Somali-Speaking Elizabeth Shackelford's resignation From State Department Disappoints Many Somalis

[Deeq A.]

Departure of foreign service officer from East Africa reflects wider exodus of mid-level diplomats as morale continues to deteriorate under Tillerson and Trump. An award-winning U.S. diplomat who was seen as a rising star at the State Department has issued a scathing resignation letter, accusing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the Trump administration of undercutting the State Department and damaging America’s influence in the world. Elizabeth Shackelford, who most recently served as a political officer based in Nairobi for the U.S. mission to Somalia, wrote to Tillerson that she reluctantly had decided to quit because the administration had abandoned human rights as a priority and shown disdain for the State Department’s diplomatic work, according to her letter, obtained by Foreign Policy.

 

 

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

Great interview.

 

Too bad to hear. Elizabeth always had great respect and admiration for the Somali people.

[galbeedi]

I think we Somalis should not be very close of the America of Trump. He is destructive, and he does not have empathy for victims of war or what is going on in Somalia. In America he deported over a thousand Somalis with less than a year.

 

On the war on terror and defeating insurgents and terrorists, the American record of defeating  terror is almost zero. Experts would tell you that they manage conflicts, but they do not win. Look at Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan. In Iraq , the local government pushed the war with help of America, but it was the Iraqi forces that took the brunt of the war, and it should be like that. 

 

If you have strong military and civilian leadership you could take advantage of the American air power with Somali ground forces engaging the enemy, but drone and air strike alone will not do the job. 

 

Another thing that we learned in Afghanistan is the more foreign troops you bring the more you invite many conflicting interest that desire different outcomes. 

 

At the end if you do not have a Somali army , you are doomed to fail.