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Obama officially nominates Iraq, Afghanistan, NATO ambassadors, DoD post

As anticipated, President Obama has announced his intent to nominate Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, outgoing North Korea envoy Christopher Hill as ambassador to Iraq, Brookings scholar Ivo Daalder as ambassador to NATO, and former ambassador Alexander Vershbow as assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. "If confirmed, Vershbow and Daalder ...

As anticipated, President Obama has announced his intent to nominate Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, outgoing North Korea envoy Christopher Hill as ambassador to Iraq, Brookings scholar Ivo Daalder as ambassador to NATO, and former ambassador Alexander Vershbow as assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs.
 
"If confirmed, Vershbow and Daalder will coordinate on U.S. defense, development and diplomatic objectives at the upcoming NATO summit this April in Germany," the White House said in a press statement. Obama also announced his intention to nominate Richard R. Verma as assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, or "H."

As anticipated, President Obama has announced his intent to nominate Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, outgoing North Korea envoy Christopher Hill as ambassador to Iraq, Brookings scholar Ivo Daalder as ambassador to NATO, and former ambassador Alexander Vershbow as assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs.
 
"If confirmed, Vershbow and Daalder will coordinate on U.S. defense, development and diplomatic objectives at the upcoming NATO summit this April in Germany," the White House said in a press statement. Obama also announced his intention to nominate Richard R. Verma as assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, or "H."

UPDATE: The seven people appointed to State Department posts in the past week — Eikenberry, Hill, Daalder, Verma, Phil Gordon, and Melanne Verveer — have already been officially nominated, and have had their paperwork forwarded to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a source said Wednesday. 

Laura Rozen writes The Cable daily at ForeignPolicy.com.

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