The United States today appointed Laurence Pope as the new Charge d’Affairs to Libya. He is the successor to the slain ambassador Chris Stevens.
Reports say the US State Department announced on Thursday that Laurence Pope, a veteran diplomat, has already arrived in Tripoli.
In her statement at Washington DC today, Department Spokesperson says Mr. Pope’s selection as Charge d’ Affairs emphasizes the commitment of the United States to the relationship between our two countries and to the people of Libya as they move forward in their transition to a democratic government.
“We will continue to assist as Libya builds democratic institutions and broad respect for the rule of law – the goals that Ambassador Stevens worked hard to achieve.” -Ms. Nuland
According to Ms. Nuland, Mr. Pope looks forward to working with the Libyan Government and the Libyan people during this historic and challenging time, as the US builds strong economic, social, political, and educational bridges between our two people.
Ms. Nuland says that Pope served as a Foreign Service Officer from 1969-2000.
Mr. Pope was the former Director for Northern Gulf Affairs (1987-1990), Associate Director for Counter-Terrorism (1991-1993), U.S. Ambassador to Chad (1993-1996), and Political Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of United States Central Command (1997-2000).
In 2000, President Clinton nominated him as Ambassador to Kuwait.
Laurence Pope retired from the U.S. Foreign Service on October 2, 2000 after 31 years of service.
Ms. Nuland cites Mr. Pope continues to consult with various institutions and is a respected author.
A graduate of Bowdoin College, Charge Pope also had advanced studies at Princeton University and is a graduate of the U.S. Department of State Senior Seminar. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Armed Forces Staff College.
Mr. Pope also speaks Arabic and French.
Last month, the United States of America mourned the death of four American personnel in Benghazi who died in a rocket attack on Wednesday.
Reports say Chris Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya were killed along with three others in a rocket attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi.
