President Barack Obama recently nominated senior diplomat Philip Goldberg (right) to become the next Ambassador to the Philippines. AP PHOTOS/SUSAN WALSH
American President Barack Obama nominated a State Department official specializing in intelligence to become the next US Ambassador to the Philippines, the White House announced.
Once confirmed by the US Senate, assistant secretary for intelligence and research Philip Goldberg will succeed Ambassador Harry Thomas at the helm of the embassy in Manila.
Goldberg, a senior American diplomat, has headed the State Department's arm involved in harnessing intelligence to guide the US' diplomatic affairs, foreign policy and national security since 2010.
His bureau is among the 17-member coalition under Obama forming the powerful US intelligence community that collects information on international terrorist and narcotic activities, other hostile activities of nations, groups and individuals as well as foreign intelligence activities.
Goldberg served as ambassador to Bolivia from 2006 to 2008, when he was asked to leave the country by the Bolivian government following accusations that the US has been funding opposition leaders against Bolivian President Evo Morales.
In an interview with Newsweek on his ouster, Goldberg said that his expulsion was partly due to Bolivian leaders' attempt to distract the public from other political matters in the country.
"The situation in Bolivia had deteriorated to the point of confrontation. And I think it became very easy to blame the United States for that. Secondly, I think there were external factors at work," Goldberg said.
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/07/31/1035121/obama-nominates-intelligence-expert-ambassador-phl
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