Posted on Tue, Jun. 10, 2008
Text of a Letter From President Bush to the Speaker of the House of Representatives
White House Press Office


June 10 -- President George W. Bush yesterday announced his intention to nominate two individuals and appoint sixteen individuals to serve in his Administration.
The President intends to nominate Frederick S. Celec, of Virginia, to be the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs. Mr. Celec currently serves as an Adjunct staff member at the Institute for Defense Analyses. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs for Nuclear Matters. Earlier in his career, he served as Deputy Director for Operations at the Defense Nuclear Agency. Mr. Celec received his bachelor's degree from the Ohio State University and his master's degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

The President intends to nominate John Melvin Jones, of Virginia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. Mr. Jones, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as the Civilian Leader of a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Iraq. Prior to this, he served as a Senior Inspector in the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of State. Earlier in his career, he served as a Senior Representative in the Office of Counterterrorism at the Department of State. Mr. Jones received his bachelor's degree and his JD from Howard University. He received his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania.

The President intends to appoint the following individuals to be Members of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships:


Dionel M. Aviles, of Maryland;
Ari Bousbib, of Connecticut;
Amy Woods Brinkley, of North Carolina;
Deirdre P. Connelly, of Indiana;
Louis DeJoy, of North Carolina;
George M. Drysdale, of California;
John H. Frey, of Connecticut;
Trey Grayson, of Kentucky;
Frederick D. Gregory, of Maryland;
Mark F. Hearne II, of Missouri;
Thomas C. Leppert, of Texas;
Catherine J. Martin, of Florida;
Roger B. Porter, of Utah;
Amy Tuck, of Mississippi;
Dennis Zeleny, of Delaware.The President intends to appoint Brigadier General Errol R. Schwartz, of Maryland, to be Commanding General of the Militia of the District of Columbia. Brigadier General Schwartz currently serves as Adjutant General of the Joint Force Headquarters and Commander of the District of Columbia Army National Guard. Prior to this, he served as Commander of the 74th Troop Command of the District of Columbia Army National Guard. Earlier in his career, he served as Director of Logistics of the Headquarters District Area Command of the District of Columbia Army National Guard. Brigadier General Schwartz received his bachelor's degree from the University of the District of Columbia. He received his master's degrees from Central Michigan University and the National Defense University.

SOURCE White House Press Office

White House Press Office, +1-202-456-2580,

quote:

Mr. Jones, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as the Civilian Leader of a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Iraq. Prior to this, he served as a Senior Inspector in the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of State. Earlier in his career, he served as a Senior Representative in the Office of Counterterrorism at the Department of State

Now why would someone with experience in Iraq and counterterrorism be sent to Guyana? Looks like they are after Shukrijumah.

John Melvin Jones, Team Leader PRT Diyala

Raised in Pittsburg, PA John Jones attended Howard University in Washington DC for
both undergraduate and law school. After gaining an MBA from the Wharton School at
Penn, he practiced law in Philadelphia, joining the Foreign Service in 1981. He is a 1994
graduate of the National War College. Prior to the current assignment, he served as
Senior Inspector in the Office of Inspector General for the Department of State.

Earlier,he had served as State Department Representative on the Foreign Terrorist Asset
Targeting Group. Other assignments overseas have been as Consul General in Honduras;
Deputy Chief of Mission in Burkina Faso; Consul General in Brussels; Refugee Officer
in Bangkok and Consular Officer in Dominican Republic.

Additional domestic assignments have included the Office of the Inspector General; Senior Watch Officer in the State Department Operations Center; Deputy in the Office of West African Affairs;
Deputy for Regional Political and Military Affairs in the Bureau of European Affairs.
Mr. Jones was also Senior Advisor to the Inter-American Defense Board and Faculty
Advisor at the Inter-American Defense College. Mr. Jones is in the Senior Foreign
Service (Brigadier General equivalent) and leads a 45-person PRT (Provincial
Reconstruction Team) in mixed Sunni-Shi’a Diyala Province just north of Baghdad.

http://www.defenselink.mil/home/blog/docs/John%20Melvin%20Jones%20bio.pdf

quote:

Originally posted by Sunil:

quote:

Mr. Jones, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as the Civilian Leader of a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Iraq. Prior to this, he served as a Senior Inspector in the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of State. Earlier in his career, he served as a Senior Representative in the Office of Counterterrorism at the Department of State

Now why would someone with experience in Iraq and counterterrorism be sent to Guyana? Looks like they are after Shukrijumah. [

Experience, perhaps.

Bush is making his "goodbye" appointments.

Jagdeo's days are numbered. Look closly at this appointment and tell me that he is not a CIA operative. He will be looking for Jagdeo's replacement. AFC is about to come to power in Guyana.

quote:

Originally posted by Sunil:

quote:

Mr. Jones, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as the Civilian Leader of a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Iraq. Prior to this, he served as a Senior Inspector in the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of State. Earlier in his career, he served as a Senior Representative in the Office of Counterterrorism at the Department of State

Now why would someone with experience in Iraq and counterterrorism be sent to Guyana? Looks like they are after Shukrijumah.

He is a good man. Guyana is a gateway country for goods materials and people to the west. It needs a man like that in office to tighten controls. Also coming from the Mecca and Univ of Penn, he cannot be but a gentleman!

No doubt, he has a lot of dipomatic experience. But first his nomination has to be approved by the Senate, which, no doubt, will be easy since career diplomats rarely run into problems with the Senate. Then the nomination has to go to the Guyana government for its agreement to accept him as ambassador. I don't foresee any problems, so the new Ambassador could be in Guyana in a couple of months.

Strange that he should be appointed just before the US election. After the election the new president normally appoints new ambassadors from his own party ranks. In many cases those appointments are seen as party rewards for loyal support. There might be a lot more to this appointment. As long as it cleans up our country, I am all for it. Let's welcome the new ambassador.