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UP FRONTFriday 2 February 2018
State Department loses top career diplomat as crises abound
By MATTHEW LEE In this Feb. 2, 2017 file photo, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, accompanied by accompanied by to stay on and acknowl-
AP Diplomatic Writer edged that his departure
WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department Undersecretary for Political Affairs Tom Shannon, left, takes the podium to speak would be a loss.
Trump administration is los- “He is a walking encyclo-
ing its top career diplomat to State Department employees upon arrival at the State Department in Washington. pedia,” said Tillerson, who
in a heavy blow to the dropped by during the in-
State Department amid nu- Associated Press terview in Shannon’s office
merous international crises. just down the hall from his
The retirement of the de- multuous transition. ment at State that has led secretary post in February own on what is known as
partment’s third-ranking “Mahogany Row” on the
official, Undersecretary of Shannon’s departure is sure to the loss of staff, and fail- 2016 with the expectation State Department’s sev-
State for Political Affairs enth floor. “Thirty-five years
Tom Shannon, was an- to be seized on by critics ure of the Trump Admin. to that he would bridge the of experience is not some-
nounced on Thursday at a thing you replace over-
time when the administra- of the administration who nominate enough people gap between administra- night,” he said.
tion’s foreign policy and Tillerson said Shannon was
its treatment of veteran accuse Trump and Secre- to fill vacant positions is risk- tions whoever was elected welcome to return if he did
diplomats has come under not enjoy retirement. “There
heavy criticism. tary of State Rex Tillerson of ing international security.” that November. will always be a place for
While not a household Tom Shannon at the State
name, Shannon is widely re- gutting the foreign service, In an interview, Shannon “Aside from helping the Department,” Tillerson said.
spected by his colleagues, Reaction to Shannon’s an-
lawmakers and others, and particularly its senior ranks. said he was retiring for per- Obama administration to nouncement was quick
his departure in the coming and effusive with a number
months will leave another Of five career ambassa- sonal and not political rea- the finish line, I knew my job of his current and former
void in the top ranks. He foreign service colleagues
holds the rank of “career dors on the job when Tiller- sons. was also about helping this wishing him well and thank-
ambassador” — the high- ing him for his decades of
est in the foreign service. son arrived at the State De- “I decided it was an im- institution navigate the po- service.
Shannon informed State Former Secretaries of State
Department staffers that he partment a year ago Thurs- portant moment to take litical transition, get across Hillary Clinton and John
will retire as soon as a suc- Kerry both weighed in.
cessor is chosen and ready day, only one remains and a step back and to deter- the river,” Shannon said. “Congrats on a well-de-
to assume the job after re- served retirement for Tom
ceiving Senate confirma- that diplomat is currently mine what next I can do “And, once across that riv- Shannon,”Kerry said in a
tion. He is a near 35-year tweet. “We are all — all ten
veteran of the U.S. Foreign on sabbatical. Of six un- in my life,” he said. He said er, help this institution — the secretaries he worked with
Service and was the most — better off for the gift of
senior department official dersecretary positions, only the death of his mother last foreign service and civil ser- his service.”
to remain in his job after the “Tom has served our coun-
transition from the Obama two, including Shannon’s, year and his own 60th birth- vice — be responsive to our try with excellence and
to the Trump administra- dedication in senior posts
tions. are currently occupied. day last week contributed elected leadership.” under Democratic and
He has served under six Republican administra-
presidents of both parties The rest are vacant. to his decision. Tillerson, who has been criti- tions alike, continuing in
since 1984 and 10 secretar- the Foreign Service’s proud
ies of state and was seen Sen. Bob Menendez of New But he also said he con- cized for his leadership of tradition of nonpartisan
as a symbol of diplomatic expertise and profession-
continuity and profession- Jersey noted in a tweet sidered himself the “desig- the State Department and alism,” Clinton wrote in a
alism during last year’s tu- statement.q
there is just one remaining nated survivor” after former for removing or forcing out
career ambassador and President Barack Obama senior career officials, said
said, “I fear poor manage- tapped him for the under- he had asked Shannon
Romney to announce Feb.15 if he’ll seek Utah Senate seat
By MICHELLE L. PRICE In this Jan. 19, 2018, file photo, Former Republican presidential Instead, it offers visitors a longest-serving senators
Associated Press candidate Mitt Romney speaks about the tech sector during an form to sign up and “Join in U.S. history and began
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — For- industry conference dubbed Silicon Slopes, the nickname for Team Mitt.” floating Romney’s name as
mer Republican presiden- Utah’s burgeoning cluster of tech companies, in Salt Lake City. Romney’s been consid- his potential successor last
tial candidate Mitt Rom- ered a top candidate for year.
ney plans to announce on Associated Press the Senate seat after long- Romney, a former Mas-
Feb. 15 if he’ll run for the time Republican Sen. Orrin sachusetts governor who
Utah Senate seat held by Hatch announced in Janu- moved to Utah after losing
Orrin Hatch. ary that he would not seek the presidential election, is
Romney said in a Twitter another term. expected to easily win the
post Thursday that he’s In recent months, Romney Senate seat if he chooses
looking forward to the an- has made more public to seek it.
nouncement. The post in- appearances around the The 70-year-old Mormon
cluded a link to his website state but has declined to is noted in Utah for turn-
, which no longer includes say if he’ll run for Hatch’s ing around the scandal-
references to his 2012 pres- seat. plagued 2002 Winter Olym-
idential campaign and Hatch, who has served pics and has wide respect
quotes from his concession more than four decades from the state’s Mormon-
speech. in the Senate, is one of the majority population.q
