By Alabama Public Radio
Washington, DC – Former state Senator Bill Cabaniss of Mountain Brook was sworn in as the US ambassador to the Czech Republic yesterday by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Powell and Cabaniss called the former communist state a friend to the U-S, noting its NATO membership and its efforts in joining the European Union. The Czech Republic also has a military hospital in southern Iraq and has people working with the Coalition Provisional Authority during postwar reconstruction.
Cabaniss was nominated to the post in September by President Bush and confirmed in October. He will arrive in Prague on January 9th to replace Craig Stapleton -- who is returning to the US to help on Bush's re-election campaign.