Caroline Kennedy leaves Japan after 3 years as US ambassador

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Caroline Kennedy leaves Japan after 3 years as US ambassador
Ken Moritsugu, Associated Press Updated 7:33 pm, Tuesday, January 17, 2017

TOKYO (AP) — Caroline Kennedy is stepping down Wednesday after three years as U.S. ambassador to Japan, where she was welcomed like a celebrity and worked to deepen the U.S.-Japan relationship despite regular flare-ups over American military bases on the southern island of Okinawa.

She ruffled some feathers early on by tweeting her opposition to Japan's dolphin hunt, shortly after her embassy issued a statement expressing "disappointment" that Japan's leader had visited a shrine that memorializes World War II war criminals, among others.

During her tenure, though, the conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and liberal U.S. President Barack Obama built a relationship of trust despite coming from opposite ends of the political spectrum.

"She has great skills and authority as a convener, a much needed function in U.S.-Japan relations," said Kent Calder, the director of the Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. "She has been more of a network builder than a concrete policy initiator, but that is almost an inevitable role for ambassadors these days."


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/Caroline-Kennedy-leaves-Japan-after-3-years-as-US-10863916.php

[Stonepounder]

1. She's stepping down because derTrumpenfurher fired all the Ambassadors.

[Calista241]

4. Isn't that how it always goes?

I don't remember Obama keeping many of *'s ambassadors.

[cstanleytech]

6. Usually they are given notice and stay until a replacement is confirmed this time

they are being given notice and not being kept on until a replacement has been found.

[onenote]

7. Not true. It's standard operating procedure.

First, once you eliminate "ambassadors" who are appointed to international organizations rather than to individual countries, there currently are fewer than 40 political appointees amongst the ambassadorial ranks. That's because, to his credit, President Obama has appointed more career foreign service officers to positions as ambassador than his predecessors.

Second, the number of occasions in which an political appointee ambassador stays on beyond the inauguration of a new president is very small and usually is for a very limited time for personal reasons. It is not to facilitate a transition to a new ambassador.

Thus, looking at China, Japan, India, and Saudi Arabia s examples, in only one instance did the ambassador appointed by Bush stay on the job past January 20 (Saudi Arabia, where the ambassador stayed until Feb. 8, 2009). And in each instance, there was at least an eight month gap between the date the previous ambassador "terminated" his/her mission and left the country and the date on a new ambassador presented his/her credentials.

There are enough real issues with Trump that there's no need to fabricate ones that don't exist.

[cstanleytech]

8. My apologies then as I was merely repeating what I had read elsewhere. nt

[onenote]

11. No worries. Folks leapt on the story without bothering to check the facts

I have family who have served in the foreign service, so none of this was a surprise to me.

[Leith]

9. No, That Is Not How It Always Goes

http://www.afsa.org/ambassadorial-appointments-george-w-bush

As you go down the list, you will see that many of them left in 2009. However, a lot of them kept their appointments as late as 2010 or 2011. There are a few who stayed until 2012.

Contrast that with orange boy kicking them all out as of January 20.

[onenote]

12. Wrong. The only ones terminated were political appointees.

And none of the political appointees on that list are shown as staying past 2009.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/01/06/political-ambassadors-donald-trump-obama-administration/96240818/

As I pointed out in another post, even where a political appointee stayed for a couple of extra weeks, there typically is a several month (as long as eight months in many instances) break between the time one ambassador leaves and the new one arrives.

[DesertRat]

16. What's unusual is that ALL of the Ambassadors tenures are over as of Jan. 20

Many of the Ambassadors have their families living with them. It's typical courtesy to allow them to stay in their position until the school year is over.
Also, most don't have replacements yet, and won't until DT gets around to it. That will leave most of the posts empty.

[onenote]

20. That simply isn't true. It's pretty uncommon to stay on much beyond Jan 20.

Last edited Wed Jan 18, 2017, 02:26 AM - Edit history (1)

For example, in 2009, more than 60 percent of the political appointee ambassadors terminated their mission on (or shortly before) January 20. Of those that stayed over, only eight stayed until the spring or fall of 2009; the others left shortly after Jan 20.

That doesn't excuse Trump for not offering to make exceptions; but it probably only impacts a handful of ambassadors at most.

[DonCoquixote]

2. 2018 or 2020

You know what I am saying

[volstork]

10. If she ran for office,

I would be afraid for her. I think she would be a wonderful public servant, but I would worry about her.

[Chasstev365]

3. She made a great Senate candidate!

Maybe higher office?

[Mc Mike]

5. Great woman. Rec, thanks, Nt

[bucolic_frolic]

13. Alex Jones would be the best ambassador. Ever.

Teach that island how to think

[LeftInTX]

14. We need to send him to Russia

Or maybe we could open up ties with North Korea, but I guess that one would go to Dennis Rodman.

[WVGal1963]

15. Welcome home, Caroline.

On behalf of a grateful nation, welcome home and thank you for all of your great work.

[yuiyoshida]

17. Ambassador Kennedy Farewell Message / ケネディ大使から日本の皆さんへ御礼のメッ&#

[moondust]

18. Thank you.

Wonderful.

[yuiyoshida]

19. YW..

どういたしまして

[Skittles]

21. love Caroline

she is class and dignity - very fitting she won't be serving under the fascist Trump regime