US ambassador to Iraq nominated as envoy to the UN

Jan 8, 2007, 20:26 GMT

Washington - US President George W Bush on Monday nominated Zalmay Khalilzad, the current US ambassador to Iraq, to serve as his administration's envoy to the United Nations.

The nomination of Khalilzad, 55, is part of a shakeup of Bush's diplomatic corps as he prepared to outline a fresh strategy for Iraq later this week. The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate.

Bush has tapped Ryan Crocker, 57, who is serving as ambassador to Pakistan, to take Khalilzad's post in Iraq.

Bush named John Negroponte, a veteran diplomat who has been serving as the nation's intelligence chief, on Friday to become deputy secretary of state.

The re-shuffling over the last few days was meant to ensure Bush has a new diplomatic team in place by the time he offers his revised plan for Iraq in a speech Wednesday evening.

Bush last week also announced changes to the military leadership for the Middle East and in Iraq.

Khalilzad, who was born in Afghanistan, was Bush's ambassador there after the toppling of the Taliban regime in 2001. Khalilzad then went on to Baghdad and has played a key role in assisting the Iraqis write a constitution and mediating between various factions to form Iraq's current government.

'Zal has performed heroically and at great personal risk to help Iraqi reformers and responsible leaders build a foundation of democracy in their country,' US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday, using Khalilzad's nickname.

If confirmed, Khalilzad will replace John Bolton, who withdrew his nomination to continue serving in the job in December because of the Democratic Party's strong opposition to his candidacy.