Mr. Merkley asked Mr. Fischer to provide the committee with a detailed explanation of the case, a request Mr. Fischer promised to fulfill. Last week, Mr. Pompeo announced the appointment of James F. Jeffrey as a special envoy for Syria. “Pompeo has to construct a team and fast, and appointing special envoys is one way to do that,” said Thomas A. Shannon, who recently retired as the department’s highest-ranking career diplomat. The two will head to Pyongyang next week, which will be Mr. Pompeo’s fourth trip there. Mr. Pompeo canceled a July meeting with top Indian diplomats to make his third trip to Pyongyang, a decision that caused bruised feelings in New Delhi — a reminder of how much help he needs.

Source: New York Times August 23, 2018 16:33 UTC