The State Department still doesn’t have a permanent Middle East policy chief, even as the Donald Trump administration ratchets up the pressure on Iran while dealing with the blowback against its key ally Saudi Arabia. The reason? The White House still refuses to justify its missile strikes against Syrian military facilities.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee today attempted to advance Trump’s nominee to be assistant secretary of state for near east affairs, David Schenker, but failed to do so after Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., refused to lift a hold he has had in place for months. David Satterfield has held the post on an acting basis for more than a year in the absence of a Senate-confirmed nominee.
