Obama admin may name Holbrooke as spl envoy for India, Pak

New York, Jan 9 (PTI) The incoming Barack Obama
administration is likely to appoint veteran troubleshooter
Richard C Holbrooke as a special envoy to Pakistan and India
amid tensions in the sub-continent following the Mumbai
terrorist strikes.

Obama's Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton may
name Holbrooke, a longtime diplomat who brokered the Dayton
accord that brought peace to Bosnia, as the special envoy, the
New York Times quoted "people who have been told of the
decision" as saying.

The media report comes even as a Congressional report
warns that the fallout from the Mumbai terrorist attacks could
further complicate "US policy in South Asia."

"The Administration of President-elect Barack Obama may
seek to increase US diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving
conflict between these two countries," the Congressional
report, released on Wednesday, said.

It cautioned that the incoming administration should stay
away from any "high-visibility" focus on Kashmir issue as it
would likely evoke Indian resistance and risk fuelling
Pakistani expectations of a settlement favouring Islamabad.

The Times also reported that Clinton will keep respected
career diplomat William J Burns, who was the pointsman of the
Bush Administration on the Indo-US nuclear deal, as the Under
Secretary for Political Affairs.

She is also closing in on naming special emissaries to
trouble spots in the Middle East and Iran, the report said.
PTI