Brownback’s case against proposed Turkish ambassador Ricciardone

Posted By Josh Rogin Monday, August 16, 2010 - 4:17 PM Share

Last week, we reported that the GOP is holding up the nomination of Frank Ricciardone to be the next U.S. ambassador to Turkey. Today, we bring you the letter from Sen. Sam Brownback, R-KS, to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton explaining his objections to the nomination.

Brownback, who will retire from the Senate at the end of this year, has long been critical of Ricciardone dating back to the nominee's time as ambassador to Egypt during the Bush administration and as one of the key officials chosen to strengthen Iraqi opposition groups in early 2003. Brownback states in his letter that Ricciardone "downplayed" the Bush administration's pro-democracy efforts in Egypt and "did not favor" a strong effort to work with Iraqi opposition groups in the run up to the invasion.

"From the latter days of the Bush administration to today, opposition groups from Africa to the Middle East to Asia have been questioning the U.S. commitment to democracy and human rights. Given these questions, I am not convinced that Ambassador Ricciardone is the right ambassador for Turkey at this time -- despite his extensive diplomatic experience," Brownback wrote.

Brownback also criticized Ricciardone for his work while in Cairo to establish an endowment fund to provide non-military aid to Egypt, which the senator argued would have been a slush fund for the Mubarak government and contributed to the further marginalization of democracy and human rights opposition groups there. The Obama administration is negotiating over the controversial endowment even to this day.

"I believe democracy and human rights should be considered on par with other aspects of our bilateral relationships, but I am not convinced that Ambassador Ricciardone shares that view. I am concerned that the endowment plan will marginalize further discussion about the development of democracy in Egypt," he wrote.

All of this speaks to how Ricciardone would conduct American diplomacy in Turkey, according to Brownback, who alleges that secular Turkish opposition groups are already complaining they don't have good access to current ambassador Jim Jeffrey, who is on his way to take over for Chris Hill in Baghdad.

Brownback is requesting that State provide written answers and assurances on a list of questions ranging from Ricciardone's views on numerous issues to assurances regarding how the State Departmetn will conduct aspects of foreign policy.  He also signaled that Turkey's recent decisions to vote against new sanctions on Iran at the U.N. Security Council and harshly criticize Israel in the wake of the Gaza flotilla incident will also be part of Ricciardone's confirmation debate, which could resume when Congress returns from recess.

"I am also concerned that we have not fully considered the ramifications of a Turkish tilt toward Iran and away from Israel, and I will give those issues some attention before the Senate reconvenes in September," Brownback wrote.

Full letter after the jump:

Brownback Letter to State Dept Re Nom of Ricciardone August 2010

EXPLORE:EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AFGHANISTAN, DEMOCRACY, DIPLOMACY, EGYPT, HUMAN RIGHTS, OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, STATE DEPARTMENT, TURKEY, U.S. CONGRESS, U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
 

ZATHRAS

2:59 PM ET

August 17, 2010

Last Bite at the Apple

On its face, what Sen. Brownback is asking for here is not unreasonable, as far as relations with Turkey are concerned. A discussion of this subject in the Foreign Relations Committee, or even in the full Senate, would be timely.

We'll see if he means what he says. I put it that way because Brownback knows the Congressional calendar as well as anyone. I expect he, like other Senators, will be spending most of his time this fall on campaign-related activities for his party's candidates. After November, the new Congress will have to organize, and the usual practice is for Congress to spend most of January in recess. And since Brownback is leaving, this represents his last bite at the apple. Is he serious about discussing Turkish relations, or has he merely seized an opportunity to stick it to a career official with whom he or his allies have clashed in the past? I don't know, but I'd like to avoid another situation where the United States is without an ambassador to a key regional power for more than six months.

The other items on his list refight old battles, which would be all right if the battles were still relevant. Brownback is still sticking up for Ahmed Chalabi, after seven years of war in Iraq; he is also blaming the Bush administration's up-the-hill-and-down-again path on Egyptian democracy on Frank Ricciardone, which neatly avoids the problem of a Republican Senator being seen to criticize the last Republican President's political appointees, who actually decided on the policy. Since Ricciardone is being nominated for Turkey -- where he has served before, the language of which he speaks, and which has neither schemers with Washington connections plotting to return to power or a dictatorship about to enter its fourth decade -- I'd say these old battles of Brownback's are well over the line into irrelevance.

I always wonder, with respect to Congressional correspondence, who writes it. Obviously an elected official is responsible for anything that goes out over his signature, but no Congressman or Senator writes all his outgoing correspondence himself. Some, indeed, rely heavily on lobbyists, or perhaps on officials of a former administration, to supplement their own thoughts on complex policy issues. Of course, it is possible that nothing like this is going on here. It is possible.

 

John Hudson reports on national security and foreign policy from the Pentagon to Foggy Bottom, the White House to Embassy Row, for The Cable.

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