Confirmations: Joyce Barr (State/A), Michael McFaul (Moscow), Other Nominations Remain in "Status Quo"

WH photo

During the Floor Wrap Up for Saturday, December 17, 2011, the Senate confirmed the following nominees for the State Department:

#421 Joyce A. Barr – to be Assistant Secretary of State (Administration)

#503 Michael Anthony McFaul – to be Ambassador of the US of America to the Russian Federation.



Earlier the same afternoon, Senator Reid asked for unanimous consent that the Senate take up and confirm the following nominations on the Executive Calendar but Senator McConnell objected to the request.

#421 Joyce A. Barr – to be Assistant Secretary of State (Administration)

#422 Michael A. Hammer – to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Public Affairs)

#501 Mari Carmen Aponte – to be Ambassador of the US of America to the Republic of El Salvador.

#502 Adam E. Namm – to be Ambassador of the US of America to the Republic of Ecuador.

#503 Michael Anthony McFaul – to be Ambassador of the US of America to the Russian Federation.

#504 Roberta S. Jacobson – to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Western Hemisphere Affairs),

#505 Elizabeth M. Cousens – to be Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador.

#506 Elizabeth M. Cousens – to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, during her tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

The Majority calendar indicates that "All nominations received by the Senate during the 112th Congress, first session, will remain in status quo, notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXXI, paragraph 6, of the Standing Rules of the Senate."

See Rule XXXI #6: Nominations neither confirmed nor rejected during the session at which they are made shall not be acted upon at any succeeding session without being again made to the Senate by the President; and if the Senate shall adjourn or take a recess for more than thirty days, all nominations pending and not finally acted upon at the time of taking such adjournment or recess shall be returned by the Secretary to the President, and shall not again be considered unless they shall again be made to the Senate by the President.

So, the nominees need not have to be resubmitted again, but since the GOP has blocked adjournment, there will be no official 'recess' and the Senate will have scheduled pro-forma sessions during the Christmas break. Which means, President Obama will not/not be able to make any recess appointments.

On the controversial recess appointees, it looks like Ambassador Aponte's nomination (El Salvador) as well as Ambassador Bryza's (Azerbaijan) with the late pleas are not totally dead. (Update 12/20: The Orlando Sentinel reports that Senator Reid's office said Monday there still might be a chance to salvage Aponte's nomination, through complex Senate procedures." I don't know how Ambassador Bryza's nomination could be saved when he did not even get his SFRC hearing, much less the committee's endorsement)

Here is a useful explanation from the CRS:

Nominations that are not confirmed or rejected are returned to the President at the end of a session or when the Senate adjourns or recesses for more than 30 days (Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6). If the President still wants a nominee considered, he must submit a new nomination to the Senate. The Senate can, however, waive this rule by unanimous consent. For example, on November 19, 1999, at the close of the first session of the l06* Congress, Majority Leader Trent Lott asked and received unanimous consent “that all nominations received by the Senate during the 10thCongress, first session, remain in status quo.” Similar agreements were reached in earlier Congresses as well. The majority leader or his designee also may exempt specific nominees by name from the agreement, allowing them to be returned during the recess or adjournment. Just before the recess between the first and second sessions of the 107th Congress, for example, the Senate by unanimous consent agreed to hold all nominations in the status quo except for one, which was returned to the President. Prior to the August recess in the 107thCongress, however, the Senate did not reach such an agreement, and 162 pending nominations were returned. President George W. Bush re-nominated many of the nominees after the recess.

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• Senate confirms McFaul as ambassador to Moscow (sfgate.com)
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Ambassador Eisen Gets to Stay at the Petschek Villa

The Senate voted 70-16 late Monday to break a Republican hold on the nomination of Norman Eisen to be ambassador to the Czech Republic.  The Senate then approved him on voice vote.

Ambassador Eisen's recess appointment would have expired on January 5, 2012. Now he gets to stay put until after the election, or beyond depending on the outcome of the 2012 election.

Petschek Villa
Residence of the U.S. Ambassador in Prague
Photo from US Embassy Prague

Confirmations: Ambassadors Mozena, Leonard, O'Neal, Krajeski, Mandell, Brzezinski, Page, and Kim

On  October 18, 2011, the U.S. Senate confirmed the following ambassadorial nominations:

PN547 *       Bangladesh
Dan W. Mozena, of Iowa, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the People's Republic of Bangladesh.

PN716 *      Mali
Mary Beth Leonard, of Massachusetts, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service,  Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Mali.

PN729 *       Cape Verde
Adrienne S. O'Neal, of Michigan, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Cape Verde.

PN742 *       Bahrain
Thomas Charles Krajeski, of Virginia,  a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

PN743 *       Luxembourg
Robert A. Mandell, of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Luxembourg.

PN885 *       Sweden
Mark Francis Brzezinski, of Virginia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Sweden.

PN886 *       South Sudan
Susan Denise Page, of Illinois, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of South Sudan.

PN728 *       South Korea
Sung Y. Kim, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Korea.

Confirmations: USTR, ACPD, UN

On October 21, 2011, the U.S. Senate confirmed the following nominations:

PN106 *       EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Michael W. Punke, of Montana, to be a Deputy United States Trade Representative,with the Rank of Ambassador.

PN107 *       EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Islam A. Siddiqui, of Virginia, to be Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Office of the United States Trade Representative, with the rank of Ambassador.

PN274 *       UNITED STATES ADVISORY COMMISSION ON PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Anne Terman Wedner, of Illinois, to be a Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 2013.

PN982 *       UNITED NATIONS
Ann Marie Buerkle, of New York, to be a Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-sixth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

PN983 *       UNITED NATIONS
Russ Carnahan, of Missouri, to be a Representative of the United States of America
to the Sixty-sixth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Senate Confirms Frank Ricciardone as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey

On October 04, 2011, the Senate confirmed the nomination of U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Frank Ricciardone, Jr..

PN115 *       DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Francis Joseph Ricciardone, Jr., of Massachusetts, a Career Member of the Senior  Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Turkey, to which position he was appointed during the recess of the Senate from December 22, 2010, to January 5, 2011.

That leaves the nominations of three ambassadors on recess appointments still up on the air: Ambassador Eisen in Prague, Ambassador Bryza in Baku, and Ambassador Aponte in San Salvador.

Senate Confirms Robert Ford as US Ambassador to Syria

On October 3, the U.S. Senate finally confirmed Ambassador Ford as U.S. Ambassador to Syria. It took Syrian eggs and tomatoes and iron bars to budge the Senate and get that confirmation finally going.

PN112 *       DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Robert Stephen Ford, of Vermont, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Syrian Arab Republic, to which position he was appointed during the recess of the Senate from December 22, 2010, to January 5, 2011.

No such luck for the other nominees who were also appointed during the recess of the Senate last year.

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Confirmations: Shear, Wohlers, Mitchell, DeLaurentis, Moser, Reed, Adams, Chacon, Wayne

The following civilian Executive Nominations for the State Department were confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 2, 2011. Nominations flagged with an asterisk were approved subject to the nominee's commitment to respond to requests to appear and testify before any duly constituted committee of the Senate.

PN64 *        Vietnam
David Bruce Shear, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service,  Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

PN344 *       Macedonia
Paul D. Wohlers, of Washington, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Macedonia.

PN429 *       State/SR Burma
Derek J. Mitchell, of Connecticut, to be Special Representative and Policy
Coordinator for Burma, with the rank of Ambassador.

PN505 *       USUN
Jeffrey DeLaurentis, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Alternate Representative of the United States of America for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador.

PN506 *       USUN
Jeffrey DeLaurentis, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, during his tenure of service as Alternate Representative of the United States of America for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations.

PN508 *       Moldova
William H. Moser, of North Carolina, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service,  Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary  of the United States of America to the Republic of Moldova.

PN548 *       Fiji, Nauru, Tonga and Kiribati
Frankie Annette Reed, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of the Fiji Islands, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Nauru, the Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Kiribati.

PN571 *       State/H
David S. Adams, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Legislative Affairs).

PN650 *       Guatemala
Arnold A. Chacon, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Guatemala.

PN651 *       Mexico
Earl Anthony Wayne, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Personal Rank of Career Ambassador, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Mexico.

Senate Confirms Bill Burns as Deputy Secretary of State

Image via WikipediaExecutive nominations confirmed by the Senate July 27, 2011:

PN526 *       DEPARTMENT OF STATE
William J. Burns, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service with
the Personal Rank of Career Ambassador, to be Deputy Secretary of State.

Also confirmed, Gary Locke, of Washington, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the People's Republic of China and Robert S. Mueller, III, of California, to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a term expiring September 4, 2013.

Secretary Clinton released a press statement on July 28 on Ambassador Burns confirmation:

Today, Bill Burns began serving as the Department of State’s newest Deputy Secretary of State, alongside Tom Nides. I am grateful for Bill's decision to continue his nearly 30 years of service to the American people as we implement President Obama’s ambitious foreign policy agenda.

As our most senior Foreign Service Officer, Bill has advanced U.S. interests all over the world. He has been on the frontlines during some of the most significant foreign policy breakthroughs in recent years, from building international consensus on free trade, to curbing the nuclear threat posed by Iran, to nurturing democracy in the Middle East, to helping negotiate the historic START arms control treaty with Russia.

Wherever he has served, Bill has set the standard for leadership in our Senior Foreign Service. He is our country's senior-most professional diplomat for a reason -- he is the best in this business, a role model for generations of Foreign Service Officers and someone whose counsel both the President and I hold in the highest regard.

I look forward to working even more closely with Bill to tackle some of the most difficult challenges we face, as we help build a more peaceful and prosperous world.

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Locke confirmed to be Ambassador to China by unanimous consent

The US Senate @ 10:43 AM

By unanimous consent, the Senate confirmed Gary Locke, of Washington, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the People’s Republic of China.

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Senate Confirmations: Ryan Crocker to Afghanistan, Anne Patterson to Egypt; also confirms Lukens, Fairfax, Hardt, Koran, Pasi, Thessin, Kubiske, Corbin, Jackson, Tueller, Ziadeh and USAID's Pablos-Mendez

The following civilian Executive Nominations for the State Department and USAID were confirmed by the Senate on June 30, 2011.   Nominations flagged with an asterisk were approved subject to the nominee's commitment to respond to requests to appear and testify before any duly constituted committee of the Senate:

PN464 *       AFGHANISTAN
Ryan C. Crocker, of Washington, Personal Rank of Career Ambassador, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

PN584 *       EGYPT
Anne W. Patterson, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Personal Rank of Career Ambassador, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Arab Republic of Egypt.

PN343 *       GUINEA-BISSAU
Lewis Alan Lukens, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Senegal, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

PN363 *       KAZAKHSTAN
Kenneth J. Fairfax, of Kentucky, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Kazakhstan.

PN395 *       GUYANA
D. Brent Hardt, of Florida, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.

PN396 *       RWANDA
Donald W. Koran, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Rwanda.

PN397 *       DJIBOUTI
Geeta Pasi, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Djibouti.

PN412 *       PARAGUAY
James Harold Thessin, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Executive Service,  to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Paraguay.

PN428 *       HONDURAS
Lisa J. Kubiske, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Honduras.

PN504 *       UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Michael H. Corbin, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the United Arab Emirates.

PN507 *       MALAWI
Jeanine E. Jackson, of Wyoming, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Malawi.

PN509 *       KUWAIT
Matthew H. Tueller, of Utah, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the State of Kuwait.

PN573 *       QATAR
Susan Laila Ziadeh, of Washington, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the State of Qatar.

PN345 *       USAID
Ariel Pablos-Mendez, of New York, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.

The following nominees have been cleared by the SFRC but have not been confirmed todate by the U.S. Senate:

Department of State

David Bruce Shear, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.  (Reported out of SFRC on Apr 12, 2011). Senators Lugar and Rubio have reportedly placed a hold on this nomination over pending adoption cases in Vietnam)

According to The Cable, nomination confirmation fights are reportedly playing out over the following nominees:

Gary Locke, of Washington, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the People's Republic of China. (Reported out of SFRC on Jun 23, 2011)

William J. Burns, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service with the Personal Rank of Career Ambassador, to be Deputy Secretary of State, vice James Braidy Steinberg. (Reported out of SFRC on Jun 23, 2011)

USAID

Mara E. Rudman, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, vice Sean R. Mulvaney. (Reported out of SFRC on May 17, 2011)

Confirmations: George Krol, Daniel Shapiro, Henry Ensher, Stuart Jones (Corrected)dated)

Also confirmed Ex-Im Bank and Public Diplomacy Commission nominees

The following civilian Executive Nominations were confirmed by the Senate on May 26, 2011:

PN114 *       DEPARTMENT OF STATE
George Albert Krol, of New Jersey, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Uzbekistan.

PN337 *       DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Daniel Benjamin Shapiro, of Illinois, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Israel.

PN362 *       DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Henry S. Ensher, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria.

PN427 *       DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Stuart E. Jones, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class 
of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the 
United States of America to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

PN272 *       UNITED STATES ADVISORY COMMISSION ON PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Sim Farar, of California, to be a Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 2012.

PN273 *       UNITED STATES ADVISORY COMMISSION ON PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
William J. Hybl, of Colorado, to be a Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 2012.

PN408 *       EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES
Wanda Felton, of New York, to be First Vice President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States for a term expiring January 20, 2013.

PN409 *       EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES
Sean Robert Mulvaney, of Illinois, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States for a term expiring January 20, 2015.

Correction:
Stuart Jones was also confirmed by the Senate on May 26, 2011. I regret the oversight. Thanks R!

Osama Bin Laden Is Dead; Killed in Abbottabad, One of the Best-Known Hill Resorts of Pakistan

At 11:35 P.M. EDT, President Obama announced that Osama Bin Laden is dead. The military operation occurred at a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. U.S. officials have custody of the body:

Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.  A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability.  No Americans were harmed.  They took care to avoid civilian casualties.  After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda’s leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies.  The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.

Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort.  There’s no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us.  We must –- and we will -- remain vigilant at home and abroad.

As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Islam.  I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam.  Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims.  Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own.  So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Over the years, I’ve repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was.  That is what we’ve done.  But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding.  Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.

Read the whole statement here.

Former US President Bill Clinton said in a statement: "This is a profoundly important moment not just for the families of those who lost their lives on 9/11 and in al-Qaeda's other attacks but for people all over the world who want to build a common future of peace, freedom, and cooperation for our children." - BBC News

Former President George W. Bush said in a statement: "The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done." - - BBC News

NYT's Nicholas Kristof writes:

"So what does this mean? First, it is good for the United States reputation, power and influence that we finally got bin Laden. Bin Laden’s ability to escape from the U.S., and his apparent impunity, fed an image in some Islamist quarters of America as a paper tiger — and that encouraged extremists. Bin Laden himself once said that people bet on the strong horse, the horse that will win, and the killing underscores that it’s the United States that is the horse to bet on. Moreover, this sends a message that you mess with America at your peril, and that there will be consequences for a terror attack on the United States."

CNN reports that U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world were placed on high alert following the announcement of bin Laden's death, a senior U.S. official said, and the U.S. State Department should be sending out a new "worldwide caution" for Americans shortly. Some fear al Qaeda supporters may try to retaliate against U.S. citizens or U.S. institutions.

As of this writing, the "Worldwide Caution" has not been updated yet. But be careful out there. 

Where exactly is Abbottabad in Pakistan? Below is a brief description according to Wikipedia:

Abbottabad (Urdu: ایبٹ آباد) is a city located in the Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in Pakistan. The city is situated in the Orash Valley, 50 km northeast of Islamabad and 150 km east of Peshawar at an altitude of 4,120 feet (1,260 m). The city is well-known throughout Pakistan for its pleasant weather, high standard educational institutions and military establishments. It remains a major hub for tourism of regions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir in the summer.

 
Below is another description of Abbottabad from a medical school in the area:

Abbottabad, the headquarters of Hazara Division, situated at an altitude of 1,225 m (4002 ft) above sea level and surrounded by refreshing green hills of Sarban, is one of the best-known hill resorts of Pakistan. It is situated on the Karakoram Highway (Silk Route) to China, 120 Km from Rawalpindi/Islamabad and 205 Km from Peshawar. The climate is temperate with 4 distinct seasons-spring, summer, autumn and winter. The summer is pleasant while the winter is moderately cold with occasional snowfall. The city is non-industrial, situated in the green Orash valley and is free from environmental pollution. It has a population of over 300,000.

The modern city of Abbottabad was founded by Major Abbott, the British deputy commissioner of Hazara (1849 to 1853) during British rule in the subcontinent. Major Abbott is credited with making major changes in the administrative setup in the region, so that after his departure, the city was named after him. The British maintained a sizeable military presence here, evidenced even today by the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), which has remained as the major training academy for military officers. The PMA provided fame to Abbottabad for many years, prior to the recent development of the city, from a non-industrial backward area, to a busy modern business, economic and academic centre.

The medical school mentioned above touts the city as one of the most sought after summer resorts in Pakistan. Also this:

Abbottabad boasts the highest number of educational institutions in the country per population or area. The literacy rate is also among the highest in the country. Two other medical colleges in private sectors are already established with one in the pipeline. Besides PMA, Abbottabad Public School, Army Burn Hall, Beacon House and some other very famous educational institutions are situated here. Visitors and tourists are pleasantly surprised to note the abundance of good hotels, restaurants, dining places and tourist facilities.

In fact, there was a poem written about Abbottabad's splendor and beauty. And contrary to what you might expect as rugged and cave-like dwelling/hiding place for OBL, his place of residence boasts of some golf clubs, too, like the Abbottabad Golf Club and the Piffers' golf club reportedly  maintained by Pakistan's Army.

One wonders how long was OBL a resident of that compound in Abbottabad. At least since August last year, but probably longer, hard to say.  But our General  Petreaus may have been in the same city in 2010 as this (until today) most wanted man in the world.

In Feb. 24, 2010, then U.S. Central Command commander Gen. David Petraeus visited Pakistan, Feb. 22-24, to consult with Pakistan leaders and U.S. Embassy officials in Islamabad.  According to CENTCOM's press shop, while in Pakistan, Gen. Petraeus met with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari; Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani; Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chief of Army Staff; and several other senior Pakistani government officials. He also visited the Pakistan Military Academy in the North-West Frontier Province near Abbottabad and addressed students there.

The PMA is located 5 km northeast of Abbottabad city.

Small world. Got a lot smaller today.



Updated @11:05 pm PST
Read The Envoy's Laura Rozen post here with inside details of the raid from an official brief. Also read Steve Coll's piece here in the New Yorker on the implication of OBL's hideout located in a military cantonment in Pakistan. Read Marc Ambinder here on the secret team that killed OBL.

Click here for the background briefing from a Senior Officials on the killing of Bin Laden at 12:03 A.M. EDT (published by State's IIP Digital, the new America.gov).

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Confirmations: Gration, Gavin, Patterson, Tong, Johnson Cook, Torsella and Daulaire

The following civilian Executive Nominations were confirmed by the Senate on April 14:

PN256 *       Kenya
Jonathan Scott Gration, of New Jersey, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Kenya.

PN269 *       Botswana
Michelle D. Gavin, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Botswana.

PN305 *       Turkmenistan
Robert Patterson, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the
United States of America to Turkmenistan.

PN60 *        STATE/APEC
Kurt Walter Tong, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as
United States Senior Official for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum.

PN246 *       STATE/Religious Freedom
Suzan D. Johnson Cook, of New York, to be Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom.

PN62 *        STATE/UN MGT REFORM
Joseph M. Torsella, of Pennsylvania, to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador.

PN63 *        STATE/UNGA
Joseph M. Torsella, of Pennsylvania, to be Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform.

PN71 *        STATE/WHO
Nils Maarten Parin Daulaire, of Virginia, to be Representative of the United States on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization.

Nominations Confirmed: Ambassadors Shields,Spratlen, Brown, Carden for ASEAN and Postel for USAID

On March 3, 2011, the Senate confirmed, by unanimous consent, the following executive nominations for the State Department:

Brunei Darussalam
Daniel L. Shields III, of Pennsylvania, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Brunei Darussalam.

Kyrgyz Republic
Pamela L. Spratlen, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kyrgyz Republic.

Montenegro
Sue Kathrine Brown, of Texas, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Montenegro.

ASEAN
David Lee Carden, of New York, to be Representative of the United States of America to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

USAID
Eric G. Postel, of Wisconsin, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, vice Jacqueline Ellen Schafer, resigned.

Confirmation Good News and Bad News and a Merry Christmas to you, too!

Confirmations: Nides, Brownfield, UNGA nominees, USAID, MCC and OPIC nominees

• Also confirmed three FSOs nominated to the rare rank of career ambassador

• Not confirmed - nominees to Syria, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, El Salvador and Venezuela

The following civilian Executive Nominations were confirmed by the Senate during the current congress on December 22, 2010.

PN2260 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Thomas R. Nides, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary of State for
Management and Resources.

PN2210 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
William R. Brownfield, of Texas, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service,
Class of Career Minister, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (International
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs).

PN2354 *      FOREIGN SERVICE
Nominations beginning James Franklin Jeffrey, and ending Earl A. Wayne, which 3 nominations were received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional Record on November 18, 2010.  (Note: This is the nomination for the rank of career ambassador for three nominees, the third name is Nancy Powell, the current Directory General and top HR person for the State Department)


STATE/UNGA

PN2133 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Carol Fulp, of Massachusetts, to be a Representative of the United States of
America to the Sixty-fifth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

PN2134 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Jeanne Shaheen, of New Hampshire, to be a Representative of the United States of
America to the Sixty-fifth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

PN2135 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Roger F. Wicker, of Mississippi, to be a Representative of the United States of
America to the Sixty-fifth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

PN2136 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Gregory J. Nickels, of Washington, to be an Alternate Representative of the United
States of America to the Sixty-fifth Session of the General Assembly of the United
Nations.

USAID

PN2248 *      UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Paige Eve Alexander, of Georgia, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development.

MCC

PN2259 *      MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION
Mark Green, of Wisconsin, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the
Millennium Challenge Corporation for a term of three years.

PN2261 *      MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION
Alan J. Patricof, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the
Millennium Challenge Corporation for a term of two years.

OPIC

PN2092 *      OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION
Kevin Glenn Nealer, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the
Overseas Private Investment Corporation for a term expiring December 17, 2011.


The following nominations failed:

Congress went home for the holidays yesterday and the Senate clerk issued the final executive calendar of the year with the following note:

The treaties remaining on the Executive Calendar are, under the rules of the Senate, automatically rereferred to the Committee on Foreign Relations at the sine die adjournment of the Senate, and remain pending in committee for action in subsequent Congresses. All nominations remaining on the Executive Calendar, under the rules of the Senate, failed of confirmation at the time of sine die adjournment of the Senate and are returned to the President (together with other nominations received by the Senate and not acted upon by the committees to which they had been referred), and must be resubmitted in the next Congress to be further considered.

That includes the following ambassadorial nominees to six countries. Not that this is totally unexpected given the packed schedule in the lame duck session and the political wranglings surrounding these nominations.

We'll be in the lookout if these names will be resubmitted to the 112th Congress in January,and if the WH will provide stronger push next year.  For now US Missions in Syria, Turkey, the Czech Republic and Azerbaijan will have to make do without the president's top representative. The chief of mission in San Salvador must also be renominated.  And Venezuela? Well, of course, Caracas will read this as the US caving in to its demand not to send Mr. Palmer there.

* 812 1455 Robert Stephen Ford, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Syrian Arab Republic. Apr 13, 2010 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations,  without printed report.

* 831 1260 Mari Carmen Aponte, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of El Salvador. Apr 28, 2010 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report. (NOTE: Ambassador Aponte is currently chief of mission in San Salvador on a recess appointment)

* 1051 1949 Francis Joseph Ricciardone, Jr., of Massachusetts, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Turkey. Aug 03, 2010 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign
Relations, without printed report.

* 1114 1901 Norman L. Eisen, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Czech Republic. Sep 21, 2010 Reported by Mr.Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report.

* 1117 1825 Matthew J. Bryza, of Illinois, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Azerbaijan. Sep 21, 2010 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report.

* 1217 1904 Larry Leon Palmer, of Georgia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Bolivarian  Republic of Venezuela. Dec 14, 2010 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report. (NOTE: Venezuela has withdrawn its agreement to this nomination this past week. Now that the nomination is dead in the Senate, the WH will have to pick a new nominee.  This is one instance where there won't be a renomination, unfortunately.  We suspect that Mr. Palmer will be nominated to a different post eventually. Stay tuned!) We'll take a blog break now ....


Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Eid Mubarak, Happy Kwanzaa, and a Joyous and Peaceful New Year to you and your loved ones!

Senate confirms State Dept nominations EXCEPT Robert Ford, Frank Ricciardone, Norman Eisen and Matt Bryza, then adjourns for midterm campaigns

The US Senate adjourned late Wednesday and the House of Representatives quickly followed Thursday morning. On their way out the door, our representatives managed to pass a measure to continue to fund the federal government until Dec. 3. So there will be no lights out for a couple of months, at least. 

Raul Yzaguirre, the nominee for  the Dominican Republic was released from the hold and was confirmed. The nominations of Robert Stephen Ford (for Syria), Frank Ricciardone (for Turkey), Norman Eisen (for Czech Republic) and Matthew Bryza (for Azerbaijan) did not get their confirmation votes in the Senate and continue to be stuck in the hold placed on their nominations by various Senators. They could get the nod after Congress returns in December, they could get recess appointments, they could all get renominated in the 112th Congress -- we don't know. But what is sure as day is that we won't have an ambassador in three possible flashpoint missions for a while lot longer.  But who cares, right?   

The Senate confirmed various executive nominations for the State Department, USAID and related agencies on September 29 (see below):

PN1221 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Raul Yzaguirre, of Maryland, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
the United States of America to the Dominican Republic.

PN1944 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Alexander A. Arvizu, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service,
Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
the United States of America to the Republic of Albania.

PN1950 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Duane E. Woerth, of Nebraska, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of
service as Representative of the United States of America on the Council of the
International Civil Aviation Organization.

PN1952        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Robert P. Mikulak, of Virginia, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of
service as United States Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons.

PN1988        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Kristie Anne Kenney, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service,
Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
the United States of America to the Kingdom of Thailand.

PN1989        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Jo Ellen Powell, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class
of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the
United States of America to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

PN1991        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Mark M. Boulware, of Texas, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class
of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the
United States of America to the Republic of Chad.

PN1992        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Christopher J. McMullen, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign
Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Angola.

PN1993 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Joseph A. Mussomeli, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service,
Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
the United States of America to the Republic of Slovenia.

PN1994        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Wanda L. Nesbitt, of Pennsylvania, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service,
Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
the United States of America to the Republic of Namibia.

PN1995        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Karen Brevard Stewart, of Florida, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service,
Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
the United States of America to the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

PN2128        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Cameron Munter, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service,
Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the
United States of America to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

PN2129        DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Pamela Ann White, of Maine, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class
of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the
United States of America to the Republic of The Gambia.

PN2091        UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Nancy E. Lindborg, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Administrator
of the United States Agency for International Development.

PN2098        UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Donald Kenneth Steinberg, of California, to be Deputy Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development.

PN1770 *      EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES
Osvaldo Luis Gratacos Munet, of Puerto Rico, to be Inspector General,
Export-Import Bank.

PN1850 *      AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
Mimi E. Alemayehou, Executive Vice President of the Overseas Private Investment
Corporation, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the African Development
Foundation for a term expiring September 22, 2015.

PN1851 *      AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
Johnnie Carson, an Assistant Secretary of State (African Affairs), to be a Member
of the Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation for a term
expiring September 27, 2015.

PN1852 *      AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
Edward W. Brehm, of Minnesota, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the
African Development Foundation for a term expiring September 22, 2011.

Confirmations - September 29, 2010

• [Page: D1035]  GPO's PDF
• [Page: D1036]  GPO's PDF
• Pages S7724-29, S7776-80
• [Page: S7777]  GPO's PDF

Confirmed: Feierstein, Biswal, Lobo, Alemayehou and Orr

The following Executive Nominations were confirmed by the Senate on September 16, 2010:


PN1769 *      UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Mark Feierstein, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development.

PN1951 *      UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Nisha Desai Biswal, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Administrator
of the United States Agency for International Development.

PN1452 *      BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Richard M. Lobo, of Florida, to be Director of the International Broadcasting
Bureau, Broadcasting Board of Governors.

PN1546 *      OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION
Mimi E. Alemayehou, of the District of Columbia, to be Executive Vice President of
the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

PN1575 *      ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
Robert M. Orr, of Florida, to be United States Director of the Asian Development
Bank, with the rank of Ambassador.


CONFIRMATIONS -- (Senate - September 16, 2010)
[Page: S7186]  GPO's PDF

Confirmed: Meet the New Ambassadors Going to 27 US Embassies Soon

On August 5, the U.S. Senate confirmed the following executive nominations for the State Department:

PN1220 *     NIGER
Bisa Williams, of New Jersey, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Niger.

PN1668 *      PERU
Rose M. Likins, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Peru.

PN1669 *     ICELAND
Luis E. Arreaga-Rodas, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Iceland.

PN1762 *      COTE D'IVORIE
Phillip Carter III, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire.

PN1763 *      YEMEN
Gerald M. Feierstein, of Pennsylvania, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Yemen.

PN1764 *      COLOMBIA
Peter Michael McKinley, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Colombia.

PN1798 *      PALAU
Helen Patricia Reed-Rowe, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Palau.

PN1806 *       BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Patrick S. Moon, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

PN1807 *       REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Christopher W. Murray, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of the Congo.

PN1826 *      ZAMBIA
Mark Charles Storella, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Zambia.

PN1829 *      BURKINA FASO
J. Thomas Dougherty, of Wyoming, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Burkina Faso.

PN1830 *      GABON and SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
Eric D. Benjaminson, of Oregon, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Gabonese Republic, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe.

PN1846 *      LEBANON
Maura Connelly, of New Jersey, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of The United States of America to the Republic of Lebanon.

PN1847 *     GREECE
Daniel Bennett Smith, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Greece.

PN1853 *      DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
James Frederick Entwistle, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

PN1864 *      CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Laurence D. Wohlers, of Washington, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Central African Republic.

PN1866 *      TIMOR-LISTE
Judith R. Fergin, of Washington, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.

PN1872 *      SERRA LEONE
Michael S. Owen, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Sierra Leone.

PN1875 *     CAMEROON
Robert Porter Jackson, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Cameroon.

PN1876 *      IRAQ
James Franklin Jeffrey, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Iraq.

PN1877 *      CHILE
Alejandro Daniel Wolff, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Chile.

PN1902 *     INDONESIA
Scot Alan Marciel, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Indonesia.

PN1903 *      NIGERIA
Terence Patrick McCulley, of Oregon, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service,  class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

PN1945 *      JAMAICA
Pamela E. Bridgewater Awkard, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Jamaica.

PN1946 *      LESOTHO
Michele Thoren Bond, of the District of Columbia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Lesotho.

PN1947 *      MALAYSIA
Paul W. Jones, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Malaysia.

PN1948 *      PANAMA
Phyllis Marie Powers, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Panama.

CONFIRMATIONS -- (Senate - August 05, 2010)

 [Page: S6991]  GPO's PDF

The following nominations are pending in the Senate as of August 5 and are currently listed in the Senate's Executive Calendar for September 13, 2010:

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

• Raul Yzaguirre, nominee for the Dominican Republic
• Robert Stephen Ford, nominee for the Syrian Arab Republic
• Mari Carmen Aponte, nominee for the Republic of El Salvador
• Francis Joseph Ricciardone, Jr., nominee for the Republic of Turkey

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Mark Feierstein, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Administrator of USAID
• Nisha Desai Biswal, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Administrator of USAID

ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK: Robert M. Orr, of Florida

BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS: Richard M. Lobo, of Florida

OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION: Mimi E. Alemayehou, of the District of Columbia

Confirmed: Theodore Sedgwick and Eight Broadcasting Board of Governors

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The following executive nominations were confirmed by the US Senate on June 30, 2010:

PN1346 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Theodore Sedgwick, of Virginia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Slovak Republic.


PN1200 *      BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Victor H. Ashe, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2010.

PN1201 *      BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Walter Isaacson, of Louisiana, to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2012.

PN1202 *      BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Walter Isaacson, of Louisiana, to be Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

PN1203 *      BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Michael Lynton, of California, to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of  Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2012.

PN1204 *      BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Susan McCue, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2011.

PN1205 *      BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Michael P. Meehan, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2010.

PN1206 *      BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Dennis Mulhaupt, of California, to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2011.

PN1207 *      BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Dana M. Perino, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2012.

PN1208 *      BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS
S. Enders Wimbush, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2010.



CONFIRMATIONS -- (Senate - June 30, 2010)
[Page: S5718]  GPO's PDF

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Confirmed: Nominations for State/ECA, PC, OPIC, and IJC

The following executive nominations were confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday, June 22, 2010:

PN1251 *      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Judith Ann Stewart Stock, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Educational and Cultural Affairs).


PN1155 *      PEACE CORPS
Carolyn Hessler Radelet, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Director of the Peace Corps.

PN1216 *      OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION
Elizabeth L. Littlefield, of the District of Columbia, to be President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

PN1493 *      OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION
Michael James Warren, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Board of  Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation for a term expiring December 17, 2011.

PN1420 *      INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND CANADA
Lana Pollack, of Michigan, to be a Commissioner on the part of the United States on the International Joint Commission, United States and Canada.


CONFIRMATIONS -- (Senate - June 22, 2010)

• [Page: S5281]  GPO's PDF
• [Page: S5282]  GPO's PDF