Dysfunction in Washington leaves Middle East without key US diplomats
Source: The Guardian
Dysfunction in Washington leaves Middle East without key US diplomats
Having no US ambassador to Israel in place and Republicans holding up military promotions is a threat to democracy, experts say
David Smith in Washington
Thu 12 Oct 2023 15.00 BST
Last modified on Thu 12 Oct 2023 16.34 BST
Political turmoil in Washington has left the US without key diplomats across the Middle East and raised concerns that years of congressional dysfunction are taking their toll on US leadership.
A devastating weekend attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen shook the region and came at a moment when there is no US ambassador in place in Israel, Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon or Oman.
In addition, the US Agency for International Development (USAid), which leads the government effort to help countries recovering from disaster, has been lacking an assistant administrator for the Middle East for nearly three years. The role is critical for dispatching emergency economic and humanitarian aid to the region.
The state department’s coordinator for counterterrorism, who spearheads efforts to defeat terrorism overseas, has also been awaiting confirmation for the better part of two years.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/12/us-israel-gaza-dysfunction-democracy
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