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Ask An Ambassador

Haitian security personnel guard outside the US Embassy in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince.
CHANDAN KHANNA
/
AFP via Getty Images
Haitian security personnel guard outside the US Embassy in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince.

Earlier this week, the U-S embassy in Qatar issued a warning to American citizens to quote: "shelter in place until further notice." Qatar is home to the largest U-S military base in the Middle East.

The alert came amid growing fears of Iranian retaliation against U-S troops and personnel overseas, after President Trump ordered strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites.

When global news like this breaks, embassies – and the ambassadors leading them – play a crucial role.

They're on the ground, serving as the top representatives of the United States government around the world. They also protect U.S. citizens abroad.

Hundreds Americans currently hold the title of ambassador. But what does their daily work look like? How do they preserve America's so-called soft power? And what's their role during moments of crisis?

We sit down with a panel of these diplomats and put your questions to them.

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