WASHINGTON—President Obama nominated John A. Heffern for the post of US Ambassador to Armenia, the White House announced on May 18.
John A. Heffern
Heffern is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission at USNATO, Brussels. Prior to his current post, Heffern served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Executive Assistant to the Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia.
Heffern’s career has also included overseas assignments to Japan, Malaysia, Ivory Coast and Guangzhou, China. From 1994-1996, Heffern served as a Pearson Fellow on the Asia Sub-Committee for the House International Relations Committee. Prior to entering the Foreign Service, Heffern served in the Office of Senator John C. Danforth as the Senator’s Office Director and Research Assistant. Heffern received a B.A. from Michigan State University.
“We look forward to a thorough confirmation process that will explore whether Mr. Heffern is prepared to serve as a principled voice for truth and justice about the Armenian Genocide, and a powerful voice for a mutually-beneficial U.S.-Armenia relationship that both builds upon the work of the Armenian American community and reinforces the enduring bonds between the American and Armenian peoples,” said Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America.
“A key test, of course, will be whether Mr. Heffern will resort to word games and rhetorical gymnastics to avoid the very recognition of the Armenian Genocide that President Obama clearly and repeatedly promised as a candidate for the White House. As a Senator, Barack Obama spoke directly to this point in a letter to then-Secretary of State Rice raising concerns about the recall of Ambassador Evans, in which, after stating that the Armenian Genocide is a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence, he informed her that ‘an official policy that calls on diplomats to distort the historical facts is an untenable policy.’”
If approved by the Senate, Heffern will replace current Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch who announced that she would leave Armenia in June after her tour of duty concludes.
Yovanovitch is expected to return to Washington where she will become U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Northern and Central Europe.
6 Comments
Heffern worked for Senator Danforth – how did the Senator stand on Armenian issues?
Of course, as we all know,. regardless, Heffern will kiss up to Turkey in his confirmation hearings.
Do we have any surprises in store for those hearings?
All one can ask for is honesty and integrity – two simple principles; two of those elusive qualities we attribute to greater mankind – spoken much of before gaining positions of power or authority – and surprisingly lost afterwards…… I do not hold out much hope at this time when his boss suffers from a definite spasm of Alzheimer’s…..and it is certainly catching in the US administration throughout all the years……
He can wait …. Armenia is not in a hurry for another hostile-US-State-Department envoy.
Sarkisian should make it a point and insist that the nominee acknowledges the Armenian Genocide and demonstrates it with a US State Visit accompanied with Sarkisian and pay respects at the genocide memorial.
It is not that hard. Armenia can show some teeth. What is the US-State-Department going to do about it? What, be more hostile than they already are now?
They can go to deir-zor if they don’t like it.
No restorative Justice = No energy pipelines.
I would not be surprised if this new nominee will eat the chewed food that Obama will shove in his mouth because no person who Obama appoints will go against his or her boss.. the Obama himself.. the lying cheating man of himself will choose someone who will obey and follow his every direction and i bet Heffern might be no different than anyone else.. especially that slimeball Byrza…
Robert- one should NEVER get fair treatment when one lowers himself to be the slime of the garbage.. govt politics… so whatever…
Heffern worked for Senator Danforth – how did the Senator stand on Armenian issues?
Of course, as we all know,. regardless, Heffern will kiss up to Turkey in his confirmation hearings.
Do we have any surprises in store for those hearings?
All one can ask for is honesty and integrity – two simple principles; two of those elusive qualities we attribute to greater mankind – spoken much of before gaining positions of power or authority – and surprisingly lost afterwards…… I do not hold out much hope at this time when his boss suffers from a definite spasm of Alzheimer’s…..and it is certainly catching in the US administration throughout all the years……
He can wait …. Armenia is not in a hurry for another hostile-US-State-Department envoy.
Sarkisian should make it a point and insist that the nominee acknowledges the Armenian Genocide and demonstrates it with a US State Visit accompanied with Sarkisian and pay respects at the genocide memorial.
It is not that hard. Armenia can show some teeth. What is the US-State-Department going to do about it? What, be more hostile than they already are now?
They can go to deir-zor if they don’t like it.
No restorative Justice = No energy pipelines.
Let’s give Heffern the same “FAIR” treatment that Bryza received in the Senate from Boxer and Menendez!!
Your photo is not of Mr. Heffern.
I would not be surprised if this new nominee will eat the chewed food that Obama will shove in his mouth because no person who Obama appoints will go against his or her boss.. the Obama himself.. the lying cheating man of himself will choose someone who will obey and follow his every direction and i bet Heffern might be no different than anyone else.. especially that slimeball Byrza…
Robert- one should NEVER get fair treatment when one lowers himself to be the slime of the garbage.. govt politics… so whatever…