US EditionIs American Soft Power Finished?
- On April 18, 1983, a suicide attack targeting the American diplomatic mission in Beirut claimed the life of Albert Votaw along with 62 others, profoundly impacting his family.
- Albert worked for USAID, an agency promoting American security through development, and his death profoundly influenced two generations of his family.
- In recent years, USAID has faced severe cutbacks leading to its Washington headquarters closure and removal of a memorial including Albert's name.
- On February 3, Elon Musk posted on social media that he had “spent the weekend shredding USAID,” using this metaphor to represent the agency’s dismantling amid federal staff and program reductions.
- The bombing's survivors, including Albert’s daughter Cathy, successfully pushed Congress to establish a fund using billions in fines for victims’ compensation, sustaining support over decades.
20 Articles
20 Articles
Associated Press News
USAID is all but gone. For one family, 3 generations of service were defined by it
In a way, the requiem of a now dismantled agency that promoted U.S. security through development and humanitarian work abroad can be told through its people.
USIP closure reduces U.S. soft power abroad, former staffers say
Two months after the Department of Government Efficiency closed the offices of the U.S. Institute of Peace and fired nearly all of its employees, its diplomatic experts are saying the world and the U.S. will feel its absence.
US Peace Institute closure weakens US Diplomacy, warns former director - Khaama Press
The closure of the US Peace Institute has raised concerns about weakening US diplomacy, especially in global conflict resolution efforts. Scott Worden, former director of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), warned that the closure of the institution would benefit China and Russia in strategic regions and weaken the U.S.’s position in global diplomacy. The Washington Times reported on Sunday, May 11, that USIP, established in 1984, playe…
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- 50% of the sources lean Left
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