US names James Dobbins new Pak-Afghan envoy
Mr. Dobbins has plenty of experience with diplomatic troubleshooting, including in Afghanistan.
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday named veteran diplomat James Dobbins to be the new special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan at what he called a "pivotal moment" for the two nations.
Mr. Dobbins, who is currently the director of the RAND International Security and Defense Policy Center, has plenty of experience with diplomatic troubleshooting, including in Afghanistan.
During the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations, he served as an envoy to Bosnia, Kosovo and Haiti, as well as to Somalia, where he oversaw the withdrawal of American troops.
After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, Mr. Bush appointed him as the American representative to the Afghan opposition, and he took part in the Bonn conference in late 2001, at which a new post-Taliban Afghan government was named.
