Susan Elizabeth Rice (born November 17 1964) is an American diplomat, and since January 22 2009 has been the first African American woman to hold the post of United States Ambassador to the United Nations. She had previously worked in various posts in the National Security Council and was special assistant to the president and senior director for African affairs from 1995 to 1997. She was also senior foreign policy advisor to Senator Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign. After Obama's re-election in the 2012 presidential campaign, there was mention that Rice would take over as Secretary of State after Hillary Clinton would retire from that position in 2013. However in light of her controversial handling of the attacks on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi on September 11 2012, Rice announced on December 12 2012 that she wished to withdraw her name from consideration for the post.