About Tillerson:
www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tillerson-idUSKBN15Y0Y6
Out of the loop, or in close coordination with the President?
"The veteran oil executive also made a good impression on his first foreign trip to a Group of 20 summit in Bonn, Germany, last week. Four senior diplomats who met him told Reuters they were relieved to find that he was pragmatic and open to dialogue.
Yet a key concern for U.S. diplomats is how effective his team can be in shaping foreign policy in the new administration. Just two State Department positions of 116 key posts requiring executive branch nomination have been filled, [...]
For example, Tillerson still has no deputy after Trump rejected his top choice, Elliott Abrams."
"On one recent matter of longstanding U.S. foreign policy, Tillerson appeared to be sidelined.
On Feb. 14, while Tillerson was at a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a State Department dining room, news headlines emerged suggesting the United States was backing away from supporting a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians.
[...]
It was unclear whether Tillerson had been left out of the loop deliberately or by accident, said two officials."