Obama taps replacement for embassy security official removed over Benghazi

President Obama on Wednesday tapped a replacement for a State Department official who resigned from his post overseeing embassy security after the Benghazi attack.

Gregory Starr has been serving as acting Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security since February following the resignation of Eric Boswell. Boswell was one of four officials placed on administrative leave after an independent State Department review of the attack faulted the department for “systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies.”

The Accountability Review Board said at the time that it could not recommend that anyone be fired because the State Department lacks the legal authority to fire anyone for shortcomings that don’t amount to a “breach of duty.” Congress is debating legislation to change that.

{mosads}Starr previously served as the United Nations’ Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security from 2009 to 2013. He worked for the State Department before that, having begun his career as a special agent in 1980.

Obama also named career Senior Foreign Service members Karen Stanton and Amy Hyatt to ambassadorships in Timor-Leste and Palau.

Please send tips and comments to Julian Pecquet: jpecquet@digital-release.thehill.com

Follow us on Twitter: @TheHillGlobal and @JPecquetTheHill