New U.N. envoy to Iraq Pakistani envoy

UNITED NATIONS, July 9 (UPI) -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has chosen for his special representative in Iraq Ashraf Qazi, the Pakistani ambassador to the United States.

U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe said Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has assured Annan he would release Qazi from his duties in Washington "very quickly" and the envoy was expected at U.N. headquarters in New York within two weeks for "briefings and consultations." There was no immediate word on when he'd leave for Baghdad.

Acting special representative Ross Mountain is based in Amman, Jordan. He took over the role after Annan's Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello of Brazil was among the 22 killed in the August 2003 terrorist bombing of U.N. headquarters in Baghdad.

Qazi served as Pakistan's ambassador to Syria, Russia, China and High Commissioner to India before taking up the Washington post.