Advertise on podcast: American Diplomat

Hardly. Relative prosperity, overcome by political violence and economic desperation, followed by an earthquake, leaves the Haitian people with what? Amb. Ken Merten was there for much of Haiti's recent history. Listen while he tells us what Haiti was decades ago, and what challenges the Haitian people now face.

What do the number 8 dictator, a democratic leader with a wartime past, and an African civil war all have in common? Amb. Tracey Jacobson. By what methods, both time-tested and totally on-the-fly, did she succeed in tricky moments? Tune in and find out.

Kyrgyzstan: A charred White House (they have one, too), riots and pogroms, plus a problematic human rights award. Why doesn't the need for diplomacy ever stop? Our very own Amb. Dan Rosenblum saw it all while overseeing aid in Central Asia and shares the experience through his eyes, his heart and his professional lens.

Multiple choice: Energy is (1) how we heat our homes, (2) a tool of malign influence, (3) an instrument of statecraft? And what about all those increasingly necessary critical minerals? Amb. Geoffrey Pyatt, top energy diplomat, helps us understand that diplomacy matters more than ever and that all diplomacy is based on human trust. And the glass is half full. Listen and understand why.

Former Assistant Secretary of State Susan Thornton joins us with tales of negotiations to disarm North Korea's nuclear arsenal – What could go wrong? Could anything go right? After chairs have been thrown, after the all-night negotiations, what was really hidden inside the secret mountain? And that's just the first negotiation of three, bringing us up to today. Susan was there for all of it.

In our third of three episodes honoring the lives impacted by the US departure from Afghanistan in 2021, we repost one of our most moving episodes. Consular officer Alan Eaton helped scores of Afghans at risk evacuate from Kabul, working from inside the Abbey Gate at the airport at exactly the moment when our friend Toobah was on the other side of the gate, trying to get through.  As Alan explains, "This is Jews in Germany, 1940: These people have to get out."  Some did get out, some didn't.  Alan shares these human moments.

In the second of our short series on Afghanistan five years after the US exit, Ken Handelman, former senior civil servant in the Department of Defense, reflects on the beauty, the weirdness and the tragedy of our 20 years in that country. What three institutions' failings led him to believe that it was time to leave?  Listen and find out.

Bill Burns says it best: "This is exactly the moment when you need to attract the best in our society to lives in public service, whether it's in the State Department, the US military or elsewhere. I am a passionate believer in that." We are, too! Uncle Sam needs you. (This is a repost from 2019, with a message that has never mattered more than it does today.)

How did Soviet-era bureaucratic stamps and a personal relationship between highly placed Afghan frenemies impact the outcome of US involvement in Afghanistan? Amb. John Bass shares the part of the story you have never heard before as we reflect on our exit five years later.

Its economic potential is huge, but AI also brings serious national security threats. How exactly do diplomats work to create global standards that promote innovation but also protect us? Knowledge is power in uncertain times so pull up a chair for an in-depth chat with Daniel Remler, bona fide AI diplomat.

Ever wonder what it's really like to move policy along as a diplomat? Join Ed Gabriel and Bob Holley as they chronicle the progress of policy in the Western Sahara. Kings die, Texans retire and administrations come and go – but in the end, the people's voices may yet be heard.

Why is Romania so important for US interests? Hint: The Black Sea, and a very long border with Ukraine. Amb. Kathy Kavalec shares insights on this often overlooked but strategically powerful US alliance.

How does empathy help create a more peaceful world, whether we are a first-year diplomat or Secretary of State? Amb. Kathy Kavalec (one of Dan's besties from way back) shares the diplomatic impacts of personal experience. Part one of two.

Public Diplomacy – Journalists have tough questions. What if you just don't have the answers? How do you prepare? Get inside the machinery with former State Department spokesperson Amb. Mark Toner and learn the policy impacts of the words we use.

Gotcha, right? Or, "Click before it's too late!" Or even, "Hey, kid. You're pretty good at this. Want a real gun?" Career public diplomacy officer Karl Stoltz tells the truth about "FIMI" – deep fakes, false personas, trolls, bots – lies that aim to provoke fear and anger and destabilize target populations.