State Dept. carries out layoffs under Rex Tillerson

[Danmel]

Source: CBS News

While Rex Tillerson is on his first overseas trip as Secretary of State, his aides laid off staff at the State Department on Thursday.

Much of seventh-floor staff, who work for the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources and the Counselor offices, were told today that their services were no longer needed.

These staffers in particular are often the conduit between the secretary’s office to the country bureaus, where the regional expertise is centered. Inside the State Department, some officials fear that this is a politically-minded purge that cuts out much-needed expertise from the policy-making, rather than simply reorganizing the bureaucracy.

There are clear signals being sent that many key foreign policy portfolios will be controlled directly by the White House, rather than through the professional diplomats.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/state-dept-layoffs-under-rex-tillerson-being-carried-out/

---

Retaliation, perhaps, for the dissent cable.

After all, Spicer did threaten that people should "get with the program" or leave.

[Sherman A1]

1. Not a good thing

this purge is going to lose us a ton of expertise which we will sorely need to rebuild our relations with the world.

[DK504]

35. These purges are reminding me of something.

Oh yeah, it is what dictators do to get rid of people that can tell us how fucked up everything is?

[rzemanfl]

2. K&R. The lunatics are in charge of the asylum. n/t

[Ilsa]

3. Controlled by the WH? They can't control their leader.

I guess that trump sitting up all night thinks he'll be using that time to work those portfolios.
They don't know ehat they are doing. That includes Tillerson. I wonder if JoMika will continue to claim how State just loves its new leader?

[riversedge]

24. From the WH means Controlled by Steve Bannon!! Trump is just the wild figure-head who gets

the photo-ops.

[No Vested Interest]

37. Tillerson looked very uncomfortable delivering the 2-minute address

to the conference he is attending in Germany.
I recognize the signs of discomfort in speaking before an audience because I have experienced them myself.

[Kittycow]

4. Maybe Tillerson can replace them with savvy gas station attendants

at this rate.

[niyad]

38. "joe the plumber"?

[LiberalFighter]

42. You mean those coal miners. Don't you?

[Kittycow]

43. There ya go...problem solved !

[VaBchTgerLily]

5. very concerning

[niyad]

39. welcome to du

[Boomer]

6. Follow the money

Tillerson is laying the foundation for a State Department that will work with Russia to extract oil from the Arctic. They need to remove sanctions so the drilling can begin. Sweep out anyone who is loyal to the U.S. instead of loyal to ExxonMobil.

[greymattermom]

7. Drilling from the arctic, hmmm

Does this scheme require global warming to work? Does it require an open polar sea route?

[Raster]

12. An open polar sea --because of global warming-- certainly makes it far...

...easier for Russia to dominate AND RULE the Arctic. And that is their plan.

[Delmette2.0]

21. +1.

[Raster]

11. Unfortunately, I believe that is EXACTLY what is happening...

...In one fell swoop, Mad King Donald* and his Congressional accomplices have given us the United States of Exxon. Putin styles himself as the new, modern Tsar and believes he will bring about a new golden age of the Russian Federation. Unlocking the vast, *presumed* petroleum wealth of Russia is the grand first step to realizing Putin's vision. Exxon has committed itself to be Russia's partner in this endeavor.

In the public light, Tillerson will attempt to show he is putting the interests of the United States first. His behind-the-scenes actions, however, will demonstrate quite another reality.

[7962]

19. Only problem with that is the low oil prices we've had for some time

For several reasons, i dont see oil thru the roof like many years back. We have Higher efficiency in vehicles, advances in electrics, oil replaced in other areas, and the ME still not realistically dropping their output. Not to mention the Us/canada with our own massive supplies.
Russia is dependent on oil revenues & they're going to be in a tight spot in a few years because of continued low prices. Just the other day, oil inventory was 3x expected.

[Raster]

34. I concur... that makes the currents situations even more precarious...

...nothing would please me more than to see alternate sources of energy and efficiency that would totally defang the princes of petroleum and the CRUDE agenda.

[kiranerys]

41. I bet the Middle East war Bannon wants will change that

Instability and uncertainty among OPEC nations will drive up the price of oil, something that I'm sure will be great news for Tillerson's post-State career back at Exxon.

[Mc Mike]

8. Shock doctrine. Break the gov, then point at the broken remains

to 'prove' government 'doesn't work'. Li'l bush did it, too.

And Raygun.

[lunasun]

10. Yep I just wonder what else we are in for to help this happen

[MBS]

16. EPA and other environment- and science-oriented agencies are next. n/t

[DK504]

36. This beyond shocking.

" ... in an emailed statement to CBS New ..."

The State Dept. didn't even have a fucking briefing for media? The instablity he is causing or about to cause in the world is staggering.
How can the WH control the State Dept.? Since when has that ever happen? This situation is spiraling out of control and the media needs to have everything he is doing on a loop. Televise every single thing he has done since the election. That should take up a 24 hour cycle.

When another thing insane happens wile it be just as or more shocking than the last thing?

[MBS]

18. yup, it started with Reagan.

But this is a whole other level of destruction. Trump, Bannon, et al seem truly determined to destroy our country. This destruction is patriotic - HOW, exactly?

I am flabbergasted that he/they have any supporters at all beyond the white-supremacist fascist fringe. Trump should be polling at 4%, not 40%.

[pangaia]

22. That's exactly it.

Alexander Dugin et al...

[riversedge]

25. That is what is happening with #ACA

[JHB]

9. Well bless his heart...

Translated into domestic terms, these layoffs are purging the sort of people who know the details and can explain to the boss that "bless your heart" is not well-wishing.

[OKNancy]

13. gossip from an acquaintance in the State Dept ( works in Mexico )

gossip is that it is not Tillerson's doing. Aides were directed by White House, not Tillerson.

ETA: he said he doesn't know if it is true or not... that it was just office gossip

[MBS]

15. This would not surprise me one bit.

And, actually, this article confirms that deduction in spades. Indirectly, but no less obvious for that. This is a Bannon thing from beginning to end.
Disgusting, but above all, phenomenally stupid.
Note that the author of this quote, is an expert on nuclear nonproliferation, and because of Trump's determination to politicize the State Dept., experienced professionals like him are no longer available to our country to help protect our country, and the world, from the threat of nuclear war. Trump may think that he "wins" with maneuvers like this. But, unfortunately, it's our country that loses. Sorry, cheeto, you can't replace this man's expertise with an inexperienced, incompetent political sycophant:

“It is irresponsible to let qualified, nonpartisan, experienced people go before you have any idea of their replacement. You can’t do foreign policy by sitting in the White House, just out of your back pocket,” explains Tom Countryman, Former Assistant Secetary for Non-Proliferation who was let go earlier this month. Countryman worries that the White House is displaying an intent not rely on the State Department for foreign policy in that no one will be in place to challenge the edicts drawn up in the Oval Office.

[OKNancy]

29. look what I found

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/16/rex-tillerson-state-department-sidelined-by-white-house?CMP=share_btn_tw

[MBS]

32. There you go. Thanks for this.

Wow, hard to believe that just one month ago we had a distinguished Secretary of State and an experienced, deeply competent State Dept.
What a disaster. What a WASTE.

[notdarkyet]

33. This is because rump wants total power over everything.

He trusts no one and wants to be the one to make every decision. Total control invested in a despot, strong arm maniac who cares not one whit for our country or us. Sometimes I feel he is actively trying to destroy it all. The cabinet just follows orders. Damn sounds like nazi Germany. Are there no patriots in our government who will stand up to the destruction of our once great nation? Bueler?

[SticksnStones]

14. Fewer eyes watching their deeds

Fewer leaks, in their estimation, no doubt ~

[MBS]

17. Yet another disgusting, ignorant, short-sighted, and idiotic move.

I wonder what former Sec. Kerry and the career diplomats at State must be thinking right now.
I would guess: a long series of unprintable things.

[pangaia]

23. I don't think it is any of that.

it is exactly their intent.

[MBS]

26. yes, it is absolutely their intent.

But it is still disgusting, short-sighted, ignorant, and idiotic.

[Historic NY]

20. Trying to centralize all divisions under his control.........

is maddening, Israel was left yesterday not knowing just what policy the US has. Many of these people were career and have served in several administrations. As far as transcripts or read outs of calls some of this is public record, unless of course your hiding things.

[mulsh]

27. It is almost as if some foreign adversary was instructing the new administration on staffing

for key government departments and critical positions with in those departments.

[Fast Walker 52]

28. who needs diplomacy or expertise? We have a fucking army- we're going to invade and take their oil

[nikibatts]

30. The Dissent Memo results. It is really scary.

I saw an interview with some foreign correspondent late last night. Can't remember who it was, but she warned that the kind of crisis the US is facing under Trump in the kind in which "not even your institutions will save you." That was a dire warning and now I see what she means. The Dissent Memo was a mechanism for honesty without repercussions. Not anymore. I knew Tillerson was a devil in disguise. They are beginning a clean sweep of all the institutions that protected us from fascism.

[OKNancy]

31. I posted above, but I don't think Tillerson had anything to do with this

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/16/rex-tillerson-state-department-sidelined-by-white-house?CMP=share_btn_tw

Out of the loop: Rex Tillerson finds state department sidelined by White House

Rex Tillerson began his first foreign outing as US secretary of state on Thursday, meeting counterparts from G20 countries in Bonn, but he has left behind in Washington a department that is severely weakened and cut out of key policy decisions.

Since starting the job two weeks ago, Tillerson, a former ExxonMobil executive, has soothed nerves at the state department by consulting widely with regional and country experts, but it has been hard to disguise the gap between the department headquarters at Washington’s Foggy Bottom and the White House where far-reaching foreign policy decisions are being made.


Trump's state department purge sparks worries of 'know-nothing approach' to foreign policy

Senior state department officials who would normally be called to the White House for their views on key policy issues, are not being asked their opinion. They have resorted to asking foreign diplomats, who now have better access to President Trump’s immediate circle of advisers, what new decisions are imminent.

The public voice of the state department has fallen silent. There has not been a daily press briefing, the customary channel for voicing US views and policy on world events, since January.

more at the link

[niyad]

40. I am surprised they didn't wait until after tonight's news dump to do this.