Daniel B. Smith,   Acting U.S. Secretary of State (credit:  (credit: U.S. State Department)

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC TIMES

Acting U.S. Secretary of State Daniel B. Smith on Thursday condemned  “in the strongest possible terms today’s terrorist attacks in Baghdad.”  The dual bombings killed at least 32 people and injured many more.  Smith, director of the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), was appointed acting secretary of state following Joe Biden’s swearing in as President on Wednesday.  

“They were vicious acts of mass murder and a sobering reminder of the terrorism that continues to threaten the lives of innocent Iraqis. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hope for a speedy recovery of those wounded”.

-Acting U.S. Secretary of State Daniel B. Smith said in a statement

The  death toll makes Thursday’s attack the deadliest to hit Baghdad in three years.  No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but officials pointed to the “Islamic State” terror group.

Blinken Vows to Restore American Leadership on World Stage After Trump 

President Joe Biden nominated Antony Blinken as his  Secretary of State. (credit: U.S. State Department)

Smith is expected to be in the role of the acting Secretary of State  until Biden’s nominee for top diplomat, Antony Blinken, is confirmed by the U.S. Senate.    Blinken vowed to restore American leadership on the world stage and work for the “greater good” during his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday.    “Humility and confidence should be the flip sides of America’s leadership coin,” he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. If confirmed by the Senate, Blinken would resume a career at the State Department, where he served during the Clinton and Obama administrations. His career in public service follows in the steps of his father and uncle, who served as U.S. ambassadors.

We are building a team that looks like America, led by extraordinary public servants. It would be the honor of my life to work with these leaders — and all of the Department's women and men — to reinvigorate the power of America’s example. https://t.co/PD6U6mD2xy

— Antony Blinken (@ABlinken) January 16, 2021