Azernews.Az

BAKU – The appointment of the US ambassador to Azerbaijan that has been delayed since last year will take at least another month. Due to a recess in the US Senate, any votes on ambassadors’ nominations can take place only after the November elections, Azerbaijan’s state-run AzerTAj news agency reported.

The post of US ambassador to Azerbaijan has been vacant since July 2009. President Barack Obama nominated Matthew Bryza for the post in May. Bryza, one of the most visible US officials in the Caucasus region during the Bush administration, has served as the US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group brokering settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Karabakh.

The White House nomination has faced roadblocks in the legislature due to the efforts of several senators, who accuse Bryza of advancing Turkey and Azerbaijan’s cause.

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal has published another article criticizing delays in the approval of the US envoys to Azerbaijan and Turkey.

AssA-Irada further presents the story.

"The Founders gave the executive branch primary responsibility for the conduct of American foreign policy. The latest Senate shenanigans over ambassadorial appointments are a good reminder why.

We reported last month on Matthew Bryza's run-ins with Senator Barbara Boxer, the proxy for wackier fringes of the Armenian-American lobby.

Mr. Bryza, the President's nominee for ambassador to Azerbaijan-a seasoned Foreign Service officer respected by all sides in the tumultuous Caucasus-was later confirmed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on a 17-2 vote.

But Ms. Boxer immediately put a hold on Mr. Bryza, preventing a vote by the full Senate. Ms. Boxer is in a tough re-election fight against Carly Fiorina and is pandering to the Golden State's large Armenian community.

Meanwhile, Kansas Republican Sam Brownback has put a hold on President Obama's pick for Turkey, Frank Ricciardone. In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Mr. Brownback, who is leaving the Senate at the end of this session, faulted Mr. Ricciardone for failing to promote democracy and defend human rights. Mr. Ricciardone is a career diplomat who was ambassador to Cairo and most recently the deputy in Kabul, and he also speaks fluent Turkish.

The Senator is free to criticize and oppose this nomination. But Mr. Ricciardone deserves an up-or-down vote on the floor, as do other nominees. No such vote is likely, at the earliest, until the lame duck session because the Senate decided not to formally adjourn for its normal election recess in order to deny Mr. Obama the chance to make recess appointments.

Azerbaijan and Turkey are important American allies in a tough neighborhood, and the U.S. needs good ambassadors there. The previous ambassador in Ankara, James Jeffrey, left for Iraq in July. The embassy in Baku has been without an ambassador since July 2009.

Distracted by many other troubles, the White House has declined to press the Senate to vote on the President's appointees. The limbo these diplomats find themselves in may help Ms. Boxer's campaign or make Mr. Brownback feel good, but it undermines the executive's ability to function and American foreign policy.