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Negroponte to be bush envoy { April 20 2004 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1195788,00.htmlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1195788,00.html
Negroponte to be Bush envoy
Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Tuesday April 20, 2004
The Guardian
John Negroponte, America's senior envoy at the United Nations, was yesterday named ambassador to Iraq, and will replace the chief administrator, Paul Bremer, once the transfer of power is complete.
A career diplomat, Mr Negroponte, 64, served in Vietnam during America's war in south-east Asia, and in Honduras two decades later where he assisted the contra rebels of Nicaragua. In 2002, he was instrumental in securing the unanimous passage of a security council resolution to return weapons inspectors to Iraq.
"John Negroponte is a man of enormous experience and skill" and "has done a really good job of speaking for the United States to the world about our intentions to spread freedom and peace," President George Bush said.
Referring to Mr Negroponte's new post, he added that there was "no doubt in my mind he can handle it, no doubt in my mind he will do a very good job, and there's no doubt in my mind that Iraq will be free and democratic and peaceful".
In the internecine battles within the Bush administration, Mr Negroponte's appointment was seen as a victory for the secretary of state, Colin Powell, who had been pressing the president to appoint a professional diplomat for the most daunting post in the American foreign service.
If Mr Negroponte's appointment is confirmed by the Senate, he will preside over a staff of more than 3,000, and will play a crucial role in the transition to an Iraqi administration after the June 30 handover.
He will head an embassy in Baghdad which will be temporarily housed in a palace which belonged to Saddam. When up and running, it will be the largest in the world.
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