Tipsheet

Is Biden About to Lose Another U.S. Embassy?

Katie Pavlich
Katie Pavlich  |  August 03, 2023 2:15 PM

During President Joe Biden's tenure in the White House, the United States has either permanently or temporarily abandoned numerous U.S. Embassies around the world. 

First, the administration frantically instructed the State Department to burn documents and evacuate the U.S. Embassy in Kabul as the Taliban marched into the city and took over in August 2021. 

Then in January 2022, the State Department ordered staff at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv to leave. 

"The United States is evacuating almost all of the staff from its embassy in Kyiv as Western intelligence officials warn that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is increasingly imminent," the Associated Press reported at the time. "A senior State Department official said Saturday that a very limited number of staff will stay to keep communications open with the government but all consular operations will be suspended."

Now, the U.S. Embassy in Niger is under siege and preparing for evacuation. 

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"The Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas, including U.S. government personnel serving abroad.  Given ongoing developments in Niger and out of an abundance of caution, the Department of State is ordering the temporary departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members from the U.S. Embassy in Niamey.  Commercial flight options are limited.  We updated our travel advisory to reflect this and informed U.S. citizens that we are only able to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens in Niger given our reduced personnel," the State Department released late Wednesday night. "The U.S. Embassy remains open for limited, emergency services to U.S. citizens.  The State Department continually adjusts its posture at embassies and consulates throughout the world in line with its mission, the local security environment, and the health situation."

The evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Niger would mark the fifth since President Biden took office in January 2021.