Obama Nominates Envoy To Baghdad

President Barack Obama has nominated a career diplomat, Robert Stephen Beecroft, as the next U.S. ambassador to Iraq.

Currently the No. 2 American civilian official in Baghdad, Beecroft was the U.S. ambassador to Jordan between 2008 and 2011.

He has held positions at U.S. embassies in Saudi Arabia and Syria.

Beecroft must still be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Obama’s first nominee for the post, Brett H. McGurk, withdrew his name in June after suggestive e-mail messages he sent while working in Baghdad to a reporter from “The Wall Street Journal” were posted on a website. McGurk had since married the reporter.


Based on reporting by AFP and “The New York Times”