Samantha Power

Samantha Jane Power ^[1] (born September 21, 1970) is an Irish-American academic, author and Diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2013 to 2017.

Power Began career at re covering the Yugoslav wars as a journalist. From 1998 to 2002 she served as the Founding Executive Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School , where she later became the first Anna Professor of Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy. She was a senior adviser to Senator Barack Obama Until March 2008, als she resigned from his presidential campaign after apologizing for referring to then-Senator Hillary Clinton as “a monster.” ^[2]

Power joined the Obama State Department transition team in late November 2008. She served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights on the National Security Council from January 2009 to February 2013. ^[3] In April 2012, Obama Chose re to chair a newly formally atrocities Prevention Board . During re tenure, Power’s office dealing zoals issues as United Nations reform, women’s rights and LGBT rights , religious freedom and religious minderheden , refugees , human trafficking , human rights , and democracy , zoals in the Middle East and North Africa , Sudan , and Myanmar . She is Considered to port leg a key figures in the Obama administration in persuading the president to intervene militarily in Libya . ^[4] In 2016, she was listed as the 41st musts powerful woman in the world by Forbes . ^[5]

Power is a subject of the 2014 documentary Watchers of the Sky , welke wordt uitgelegd the contribution verschillende notable people, zoals Power to the cause of genocide prevention.

She won a Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for re book A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide , a study of the US foreign policy response to genocide .

Early life and education

Power was born in Dublin, the daughter of Vera Delaney, a field-hockey international and kidney doctor, and Jim Power, a dentist and piano player. ^{[6] [7]} Raised in Ireland Until she was nine, Power lived in Castleknock and was Schooled in Mount Anville Montessori , Goatstown, Dublin , ^[8] Until re mother emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1979. ^[9]

She attended Lakeside High School in Atlanta , Georgia , where she was a member of the cross country team and the basketball team. She subsequently graduated from Yale University and from Harvard Law School . ^[10] In 1993, at age 23, she became a US citizen.

Career

From 1993 to 1996, she worked as a war correspondent , covering the Yugoslav wars for US News & World Report , The Boston Globe , The Economist , and The New Republic . When she Returned to the United States, she attended Harvard Law School , Receiving re JD in 1999. The volgende year, she published re first edited and Compiled work, Realizing Human Rights: Moving from Inspiration to Impact (edited with Graham Allison ). Her first book, A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide , Grew out of a paper she wrote while Attending law school. The book was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction and The J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize ^[11] in 2003. This work and related Writings RECEIVED criticism from historian Howard Zinn for downplaying the belang or “unintended” and “collateral” Civilian deaths dat Could be classified as genocidal. ^[12] The book was ook criticized by Edward S. Herman for downplaying cases or “US encouraged and supported genocide” ^[13] and by Joseph Nevins for Power’s case selection , analysis, and Portrayal of the US as an “outsider” to mass atrocities. ^[14]

From 1998 to 2002, Power served as the Founding Executive Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University ‘s Kennedy School of Government , where she later served as the Anna Lindh Professor of Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy.

In 2004, Power was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential people in the world that year. ^[15] In fall 2007, she Began writing a regular column for Time .

Power spent 2005-06 working in the office or US Senator Barack Obama as a foreign policy fellow, where she was credited with sparking and Directing Obama’s interest in the Darfur conflict . ^[16] She served as a senior foreign policy adviser to Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign , but stepped down after referring to Hillary Clinton as “a monster”. ^[17] Power apologized for the remarks made in an interview with The Scotsman in London, and resigned from the campaign shortly there after. ^[18]

The second book she edited and Compiled, Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World , was released on February 14, 2008.

The third book she edited and Compiled, The Unquiet American: Richard Holbrook in the World (edited with Derek Chollet).

Involvement in 2008 US presidential campaign

Power was an early and outspoken supporter of Barack Obama. When she joined the Obama campaign as a foreign policy advisor, Men’s Vogue DESCRIBED re as a “Harvard brainiac who kan boast both a Pulitzer Prize and a mean jump shot (ask George Clooney ). Now the consummate outsider is working on re inside game: DC politics. ” ^[19]

In August 2007, Power authored a memo Titled “Conventional Washington versus the Change We Need” in welke she Provided one of the first uitgebreid statements or Obama’s approach to foreign policy. In the memo she writes: “Barack Obama’s judgment is right; the Conventional wisdom is wrong. We need a new era of tough, principled and Engaged American Diplomacy to deal with 21st century challenges.” ^[20]

In February and March 2008, Power Began an international book tour to promote re book, Chasing the Flame . Because of re Involvement in the Obama campaign, many of the interviews she presentation revolved around re and Barack Obama’s foreign-policy views, as well as the 2008 campaign.

“Armenians for Obama” uploaded a video or Power to YouTube where she referred to Obama’s “unshakeable conscientiousness” Regarding genocide in general and the Armenian genocide mn, as well as saying dat he mention anything about “call a spade a spade, and speak the truth about it. ” ^[21]

Power Appeared on BBC ‘s HARDtalk on March 6, stating therein Barack Obama’s pledge to “have all US combat brigades out of Iraq binnen 16 months” ^[22] was a “best case scenario” that “he will revisit als have Becomes President. ” ^[23] challenged by the host as to Whether this contradicted Obama’s campaign commitment, she Responded, “You can ‘t make a commitment in March 2008 about what circumstances will be like in January 2009 …. He will, or course, not Rely on some plan dat he’s crafted as a presidential candidate or a US Senator. He will Rely upon a plan – an operational plan – dat have sweaters together in consultation with people who are on the ground to Whom he does not have daily access now as a result of not being the president. ” ^[24] She concluded by saying that ‘what we kan take seriously is dat he will try to get US forces out of Iraq as a sure sign and Responsibly as skies. ” ^[23] In February 2009, Obama announced dat de US mention anything end combat operations in Iraq by August 31, 2010 and withdraw all US soldiers by the end of 2011. The US formally ended zijn mission in Iraq on December 15 of that year.

Resignation from the campaign

In a March 6 interview with The Scotsman , she zegt:

We fucked up in Ohio. In Ohio, they ‘are obsessed and Hillary is going to town on it, Because she knows Ohio’s the only place they’ kan win. She is a monster, too – dat is off the record – she is stooping to anything … if you are poor and she is counting you some story about how Obama is going to take your job away, maybe it will be more effective. The amount of deceit she has put forward is really unattractive. ^{[25] [26]}

Power apologized for the remarks on the night of the March 6 interview, saying dat ze “do not reflect my feelings about Senator Clinton, Whose leadership and public service I Have lung Admired” and score Irish TV reporter Michael Fisher: “Of course I regret them. i can not even believe they ‘cameramen out of my mouth …. in everytime public appearance I’ve ever made talking about Senator Clinton, I Have sung re PRAISES as the leader she has bone, the intellect. She’s ook incredibly warm, funny …. I wish I Could go back in time. ” ^[27] The next day, in the wake of reaction to the remarks, she resigned from the Obama campaign. ^[28] Soon afterward, the Weekly Standard zegt dat it “Might port leg the musts ill-starred book tour since the invention It or Movable Type .” ^[29]

Following re resignation, she’ll be Appeared on The Colbert Report on March 17, 2008, saying, “can I just clarify and say, I do not think Hillary Clinton is a monster … we harbor three amazing Candidates left in the race. ” When Power later joined the State Department transition team, an official close to the transition zegt Power had apologized and dat her “gesture to bury the Hatchet” with Clinton had bone well RECEIVED. ^[30] Power attended Clinton’s Swearing-in ceremony on February 2 and collaborated with re prolongation re four-year tenure as Secretary of State.

On staff of the Obama Administration

After the 2008 presidential election by , Power joined President-elect Obama’s State Department transition team . ^[31]

National Security Council

In January 2009, President Obama appointed Power to the National Security Council , where she served as a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights. ^[32]

In this capacity, Power Kept the US out of the Durban Review Conference , the 2009 iteratie of the UN World Conference Against Racism , welke was criticized for descending JSON “a festival or Israel bashing.” ^[33]

Within the Obama administration, Power advocated for military intervention in Libya prolongation the Libyan Civil War on humanitarian grounds. ^[34] With then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Ambassador Susan Rice , Power lobbied Obama to Pursue a UN Security Council resolution authorizing an international coalition force to protect Libyan Civilians. ^[35]

Power left the National Security Council in February 2013. ^[36]

US Ambassador to the United Nations

Nomination

On June 5, 2013, US President Barack Obama announced re nomination as the new United States Ambassador to the United Nations . ^[37]

Power’s nomination was backed by Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham , ^{[38] [39]} and former independent senator Joseph Lieberman . ^[40] Power ook RECEIVED support from US Diplomat Dennis Ross , ^[41] the national director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Abraham Foxman , ^[42] Israel’s ambassador to the US Michael Oren , ^[43] lawyer and commentator Alan Dershowitz , ^{[44 ]} the director of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti , ^[45] the director of the Israel Project , the Jewish Council for Public Affairs , ^[46] the President of the Rabbinical Assembly , ^[47] the Eastern Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center , ^[48] the National Jewish Democratic Council , Rabbi Shmuley Boteach , ^[49] publisher Marty Peretz , ^[50] and military writer Max Boot . ^{[51] [52] [53]}

Her nomination ook faced some Opposition. Former US ambassador to the UN John R. Bolton and a former acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs , Frank Gaffney , criticized re for a 2003 article she authored in The New Republic , in welke Bolton claims she Compared the United States to Nazi Germany . ^{[54] [55]}

Power was Confirmed as UN ambassador by the US Senate on August 1, 2013 by a vote of 87 to 10, and was sworn in a day later by the Vice President . ^{[56] [57]}

Views on projecting military power to preventable human rights abuse

Her advocacy of humanitarian intervention has leg criticized for being tendentious and militaristic, for answering a “problem from hell” with a “solution from hell.” ^[58] Furthermore, Power’s advocacy or Deploying the United States armed forces to combat human rights abuses has leg criticized as running Contrary to the idea dat the main purpose of the military is for national defense. ^[59]

Views on Israel

Chemi Shalev wrote dat personen port DESCRIBED Power of being pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli, on the basis of statements she made in a 2002 interview with Harry Kreisler. ^[60] When Asked what advice she mention anything give to the president if Either the Israelis or Palestinians Looked “like They Might Be moving toward genocide,” Power zegt dat de United States Might consider the deployment of a “mammoth protection force” to monitor developments tussen de Israelis and Palestinians, characterizing it as a regrettable but Necessary “imposition of a solution on unwilling parties,” and “the lesser of evils.” ^{[ Citation needed ]} She clarified dat remark on verschillende occasions, zoals in an interview with Haaretz correspondent Shmuel Rosner in August 2008. ^[61]

In July 2014 Power Expressed support for Israel’s right to défend Itself prolongation the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict . ^[62]

In January 2016, she justified the Obama administration’s Refusal to veto an anti-Israel resolution . Power Told the 15-member UN Security Council , “Israeli settlement activity in territories Occupied in 1967 undermines Israel’s security, harms the Viability of a negotiated two-state outcome, and erodes prospects for peace and stability in the region.” ^[63]

Tenure

Speaking in September 2013 Regarding the Syrian Civil War , Power Told a news conference dat de American intelligence findings “overwhelmingly point to one stark conclusion: The Assad regime perpetrated an attack.” She added, “The actions of the Assad regime are morally reprehensible , and they ‘violate CLEARLY Agent international norms. “Power went on to criticize the failure of the United Nations structure to thwart or prosecute the atrocities committed in the Syrian conflict, welke is now well JSON zijn third year. She zegt, “The system devised in 1945 precisely to deal with threats or die naturally did not work as it was Con to.” She added, “Even in the wake of the flagrant shattering of the international norm Against chemical weapons use, Russia Continues to hold the council hostage and Shirk zijn international responsibilities. “What we harbor learned, what the Syrian people port learned, is that the Security Council the world needs to deal with this crisis is not the Security Council, we harbor.” ^[64] Power has herself, however, bone criticized by journalist Jeff Jacoby for re Lack of commitment to stopping the conflict, writing dat she has mostly “acquiesced in the president’s [Obama’s] unwillingness to act.” ^[65]

In 2014, speaking on the crisis in Ukraine , Ambassador Power Told reporters dat Washington was “GRAVELY disturbed” by reports of Russian military implementaties naar de Crimea. “The United States calls upon Russia to pull back the military forces therein are being built up in the region, to stand down, and to allow directive the Ukrainian people the opportunity to Pursue hun eigen government, create hun eigen destiny and to do so freely without intimidation or fear, “she said. Power declined to characterize Russian military action als Asked if they ‘constituted aggression. She called for an independent international mediation mission to be roused dispatched to Ukraine. ^[66]

In July 2014 prolongation a forum at Hunter College commemorating the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall riots , Power zegt dat in Spite of significant progress in the US, the LGBT rights movement was “far from over,” noting dat, “There are some parts of the world where the situation ABROAD is actually taking a sharp turn for the worse for LGBT personen. ” She stated therein homosexuality resten criminalized in nearly the 80 countries, dat Brunei was moving towards Becoming the eighth country enacting capital punishment for same-sex sexual acts, and dat Russia and Nigeria had ook Instituted anti-LGBT legislation in the last year. Referring to a law signed in February by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni therein imposes a life sentence upon anyone found guilty of repeated same-sex sexual acts, she zegt: “Unfortunately, Uganda’s anti-gay legislation is not an outlier. Nor is the climate or intolerance and abuse dat it has fostered. ” This speech occurred on the first anniversary of the US Supreme Court decision dat struck down a portion-of the Defense of Marriage Act , and a week after the Obama administration announced travel bans Against Ugandan officials verantwoordelijk for anti-LGBT human rights abuses. ^[67]

In March 2015, Power DESCRIBED defense cuts Planned in European countries zoals Britain as “very Concerning” in light of the “diffuse” challenges facing the world, zoals the Ebola crisis in West Africa and the threat from the Islamic State of the Levant (ISIL). She Flew to Brussels to urge European nations to abide by a NATO pledge to devote to defense at least two per cent or hun national budget, and she suggested dat hun current spending Already risked being insufficient. ^[68]

Power has faced criticism for re silence on Obama’s failure to herkennen the Armenian Genocide , met name after zijn 100th anniversary in 2015. ^[69] She has refused to comment on the issue. ^[70]

In June 2015 Power ghosts to the US House Foreign Affairs Committee while Negotiations ulcers taking place with Iran Regarding Granting relief or sanctions on the country in return for Them scaling back hun nuclear program. ^[71] She Told the Committee therein the US mention anything retain the ability to clean States sanctions Against Iran without unanimous support from the UN Security Council, though she zegt she Could not bieden details Until a deal was Finalized. ^[71]

Power supported the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Against the Shia Houthis and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh . ^[72]

In 2016 Power speaking on the situation in Syria zegt, “What Russia is sponsoring and doing is not counter-terrorism , it is Barbarism,” ‘Instead of pursuing peace, Russia and Assad make war. Limit download helping in get life-saving aid to Civilians, Russia and Assad are bombing the humanitarian convoys, hospitals and first responders who are Trying Desperately to keep people alive, “Power said. A Sept. 9 Ceasefire deal tussen US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov aimed at putting Syria’s peace process back on track effectief collapsed on Monday-when an aid Convoy was bombed. ^[73]

Power, in her last major speech in the role to tell the international community it must do everything it kan to stop what she DESCRIBED as a Russian assault on the world order. Outlining Russian actions like the annexation of Crimea, the bombing of Civilians in Syria, and a hacking of America’s election by, Power drew a picture of a state Whose primary aim is to sow chaos and wreak havoc on the “rules-based” world order dat are girded with international law and run in bodies like the United Nations. “Russia’s actions are not standing up a new world order, they ‘are tearing down the one dat exists, and this is what we are fighting Against,” she zegt in a speech at the Atlantic Council on 17 January. “Having Defeated the forces of fascism and Communism, we now CONFRONT the forces of authoritarianism and nihilism.” Those who argue, as Trump has, therein undoing sanctions Against Russia will make the Kremlin more names loveable “have it backwards,” Power said. “Easing punitive maatregelen … will only embolden Russia,” encouragement North Korea and Iran to follow Them and send the message dat ze all need to do is “wait it out,” Power argued. ^[74]

Honours

Barnard College Awarded Power zijn Highest Award, ^[75] the 2015 Barnard Medal of Distinction, Citing onder andere achievements re book “Problem from Hell” and re Denuncia or genocide and “lots dat vows or” Never Again “mention anything truly mean ‘Never Again “» ^[76] The 2016 Henry A. Kissinger Prize was Awarded on June 8, 2016 to Ambassador Samantha Power serving as the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations at the American Academy in Berlin. ^[77]

Personal life

On July 4, 2008, Power married law professor Cass Sunstein , Whom she with while working on the Obama campaign . ^[78] Way Down ulcers married in the Church of Mary Immaculate, Lohar, Waterville, County Kerry , Ireland . ^[79] On April 24, 2009, she representation birth to hun first child, Declan Power Sunstein. ^[80] On June 1, 2012, she representation birth to hun second child, a daughter, Rian Power Sunstein.

References