Appointments and Resignations
Ambassador to Benin: Who Is Michael Raynor?
The West African nation of Benin will soon have an ambassador from the United States who has specialized in relations with Africa his entire career. Michael A. Raynor, nominated by President Obama on December 15, 2011, is currently Executive Direc... read more
Director of the Defense Logistics Agency: Who Is Mark Harnitchek?
Vice Admiral Mark D. Harnitchek became director of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in November 2011. Located in the Defense Department, DLA provides support as well as technical and logistic services to the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corp... read more
Ambassador to Cambodia: Who is William Todd?
President Obama nominated career diplomat William E. Todd as the next ambassador to Cambodia on December 1, 2011, and the Senate is expected to act on the nomination in the coming months.
Born circa 1962, Todd earned a B.S. at Longwood College... read more
Ambassador from Iraq: Who Is Jabir Habib Jabir?
The nation of Iraq, which said goodbye to the last American combat troops only last December, has sent an ambassador to the United States who is a former academic who studied in the West. Dr. Jabir Habib Jabir was appointed ambassador in August 20... read more
Ambassador from Niger: Who Is Maman S. Sidikou?
The West African nation of Niger has sent a former government journalist who earned his graduate degrees in the U.S. to serve as its ambassador to Washington. Maman Sambo Sidikou presented his credentials to the President Barack Obama on January 1... read more
Ambassador from Iceland: Who Is Guðmundur Árni Stefánsson?
The North Atlantic island-nation of Iceland, which is the only NATO country with no standing army, has sent Guðmundur Árni Stefánsson to be its ambassador to the United States. Stefánsson is a longtime Social Democratic politician who became a dip... read more
Ambassador from Mali: Who Is Al-Maamoun Baba Lamine Keita?
The West African nation of Mali’s latest ambassador to the United States is a seasoned diplomat whose career has been focused more on relations with other African nations than with the U.S. Keita presented his credentials to President Barack Obama... read more
Ambassador from Lesotho: Who Is E. Molapi Sebatane?
The impoverished Southern African nation of Lesotho, where 40% of the population of about 2 million lives on less than $1.25 per day, has sent a new ambassador to the United States who lived in the U.S. in the 1970s. Eliachim Molapi Sebatane was n... read more
Ambassador from Ecuador: Who Is Nathalie Cely?
For the first time in nine months, the South American nation of Ecuador has an ambassador at its Washington, DC, embassy. On January 18, 2012, Nathalie Cely Suárez replaced Luis Gallegos, whom the U.S. expelled in April 2011 as retaliation for Ecu... read more
Ambassador from Morocco: Who Is Rachad Bouhlal?
President Barack Obama has welcomed a new ambassador from Morocco, which was the first nation to recognize the newly-independent United States in 1777. Mohamed Rachad Bouhlal was appointed ambassador by King Mohammed VI on December 6, 2011, and pr... read more
Ambassador from Azerbaijan: Who Is Elin Suleymanov?
The former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, located in the Caucasus Mountains west of the Caspian Sea, south of Russia and north of Iran, has sent a new ambassador to the U.S. Elin Suleymanov is quite familiar with the U.S., having lived here ten ye... read more
Commander of the United States Special Operations Command: Who Is William McRaven?
The mastermind of the raid that killed terrorist Osama bin Laden has served since August 8, 2011, as commander of the highly secretive United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. U... read more
Ambassador from Micronesia: Who Is Asterio Takesy?
Referring to President Obama’s birthplace of Hawai’i, the new ambassador from Micronesia recently greeted the President as a “fellow Pacific islander,” during a White House ceremony on January 18, 2012, welcoming new ambassadors to Washington, DC.... read more
Ambassador from Argentina: Who Is Jorge Argüello?
As Argentina grows more vocal in its criticism of British plans to drill for oil in the waters around the disputed Falklands Islands (called by Argentines the Islas Malvinas), the South American nation has sent a new ambassador to the U.S. who is ... read more
Ambassador from Italy: Who Is Claudio Bisogniero?
Claudio Bisogniero, who has been posted to the U.S. on two previous occasions, officially took the reins as Italy’s ambassador to the U.S. on February 6, just in time to coordinate the visit to Washington of Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, who... read more
Ambassador to Tunisia: Who Is Jake Walles?
The North African nation of Tunisia, where the recent wave of Arab revolutions began in December 2010, will soon have a new Ambassador from the United States. President Barack Obama on December 14, 2011, nominated career diplomat Jacob “Jake” Wall... read more