President names ambassador to Suriname, nominates OAS envoy

<a href=www.sfgate.com>URL Tuesday, March 25, 2003
(03-25) 14:26 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

President Bush on Tuesday named Marsha E. Barnes, a career diplomat with the State Department, as U.S. ambassador to the Caribbean nation of Suriname.

Barnes, of Maryland, is currently assessor for the Board of Examiners at the State Department. She has served in posts in Bonn, Germany, and Moscow.

Bush also on Tuesday nominated career diplomat John Maisto as U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States.

Maisto has served on the National Security Council as director of Latin American affairs for two years.

He previously has served as ambassador to Venezuela and to Nicaragua.

Subject to Senate confirmation, Maisto will replace Ambassador Roger Noriega at the OAS. Noriega was nominated Monday to be assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere affairs.