Out of the Frying Pan ... Anne Patterson Going to NEA

Dropping out of vacation mode for a moment: yesterday President Obama nominated US Ambassador to Egypt as the new Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Ambassador Patterson has had a stormy tenure in Cairo to say the least, and many liberal Egyptians blamed her (unfairly I believe) for being overly supportive of the Morsi regime. She was unpopular with the Egyptian elite; but the Assistant Secretary post will assure her of a continued role in managing US-Egyptian relations. US Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford is rumored to be a candidate for the Cairo job.