Stories From The Backchannel: Negotiating with US adversaries Iran and North Korea
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Acting Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman prepare for a bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi amid negotiations with Iran about the future of its nuclear program.
In her new book, “Not for the Faint of Heart: Lessons in Courage, Power, and Persistence,” Ambassador Wendy Sherman writes about long hours at work and persevering through tough negotiations with the North Koreans, and later, the Iranians.
In this final episode of the first season of Stories from the Backchannel, Ambassador Sherman speaks with host Ilan Goldenberg, Senior Fellow and Director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. She talks about what it was like to be sitting next to former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and the challenges of negotiating with Iran when Republican senators were simultaneously trying to undermine her efforts.
Ambassador Sherman’s story is a candid portrayal of what it’s like to be a diplomat and how challenges can sometimes be turned into opportunities.
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