US nominee for Australia envoy posted elsewhere
Turnbull disappointed as Trump sends Harris to South Korea instead
Australia’s prime minister said yesterday that the commander of US forces in the Pacific, Admiral Harry Harris, will not become Washington’s next ambassador to Australia and will be posted to South Korea instead.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he was disappointed but not perturbed by the decision, which he learnt about earlier this week.
President Donald Trump had nominated Harris in February to become Australia’s next ambassador.
“I’m disappointed that Harry’s not coming because he’s a really good friend and I think Harry will be disappointed that he’s not coming to Canberra too because he loves Australia,” Turnbull told reporters in France.
“He is a guy of enormous experience and ability and given the situation on the Korean Peninsula, given the tensions there, I can well understand why the president has decided that the admiral’s expertise and experience is going to be able to be put to better use in Korea than in Australia.”
South Korea has been without an American ambassador for more than one year. In Seoul, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday that Seoul and Washington have been cooperating to fill the post, but stopped short of confirming Harris’ reported nomination.
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she was informed Tuesday of the decision
The United States has not had an ambassador in Australia since John Berry, president of the American Australian Association, left the post in September 2016.
by Acting US Secretary of State John Sullivan, who had made clear that the appointment of a new ambassador to Australia would be a priority for the next secretary of state.
The United States has not had an ambassador in Australia since John Berry, president of the American Australian Association, left the post in September 2016.
Andrew Shearer, a former Australian government security adviser and now an adviser on Asia-Pacific security at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said the change of ambassador plans made Australia appear to be a second-class ally of the United States.
“Australia really... is... a collateral casualty here to the shambolic practices of the Trump administration,” Shearer told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
“I don’t think there’s anything sinister to it. I think it’s much more typical of the ad hoc, moment-to-moment decision making of this particular administration,” he added.
Bishop noted past appointments for US ambassador to Australia took time.
In the meantime, Charge d’Affaires Jim Caruso will continue to act in the role.
Opposition defence spokesman Richard Marles said the sooner Australia gets a new US ambassador the better.
Former government minister and current Australian War Memorial director Brendan Nelson said while he wouldn’t describe it as a snub, the United States should have proper representation in Australia.