IRAN/IRAQ/SENATE/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump is asking the Senate to approve a new ambassador to Iraq as the U.S. ratchets up pressure on neighboring Iran and as some Republicans in Congress call for a stronger response to Tehran’s influence in Baghdad. Trump on Thursday [11-15-18] officially asked the Senate to confirm Matthew Tueller, who has been U.S. ambassador to Yemen since 2014. If confirmed, he would succeed Douglas Silliman, who has held the job since July 2016. Tueller, who is fluent in Arabic, also was ambassador to Kuwait and has held top positions at U.S. embassies in Cairo, Baghdad and Riyadh. He is a former deputy director of the State Department’s Office of Northern Gulf Affairs. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, spoke out against current U.S. diplomats in Baghdad during a congressional hearing Wednesday [11-14-18].”
–The Associated Press, “Trump Seeks Confirmation of New US Ambassador to Iraq,” The New York Times online, November 15, 2018