The special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, or more formally the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, was established in 2015, by an executive order pertaining to the recovery of U.S. hostages held by non-state actors and of U.S. citizens wrongfully detained by foreign states. The Special Presidential Envoy leads and coordinates activities across the Executive Branch to bring home those Americans.[2] The position was created in 2015 during the Obama administration.[3]
In February 2020, President Trump announced his intention to appoint Roger D. Carstens as the next special presidential envoy.[4]
In January of 2021, incoming President Joseph R. Biden and incoming Secretary of State Antony Blinken requested that Roger Carstens stay on into the Biden administration.[5]
Special Presidential Envoys
| No. | Officeholder | Term start | Term end | Tenure length | President(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim O'Brien | August 28, 2015 | January 20, 2017 | 1 year and 146 days | Barack Obama |
| 2 | Robert C. O'Brien | May 25, 2018 | October 3, 2019 | 1 year and 132 days | Donald Trump |
| – | Hugh Dugan (Acting) | October 4, 2019 | March 1, 2020 | 150 days | |
| 3 | Roger D. Carstens | March 2, 2020 | Present | 4 years and 44 days | |
| Donald Trump, Joe Biden |
References
- ^ https://www.state.gov/leadership-special-presidential-envoy-for-hostage-affairs/
- ^ "Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
- ^ "Announcing the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs". whitehouse.gov. 2015-08-28. Retrieved 2020-08-26 – via National Archives.
- ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Appoint Individual to a Key Administration Post". whitehouse.gov. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020 – via National Archives.
- ^ "He helped Trump bring American hostages home. Now he's working for Biden".