"Iraq", not to be confused with Iraq, (read US) appoints an ambassador to the US: she (Rend Rahim, who was one of 3 Iraqis who the president invited the Oval Office prior to war to show the nation that is Iraqis are fond of his war) is an American who cannot read Arabic, and headed the Iraq Foundation which was supported with US funds. I knew Rend but contact between us ended as I strongly opposed her close work with Chalabi and with US war appratus (and our families knew each other socially) and I can tell you that her knowledge of things Arab and Arabic is close to my knowledge of Chinese. But qualifications for new Iraqi diplomats are: subservience to US, desire to to have more US bombs fall on Iraqi heads, admiration for the intellectual abilities of George W. Bush, and willingness to thank American people for all the bombings and occupation of Iraq.