Obama may appoint Clinton as Kashmir Envoy

This news updete by www.thearynews.com

WASHINGTON: The newly elected US President Barack Obama might consider the appointment of former President Bill Clinton as a special envoy on Jammu and Kashmir, an analysis-report claimed here Wednesday.

In a recent interview to Joe Klein of 'Time' magazine, Obama said he has sounded out Clinton, who has had first-hand experience dealing with the subcontinent. Clinton had played a role in ending Kargil crisis in Jammu and Kashmir in the summer of 1999, KMS reported.

When asked specifically about Clinton playing a role in redefining Pakistan's relations with India, Obama said, "Might not be bad. I actually talked to Bill, I talked to President Clinton about this when we had lunch" at Harlem in New York recently.

While recognising that Kashmir is "obviously a potential tar pit" for American diplomacy, Obama remains optimistic about changing the regional dynamic.

In the interview, Obama said that "working with Pakistan and India to try to resolve the Kashmir crisis in a serious way" is one of the "critical tasks" for his Administration.

Saying that Kashmir is now in an "interesting situation", Obama is ready to explore the option for the U.S. "to devote serious diplomatic resources to get a special envoy in there, to figure out a plausible approach".

Obama lays out the kind of reasoning the Special Envoy could use in New Delhi and Islamabad.

"Essentially make the argument to the Indians, you guys are on the brink of being an economic superpower, why do you want to keep on messing with this (Kashmir)".

To the Pakistanis, the Special Envoy, according to Obama, could say, "look at India and what they are doing, why do you want to be bogged down with this (Kashmir) particularly at a time where the biggest threat now is coming from the Afghan border?"


Via news