Pakistan's Ashraf Jehangir Qazi is new UN envoy to Iraq
New York (AsiaNews/Agency) The UN has a new envoy in Iraq. Eleven months after the murder of Sergio Vieira de Mello in Baghdad and nine months from the total withdrawal of UN staff, the UN General-Secretary Kofi Annan has appointed a new special envoy to Iraq. He is Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, a Pakistani diplomat presently serving as his country's ambassador in Washington. He will have the difficult task of preparing the UN's return to the war-torn country.
Qazi's departure day for Baghdad has not yet been announced nor is it known who will accompany him. Timing remains unclear and subject to the terms of the Security Council resolution proposed by Annan which calls on the UN to return "security situation permitting." On announcing the appointment, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe said that two other candidates had made it to the final contenders' list: former Indian Deputy Foreign Secretary Salman Haider and Thailand's Foreign Minister.
Because of the attack against the UN Head Quarters in Baghdad in August 2003 that killed Brazilian diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello and 22 other people, it was difficult finding candidates to take on this key post and implement the UN's leading role in Iraq as outlined in the Security Council resolution. The attack had prompted the UN General-Secretary to gradually withdraw the organisation's staff from the country. By October 2003 no one was left. Given the dangerous security situation in Iraq, it was not easy for Annan to find someone to replace de Mello. Most people contacted declined the invitation to go to what one diplomat recently called a "real slaughterhouse."
Qazi, Pakistan's Ambassador in Washington since 2002, is a career diplomat. He has represented Islamabad in India, China, Russia, Syria and East Germany. Some sources suggest that the appointment of a Pakistani envoy to Iraq might lead Pakistan to send troops to protect UN staff.
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