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Washington Times
Dec 28 2011
Embassy Row
BYE BYE, BRYZA
Matthew Bryza, a career diplomat highly regarded at the State
Department, bid farewell to top officials in Azerbaijan on Tuesday
after the Senate refused to confirm him to a full term as U.S.
ambassador to the oil-rich nation in the Caucasus.
Mr. Bryza met with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and with Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, who both praised him for his 11-month
tenure.
The Azerbaijan Business Center noted that Mr. Bryza "finished his
bright ambassador mission."
The ambassador's journey from Washington to the Azeri capital of Baku
was one of the bumpiest in recent U.S. diplomatic history.
Mr. Bryza drew opposition from two top Democratic senators and
politically powerful Armenian-American organizations. They accused him
of favoritism toward Azerbaijan in a bitter and sometimes bloody
dispute with neighboring Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, an
ethnic-Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan.
They also claimed he had close, personal ties to Turkish and Azeri
officials, and questioned whether he could strongly represent U.S.
interests as ambassador. Mr. Bryza repeatedly dismissed those
accusations.
Despite objections from Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and Robert
Menendez of New Jersey, President Obama appointed Mr. Bryza during a
congressional recess last year. The ambassador arrived in Baku in
February but only for a one-year assignment.
As recently as last week, Mr. Bryza held out hopes that the Senate
would overcome Armenian objections and approve him for a full term.
"If I were an Armenian, I would support my candidacy," he told the
Azerbaijan Press Agency.
Dec 28 2011
Embassy Row
BYE BYE, BRYZA
Matthew Bryza, a career diplomat highly regarded at the State
Department, bid farewell to top officials in Azerbaijan on Tuesday
after the Senate refused to confirm him to a full term as U.S.
ambassador to the oil-rich nation in the Caucasus.
Mr. Bryza met with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and with Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, who both praised him for his 11-month
tenure.
The Azerbaijan Business Center noted that Mr. Bryza "finished his
bright ambassador mission."
The ambassador's journey from Washington to the Azeri capital of Baku
was one of the bumpiest in recent U.S. diplomatic history.
Mr. Bryza drew opposition from two top Democratic senators and
politically powerful Armenian-American organizations. They accused him
of favoritism toward Azerbaijan in a bitter and sometimes bloody
dispute with neighboring Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, an
ethnic-Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan.
They also claimed he had close, personal ties to Turkish and Azeri
officials, and questioned whether he could strongly represent U.S.
interests as ambassador. Mr. Bryza repeatedly dismissed those
accusations.
Despite objections from Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and Robert
Menendez of New Jersey, President Obama appointed Mr. Bryza during a
congressional recess last year. The ambassador arrived in Baku in
February but only for a one-year assignment.
As recently as last week, Mr. Bryza held out hopes that the Senate
would overcome Armenian objections and approve him for a full term.
"If I were an Armenian, I would support my candidacy," he told the
Azerbaijan Press Agency.