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US Ambassador to Qatar tweets rare rebuke of Trump

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Lesley Walker / Doha News

US Ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Smith at the election results reception

US Ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Smith raised eyebrows this week after posting a tweet that appeared to criticize President Donald Trump and his government.

Smith, a career diplomat who began her Doha post in 2014, tweeted that it was becoming “increasingly difficult” to explain US democracy and institutions to others.

The post came just a few hours after news broke that Trump had fired FBI director James Comey. The FBI had been investigating potential ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign team and Russian officials.

The US Embassy has not yet responded to a request for comment about the tweet.

But the message has gotten nearly 10,000 likes on Twitter. However, it also drew criticism from people who said it was inappropriate for diplomats to criticize the president.

In apparent response to the backlash, Smith explained the next day that she is regularly called upon “to explain and defend” her nation’s political system.

She added that this is particularly difficult “when partisan acrimony is so high.”

A career diplomat

Shortly after Trump was sworn in as president in January, he fired all US Ambassadors who had been directly appointed by his predecessor Barack Obama.

MOFA

Assistant Foreign Minister for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Meraikhi with US Ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Smith.

However, Smith remained in her post, as she was not a political appointment.

At the time, the US Embassy in Qatar told Doha News that as such, Smith “looked forward to continuing her service to the United States as Ambassador to Qatar under the next Administration.”

Strong ties

Many in the US and internationally were shocked when Trump won the election in November, instead of his opponent Hillary Clinton.

At the time, the US Embassy held an early breakfast reception at the W Doha to watch the results coming in.

Donald J. Trump/Facebook

US President Donald Trump

Smith wore a cream-colored pant suit – a possible nod to Clinton’s outfit of choice – and sought to reassure people about Qatar-US ties, saying:

“Our relationship is strong today and will continue to be after our next president is inaugurated.”

Smith is fluent in Arabic and has served in the UAE, Jordan, Israel, the Gaza Strip, Egypt and Taiwan during her time with the US State Department.

Thoughts?

(The post US Ambassador to Qatar tweets rare rebuke of Trump is from Doha News.)


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