Chris Hedges– There is a lot riding on whom President Obama names as his special envoy to Iran. If, as expected, it is Dennis Ross, a former official of AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, we will be in deep trouble. Ross, who is expected to be placed in charge of the Iranian portfolio this week, is a vocal supporter of Israel’s call for increased pressure on Iran. He is distrusted, even despised, in the Muslim world and especially in Tehran. With good reason, he is not viewed as an impartial broker.
And ta-da!
(Reuters) – U.S. diplomat Dennis Ross has been appointed special advisor on the Gulf and southwest Asia, which includes Iran, to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the State Department announced on Monday.
Ten Percent 
24 February, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Is this the “special envoy to Iran” position, or is this another position intended to give the schmuck a job without having him be the direct contact with Iran?
25 February, 2009 at 7:42 pm
That’s an awfully good question, as elucidated on (not!) here-
http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/02/whats_dennis_rosss_job_not_an_envoyan_adviser.php
if it’s ass covering, a sop to AIPAC so Obama can create some room for manoeuvre then it might be smart, but, Hills and Ross is not an overwhelming sign of diplomacy.
26 February, 2009 at 12:35 am
I guess the operative question is who will be in charge of US interests in Iran?
26 February, 2009 at 6:25 pm
You mean on the Iranian side or the US diplomatic side?
28 February, 2009 at 2:55 am
I meant on the US side. There are no diplomatic relations, so there is no ambassador.
28 February, 2009 at 6:20 pm
I’d say he is a smokescreen to shut the AIPAC up!
28 February, 2009 at 11:49 pm
GLH- Dick Cheney?
Naj- We can but hope!
1 March, 2009 at 1:58 pm
RickB: LOL, somehow I doubt he would be willing to live in Tehran and work out of the Swiss Embassy. He’d probably prefer going to Wyoming to shoot birds thrown in front of him by his servants.
2 March, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Nevermind birds, he’d just be shooting the servants, cos he cares about job creation.