Veteran US diplomat appointed new special envoy to Afghanistan, Pakistan
Secretary of State John Kerry has appointed James Dobbins as the new special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Dobbins will face challenges negotiating with the Taliban, and on questions of US drone strikes.
Washington
US Secretary of State John Kerry has appointed veteran US diplomat聽听补蝉 Washington's new special envoy to聽听补苍诲听, State Department 蝉辫辞办别蝉尘补苍听聽said on Friday.
Dobbins, head of international security and defense at the聽聽and a former senior US diplomat, will replace聽听补蝉 special representative for聽听补苍诲听.
Grossman had replaced the late聽聽in the post. Holbrooke died suddenly in December 2010.
Ventrell said that Kerry spoke with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President聽聽to inform them of the appointment earlier on Friday.
Dobbins聽is taking on a challenging post. The Afghan government has grown increasingly frustrated with聽, suggesting its neighbor is intent on keeping聽聽unstable rather than helping to engage the聽聽in peace talks.
The appointment of聽Dobbins聽comes as the聽聽is encouraging聽聽to help聽聽to coax the聽聽to the negotiating table ahead of the withdrawal of most NATO combat troops by the end of 2014.
There is also the sensitive question of US drone strikes.
Civilian casualties from drone strikes have angered local populations and created tension between the聽听补苍诲听听补苍诲听. Washington has sought to portray civilian casualties as minimal, but groups collecting data on these attacks say they have killed hundreds of civilians.
Dobbins聽represented the聽聽at the Bonn Conference that established the new聽聽in December 2001, shortly after US-led forces invaded聽聽and ousted the聽, and in the same month raised the flag over the reopened聽.听