To the Editor:
Re “Susan Rice’s Diplomatic Disasters” (column, Aug. 11):
As a bipartisan group of former assistant secretaries of state for African affairs, we strongly disagree with Bret Stephens’s portrayal of U.S. engagement in Africa since the end of the Cold War, including unfair and very personal criticism of Ambassador Rice’s record on Africa.
As assistant secretary of state for African affairs, Ms. Rice was tireless in her effort to bring peace to the region and transform the U.S.-African relationship into one based on mutual respect and benefit.
U.S. policy toward Africa has been a bipartisan endeavor for the last three decades. There is no clearer evidence of this than the United States’ longstanding commitment — spanning both Republican and Democratic administrations — to provide humanitarian, development, trade and security assistance to Africa, support that continues to be approved by large bipartisan majorities in Congress.
Real-world decisions are rarely binary choices between good and bad outcomes, particularly in times of war and peace. Effectively advancing U.S. interests and values in Africa (as elsewhere) requires a mixture of pragmatism, principles and a keen understanding of what is possible.
Ambassador Rice’s record is a proud reflection of that tradition.
Walter H. Kansteiner
Jendayi Frazer
Johnnie Carson
Linda Thomas-Greenfield