by Susan Rice
“I don’t trust her”: Adam Beam, “Embattled UN Ambassador Susan Rice Has SC critics, Support and Roots,” The State, November 15, 2012.
Well first of all I’m not going to comment: “President Obama’s news conference in the East Room of the White House on Nov. 14, 2012 (Full Transcript),” Washington Post, November 14, 2012, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/president-obamas-news-conference-on-nov-14-2012-running-transcript/2012/11/14/031dfd40-2e7b-11e2-89d4-040c9330702a_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.cbd932a36f69.
Though Ambassador Rice has been: Letter to President Obama from Republican members of the House of Representatives, November 19, 2012, https://jeffduncan.house.gov/sites/jeffduncan.house.gov/files/Rep.%20Duncan%20Letter%20to%20President%20Obama%20on%20Ambassador%20Susan%20Rice%20(11.19.12).pdf.
Democrats decided they had enough: Michael McAuliff, “Susan Rice Libya Remarks Defended By Democrats Deploring Efforts To ‘Pillory’ UN Ambassador,” Huffington Post, November 16, 2012, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/susan-rice-libya-remarks_n_2145778; and Eleanor Holmes Norton, “Opening Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton Press Conference Supporting Ambassador Susan Rice As Prepared for Delivery,” November 15, 2012, https://norton.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norton-democratic-colleagues-defend-ambassador-susan-rice-at-press.
This had nothing to do with Susan Rice: Interview of Rep. James Clyburn with Dana Bash, CNN, November 20, 2012.
“Explain your view of the controversy”: “Remarks by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at the Security Council Stakeout,” U.S. Mission to the United Nations, November 21, 2012.
“it seems to me that everything”: Interview of Sen. Joe Lieberman by Andrea Mitchell, MSNBC, November 28, 2012.
“I regret that the talking points”: “Statement by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations,” U.S. Mission to the United Nations, November 27, 2012, https://2009-2017-usun.state.gov/remarks/5596.
“very disappointed with”: Interview with Republican senators on Benghazi terrorist attack, C-SPAN, November 27, 2012, https://www.c-span.org/video/?309645-1/republican-senators-benghazi-terrorist-attack.
“I don’t think people around here”: William Douglas, “Susan Rice—No Stranger to Confrontation,” McClatchy, December 5, 2012.
“Frankly, I found her to be”: Ibid.
“I am concerned that”: Interview of Sen. Susan Collins by Wolf Blitzer, The Situation Room, CNN, November 28, 2012, http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1211/28/sitroom.02.html. Also Ben Armbruster, Hamed Aleaziz, and Hayes Brown, “Updated: What Everyone Should Know About the Benghazi Attack,” ThinkProgress, October 15, 2012.
“What troubles me so much”: Joshua Hersh, “Susan Rice Role in Lead-up to Africa Embassy Bombings Recalled as Minimal,” Huffington Post, November 29, 2012.
“personality disorder”: Lloyd Grove, “Susan Rice’s Personality Disorder,” The Daily Beast, December 12, 2012.
“ambitious and aggressive”: “Russia wants John Kerry, not Susan Rice as US Secretary of State,” The Telegraph, November 8, 2012, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-election/9663613/Russia-wants-John-Kerry-not-Susan-Rice-as-US-Secretary-of-State.html
“What you don’t want to do”: Interview of Sen. Johnny Isakson by Soledad O’Brien, CNN, November 28, 2012.
leaders of the American Jewish community: Abraham Foxman, as quoted in Nathan Guttman, “Susan Rice Wins Over Israel Supporters,” Forward, November 28, 2012, https://forward.com/news/israel/166816/susan-rice-wins-over-israel-supporters/; and David A. Harris, “It’s Time to Throw the Obama Smears ‘Under the Bus,’ ” Jerusalem Post, December 9, 2012, https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-Ed-Contributors/Its-time-to-throw-the-Obama-smears-under-the-bus.
Secretary Clinton came to my defense: “Clinton Defends UN Envoy Rice as ‘Stalwart Colleague,’ ” Agence France-Presse, December 7, 2012.
“I do believe so”: Meghashyam Mali, “Durbin: Rice Could Win Senate Confirmation for Secretary of State,” The Hill, December 9, 2012.
I am honored to be considered: Letter from Ambassador Susan E. Rice to President Barack Obama, December 13, 2012.
For two decades, Susan has proven: “Statement by the President on Ambassador Rice,” The White House, December 13, 2012.
“America is fortunate that”: Daniel Halper, “Susan Rice: ‘America Is Fortunate That Senator John Kerry Will Be Our Next Secretary of State,’ ” The Weekly Standard, December 21, 2012.
“even the longest and most politicized investigation”: Benjamin Siegel, “Benghazi Committee Report: What to Know,” ABC News, June 28, 2016, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/benghazi-committee-report/story?id=40195924.
CHAPTER 17: RUNNING THE TABLE
“She is fearless; she is tough”: “Remarks by the President in Personnel Announcement,” The White House, June 5, 2013, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/06/05/remarks-president-personnel-announcement.
“is not taking direction”: Memoranda of telephone conversations with Morsi, July 1, 2013, and El-Haddad, July 1, 2013, National Archives and Records Administration.
the upcoming major annual U.S.-Egypt: “His Options Few, Obama Rebukes Egypt’s Leaders,” by Mark Landler and Peter Baker, New York Times, August 15, 2013. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/16/world/middleeast/obama-statement-on-egypt.html.
We later learned these targets: Alison Smale, “Anger Growing Among Allies on U.S. Spying,” New York Times, October 23, 2013, https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/24/world/europe/united-states-disputes-reports-of-wiretapping-in-Europe.html.
CHAPTER 18: THE FURIES
“the time has come”: Scott Wilson and Joby Warrick, “Assad Must Go, Obama Says,” Washington Post, August 18, 2011, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/assad-must-go-obama-says/2011/08/18/gIQAelheOJ_story.html?utm_term=.c694833fbb8a.
After over a year of intense: Peter Baker, “Heavy Pressure Led to Decision by Obama on Syrian Arms,” New York Times, June 14, 2013, https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/15/us/politics/pressure-led-to-obamas-decision-on-syrian-arms.html; “Statement by the President on Congressional Authorization to Train Syrian Opposition,” The White House, September 18, 2014, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/18/statement-president-congressional-authorization-train-syrian-opposition.
CHAPTER 19: POINT GUARD
“He served the United States”: Interview of Susan Rice by George Stephanopoulos, This Week, ABC News, June 1, 2014, https://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/week-transcript-ambassador-susan-rice-sen-ted-cruz/story?id=23942676.
enabled the Principals to propose to the president: “Fact Sheet: U.S. Assistance to Ukraine,” The White House, November 21, 2014, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/21/fact-sheet-us-assistance-ukraine; “Fact Sheet: European Reassurance Initiative and Other U.S. Efforts in Support of NATO,” The White House, June 3, 2014, http://go.wh.gov/NB2Rmr; “Ukraine and Russia Sanctions,” U.S. Department of State, https://www.state.gov/e/eb/tfs/spi/ukrainerussia/.
President Trump has sent mixed messages: Christian Caryl, “Donald Trump’s Talking Points on Crimea Are the Same as Vladimir Putin’s,” Washington Post, July 3, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/democracy-post/wp/2018/07/03/donald-trumps-talking-points-on-crimea-are-the-same-as-vladimir-putins/?utm_term=.5ae96909ff3f.
CHAPTER 20: PUTTING POINTS ON THE BOARD
“He fooled the world once”: “PM Netanyahu addresses UN General Assembly,” General Assembly of the United Nations, October 1, 2013, https://gadebate.un.org/sites/default/files/gastatements/68/IL_en.pdf.
At times, their meetings became so testy: Ambassador Wendy R. Sherman, Not for the Faint of Heart: Lessons in Courage, Power, and Persistence (New York: PublicAffairs, 2018), p. 160.
the negotiation appeared to be collapsing: Ibid., p. 186.
“injected a degree of partisanship”: Peter Baker and Jodi Rudoren, “Talk Toughens
as U.S.-Israel Relations Fray,” New York Times, February 25, 2015, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/26/world/middleeast/talk-toughens-as-us-israel-relations-fray.html.
As many former officials: https://armscontrolcenter.org/many-former-israeli-national-security-officials-support-the-iran-deal/; https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/why-israeli-nuclear-experts-disagree-with-netanyahu-about-the-iran-deal.
“Why can’t we take out these bastards?”: Katherine Kruger, “CNN Reporter Asks Obama: ‘Why Can’t We Take Out These Bastards?,’ ” Talking Points Memo, November 16, 2015, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jim-acosta-obama-isis-g20.
If and when the Mosul Dam breaks: Fact Sheet from “Statement on Mosul Dam Emergency Preparedness,” U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, February 28, 2016, https://photos.state.gov/libraries/iraq/231771/PDFs/mosul_dam_overview_english.pdf.
Our Intelligence Community prepared: Unclassified version of video: Mosul Dam, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, September 7, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDrIcsajyPU.
public rap on the Obama White House: Helen Cooper, “Fraying Ties with Trump Put Jim Mattis’s Fate in Doubt,” New York Times, September 15, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/15/us/politics/jim-mattis-trump-defense-relationship.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage.
CHAPTER 21: THE FOURTH QUARTER
Meanwhile, numerous recent studies: https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/diversity-inclusion-research-roundup-top-studies-you-need-to-know/; https://www.monstergovernmentsolutions.com/docs/win/MON_DIwhitepaper_monster_0523.pdf.
In October 2016, President Obama: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/10/05/presidential-memorandum-promoting-diversity-and-inclusion-national; https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/10/05/fact-sheet-presidential-memorandum-promoting-diversity-and-inclusion.
In lengthy sessions: “Fact Sheet: Memorandum of Understanding Reached with Israel,” The White House, September 14, 2016, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/09/14/fact-sheet-memorandum-understanding-reached-israel.
For as long as the state of Israel: Susan Rice, “The U.S. Is Making a Historic Investment to Protect the Security of Israel,” The White House, September 14, 2016, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2016/09/14/us-making-historic-investment-protect-security-israel.
“has no legal validity”: U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, adopted December 23, 2016.
worked improperly behind the scenes: Katie O’Keefe and Farnaz Fassihi, “Inside the Trump Team’s Push on Israel Vote That Mike Flynn Lied About,” Wall Street Journal, January 5, 2018, https://www.wsj.com/articles/inside-the-trump-teams-lobbying-blitz-on-2016-u-n-israel-vote-1515153600.
“When the U.S. and China”: Mark Landler, “U.S. and China Reach Climate Accord After Months of Talks,” New York Times, November 11, 2014, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/world/asia/china-us-xi-obama-apec.html.
So, at first, I was chagrined to read: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/administration-developing-sanctions-against-china-over-cyberespionage/2015/08/30/9b2910aa-480b-11e5-8ab4-c73967a143d3_story.html?utm_term=.350dae3fd784.
“Neither country’s government will conduct”: David E. Sanger, “Limiting Security Breaches May Be Impossible Task for U.S. and China,” New York Times, September 25, 2015, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/26/world/asia/limiting-security-breaches-may-be-impossible-task-for-us-and-china.html.
when aggressive theft resumed: David E. Sanger and Steven Lee Myers, “After a Hiatus, China Accelerates Cyberspying Efforts to Obtain U.S. Technology,” New York Times, November 29, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/29/us/politics/china-trump-cyberespionage.html.
The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident: “Joint Statement from the Department of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Election Security,” U.S. Department of Homeland Security, October 7, 2016, https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/10/07/joint-statement-department-homeland-security-and-office-director-national.
In late December, the president announced: “Statement by the President on Actions in Response to Russian Malicious Cyber Activity and Harassment,” The White House, December 29, 2016, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/12/29/statement-president-actions-response-russian-malicious-cyber-activity.
CHAPTER 23: BRIDGING THE DIVIDE
“All this is highly unusual”: “Susan Rice Unmasked,” Wall Street Journal, April 3, 2017, https://www.wsj.com/articles/susan-rice-unmasked-1491262064.
President Trump told The New York Times: “Partial Transcript: Trump’s Interview with the Times,” New York Times, April 5, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/05/us/politics/donald-trump-interview-new-york-times-transcript.html.
Index
A note about the index: The pages referenced in this index refer to the page numbers in the print edition. Clicking on a page number will take you to the ebook location that corresponds to the beginning of that page in the print edition. For a comprehensive list of locations of any word or phrase, use your reading system’s search function.
Key to abbreviations: NSA = National Security Advisor; NSC = National Security Council; SR = Susan Rice; WH = White House
Abacha, Sani, 166, 200, 202
Abadi, Haider al-, 419
Abbas, Mahmoud, 432
ABC News, 107–8, 206 SR interview on Bergdahl, 393
This Week, 240–41, 287, 308
Abdel Rahman, Omar, 156, 206
Abdullah, Abdullah, 392
Abernethy, David, 101
Abiola, Moshood, 166–69
Abramowitz, Mort, 112
Abramowitz, Sheppie, 112
Abubakar, Abdulsalami, 166, 167
Abu Ghraib scandal, 40
Abu Khattala, Ahmed, 314
Abu Nidal, 157
Acosta, Jim, 421
Adeyemo, Wally, 374
affirmative action, 91, 93
Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), 427, 472, 474
Afghanistan, 4, 212 Bergdahl release, 392–93
Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), 390–91
Clinton bombing of, 189
international assistance, 391
Karzai and, 390–92
Loya Jirga of, 391
Obama and, 242, 390–95, 450, 451
Taliban and, 391, 392, 394–95
Trump policy, 394
African Center for Strategic Studies, 202
African Crisis Response Initiative, 152
African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), 176, 201
African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, 32, 34
Ahmadinejad, Mahmoud, 264, 269, 301
Ahmed, Salman, 241, 346, 374
Aidid, Mohammed, 137–38, 140
Air Force One, 374, 375, 381
Albright, Joe, 56
Albright, Madeleine, 56, 57, 76, 118, 130, 190, 327, 373 Africa and, 171
Algiers Agreement, 183
Congo Summit, 197–99
Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict, 177
Lois Rice and, 161, 162
Rwanda genocide and, 147
as secretary of state, 159, 161, 175
Somalia conflict, 137
SR and, 161–63, 172–73, 188–89, 198, 204
as U.N. ambassador, 134, 137, 161, 357
Vanity Fair article and, 207–9
Aldrin, Buzz, 53
Alexander, Clifford, 42
Algeria, 181, 182, 183
Algiers Agreement, 183
Aliganga, Jesse Nathan, Jr., 492n189
Allen, John, 420
Al Qaeda, 135, 187, 206, 207, 212, 242, 366, 394, 418 Benghazi attack and, 311, 313
embassy bombings, 481–82
Khorasan Group, 420
Syria and, 297, 367
Al Shabab, 379
Amidor, Yaakov, 412–13
Anderson, Brooke, 241
Angola, 136, 156, 161, 172, 193, 194, 200
Apollo 11
moon landing, 53
Arab League, 281
Arab Spring, 278–82, 449, 450
Araghchi, Abbas, 414
Araud, Gérard, 264–67, 274, 284, 285
Armstrong, Neil, 53
Arneil, Barbara, 125
Ashcroft, John, 163–64, 165
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, 456–57
Aspen Strategy Group, 212, 239
Aspin, Les, 138–39
Assad, Bashar, 264, 279, 297, 364–69
“Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections” (ICA), 5
Audacity of Hope, The (Obama), 19
Austin, Lloyd, 422
Australia, 110, 212, 252, 345, 406, 434, 451, 457
Axelrod, David, 229
Ayotte, Kelly, 310, 319, 323, 324
Bahrain, 279
Bailey, Michael, 177
Balkan conflict, 184
Ban Ki-moon, 245, 252–53, 273, 403
Barber, Simon, 172
Barks-Ruggles, Erica, 241, 246
Barr, Michael, 119
Bartley, Edith, 189
Bartley, Julian, Jr., 189, 492n189
Bartley, Julian, Sr., 189, 492n189
Bartley, Susan, 189
Bashir, Omar al-, 271–72
Bayh, Evan, 239
BBC-TV, 352
Bearden, Milton, 210
Beauvoir School, 50–51, 54–56, 212, 214–15 SR at, 51, 54, 55, 56, 82
SR on Board of Trustees, 55
Beers, Randy, 76, 134–35, 142, 220
Benghazi, Libya, 281 NATO air strikes and, 291
Qaddafi assault on, 281, 283, 284, 287, 292
SR visit, 2011, 292
UNSC resolution, SR, and, 286
Benghazi terrorist attack, Sept. 11, 2012, 293, 306–7, 479 CIA’s talking points, 308