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US Crisis In Luxembourg? Ambassador Cynthia Stroum Resigns
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by NowPublic Staff | February 4, 2011 at 03:06 pm
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US Ambassador To Luxembourg Cynthia Stroum Resigns | Embassy Staff Preferred Transfers to Iraq And Afghanistan
OK crisis is a stretch for the headline so how about minor scandal? those could be phrases to describe the resignation of Cynthia Stroum, the former US Ambassador to the tiny European nation of Luxembourg.
Cynthia Stroum, a major Democratic fund raiser, was in the position as ambassador to Luxembourg for only a year before her recent resignation.
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Apparently, diplomatic staff, were greeted with an ambassador with a "confrontational" management style. An Inspector General's report into Cynthia Stroum's tenure in Luxembourg is fairly damning. Some senior staff reportedly preferred transfers to Iraq and Afghanistan to staying Luxembourg under Cynthia Stroum.
"The bulk of the mission's internal problems are linked to her leadership deficiencies, the most damaging of which is an abusive management style," the IG investigators found.
The IG's report makes Stroum sound like a diplomatic Leona Helmsley. It reported that an employee at the U.S. Embassy spent almost all of his time over a six-week period seeking a temporary residence for the new ambassador.
Two hundred residences were screened in the small Western European country, which has long been NATO's smallest member.
"Based on the Ambassador's requirements, all but four residences were deemed unsuitable: The ambassador rejected all four," said the IG report. An acceptable residence was at last found last July.
Once in her residence Cynthia Stroum reportedly displayed a penchant for re-modeling the residence particularly the bathroom.
Cynthia Stroum has a different take on her time in Luxembourg
As the U.S. Ambassador, I have served my President and his Administration with great honor as I’ve traveled through the Grand Dutchy of Luxembourg,” she said, adding that “. . . I am extremely proud of the relationships that have been built both professionally and personally.”
Turns out Cynthia Stroum is a major Democratic fund raiser managing to collect $500,000 for the Democratic Party.
Stroum, a Seattle venture capitalist who was one of the top 25 Obama fundraisers in the United States, is credited with hooking Barack Obama on Fran’s Chocolates famous sea-salt caramels.
What is fascinating about the Ambassadorship to Luxembourg and many foreign embassies for that matter is who they tend to be filled with major donors both Republican and Democrat, depending on who is in the White House.
In the last 50 years, there had been 21 US ambassadors posted to Luxembourg. Out of those 21 ambassadors only 3 were career diplomats.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (3)
at 18:18 on February 4th, 2011
Ex-Ambassador Sarah Stroum, you are a disgrace the The United States of America and yourself! Congratulations!
at 08:52 on February 6th, 2011
So is she the only current Ambassador to abuse power? Is the State Department investigating this since all the Ambassadors were put in place by Obama as a reward for supporting hi candidacy.
at 10:58 on February 6th, 2011
Another whore of Babylon.