Ambassador Nathan A. Sales, the State Department’s Coordinator for Counterterrorism, will assume the additional role of the Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS following the retirement of Special Envoy James Jeffrey.
Jeffrey, a senior American diplomat with experience in political, security, and energy issues in the Middle East, Turkey, Germany, and the Balkans, was appointed to the highest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service, Career Ambassador, in 2010. He came out of retirement in 2018 to serve as special envoy for Syria engagement, and became the lead U.S. representative at the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in 2019.
Jeffrey has held senior assignments in Washington, DC, and abroad, including as Deputy National Security Advisor (2007–2008); United States Ambassador to Iraq (2010–2012); United States Ambassador to Turkey (2008–2010); and United States Ambassador to Albania (2002–2004).
Sales’ current responsibilities include leading the State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism and serving as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s principal adviser on international counterterrorism.
“I have full confidence that Ambassador Sales will fulfill his additional duties with the same dedication to excellence and public service that he has displayed since his first day on the job,” Pompeo said in a statement today.
