| Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC January 8, 2007 Secretary of State Announces Presidential Nominations for U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN and U.S. Ambassador to IraqSecretary of State Condoleezza Rice today announced President George W. Bush's intention to nominate Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad to be the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Ambassador Ryan Crocker to be United States Ambassador to Iraq.
Ambassador Crocker currently serves as U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan. Following the announcement, Ambassador Crocker said, "I am deeply honored to have the confidence of the President and the Secretary. I was first assigned to Iraq in the late 1970s, and returned on missions to northern Iraq in 2001 and 2002. In 2003, I was in Baghdad. If confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to the critical challenges ahead. It is a privilege to serve." Further biographical information on Ambassador Crocker is available at: http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/pakistan/ambassador.html. Ambassador Khalilzad currently serves as U.S. Ambassador to Iraq. Ambassador Khalilzad made the following statement in response to the announcement: "I want to thank the President for his confidence in nominating me to serve as Ambassador to the United Nations. I also want to thank Secretary Rice and look forward to continuing to work with her. "I have had the honor of serving our nation for more than three years at the U.S. missions in Kabul and Baghdad. I wish to express my gratitude to all of the military personnel and civilian officials with whom I have had the honor of serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Though much remains to be done, I am proud of the achievements and progress that we have made working together. "Success in both of those countries is vital. The struggle between the forces of extremism and moderation in the broader Middle East is the defining challenge of our time, and the outcomes in Afghanistan and Iraq will have a profound effect on this struggle. The future of these countries will shape the future of this region, the course of the global war on terrorism, and the security of the world. We must not fail. However, as we succeed, a horizon of positive opportunities for the nations of this region will open before us. We must seize this opportunity. "Succeeding in Afghanistan and Iraq will require adjustments in our strategies and tactics to meet changing circumstances, resolve and patience on the part of the American people, and close cooperation with moderate forces in the region and like-minded countries around the world. "Should I be confirmed by the Senate in this new position, I look forward to working with the representatives of the members of the Security Council and the General Assembly, as well as the Secretary General and other officials in the Secretariat. "I will work hard to advance the values of the American people. With my colleagues at the United Nations, I will seek to advance an agenda to promote our common interests - a world in which we take collective action against threats to security, in which freedom and democracy are expanding, in which the rule of law becomes more widespread, and in which all nations enjoy economic prosperity. "I will also focus on continuing efforts to reform the United Nations and to strengthen its ability to fulfill its mission. I will be results oriented and will give it my all." Biographical information on Ambassador Khalilzad is available at: http://iraq.usembassy.gov/iraq/ambassador.html. 2007/006 |
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