{mosads}In other nominee news, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds a hearing today on Obama’s choice of ambassadors to Azerbaijan, the Netherlands and Suriname.
Under the influence: GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is being lobbied hard by former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) on behalf of the diplomatic mission of Taiwan to the United States, the Sunlight Foundation reports.
In other news:
A coordinated series of attacks struck Shiite Muslims in Baghdad on Wednesday morning, killing at least 50 people. [The New York Times]
Delays are imperiling the mining riches Afghans need after the U.S. pullout. [The Wall Street Journal]
Vehicles that could be used for transporting and launching missiles were reportedly exported to North Korea by a Chinese company in possible violation of United Nations trade restrictions on weapons technology. [Associated Press]
What you might have missed on Global Affairs:
Treasury Department hits ING Bank with record $619 million fine for violating sanctions
UN official says Syria is in ‘civil war’
Jordan presses US to refocus on Israeli-Palestinian conflict before November election