I was initially assigned to the American Consulate in Aden, not as Principal Officer but as a supernumerary officer to handle Yemen affairs. We had no resident diplomatic mission in Yemen at the time. People from Aden went up to Yemen regularly.

My father had been in the German Diplomatic Service, and although he had been in the United States since World War II and out of diplomacy, it was something that was very much talked about in the family. So when I went to college, it was always my intention to try to get into the Foreign Service.

Americans are not a perfect people, but we are called to a perfect mission.

Her mission in the diplomatic staff of the South African government was to meet people from the U.S. State Department and get involved in classified pillow talk.

The American people deserve an honest assessment of the state of our foreign affairs.

I started my music career at 18 and for a long while I let other people handle my affairs.