Lesley Wroughton and Bill Trott write that Rubinstein will travel to Syria later this month to consult with Syrians and others in an effort to address the three-year-old civil war there.
“Special Envoy Rubinstein’s leadership and counsel will be vital as we redouble our efforts to support the moderate opposition, shore up our partners, counter the rise of extremism that threatens us all, and address the devastating humanitarian crisis and its impact on the neighboring states,” said Secretary of State John Kerry, according to Reuters.
Rubinstein most recently served in Israel, Jordan Egypt, Iraq and Tunisia for the State Department’s intelligence and research bureau.