Cameron Munter likely to be replaced with Richard Oslo

Cameron Munter, the US ambassador to Pakistan, is likely to be replaced with Richard Oslo in the upcoming summer season after the former refused to take extension for another term.

According to the media reports, Cameron Munter will quit his post in the coming summer.

The US is mulling to appoint Richard Oslo, who has engineered US development and economic affairs in Afghanistan, hoping to improve dismal relations with Islamabad at a crucial time for its war against terrorism.

The White House will formally propose the name of Olson while the Senate will confirm the posting. The White House, however, refused to confirm or reject the report.

Olson is a senior US diplomat and had served for his country at different key posts. He joined the U.S. Department of State in 1982 and has served in Mexico, Uganda, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates and in Najaf, Iraq.

Ahead of returning to the UAE he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The new assignment will be a tough task for Oslo as Pakistan and the United States are going through difficult phase their relationship because the former has blocked NATO supplies to Afghanistan due to incursion on Salala check-post that killed 24 Pakistani troops in last November.

Cameron Munter was appointed as ambassador to Pakistan in October 2010 and has gone through a period of unprecedented turbulence and suspicion between the duo states.

Among the many bilateral crises in the last one and a half years included Pakistan’s apprehension of a CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) contractor Raymond Davis in early 2011; the top-secret US Special Forces raid that killed Osama bin Laden in garrison town of Abbottabad; and Pakistanis’ objection over ongoing US drone attacks in Tribal Areas.

The US police also shifted toward Pakistan in recent tenure of Cameron Munter. Due to two-sided mistrust and frustration, high level visits and massive civil and military aid have slowly been overtaken.

Although the expected nomination of Olson does not appear to represent a change to US policy toward Pakistan, it could allow a fresh start after a dark period.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=21728

Posted by Faisal Farooq on May 8 2012. Filed under Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.