Tillerson's State Department Is Adrift, Say Diplomats

[DonViejo]

SEP 18 2017, 6:57 PM ET
by VIVIAN SALAMA

WASHINGTON — On his first day as Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson vowed to try to get to know everyone at the State Department. But senior diplomats say they never saw him again.

As President Donald Trump faces a collection of world leaders at his first United Nations General Assembly this week, U.S. officials are working behind the scenes to allay fears among foreign delegations that America's foreign policy decisions have become too dominated by the West Wing, and that the U.S. State Department, where many crucial positions remain unfilled, is adrift.

At the center of this concern is Tillerson, whose diminishing role in the administration is being blamed for the State Department's lagging clout, according to seven U.S. diplomats and four foreign diplomats who spoke to NBC News. The officials insisted on anonymity to discuss the administration's internal dynamics.

Three senior State Department officials told NBC News that there a number of meetings with foreign delegations at this week's UNGA that Tillerson either ignored or refused to attend, forcing either Vice President Mike Pence or U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley to step in.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/tillerson-s-state-department-adrift-say-diplomats-n802316

[Madam45for2923]

1. These people are as incompetent as they are crooked.

[Thomas Hurt]

2. Tillerson didn't deliver on reason he was appointed, lifting Russia sanctions.

I am surprised he is still there, since the Congress closed that avenue pretty tightly with the sanctions bill. I was thinking he might bail...but then again he has not finished gutting the agency and centralizing power in Donnie and his band of oligarchs.

[Zambero]

3. Detached and incompetent

Steve Bannon could not have asked for "better" candidate to oversee the dismantling the State Dept as a key component of the "Administrative State".

[Iliyah]

4. The bottom line of the GOPs i.e. t-rump and adm.

dismantle the USA's government and create thy own in it's image because they want to control and be in power forever and ever. Ya see they want to re-do the Constitution.

[mulsh]

5. Knee cap State, #1 after "America First" on our Kremlin Krew's hit list for Trump.

Maybe I'm paranoid and obsessed but it seems to me a great way to handicap any nation is to neutralize their diplomatic corps. I hope these antics don't cause any lasting damage. Thank God for the career people still at the State Department.