Dennis Ross Appointed Special U.S. Advisor On Gulf

[Purveyor]

Source: Reuters

By Sue Pleming

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. foreign policy veteran Dennis Ross has been appointed special advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the Gulf region, including Iran, and southwest Asia, the State Department announced on Monday.

"This is a region in which America is fighting two wars and facing challenges of ongoing conflict, terror, proliferation, access to energy, economic development and strengthening democracy and the rule of law," State Department spokesman Robert Wood said in a statement announcing the appointment.

Ross, a veteran of Arab-Israeli negotiations when Clinton's husband, Bill Clinton, was president, will advise on both Iran and the broader Middle East region.

The Obama administration is reviewing U.S. policy towards Iran. It is looking into ways of engaging Tehran on a broad range of issues from seeking cooperation in Afghanistan to giving up sensitive nuclear work that the West suspects is aimed at building an atomic bomb.

"We must strive to build support for U.S. goals and policies," said Wood.

U.S. government agencies from the Pentagon and State Department, to the White House and Treasury, are grappling with how to devise a joint approach to curb Iran's nuclear program and Ross's role will be to help coordinate overall policy.

Read more: http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE51N0G320090224

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Better him than Dennis Moore.

I hear they get really angry, in the mideast, when you steal their lupins. Or give them some.

[EFerrari]

2. AIPAC, PNAC. Cool!

[Jim Sagle]

3. Ross RRRRRRAWWWWXXXXXXX!!!!!!!!

:thumbsup::beer:

[Spiffarino]

4. I wonder if he picked Ross based on Patrick Tyler's book

I have to wonder if he was chosen as a result of Hillary Clinton's asking for him, or if Obama knew of him from reading the book A World of Trouble by Patrick Tyler. Ross was one of the few people who came out looking OK in the book.

Not many did. In fact, 3/4 of the way through the book it appears the two worst presidents on Middle East issues were Reagan and Clinton, with Reagan edging Clinton out for worst ever.

Clinton was largely focused on domestic issues and rarely followed through on M.E. initiatives. Plus he looked at everything from a purely political angle which made him hesitant when bold moves were needed.

On the other hand Reagan was a complete fuck up. There is no other way to describe him. He ignored threats from Hezbollah, forced guards posted in front of the Marine barracks to be unarmed, and caused over 200 Marines to be killed in Lebanon. Then he shifted gears completely, went soft on American hostages, and traded arms to Iran - the very people who killed the Marines - to gain the hostages' release.

Of course, I still have Bush the Lesser's regime to read about. There's a chance he'll be the worst ever...as if there were much doubt.