Antony Blinken Biography, Education, Age, Height, Family, Kids, and Net Worth.

Who is Antony Blinken?

Antony Blinken is an American diplomat and a government official. Currently, he is serving as the 71st United States secretary of state since January 26, 2021.

Prior, to being the secretary of state he was serving as deputy national security advisor. At the time he was serving under President Barack Obama where he served from 2015 to 2017.

Moreover, from 1994 until 2001, he served in the State Department and held key positions on the National Security Council under the Clinton administration. From 2001 to 2002, he was a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. From 2002 until 2008, he was the Democratic staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he pushed for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

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Career

Clinton and Bush Administration

For two decades and under two administrations he held a senior foreign policy position. In 1994, he became a member of the National Security Council (NSC) staff until 2001. Still, in 1994, he was appointed as a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Strategic Planning, and NSC Senior Director for Speechwriting. He held that position until 1998. After that, was appointed as Specia assistant to the President and Senior Director for European and Canadian Affairs.

In 2003, he supported the US-led invasion of Iraq. Blinken was named staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2002, a post he held until 2008. Blinken worked with then-Senator Joe Biden, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to formulate Biden’s support for the United States invasion of Iraq, calling the vote to attack Iraq “a vexed vote.”

In addition, Blinken was also a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Moreover, in 2008, he worked for Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. He was also a member of the Obama-Biden presidential transition team.

How Old Is Antony Blinken?

He was born on April 16, 1962 (age 59 as of 2021).

Antony Blinken Family

Who are His Parents?

He was born in Yonkers, New York as the son of Judith ad Donald M. Blinken. His father served as U.S Ambassador close to Hungary.

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Does He Have Siblings?

He has not revealed any information about his sibling, in case of any information, we will update it as soon as possible.

Antony Blinken Education

He attended the Dalton School in New York City, where she studied until 1971. After they relocated to Paris he enrolled in Ecole Jeannine Manuel. After that, he joined Havard University, where he majored in social studies, and graduated in 1984. Four years later he joined Columbia Law School where he acquired his JD in 1988.

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Antony Blinken Wife

He is married to Evan Ryan, the couple tied the knot in 2002 in a bi_denominational ceremony officiated by a rabbi and priest at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington DC.

Antony Blinken Kids

The couple has been blessed with 2 kids

Obama Administration

After Obama won the 2008 presidential election, he appointed Blinken as the Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President.

In this capacity, he assisted in crafting US policy on Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the nuclear program of Iran. In addition, on January 20, 2013, he was sworn in as Deputy National Security Advisor taking over from Denis McDonough.

President Barack Obama stated on November 7, 2014, that he will nominate Blinken to replace retiring William Joseph Burns as deputy secretary. After his nomination, Blinken was confirmed as Deputy Secretary of State by the Senate on December 16, 2014, by a vote of 55 to 38.

Blinken was among the leaders who supported the 2011 military intervention in Libya and the supply of weapons to Syrian rebels. In addition, he also criticized the 2016 Turkish coup d’etat attempt and expressed support for the democratically elected Turkish government and its institutions. Furthermore, he went ahead and condemned the 2016-present purges in Turkey. Moreover, he also played part in Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.

“As part of that effort,” he added, “we have accelerated weapons delivery, enhanced information sharing, and created a joint coordination planning cell in the Saudi operation center.”

During the 2014 Israel–Gaza war, Blinken collaborated with Biden on demands for American funding to replenish Israel’s stockpile of Iron Dome interceptor missiles. Moreover, in June 2015 he stated that more than ten thousand ISIL fighters had been killed by American-led airstrikes against the Islamic State since the US-led coalition launched a campaign against it nine months ago.

Working In Private Sector

WestExec Advisors

In 2017, he established a political strategy advising firm alongside Michele Flournoy, Sergio Aguirre, and Nitin Chadda and they Named the firm as WestExec Advisors. Some of their potential clients included Google’s Jigsaw, Israel artificial- intelligence company Windward, and surveillance drone manufacturer Shield Al.

Pine Island Capital Partners

Blinken together with other Biden’s transition team like Michele Flournoy and Lloyd Austin are partners in a private equity firm called Pine Island Capital Partners. In addition, the firm is a strategic partner of WestExec.

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In August 2020, Blinken a leave from Pine Island to join the Biden campaign as a top foreign policy advisor. He stated that if confirmed for a post in the Biden administration, he would sell his stock holding in Pine Island.

In addition, he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Moreover, as of 2020, he was a global affairs analyst for CNN.

Secretary of State

Nomination and confirmation

During Biden’s campaign, he was appointed as Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. On November 22, 2020, it was reported by Bloomberg News that Blinken was going to be nominated as secretary of state.

Upon his appointment on November 24, 2020, he said ” We can’t solve all the World’s problems alone and we need to be working with other countries”.

Blinken’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee began on January 19, 2021. His nomination was approved by the committee on January 25, 2021, by a vote of 15–3. Blinken was confirmed by the full Senate on January 26, 2021, by a vote of 78–22. Later that day, Blinken took the oath of office as Secretary of State. Moreover, he became the third former deputy secretary of state to be confirmed as secretary of state.

Tenure

Blinken criticized the 2021 Myanmar coup detat and he also expressed grave concern about the detention of government officials and civil society leaders.

Blinken has stated his support for Afghan peace talks with Taliban Islamist insurgents in February 2021. She criticized the current humanitarian catastrophe in Tigray and demanded that Eritrean and Amhara soldiers evacuate immediately. Blinken talked with Juan Guaidó, Venezuela’s temporary president, whom the Biden administration will continue to recognize.

In August 2021, Blinken rejected comparisons between the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. This was as a result of the Taliban offensive, which began in May 2021 after U.S. and coalition military forces began withdrawing from Afghanistan, and the chaotic American withdrawal from Saigon in 1975. According to him, he stated that “We went to Afghanistan 20 years ago with one mission, and that mission was to deal with the folks who were there.”