Free Republic

(Egypt Independent) — Muslim Brotherhood Guidance Bureau member Abdel Rahman al-Barr on Tuesday met with Assistant US Secretary of State for Democracy and Human Rights Michael Posner and US Ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson at the embassy’s headquarters in Cairo. “The Egyptian people consider America’s claims that it respects democracy and freedom as mere words,” Barr said during the meeting, according to a statement on the group’s website. “US President Obama’s promises, made during his visit to Egypt, have not been fulfilled, and Egyptians want to see more concrete steps in this regard,” the statement added.

The Senate confirmed McFaul as ambassador on December 17, 2011. Transcript below. NPR: Let's say Vladimir Putin wins the election in March and remains in power in Russia. Where are we in these countries, I mean in this evolution towards democracy you describe? MCFAUL: We're, you know, two decades in. I'm not going to give grades about, oh, how democratic or not it is, but most certainly this system is not the totalitarian dictatorship of the Soviet Union. Let's be very clear about that. Individual rights have progressed far. Choice is greater than it was before. And maybe not as...

Sean Penn Appointed Haitian Ambassador LOS ANGELES, USA (defend.ht) - Sean Penn has accepted the job of Ambassador for Haiti, where he has spent the last two years managing a tent camp for displaced Haitians after the earthquake. Sean Penn will now be the "ambassador at large" for the Caribbean nation. Penn was offered the position by Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Laurent Lamothe, while at the Cinema for Peace benefit in Los Angeles on Saturday night. Picking up a humanitarian award for his work in Haiti, he told the crowd: "I do accept [the job]," before adding it would...

Israel's new ambassador to Egypt is expected to depart for Cairo on Monday, the Foreign Ministry announced Saturday evening. But because no secure embassy building yet exists for Israel in the Egyptian capital, Yaakov Amitai will temporarily operate from his residence. Foreign Ministry officials said they have not yet found a new building in which to place the Israeli embassy, which formally was located close to Cairo University, a hotbed of anti-Israeli sentiment. Former Ambassador to Egypt Yitzchak Levanon returned to Israel in September after escaping a mob that stormed the Cairo embassy and completely trashed the facility. The Egyptian...

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration says it has full confidence in the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, despite comments he made about anti-Semitism that prompted angry responses from Jewish groups and Republicans. Howard Gutman, who is Jewish and whose father survived the Holocaust, told a European Jewish gathering last week that some hatred of Jews reflected hostility toward Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. He said it was different from traditional anti-Semitism. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Monday that Gutman would remain in his post. Toner said Gutman spoke as ambassador, yet expressed his own views. He declined to say if the...

WASHINGTON—U.S. authorities said Tuesday they had charged two men in an Iranian-directed plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.S. The alleged assassination plot would represent an escalation in the confrontation between mostly Shiite Iran and mostly Sunni Saudi Arabia, two longtime Middle East rivals. The charges are also a rare instance of Washington accusing Iranian groups of fomenting terrorism on U.S. soil. Elements of the Iranian government were ready to spend $1.5 million to hire what they believed was a drug-cartel hit squad from Mexico, said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Prosecutors filed several criminal charges against...

During a breakfast briefing hosted by the Christian Science Monitor on Tuesday, Palestinian Ambassador to the United States Maen Rashid Areikat reiterated his call to create a Jew-free Palestinian state. “Well, I personally still believe that as a first step we need to be totally separated, and we can contemplate these issues in the future,” he said when asked by The Daily Caller if he could imagine a Jew being elected mayor of the Palestinian city of Ramallah in a future independent Palestinian state. “But after the experience of 44 years of military occupation and all the conflict and friction,...

Earl Anthony ‘Tony’ Wayne said Wednesday that if he is confirmed to be the next U.S. ambassador to Mexico, he will do everything possible to prevent the reoccurrence of covert operations such as “Fast and Furious". In response to questions: “There has been criticism over the level of violence, but I have not heard of an alternative strategy that would allow us to keep moving forward,” Wayne was nominated June 9, after Carlos Pascual submitted his resignation on March 19 due to tensions with Felipe Calderón after WikiLeaks published some of Pascual’s correspondance which criticized Mexico’s efforts to combat drug...

MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- U.S. and British diplomats discussed exerting pressure on Pope Pius XII to be silent about the Nazi deportations of Hungarian Jews, according to newly discovered documentation. The British feared that the wartime pope might make a "radio appeal on behalf of the Jews in Hungary" and that in the course of his broadcast would "also criticize what the Russians are doing in occupied territory." Sir Francis D'Arcy Osborne, the British ambassador to the Vatican, told an American diplomat that "something should be done to prevail upon the pope not to do this as it will have...

The U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, has resigned under pressure. In recent weeks, Mexico's President Felipe Calderon has said in public he doesn't trust Pascual (seen at left). Several sources close to diplomatic circles inside Mexico tell CBS News that from Mexico's viewpoint, the ATF "gunwalking" scandal was the final straw in a series of controversies. First, Pascual has been dating the daughter of a mistrusted and alleged cartel-linked opposition legislator. Second, Pascual's critical views of Mexico in secret U.S. diplomatic cables were leaked on WikiLeaks several weeks ago. In one cable, Pascual said Mexico had turned a blind...

India's ambassador to US has been pulled from an airport security line and frisked by a security agent in Mississippi, it has emerged. The hands-on search took place last week even after Meera Shankar's diplomatic status was revealed. Some reports said Ms Shankar, who was on her way from a conference, was singled out because she was wearing a sari. The Indian embassy in Washington has strongly protested about the incident.

Hizbullah spiritual leader Sheikh Mohammed Fadlallah, who authorized suicide bombings and other attacks killing hundreds of people, was “a true man of religion” whose death last week left Lebanon “a lesser place,” according to British Ambassador to Lebanon Frances Guy. The world “needs more men like him,” she said. "People in Lebanon like to ask me which politician I admire most... I usually avoid answering by referring to those I enjoy meeting the most and those that impress me the most. Until yesterday my preferred answer was to refer to Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, head of the Shia clergy in...

Turkey withdraws ambassador to Israel By Selcan Hacaoglu | Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Israel and canceled three joint military drills on Monday after Israeli commandos killed at least 10 people and wounded dozens aboard a Palestinian aid convoy unofficially sponsored by Turkey. Furious Turkish protesters tried to storm Israel’s consulate in Istanbul then marched toward the city’s main square denouncing Israel because of the deaths, which drew condemnation from around the world. Arab countries expressed outrage and European countries with passengers aboard the ships summoned the Israeli ambassadors home and called for an investigation....

Before I awoke this morning I had a dream. I dreamed of an idea and posting it to Free Republic. It seemed like a great idea during the dream. Here goes: Obama cannot find an Ambassador to the Vatican that the Vatican will accept. Obama wants to reach out or so he says to Conservatives..... I guess you all have guessed where this is going by now. Alan Keyes for Amabassador to the Vatican. In my dream some of you said Alan would never take such a position let alone under Obamas Presidency. I asked that Alan examine himself in...

A high-ranking Pakistani diplomat reportedly cannot be appointed ambassador to Saudi Arabia because in Arabic his name translates into a phrase more appropriate for a porn star, referring to the size of male genitals, Foreign Policy reported.

It's being tweeted that the Iranian Amb to Norway has resigned and is seeking asylum in Oslo. So far I have not seen it in the MSM. It's beeing tweeted that it is been published in a Norwegian paper. Anyone read the language? Things must be gettin real bad if Ambassadors are cutting and running, as one person posted.

If you were president of the United States, would you hire an alleged former spy for Fidel Castro to be ambassador to El Salvador, a country teetering on the brink of hard-core socialism? President Obama just did. On Dec. 9, Obama nominated Mari Del Carmen Aponte to be ambassador to El Salvador, despite the fact that in the late 1990s, the FBI discovered that she was working with Cuban intelligence officers. According to Insight Magazine, "When the FBI eventually questioned her about her involvement with Cuban intelligence, she reportedly refused to cooperate." Why would Aponte escape the Obama administration's scrutiny?...

Today, the Obama White House announced the nomination of Mari Del Carmen Aponte as U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador. It is not Ms. Aponte’s first brush with an ambassadorship. In 1998, President Clinton nominated her to be Ambassador to the Dominican Republic. She was forced to withdraw her name from consideration over allegations of ties to the Cuban spy agency. From Washington Times, January 25, 1999: Miss Aponte’s withdrawal from consideration for the Dominican Republic post came after she was questioned by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about her contacts with Cuban government employees or agents. She told the panel...

As promised, here's the fulltext of Pope Benedict's welcome address to the new US ambassador to the Holy See, Miguel Diaz, delivered within the hour: Your Excellency, I am pleased to accept the Letters by which you are accredited Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America. I recall with pleasure my meeting with President Barack Obama and his family last July, and willingly reciprocate the kind greetings which you bring from him. I also take this occasion to express my confidence that diplomatic relations between the United States and the Holy See, formally initiated twenty-five years...

This one: Not this one: Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) appears to be a decent and honorable man. Part of his background includes military service (with four sons currently serving). His impassioned outburst during President Obama's healthcare speech may seem out of step with his character and his military discipline, but he vented/channeled what many frustrated Americans were shouting into their tv sets, while provoking a million-mob strong march to turn out in D.C.: You LIE. Not only is former ambassador Joe Wilson a liar; but the current president of the United States is one, too. Congressman Wilson broke decorum and...

The Obama Administration has named Jeffrey Bleich as US Ambassador to Australia. Does anyone have any dirt on him that would normally not be found in the mainstream media reports on his appointment? I'm in Australia and I'm trying to research this lib. Van Jones style dirt would be awesome but I'll settle for just super-lib stuff. Thanks.

ITALIAN MEDIA sources last weekend reported that the Holy See has rejected the possible appointment of Caroline Kennedy as US Ambassador to the Vatican. Milan-based daily Il Giornale, owned by the family of Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, said that the Vatican has rejected three possible choices by the Obama government for the post of US ambassador, including that of Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F Kennedy. Il Giornale claims that the appointment of a new US ambassador to succeed Mary Ann Glendon has proved difficult because of the “strained” relations between the White House and the Holy See,...

Dr. Miguel Humberto Diaz Rome, Italy, Aug 27, 2009 / 12:03 pm (CNA).- This morning Dr. Miguel Diaz arrived in Rome with his family to begin serving in his new position as the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. Ambassador-designate Diaz said that he and his family are looking forward to the coming weeks and that he hopes to "deepen and expand upon the special relationship" between the U.S. and the Vatican.Dr. Miguel Humberto Diaz, arrived with his family this morning at Rome's Fiumicino International Airport. Prior to leaving the U.S. he was sworn in as ambassador on August...

(IsraelNN.com) The Swedish government distanced itself Thursday from an ambassador's condemnation of an article accusing Israeli troops of stealing Palestinian Authority Arabs' organs. The Swedish Foreign Ministry clarified that, unlike Ambassador to Israel Elisabet Borsiin Bonnier, it does not view the article as “appalling.” In addition to calling the article “shocking and appalling,” Bonnier said, “freedom of the press and freedom of expression are freedoms which carry a certain responsibility.”

Dr. Miguel Diaz Washington D.C., Jul 22, 2009 / 05:12 pm (CNA).- Dr. Miguel Diaz, President Obama's nominee to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, spoke at his confirmation hearing this morning in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In his remarks, Diaz pledged to "embrace President Obama and Secretary Clinton's diplomatic vision of leading through active listening and learning from others to seek common ground."Before delivering his remarks, Diaz was introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who described him as "a faithful Catholic...a gifted theologian...a respected scholar...a natural teacher...and a dedicated bridge-builder." According to...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq, July 16, 2009 – The U.S. ambassador to Iraq met with soldiers and leaders of Task Force Pathfinder here July 12 to thank them for their contributions and to discuss military support of provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq. U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher R. Hill talks with Army Lt. Col. Michael Eastman, commander of Task Force Pathfinder, July 12, 2009, at Contingency Operating Base Adder near Nasiriyah, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Mark Miranda  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “What we’re seeing is a crucial year, and it’s good to see the military...

When's the last time the Government of Israel made a decision that really and truly made you proud? This week's This Hyphenated Life column is dedicated to just such a moment. While Bibi's speech to the Arab world in Cairo last month might have done it for some, in most cases, this bloated government is not a source of inspiration. Yet, I had such a 'wow, that's terrific' reaction after hearing that Michael Oren was appointed as Israel's next ambassador to the United States. Rather than just echo the initial reactions, let's both provide perspective and look forward. Not only...

Valletta, Malta, Jul 8, 2009 / 12:14 am (CNA).- The editor of a Malta newspaper has commented on President Barack Obama’s choice of Prof. Doug Kmiec as ambassador to Malta, describing the appointment as “somewhat of a poisoned chalice” and noting the controversies concerning Kmiec and his campaign to elect Obama to the American presidency.Noel Grima, editor of the Malta Independent Online, said that though Kmiec was a Catholic and a pro-life person he has “fallen foul” of some Catholic leaders for his public stances on abortion and other pro-life issues.Noting Kmiec’s past as a law school dean, a law...

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo has seen its share of luminaries in the ambassador's suite. Former Vice President Walter Mondale, former Senate Majority Leaders Mike Mansfield and Howard Baker and former House Speaker Tom Foley are among those who have brokered relations with a complex and critical ally in a region bristling with military and trade tensions.

Another Chicago area resident, Fay Hartog-Levin, a longtime Democratic activist and fund-raiser and an early career supporter of Barack Obama, was tapped Thursday to be ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Her husband, Daniel Levin, is the chairman of The Habitat Company and the founder of the East Bank Club. Valerie Jarrett, before joining the Obama White House as a senior advisor, was the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Habitat Company. Levin's cousins are Michigan Democrats, Sen. Carl Levin and his brother, Rep. Sandy Levin. A Winnetka resident, Hartog-Levin is a senior consultant at the Res Publica...

Washington D.C., Jul 2, 2009 / 01:25 am (CNA).- Catholic commentator George Weigel has written an “open letter” to Dr. Miguel Diaz, President Obama’s nominated ambassador to the Holy See, advising him to focus on common agreement between the Vatican and the United States in his “difficult task.”Writing in his weekly column, Weigel suggested Diaz, a theology professor at St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict in Minnesota, cultivate intellectual contacts during his diplomatic work. According to Weigel—who is biographer of the late Pope John Paul II—previous Ambassadors Jim Nicholson and Mary Ann Glendon were “particularly successful”...

If all goes according to plan, Colorado businessman Vinai Thummalapally will soon be moving to a Central American tourist paradise to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Belize. Thummalapally was President Obama's roommate at Occidental College in 1979. As Barbara and Vinai Thummalapally described it to the Colorado Springs Gazette, they "used to party with (the president) in college. He was the guy who'd drink a few beers, maybe take a toke, stay up until 4 a.m. then excuse himself to crank out an 'A' paper due that morning. ... He was Barry, the...

Rep. Peter King in January turned down an offer from President Barack Obama to be ambassador to Ireland, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions. Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel called King the week before the inauguration with the offer, said the source, who declined to be identified. King turned it down, the source said, because he couldn't go along with Obama foreign policy. King also was reluctant to live so far away from his family. King, who often touts his Irish heritage, declined to comment Tuesday. "I had a lot of conversations with Rahm Emanuel and...

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2009 – Having been part of their tightly knit community all her life, Teresa Vance always has had an interest in military families. Her father made a career out of the Army, serving in World War II and Korea. Her husband was a career surface warfare officer in the Navy, and her son spent four years in the Marine Corps. The city commission of Enid, Okla., has appointed Teresa Vance as the city’s official ambassador to military families. Vance was born into an Army family and married a career naval officer. Courtesy photo   (Click photo for...

Professor Miguel H. Diaz, PhD Washington D.C., May 28, 2009 / 01:35 am (CNA).- In a surprising move, President Barack Obama announced on Wednesday evening that Miguel H. Diaz, Ph.D., a 45 year old lay Liberation theologian born in Havana (Cuba) is his pick to become the United States Ambassador to the Holy See.An associate professor of theology at St. John's University and the College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota, Diaz, a strong Obama supporter and father of four, earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Thomas University in Miami, Fla., and his master’s and doctorate in theology from the...

A Hispanic Roman Catholic theologian who advised Barack Obama's presidential campaign is the Obama administration's choice to serve as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. The White House announced Wednesday it plans to nominate Miguel H. Diaz, an associate professor of theology at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minn., for the post. Diaz, 45, a Cuban-American, was a member of the Obama campaign's Catholic advisory board. Diaz was among 26 Catholics who signed a statement supporting the nomination of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius...

President Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, said that Governor Huntsman makes him a "wee bit queasy.” He is referring to Huntsman supposedly being a legitimate challenger to President Obama in 2012/2016. After Plouffe’s comment Huntsman got a lot of media play, which has intensified with him being picked as the new ambassador to China. The Democrats know exactly what they are doing placing a moderate-squishy Republican in the limelight. I guess the Dems apparent fear is supposed to make us start screaming to have Huntsman as the Republican nominee in 2012. They media think the message from his ambassadorship is...

Former President Bill Clinton, who has committed his philanthropic efforts to helping hurricane ravaged Haiti, has been named a special envoy to the Caribbean nation on behalf of the United Nations. The honor comes two months after Clinton visited Haiti along with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in an effort to raise global attention to the country's effort to rebuild following a year of natural disasters that wreaked havoc on the Haitian economy, its people and its already fragile landscape. The four back-to-back storms left almost 800 dead and created nearly $1 billion in damage.

Breaking News.

Some call him the new Moshe Arens, others compare him to Benjamin Netanyahu - either way Michael Oren has become one of Israel's most prominent English speakers since being named the new ambassador to the United States this week. While many in the local Anglo community celebrated their fellow immigrant's success, friends and companions reminisced this week about different aspects of the eclectic scholar-turned-diplomat's personality. Jewish Agency spokesman Michael Jankelowitz met him in the early 1980s, while Oren was working on his Ph.D. at Princeton University. Jankelowitz, who was an emissary for American campus activity at the time, says Oren...

Speculation continues over who President Barack Obama might pick as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, with concern that he may choose a pro-abortion candidate in line with his own radical anti-life position.But is that possible? And how would the Vatican respond? Like any other state, the Vatican does not impose on another state that an ambassador hold certain views, nor does it generally carry out a vetting process into a person’s beliefs and ideas. But it does require that a candidate be “in good standing” within his or her faith community.Diplomats in Rome said what that means depends on...

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2009 – Army Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry retired here today, 24 hours before being sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, dons a U.S. Army ball cap at the conclusion of the retirement ceremony for Army Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, Pentagon, Hall of Heroes, April 28, 2009. Eikenberry retires after 35 years of service and will be sworn in as the new U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan in a ceremony tomorrow by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st...

Damascus - Michel al-Khoury, the first Lebanese ambassador to Syria, arrived in Damascus Monday, in a further step toward normal diplomatic relations between the two countries. 'I am very happy to be the representative of my country in Syrian territory,' Khoury told the German News Agency dpa on Monday. 'I am now waiting for an appointment to present my credentials to President Bashar al-Assad.' Representatives of the Syrian Foreign Ministry and Nasri al-Khoury, head of the High Syrian-Lebanese Council, greeted the Lebanese ambassador to Syria at the border. Lebanon opened its embassy in Damascus in mid-March, but no Syrian officials...

Israel has recalled its ambassador to Switzerland after Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz met with Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmedinejad. The meeting happened on the sidelines of a U.N. racism conference that Israel says had an anti-Israeli agenda. Israel's government saw the meeting between the Swiss leader and Mahmoud Ahmedinejad as an insult and recalled its ambassador to Switzerland to show its displeasure. Mr. Ahmedinejad has called for the destruction of Israel and has suggested the Holocaust, in which six million Jews perished, did not happen. Israel: Swiss decision 'a mistake' Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor tells VOA Israel considers Switzerland...

Well, at least they all paid their taxes. At least we think so. That’s apparently the only non-controversial thing about President Obama’s personnel choices: one, a a militant gay rights activist appointed to the Faith-Based Initiatives Advisory Council, and three more pro-choice Catholic picks for ambassador to the Vatican who have all reportedly been rejected. I spoke with Dr. Bill Donohue, President and CEO of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, the nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization, about these nominations, appointments and behind-the-scenes maneuvers. Although Donahue could not give names of those rejected by the church, he...

As President Barack Obama continues to focus on his political base and push through policies that are anathema to the pro-life movement, he is having difficulty finding a suitable candidate to represent his administration at the Vatican. According to Massimo Franco, author of "Parallel Empires," a recently published book on U.S.-Vatican relations, the Obama administration has put forward three candidates for consideration but each of them have been deemed insufficiently pro-life by the Vatican. One of the few conditions the Vatican places on diplomats accredited to the Holy See is that they hold pro-life views in line with Church teaching....

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2009 – Army Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, former top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, told a Senate committee today he'll assume the ambassadorship there with a clear recognition that success in both Afghanistan and Pakistan is vital to U.S. national security.Eikenberry, President Barack Obama’s nominee as ambassador to Afghanistan, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee his career has centered around Afghanistan since a terrorist-comandeered aircraft hit the Pentagon just below where he was working on 9/11. “Afghanistan is where the cold-blooded September the 11th, 2001, attacks upon the United States were conceived and they were directed,” he...

Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney was nominated to be the U.S. ambassador to Ireland by President Barack Obama on Tuesday. Rooney, 76, is a lifelong Republican, but he endorsed Obama in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary and later campaigned for him in western Pennsylvania during the general election. "I am honored and grateful that such a dedicated and accomplished individual has agreed to serve as the representative of the United States to the Irish people," said Obama. "Dan Rooney is an unwavering supporter of Irish peace, culture, and education, and I have every confidence that he and...

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) Rumors are swirling that the man most identified with the Pittsburgh Steelers is about to be named Ambassador to Ireland. Dan Rooney has had a long interest in the land of his grandparents and this appointment would cap it off. Even before Barack Obama was sworn in as president, KDKA-TV Political Editor Jon Delano reported that Rooney was a possible candidate to be Ambassador to Ireland. Now just days before St. Patrick's Day, a time when such appointments are often announced, the unofficial word out of Washington is the man whose team won the Super Bowl could himself...

The Foreign Ministry said Friday it had closed its embassy after the government of this overwhelmingly Muslim West African nation asked the Israeli ambassador and his staff to leave. The move came after Mauritania's military junta recalled its own ambassador from Israel last month. In January, Mauritania said it was suspending ties with Israel over its military offensive against Hamas in Gaza. "Following the Mauritanian government's decision, on January 16th 2009, to freeze diplomatic relations with Israel, and at its request, Israel will close its embassy in Nouakchott as of today," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said in a...