Senate Approves Richard Holbrooke as UN Ambassador After 14-Month Delay

The nomination of Richard Holbrooke as UN ambassador finally received Senate approval after a protracted 14-month period marked by internal probes, controversy, and obstruction. The breakthrough came when Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) removed the final obstacle to a Senate vote by lifting his objections, stating he would vote in favor of Holbrooke. However, this development introduced new challenges for other diplomatic nominees, as Grassley announced his intention to block the confirmations of three pending appointments, including that of Peter Burleigh as ambassador to the Philippines.

Key Takeaways:

• The Senate approved Richard Holbrooke's nomination as UN ambassador after a 14-month delay, with Sen. Charles Grassley lifting his objections and stating he would vote in favor of Holbrooke.
• The nomination was entangled in internal Justice and State Department probes into Holbrooke's contacts with former State Department colleagues.
• Grassley announced he would block the confirmations of three other pending ambassadorial appointments, including that of Peter Burleigh as ambassador to the Philippines.
• Peter Burleigh has been filling in for Holbrooke at the United Nations since last fall.
• The State Department's treatment of whistleblower Linda Shenwick was cited as a reason for Grassley's objections, with the senator using the delaying tactic to protest the department's actions.
• Holbrooke is expected to be confirmed overwhelmingly with minimal floor debate despite the long delays and controversy surrounding his nomination.
• The nomination was first announced by President Clinton in June 1998.

Statistics:

• 14 months: The duration of the delay in confirming Richard Holbrooke as UN ambassador.
• 3: The number of pending ambassadorial appointments blocked by Sen. Charles Grassley, including that of Peter Burleigh as ambassador to the Philippines.
• 1998: The year President Clinton announced Richar Holbrooke's nomination as UN ambassador in June.
• Several: The number of internal Justice and State Department probes into Holbrooke's contacts with former State Department colleagues.

Sources:

• "The Associated Press" (author Tom Raum, date: unknown, accessed from the provided text)
• "StatesmanJournal.com" (author unknown, date: unknown, accessed from the provided text)

Note: The exact date of the article and the date when the nomination was first announced are not provided in the source material.