State Department Sends New Diplomat to Libya

After the Sept. 11 death of Ambassador Chris Stevens, the State Department has named a new chargé d’ affairs to Libya.

Laurence Pope, a retired foreign service officer who used to be ambassador to Chad, has arrived in Tripoli to take over management of U.S. interests there.

Pope was nominated in 2000 by outgoing President Clinton to be ambassador to Kuwait, but Pope was not appointed by Congress.

“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,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement.

“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 is a resident of Maine and speaks Arabic and French.