Two weeks ago I reported that Bush appointee Mark Dybul had been asked by Obama to stay on in his capacity as Global AIDS Coordinator. That appears to have changed, according to the Washington Blade:
“Two sources familiar with the U.S. Global AIDS Office said Obama’s senior advisors were concerned about the negative reaction from some AIDS activists and reproductive rights groups to news that Dybul was keeping his job. ‘What I can say is that Ambassador Mark Dybul has been asked to submit his resignation as U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and he is no longer serving in that role,’ said State Department spokesperson Amanda Harper. Asked if she knew why Obama decided to replace Dybul after reportedly asking him to stay, Harper said, ‘I can’t give any insight into the background. All I can say is that he has been asked to submit his resignation and that he’s no loner in the role.’ The office is an arm of the State Department. News of the Obama administration’s decision to replace Dybul came one day after the Senate confirmed former Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) as the new Secretary of State. In his role as Global AIDS Coordinator, Dybul, a physician specializing in HIV medicine, was in charge of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, a multi-billion dollar program to fight AIDS in developing countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. The program enjoys widespread bipartisan support and is considered one of Bush’s most successful initiatives.”
Previously
Report: Obama to Name Gay Men, Lesbian to White House Posts [tr]
Condi Delivers the Labels of Gay Marriage without the Laws [tr]
