Wittes Named Deputy Assistant Secretary

Laura Rozen reports that Tamara Cofman Wittes has been named Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and will take over the bureau’s democracy and human rights portfolio on Monday. Wittes was previously director of the Middle East Democracy and Development Project at Brookings’ Saban Center. She will report to the Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman.

According to Michele Dunne, “The Obama administration could not have made a better selection for this position” and J. Scott Carpenter writes that his doubts over the administration’s seriousness on democracy and human rights issues have now been settled.