WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Two veteran diplomats were named Thursday at the U.S. State Department to lead U.S. efforts in major hot spots -- Afghanistan and Pakistan -- and the Mideast.
Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell of Maine was tapped by President Barack Obama as special envoy for the Middle East and Richard Holbrooke will be the administration's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"These appointments add to a team that will work with energy and purpose to meet the challenges of our time and to define a future of expanding security and opportunity," Obama said.
The appointments are "an example of the kind of robust diplomacy that the president intends to pursue and that I'm honored to help him fulfill," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. "Nowhere is there a need for a vigorous diplomatic approach more apparent than in the two regions that epitomize the nuance and complexity of our interconnected world."
Mitchell, who helped broker peace in Northern Ireland, said he didn't underestimate the difficulty of achieving a peaceful, two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, as well as brokering peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Holbrooke, an former assistant secretary of state under President Bill Clinton, was instrumental in the Dayton Peace Accord on Bosnia. He will work to develop an integrated strategy that works for both Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well reaching out to others interested in supporting the efforts, Clinton said.
