Obama asks Kargil expert to review Pak-Afghanistan policy

[cosmicone]

Source: Times of India

WASHINGTON
: A decorated CIA veteran who called Pakistan’s bluff during the Kargil conflict a decade back and set US and India ties on a soaring
new trajectory has been tasked by President Obama with conducting an inter-agency review of American policy towards Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Bruce Riedel, who has worked with three US presidents on issues relating to the region, and who was Obama’s foreign policy advisor on South Asia during the presidential campaign, was named on Tuesday by the White House to chair the inter-agency panel which has been asked to submit its report within two months before a Nato summit in April.

Riedel, currently a senior fellow at the Washington DC think-tank Brookings Institute, will take leave and work at the White House for 60 days, Presidential Spokesman Robert Gibbs said. He will coordinate with Richard Holbrooke, the newly-appointed US special representative to Af-Pak, who will co-chair the review panel along with Michelle Flournoy, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.

Gibbs said Riedel will report directly to the President and National Security Advisor Jim Jones.

Read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Obama-for-Pak-Afghan-policy-review/articleshow/4113895.cms

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For the first time, the US has a president who knows the score on Pakistan and its quasi-official terrorism apparatus.

Pakistan just needs to get over Kashmir period. Obama rules!

[Kalyan]

1. is it a good start or a false start

After having been through the last few US presidents, i will view Obama's action towards South Asia with apprehension. Past behavior of US Presidents have shown that they are more than willing to give India the cold shoulder when push comes to shove.

I will wait for at least an year before i can agree that Obama has the right approach towards South Asia.