President Donald Trump has announced he is nominating Clarke Cooper to the post of assistant secretary of State for political-military affairs.
Cooper currently serves as the director of intelligence planning for Joint Special Operations Command’s Joint Inter-Agency Task Force – National Capital Region. A combat veteran, Cooper’s active-duty assignments include tours with United States Africa Command, Special Operations Command Africa, Joint Special Operations Task Force Trans-Sahara and Special Operations Command Central. His background in intergovernmental affairs, foreign policy, counter-terrorism, and rule of law is coupled with his extensive operational experience, the White House said.
Cooper’s civilian and military postings include security cooperation and capacity building in Africa, the Levant and the Middle East. He served in the State Department as United States alternate representative to the United Nations Security Council and as the United States delegate to United Nations Budget Committee from 2007 to 2009, senior adviser in the Near Eastern Affairs Bureau from 2006 to 2007, and an adviser at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad from 2005 to 2006. Cooper has a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University.