The Chargé d"Affairs, who will fill in temporarily in the absence of
an Ambassador at Embassy Tripoli is a retired Foreign Service officer
with a stellar resumé.
U.S. Charge d Affairs to Libya
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
October 11, 2012
Laurence
Pope has arrived in Tripoli as U.S. Chargé d’ Affairs to Libya. Mr.
Pope’s selection as Chargé 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.
Chargé Pope looks
forward to working with the Libyan Government and the Libyan people
during this historic and challenging time, as we build strong economic,
social, political, and educational bridges between our two people.
Pope
served as a Foreign Service Officer from 1969-2000, retiring at the
rank of Minister Counselor after having held a number of senior posts in
the Department of State. He was the 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. He continues to consult with various institutions and
is a respected author.
A graduate of Bowdoin College, Chargé Pope
also had advanced studies at Princeton University and is a graduate of
the U.S. Department of State Senior Seminar, and is a Senior Fellow at
the Armed Forces Staff College. He speaks Arabic and French, and resides
in Portland, Maine.
Sadly, the morning news brought word of the murder of yet another embassy staff member, this time in Sana'a Yemen.
Death of Qassim M. Aklan
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
October 11, 2012
We
are deeply saddened by the killing of Qassim M. Aklan, a longtime
employee of the U.S. Embassy in Sana’a. We condemn this vicious act in
the strongest terms possible and extend our deepest condolences to his
family and friends at this difficult time. Mr. Aklan, a Yemeni citizen,
worked as a Foreign Service National Investigator at the Embassy for the
last 11 years. He was a dedicated professional who will be greatly
missed. We are coordinating closely with the Yemeni authorities to
investigate this attack and to help bring those responsible to justice.
