United States announces ambassador for Pakistan after three-year gap

The United States has nominated Donald Armin Blome as ambassador to Pakistan, three years after David Hale left Islamabad in August 2018.

The US diplomatic mission in Pakistan has been headed by a charge d’affaires since then.

Blome’s nomination was announced by the White House. He is a career diplomat and currently the US ambassador to Tunisia.

He has served US diplomatic missions in Kabul, Jerusalem, Cairo, Baghdad, and Kuwait in various positions.

After Hale left in August 2018, Paul W. Jones took charge of the US mission in Pakistan as charge d’affaires. He left Pakistan after completing his two years tenure in Islamabad in August 2020. Since then Ms Angela Aggeler has served as acting Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad.

In its final days, the Donald Trump administration had nominated William Edward Bill Todd as the ambassador for Pakistan, but he was unable to complete requisite formalities in the United States, including a Congress hearing. His nomination was eventually called off.

Who is Donald Blome

Announcing Blome’s nomination, the White House described him as “a career member of the Senior Foreign Service” from the “class of Minister-Counselor.”

The senior diplomatic ranks in the US are, from lower to higher, Counselor, Minister Counselor, Career Minister, and Career Ambassador.

According to White House, before becoming the US ambassador to Tunisia Blome was Chargé d’Affaires a.i. at the Libya External Office in Tunis, Tunisia, Consul General at the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, and Director, Office of Arabian Peninsula Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

He has also served as Political Counselor, Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan and Minister-Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, the White House said.

Earlier in his career, Ambassador Blome served as the Civilian Co-Director, Multinational Force Strategic Engagement Cell, Baghdad, Political Counselor, Embassy Kuwait, and as Israel Desk Officer, Deputy Director and Acting Director, Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs, it said.

Ambassador Blome earned a B.A. and a J.D. from the University of Michigan, and he peaks Arabic as well, it added.

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