First Black US Ambassador to the Philippines replaces Kenney

New US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas Jr.

Ambassador Kristie Kenney is leaving the Philippines. US president Barack Obama chose a black diplomat by the name of Harry K. Thomas Jr. as her replacement.

Thomas will become the first black ambassador to the Philippines.

Born in 1956, Thomas started his career twenty seven years ago at the US State Department and went on to become Executive Secretary under the administration of Condolezza Rice. He got his Bachelor’s degree at the College of the Holy Cross in 1978 and finished post-graduate studies at Columbia University.

From 2001-2005, he chaired the directorship for South Asia of the National Security Council (NSC) and went on to become US ambassador to Bangladesh from 2003 up to 2005. It was then that he was tapped at the State department. Prior to his Manila assignment, Thomas Jr was working closely with US State department officials as Director-General of the Foreign Service Institute.

Thomas is described as a “strategist” and a chair-bound diplomat. He has experienced in counter-terrorism and drug cartels, having been posted in such “security-sensitive” areas like Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Peru and Zimbabwe.

The appointment of Thomas shows US concern over the increasing problems of terrorism and narco-politics in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Obama appointed Senator David Adelman, a close Obama ally and fund-raiser as US ambassador to Singapore. Adelman lead Obama’s campaign in Georgia. A lawyer, Adelman once represented vice president Al Gore in his legal battles against eventual winner George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential polls.

The nominations, which require confirmation by the US Senate, came after high-level US visits to the two US-friendly nations.

Obama visited Singapore last week as part of a four-nation Asia tour, while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stopped in the Philippines.

US ambassadors generally step down when a president leaves office. Obama is still filling positions more than a year after his election, with nominees subject to increasingly tough scrutiny.

Despite his vows for a cleaner government, Obama has tapped major fund-raisers as his ambassadors to close US allies including Australia, Britain, France and Japan.