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Tripoli, 4 March 2013:
The US administration has appointed Philip Gordon to be the new Special Assistant to the President, and White . . .[restrict]House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf Region.
“Gordon’s work with our European Allies and partners has been indispensable in helping us to formulate policy and address issues around the globe, including Libya, Syria and Iran,” said National Security Advisor Tom Donilon.
Gordon has said that the US deployed “very unique capabilities” that other countries could not match during NATO’s 2011 intervention in Libya. After handing command of the operation over to NATO, Gordon said, America continued, “to provide the bulk of the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, in-air refuelling, jamming and other critical capabilities.” In January this year, Gordon spoke of US and UK coordination on the follow-up to the revolution.
Donilon said of Gordon’s work: “On international security, international economics and European and Middle Eastern Affairs makes him the perfect person to coordinate our policy in this time of great challenge and opportunity in the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf.”
Gordon has been part of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy team for the last four years, working as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.
Gordon will take up his post on 11 March. [/restrict]
