President Obama's choice for next US ambassador to Iraq withdraws

Brett McGurk, a longtime Iraq expert who had served on the Bush administration's National Security Council, wrote to U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that he was withdrawing “with a heavy heart.”

“I believe it is in the best interests of the country, and our life together, to withdraw my nomination and serve in another capacity,” McGurk said in the letter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.

McGurk's withdrawal throws a fresh question mark over Washington's uncertain relations with Iraq following the departure of U.S. forces last year.

While the embassy in Baghdad remains one of the biggest U.S. diplomatic facilities in the world, there are plans to trim the U.S. presence further as early hopes for close political and economic ties fade and Iraq's Shiite-led government draws closer to its powerful Shiite neighbor Iran.

SHARE CLOSE
Blogger		Google+
Live Journal		Plurk
Stumble Upon

Tweet

	PREVIOUS ARTICLE
	Survey finds over 46 million in US lack health insurance

NEXT ARTICLE
Canada searches for shooter after 1 killed near gelato shop

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email

Submit