(2006-0199-F) Evelyn Lieberman - Under Secretary of State

The materials in FOIA 2006-0199-F are a selective, not necessarily all inclusive, body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. FOIA request 2006-0199-F contains materials gathered primarily from the White House Automated Records Management System Emails and the NSC Cable and Email systems. There is also a small collection of records from the NSC Records Management System. Prior to her arrival at the Department of State, Evelyn Lieberman served as a Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State after previously holding positions as Director of the Voice of America and Assistant to the President/Deputy White House Chief of Staff in the Clinton Administration. Upon her appointment as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy on October 1, 1999, Lieberman’s main task was to oversee the integration of the former United States Information Agency (USIA) into the Department of State’s Bureau of Public Affairs. With regard to this transition, the Under Secretary promoted the inclusion of public diplomacy in the overall foreign policy approach of the Department of State in her travels to U.S. embassies. She also trumpeted the value of cultural exchange programs in furthering both the image and diplomatic interests of the United States throughout the world. The White House Office of Records Management (WHORM) Subject Categories contain no relevant records. The WHORM Alpha Files contain no relevant records. The White House Staff and Office Files contain no relevant records. The Automated Records Management System (ARMS) Emails focus primarily on the White House Conference on Culture and Diplomacy from November 28, 2000. The conference, a joint collaboration between the White House and the Department of State, sought to promote the role cultural exchange could have in promoting improved foreign relations between the United States and other countries. The ARMS Emails contain planning correspondence, press releases, background reports, briefings, and transcripts from this event. There are also records related to the official transfer of the United States Information Agency (USIA) into the Department of State, most notably transcripts of remarks given by Secretary of State Albright and Under Secretary Lieberman during the October 1, 1999 ceremony marking the event. Included within this collection are routine Department of State Senior Level “open assignments” job listings produced by Under Secretary Lieberman and sent to officials in both the public and private sectors. The NSC Cable and Email systems contain records largely focusing upon Evelyn Lieberman’s work within the Department of State. The NSC cables contain reports of her visits to countries such as Israel, Mexico, and Brazil promoting American efforts at cultural diplomacy. One record of particular note within the cables offers a report of Lieberman’s February 2000 visit to Moscow, where the Under Secretary pressed Russian officials on the whereabouts of kidnapped journalist Andrey Babitskiy (A process Lieberman mentioned in a March 14, 1999 opinion piece in the Washington Times after Babitskiy’s release.). The cables also contain records from American embassies requesting the Under Secretary’s consideration in providing funding for educational and cultural projects, among them a December 2000 request from the American Embassy in Indonesia for a planned visit of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. The NSC Emails mainly consist of Department of State press guidance containing both press releases and “question and answer” sections regarding newsworthy foreign policy issues. The NSC Records Management System yields documents granting Under Secretary Lieberman foreign travel approval to countries such as Vietnam, Israel, Hungary, and Ecuador. These documents contain memos outlining the purpose, objectives, and general meeting and event information for each of these foreign visits.