Negroponte

The American Prospect has a highly critical look at the the man the White House wants to appoint as the next ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte. The case against Negroponte is nicely summarized with this paragraph from the article:

Negroponte speaks no Arabic and has no background in the Middle East or the Islamic world. What he does have is a good deal of experience with counterinsurgency. Bad experience. Experience dating from the waning days of the Vietnam War through the Reagan administration's policies in Central America and consisting largely of propping up right-wing dictators, violating human rights, and working to deceive the Congress and the American people.

I'm sure with credential like these, John Negroponte (who is not the only participant in the Iran-Contra affair to have gotten a job with the Bush administration) will have no difficulty winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis and ensuring that the occupation and reconstruction of Iraq is totally above the board.