Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is removing a number of high-ranking female diplomats as well as minorities from the State Department, Newsweek reported on Sunday. Numerous career diplomats are being ousted from the agency by Tillerson who is offering them early retirement in exchange for them leaving as soon as possible.
“Among those fired or sidelined were most of the top African-American and Latino diplomats, as well as many women, difficult losses in a department that has long struggled with diversity,” the New York Times reported on Friday.
Tillerson plans to cut the State Department’s expenses by 31 percent which encompasses the drastic reduction of its staff. Former officials point out that by doing so, Tillerson is damaging the image of the U.S. abroad and is worsening its foreign policy agenda.
“These people either do not believe the U.S. should be a world leader or they’re utterly incompetent,” said Dana Shell Smith, former ambassador to Qatar.
Since Tillerson took office in February, hiring at the State Department has stopped, while he also intends to push out about 2,000 diplomats in the course of a year. He hopes to do this by offering senior staff $25,000 contract buyouts and by denying diplomats certain posts and assignments.
Many diplomats whose visions are not in agreement with the State Department’s have also been fired by Tillerson’s aides. His reputation for keeping a “white” State Department has long preceded him. Last year, there were only 5.4 percent black career diplomats, 6.9 percent Asian and 5.6 percent Hispanic diplomats.
Tillerson’s plans oppose those of former President Barack Obama’s to create a more diverse Foreign Service which would mirror real America. He has drastically reduced the State Department’s staff, putting an end to the effort to diversify the agency.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a former ambassador to Liberia, said she felt threatened as a professional by these reductions.
Tillerson’s handling of the State Department has received bipartisan criticism.
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