Khalilzad for U.N. ambassador

It won't be easy to replace John Bolton, but what an interesting choice in Iraqi ambassador (previously Afghanistan ambassador) Zalmay Khalilzad! The Afghanistan native (ethnic Pashtun, like President Hamid Karzai) is the highest-ranking Muslim in the Bush administration, has more than two decades of experience in government posts, and Lord knows he's had a tough job as of late (being Sunni, he's tried to deal with Iraq's problems while dealing with the cabal of Shiites claiming that he's biased -- and called "Muslim traitor" by others).

The appointment could curry favor with Muslim nations. Detractors are already bitching that Khalilzad is a Cheney protege, cut from the same cloth as Bolton (as if there's anything wrong with that) and left-wing bloggers also claim he was a CIA operative. Partisan and pragmatic are the terms used to describe him. Plus I crack up when bloggers complain that he's someone who would serve to advance Bush's agenda, as if the president would appoint someone who would blow his agenda out of the water.

Foreign Policy magazine had actually predicted Lincoln Chafee was in the running for the ambassador post... blahhhhhh

Comments

[Peacekeeper]

He's got my support (like that counts for anything).

[John Ryan]

Iraq has gone down the toilet. Afghanistan is a complete mess. Maybe just maybe Bush SHOULD start looking for an agenda that is possible to attain.

[Lewis B. Sckolnick]

John Ryan was born after 911.