American Diplomat
Ambassador (Retired) Pete Romero and Writer/Producer Laura Bennett
American Diplomat goes behind the scenes to hear real stories from diplomats who lived newsworthy events overseas. Experience the Cuban revolution, Central American insurgencies, the end of apartheid and more through the eyes of those who were there. A project of Arizona State University.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 25, 2018 • 37min
Fidel's Eyes Are Everywhere, and Cuba's Special Period
Surveillance can be good - if you need a potato, just ask. But if you're a Marine, be careful! And what made Cuba's Special Period in Time of Peace so special? Deprivation, starvation and flight. Vicki Huddleston connects the dots and helps us understand our relationship with Cuba today.
May 18, 2018 • 22min
Fidel and Our Woman in Havana
Vicki Huddleston spars with Castro, as one of the few women in senior roles in the State Department, and one of the only people who actually stood up to the dictator.
May 11, 2018 • 25min
John Feeley & the FARC: Colombia's Guerilla Revolutionaries
Feeley visits FARC guerrillas and records the group's fantastical vision of world leadership, and upon his return is faced with politicized accusations of negotiating with terrorists.
May 9, 2018 • 22min
Iran Deal - Wendy Sherman Negotiates
The Iran nuclear deal explained. What was it, and how did our chief negotiator Wendy Sherman help make it happen?
May 4, 2018 • 33min
John Feeley - Panama Papers
Feeley's ambassadorship begins with the leak of the Panama Papers, a trove of documents exposing massive international financial fraud. When the US is accused of orchestrating the leak, what's an ambassador to do? Video diplomacy is born.
Apr 27, 2018 • 17min
Andrew Albertson - Three Explosions in Afghanistan
From an evangelical upbringing, Albertson studies in Kenya and then devotes his life to international development. He survives three bombs in Afghanistan while working with USAID, and now leads the diplomacy advocacy organization Foreign Policy for America.
Apr 20, 2018 • 26min
Gina Winstanley, Oman and Saudi Arabia
Do you know where to find a hooker in Oman? Go to the hospital! And what happens when your boss nixes your husband's job choice in Saudi Arabia, and you are intent on preserving your marriage? Reposted from October 2017
Apr 13, 2018 • 18min
Jonathan Addleton - The Dust of Kandahar
Addleton shares his haunting experience as the only one left standing after a suicide bomber attacks his party while visiting a school in Afghanistan. Was it worth it?
Apr 6, 2018 • 30min
Ajani Husbands - Islamabad and Port Au Prince
In places like Pakistan where governments may not be friendly, cultural diplomacy, a form of "soft power", is power indeed. And in Haiti, Husbands gains the nickname, "dread la ki te refize m '," or "the dread who refused me."
Mar 22, 2018 • 30min
Desiree Cormier - Africa and Tijuana
How does diplomacy help stem a public health crisis like Ebola? And what can a diplomat do (and not do) to help Americans in Mexican prison?
