Nobody can expect anything from her. Except a bit of style and hospitality. So that she may offer more than a grumpy old retired actor of banker

Been confirmed.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics...l?cid=37858424

Seems like the ambassadorship to Switzerland has a revolving door on it.

Mr Beyer was ambassador to CH for a long time. Ambassadors change frequently. This is not new.

US ambassadors are generally presidential campaign contributors who have no experience or understanding of international diplomacy.

Neither do most Presidents or Congress so that's nothing new either.

Ok, Suzie LeVine seems to have her big day in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, this Thursday, 6 March, 2pm Washington time. From this link, there should be live streaming, or at least the video posted thereafter. So you get a preview of what the next few years under her um 'leadership' may be like in Bern.

http://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearin...nations/030614

Swedish media are reporting today that Azita Raji, a large Obama campaign bundler, is to be named U.S. Ambassador to Sweden. This wealthy naturalized American and ex-Goldman Sach banker was previously reported as under consideration to be U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland but her nomination was derailed, possibly due to concerns that a significant portion of the money that she "bundled" actually came out of her own pocket. Apparently that has been forgiven for that in the declining days of the Obama administration. NZZ wrote:

"As the successor to the recalled Ambassador Don Beyer, who built up a car dealership empire, is mentioned Azita Raji for some time in Washington. On the New York Times list of the largest election campaign donators for Obama is the Indian-American number 2. For Obama's election the former Asian head of Goldman Sachs is reported to have given $3 million out of her own pocket. The American Embassy in Bern did not want to comment on these persistent rumors."

http://www.nzz.ch/aktuell/schweiz/nu...ern-1.18121124

The good news for Sweden is that it will likely take three to four months for the U.S. Senate to confirm her nomination so that she should only be in Sweden for about one year before Obama and his failed administration exit from the stage.

Failed administration ?

All US presidents had some successes and some failures on their route. The worst of course was Bush-junior

Obama has still time to achieve an even more shocking record than the appalling performance of his predecessor (that is, if he has not already done so).

"The Local Sweden" says that Azita Raji is an Iranian-American: "The United States Embassy in Stockholm is set to get its first female ambassador after the White House announced it was nominating the Iranian-American ex-investment banker Azita Raji to take over from Mark Brzezinski."

Since it takes more than an act of God to renounce Iranian citizenship, she is probably still an Iranian citizen, assuming The Local Sweden has its facts straight.

http://www.thelocal.se/20141024/us-t...r-in-stockholm

Up to now, I regard his record as fairly good, miles away from the disaster of his predecessor. He most of all achieved that there is respect for his country in the world again, totally lost in the GWB days, in days when non-USsers had the Impression that Americans were DIMWITS

And what is the Problem ? You cannot renounce the Swiss citizenship, no chance. You CAN take up citizenships of other countries, you can assume functions of any kind, unless the new country demands you to have been born there

The White House confirms that Azita Raji was born in Tehran, Iran. It does not say whether she still holds Iranian citizenship. She also attended an international school in Lausanne:

"Azita Raji

Azita Raji is a recognized business strategist, and a former Wall Street executive with international experience, who currently brings her expertise in global financial markets, economics, and strategic thinking to numerous leadership roles in the non-profit sector, by serving as an active trustee, co-founder, and advisor on national boards and appointed commissions, including The President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, Barnard College, Columbia Business School’s Social Enterprise Program, Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College, Economic Advisory Council of the Center for American Progress, National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, and National Partnership for Women and Families. During the 2012 Obama campaign, Raji served as National Finance Vice Chair and Chair of the Swing State Victory Fund, in addition to serving on the national advisory board of the Democratic National Committee since 2008.

Raji holds a B.A. in architecture and French from Barnard College, Columbia University, and an M.B.A. in finance from Columbia Business School. She is a designated Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the Bretton Woods Committee.

Raji was born in Tehran, Iran, and spent her early years growing up and studying in Iran and Western Europe. She attended and graduated from an international high school in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she was a competitive downhill skier and chess player, before coming to live in the United States for the first time, to attend college at age 17. Throughout her life she has lived, studied, and worked in the Middle East, Latin America, Western Europe, and the Far East, and is fluent and literate in several languages, including Farsi and French. She has drawn from her wide global awareness and cultural perspective throughout her life and career. Raji currently resides in Northern California with her family."


As Quartz points out at the below link: "in the Obama administration, race is no hindrance to buying a plum diplomatic posting."

http://qz.com/286962/this-is-how-the...nto-an-indian/

Well of course if you bundle enough money, you could be from Mars and still get the job.

You cannot be a citizen of another country while holding Top Secret security clearance in the USA. She took an oath a made a sworn statement to show her allegiance to the USA. She might have an Iranian birth certificate however she does not have property in Iran or a passport other than a Black US Diplomatic Passport and a Blue US personal passport.

Dozens of U.S. senators and congressmen/women hold dual citizenship, and members of both houses have essentially the equivalent of top secret clearance even though they don't go through the formal screening process. They just take an oath after being elected.

Its one thing to possess dual citizenship through birth which is something that cannot be given up in some countries, and another thing to make use of that second citizenship while serving in a diplomatic position.

U.S. Department of State security clearance evaluations and determinations are the responsibility of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS). DS is required to consider dual citizenship in conducting personnel security investigations and making security clearance evaluations/determinations in accord with government-wide Executive Orders and adjudicative
standards (Executive Orders 10450 and 12968, 32 C.F.R. Part 147 and 12 FAM 230 are available online at the referenced web addresses).

Of course you can, at least according to the law(practice may differ, dunno). You need to be citizen of another country of course, and you need to live abroad. IIRC that's just about it.

however you can regain that citizenship immediately...

Well, a while ago, actually in 1957, Mum checked it up with authorities, as my uncle, who had been emigrated to the USA in 05 (aged 5), wanted to visit his country of origin. Mum was told that on one side, he could NOT renounce the CH citizenship, but at age 57 was heavily above military age. Those Mum spoke with were NOT lawyers, but people at the Kreiskommando and in the City Administration (Bevölkerungsamt). Sure, laws change, but not so swiftly (less than 50 years) usually, and our captain in 1992 clearly stated that we could NOT renounce the CH citizenship (he was an architect and not a lawyer)