U.S. Government Faces Critical ‘Brain Drain’ of Sanctions Experts – Foreign Policy
▻http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/01/19/united-nations-sanctions-state-department-treasury-trump-s-government
In the latest departure, the State Department’s most experienced U.N.-based sanctions expert stepped down Friday, sending more than a decade of expertise out the door and contributing to a bout of brain drain that is diminishing the role of American diplomats in shaping Washington’s sanctions policy, according to several current and former U.S. officials.
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In a farewell note to colleagues, which was obtained by FP, Black recalled that the two most meaningful days in his life were February 17, 2008, when Kosovo declared its independence on the back of an American military intervention, and “July 14, 2015, when against all human odds, we clinched the Iran nuclear deal. These were life changing experiences. We made the world safer. America at its best.”
“To state the obvious: we are living through tough times for our country,” Black wrote. “Americans are so divided. Appeals are being made to our baser instincts, not our better angels. Our foreign counterparts are concerned, wondering if the United States will lead the world in confronting the greatest challenges.”