The U.S. has had no Ambassador to Libya since the killing of Ambassador Chris Stevens on September 11, 2012. Career diplomats Laurence Pope and then William Roebuck have served as Chargé d’Affaires since that time. The announcement of a new Ambassador during the middle of Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan's visit to the U.S. shows that the U.S. is actually paying attention to Libya, long overshadowed by other objectives in the region.As hoped for, President Barack Obama's choice for a new Ambassador is one with extensive Middle East experience. Ambassador Jones was previously Ambassador to Kuwait from 2008-2011, and has also had posts in Iraq, Syria and Turkey. She is currently a Scholar-in-Residence at the Middle East Institute.We should expect more Chargés d’Affaires in Libya in the unknown months between Ambassador Jones's nomination and confirmation by the Senate. Any delays or obstacles in her confirmation are more likely to be the Senate turning Libya into a political issue rather than anything in her background. The Christian Science Monitor notes that Ambassador Jones "has kept a low profile since returning to Washington after her Kuwait assignment, perhaps purposefully avoiding the kind of controversy that could doom future diplomatic prospects."
Deborah Jones Nominated as New U.S. Ambassador to Libya