009)

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Economic theory and history strongly suggest that a broad based U.S.-European trade deal would significantly benefit the economies of all countries involved.  There will, no doubt, be some temporary sector losers in a wide open trade deal, but over time the net positive impact for the country economies as whole will far outweigh any single sector setbacks.  The huge challenge for those trying to negotiate a broad based trade treaty, however, will be combating the constituencies who believe their economic interests will be negatively impacted at least temporarily.

What do you see as the impact of a U.S.-European trade deal? Do you think it would be successful in countering China’s rising economic power?

Governor Bill Richardson (Ambassador to the United Nations, 1997-1998)

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The TTIP talks offer us the chance to strengthen relations with our allies and boost both our respective economies. On the face of it, this FTA should be a ‘quick win’ – an obvious legacy project for the Obama administration. Unlike some previous prospective partners, Europe has robust labor and environmental laws, and there are many areas of negotiation that should be relatively straightforward.

Syria’s Civil War is Deja vu of Regime Change in Libya

John Price (Ambassador to Mauritius, Seychelles and Comoros, 2002-2005)

Cross-posted from Ambassador Price’s May 16, 2013 Special to The Washington Times.

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The Arab Spring that prompted the ouster of authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya also led to the rise of Islamists who are bent on creating Islamic states that adhere to Shariah law — and that fate could await Syria after dictator Bashar al-Assad falls.

The democratically elected governments of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya are either led or beset by Islamists.

Libyan President Mohammed Magerief, leader of the General National Congress, is at risk of being overthrown by the Islamist extremists.

Prospects for a U.S.-European Trade Deal

Richard N. Swett, FAIA (Ambassador to Denmark, 1998-2001)

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The need for a strong trade relationship between the United States and Europe has never been more important than it is today. It represents a combined market of over 800 million people, most of whom are living in affluent, successful societies that have the ability to purchase products of the highest quality. From Scandinavia south, this is a market that consumes U.S. goods and services in significant quantities, yet there is even greater potential for consumption in the years ahead. 

State Department ‘Must Protect’ Diplomats — And Didn’t

John Price (Ambassador to Mauritius, Seychelles and Comoros, 2002-2005)

Cross-posted from Ambassador Price’s May 13, 2013 Special to The Washington Times.

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Always unarmed, ambassadors often are protected only by the goodwill of the countries in which they serve. But when hostilities arise, when governments fall, when their very lives are threatened, ambassadors and their staffs can rely only on the will and the strength of their homeland to ensure their security.

Apprenticeships Could Help U.S. Workers Gain a Competitive Edge

Stuart E. Eizenstat (Ambassador to the European Union, 1993-1996; Chief White House domestic policy adviser to President Jimmy Carter; Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade in the Clinton administration) and Robert I. Lerman.

Opinion piece as published in the May 3, 2013 issue of The Washington Post.

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The United States is on the verge of a manufacturing comeback. The domestic energy boom and low natural gas prices, together with competitive wage rates, can lead to a resurgence and the potential revival of goods-producing industries that could provide a great opportunity to increase middle-class wages, reduce income inequality and expand social mobility. But we also risk squandering this historic opportunity — mainly because firms interested in investing in the United States are finding too few workers with the skills needed to achieve the productivity and quality required in today’s globally competitive industries.