Ambassador-at-Last

Matthew Bryza (state.gov)

As anti-American hysteria of official Baku reaches its climax these days, with Coca-Cola abruptly inspected and fined; pro-government MPs calling to terminate oil contracts with US companies and saying that Barack Obama has an inferiority complex; and Azerbaijan canceling military exercises with American counterparts, suddenly, out of a blue, Steve LeVine brings back an old rumour - after nearly eight months with a Chargé d'affaires, US has decided to appoint an ambassador to Baku and this choice is Matthew Bryza himself:

In fact, the Bush-era State Department had sent the name of a diplomat with long experience in the region -- Matthew Bryza, a skilled player of pipeline politics whom I've known for some 13 years -- to the White House as its choice for the Azeri post. But the White House didn't send Bryza's nomination to the Senate, and neither has the Obama Administration.

Until now. I've received confirmation that -- after the clearing of a couple of remaining administrative hurdles -- the White House will officially nominate Bryza as U.S. ambassador. He will then be scheduled for a nomination hearing in the Senate.