The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2020

20 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL dangerously—and in some cases perhaps permanently—were injured in attacks from unknown sources several years ago. And we are Ambassador Chris Stevens, Sean Patrick Smith, Ty Woods, and Glen Doherty—people rightly called heroes for their ultimate sacrifice to this nation’s foreign policy interests in Libya, eight years ago. We honor these individuals. They represent each one of you here—and every American. These courageous individuals were attacked because they symbolized America. What you need to know, what the American people need to know, is that while, thankfully, most of us answer the call to duty in less dramatic ways, every Foreign Service Officer runs these same risks. And, very often, so do our families. They serve too. As individuals, as a community, we answer the call to duty to advance and protect the interests of the United States. We take our oath of office seriously, the same oath that each one of you take, “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic” and to “bear true faith and allegiance to the same.” I count myself lucky to be a Foreign Service Officer, for- tunate to serve with the best America has to offer, blessed to serve the American people for the last 33 years. –Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Nov. 15, 2019. FSO David Holmes I am an apolitical foreign policy professional, and my job is to focus on the politics of the country in which I serve so that we can better understand the local landscape and better advance U.S. national interests there. … Earlier this year, large majorities of Ukrainians again chose a fresh start by voting for a political newcomer as president, replacing 80 percent of their parliament, and endorsing a plat- form consistent with our democratic values, reform priorities, and strategic interests. … How we respond to this historic opportunity will set the trajectory of our relationship with Ukraine and will define our willingness to defend our bedrock international principles and our leadership role in the world. … Ukrainians cherish their bipartisan American support that has sustained their Euro-Atlantic aspirations, and they recoil at the thought of playing a role in U.S. domestic politics or elec- tions. At a time of shifting allegiances and rising competitors in the world, we have no better friend than Ukraine—a scrappy, unbowed, determined, and above all dignified people who are standing up against Russian authoritarianism and aggression. They deserve better. We are now at an inflection point in Ukraine, and it is criti- cal to our national security that we stand in strong support of our Ukrainian partners. Ukrainians and freedom-loving people everywhere are watching the example we set of democracy and the rule of law. –U.S. Embassy Kyiv Political Counselor David A. Holmes, before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Nov. 21, 2019. Ambassador Mike McKinley T he timing of my resignation was the result of two overriding concerns: the failure, in my view, of the State Department to offer support to Foreign Service employees caught up in the impeachment inquiry; and, second, by what appears to be the utilization of our ambassadors overseas to advance domestic political objectives. I have served my country loyally for almost four decades in difficult environments. I’ve served as Ambassador to some of our largest missions in the world, including Peru, Colombia, Brazil, and Afghanistan. … I know there are difficult choices and compromises to be made on many of the issues we work. I also know that, as a Foreign Service officer, it is my duty to serve the incumbent administration faithfully, consistent with my oath to the Consti- tution. It was, therefore, also my duty to resign when I felt I could no longer do so. … On Saturday, September 28, I sent an email to senior offi- cials proposing a strong and immediate statement of support for Ambassador Yovanovitch’s professionalism and courage, particularly to send a message to Department employees that leadership stood behind its employees in this difficult moment. I was told that the decision was not to issue a statement. … Realizing that there was no change in the handling of the situation and that there was unlikely to be one, I decided to step down. I informed the Secretary on September 30 … No one wants to end a career on this note. …Under current circumstances, however, I could no longer look the other way as colleagues are denied the professional support and respect they deserve from us all. –Michael McKinley, former ambassador and senior adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during closed testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Oct. 16, 2019.