UN Chief Names Palestinian to Libya Post, Risking U.S. Objection

"UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told the Security Council that he intends to appoint former Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as his special representative for Libya, risking a clash with the U.S. over a Palestinian holding such a senior position at the world body...

The choice of a Palestinian for a senior UN position may bring objections from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, which has already denounced the UN as siding with the Palestinians by passing a resolution in December condemning Israel's expanding settlements in the West Bank.

'It is highly unusual for a non-member state to have such a high-profile position, especially when you're talking about an environment which is pretty volatile like Libya,; said Brett Schaefer, a senior research fellow in international regulatory affairs at the Heritage Foundation. 'One interpretation would be that Guterres is trying to normalize Palestine throughout the UN system, which is something the Palestinians would like to see.'..."