The US State Department’s third-ranking official, Tom Shannon, said on Thursday he was stepping down, the latest senior career diplomat to exit since President Donald Trump took office a year ago. His departure is part of a steady stream of senior career diplomats who have left since Trump became president. It will deprive the State Department of a seasoned veteran at a time when the United States is grappling with crises on several fronts, most notably North Korea’s nuclear threat. He was seen as a stabilizing force after Trump and Tillerson took office with a promise to downsize the State Department. He had to manage growing dissent among career diplomats over the new president’s policies that antagonized Muslim nations and long-time allies in Europe and in Mexico.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 02, 2018 02:03 UTC