Afghanistan opposes Ashdown as UN envoy: report

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

LONDON (AFP) - Paddy Ashdown, the international community's former envoy to Bosnia, should not be the United Nations' new representative in Afghanistan, the country's ambassador to the world body has told the BBC.

In an interview published on the broadcaster's website late Saturday, Zahir Tanin confirmed a newspaper report that Afghan President Hamid Karzai wanted to block Ashdown's appointment.

The Times quoted unnamed diplomats as saying Saturday that Karzai thought Ashdown wanted too much power and had raised his objection with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this week.

Tanin told the BBC that the Kabul government's preferred choice instead would be NATO's deputy commander in Europe, General John McColl.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080127/wl_asia_afp/afghanistanunnatoeudiplomacy_080127015552

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Ashdown pulls out of Afghan envoy contest

Paddy Ashdown on Sunday withdrew from the contest to be United Nations' envoy to Afghanistan after Kabul said it favoured a British NATO commander for the post.
...
However diplomats say Afghan President Hamid Karzai is wary that a powerful "super-envoy", particularly one from former colonial power Britain, might make his government appear weaker than it already is.

"This job can only be done successfully on the basis of a consensus within the international community and the clear support of the government of Afghanistan," Ashdown said in a statement on Sunday.

"It is clear to me that, in Afghanistan at least, the support necessary to do the job effectively does not exist."

http://uk.reuters.com/article/UKNews1/idUKL2629492120080127