Negroponte U.S. envoy to U.N.: paper

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, FEB. 17. After considering several high-profile and political names for the post of the American Ambassador to the United Nations, the President, Mr. George W Bush's lead candidate is Mr. John Negroponte, according to The Washington Post, quoting diplomats and officials familiar with the process of appointments.

Mr. Negroponte was at one time the Deputy of Gen. Colin Powell when the latter was the National Security Advisor in the Reagan Administration. Considered a top foreign service officer, Mr. Negroponte retired in 1997 after having served as American Ambassador to the Honduras, Mexico and the Philippines.

A lot of names had been doing the rounds including that of Ms. Elizabeth Dole, one time Republican Presidential candidate and Mr. Lee Hamilton, a former law maker in the House of Representatives who is well versed in foreign affairs. But unlike in the last several years where the U.N. Ambassador was a full fledged Cabinet position, Mr. Bush, independently and at the insistence of his Secretary of State, wishes that this office function under the State Department.

The Bush administration which had been given a lot of credit of going through filling the Cabinet positions in relatively quick fashion is now seen as having considerably slowed down. As far as the State Department appointments are concerned, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had received notice of ``intent'' to nominate senior officials.

These would be Mr. Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary, Mr. Marc Grossman, Under Secretary for Political Affairs, and Mr. Richard Haass as Director of Policy Planning. But the Foreign Relations Committee, it is being pointed out, has no pending nominations that have to be put through the confirmation process.

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Section  : International
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