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In a rare move, Biden taps two career diplomats for senior State Department roles

US President Joe Biden announced Friday his intention to nominate career diplomats to become regional assistant secretaries - a move welcomed by members of the State Department after political appointees were favored for senior positions.
Career diplomats who hone their skills in the Foreign Service have become discouraged in recent years as the number of political appointees picked to head senior posts has increased, past and current State Department members said.
Assistant secretary positions, which are considered just under the secretary of State, are typically split between political and career appointees when a new administration takes office.
During his first trip to the State Department as president, Biden told Foreign Service members, “You are the heart and soul of what we do as a country.”
This was interpreted as a sign to boost the morale of those sidelined by the Trump administration's political appointees and an effort to encourage new applicants.

But since taking office, Biden’s has filled most of the senior positions with political nominees or former career diplomats who served under the Obama administration and later retired.
Wendy Sherman, a key part of the Obama team that negotiated the now-defunct Iran nuclear deal, is awaiting confirmation to become the deputy secretary of State. Victoria Nuland, a retired career foreign service officer, has been nominated to be the third-highest ranking State Department official.
Barbara Leaf, former US ambassador to the United Arab Emirates under Obama, was appointed as the senior director for the Middle East at the National Security Council. But recent reports suggest she will be moved over to head the Near Eastern Affairs bureau at the State Department, the top US diplomat for the Middle East.
Another example is the expected appointment of Jeffrey Feltman as Biden’s special envoy for the Horn of Africa. Feltman was a foreign service officer for more than 25 years but retired in 2012.
Friday’s announcement that two career diplomats were nominated to head the East Asian and Pacific Affairs bureau and the Western Hemisphere Affairs bureau provided a sense of optimism to the Foreign Service members.
Daniel Kritenbrink was nominated to serve as assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, while Brian Nichols was selected to serve as assistant secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. The third nominated was Brett Holmgren to serve as an assistant secretary of State for Intelligence and Research. Holmgren is not a State Department career diplomat.
One senior career diplomat who has served as the US ambassador to several capitals abroad said the overall approach for those waiting to be appointed was now “wait and see.”
Tim Lenderking has been one of the few career diplomats given a top post by Biden after he was tapped to be the president’s special envoy for Yemen.

Ricardo Zuniga, another career member of the Senior Foreign Service, was recently appointed to become the special envoy for the Northern Triangle.
Biden overlooked career diplomats for other posts, such as the deputy assistant secretary (DAS) for Israel and Palestinian Affairs and special envoy for Iran. The US president also nominated Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a retired career diplomat, to be the next US ambassador to the UN.
And with ambassadorships vacant in major capitals worldwide, it remains to be seen whether Biden will opt to fill them with career diplomats or political appointees. Some of the embassies that remain without a US ambassador are the United Kingdom, UAE, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Japan, Israel, India, Germany, France, Bahrain and Afghanistan.
source: Joseph Haboush
Image source: AFP
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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