President George W Bush has nominated John Negroponte to be the first US ambassador to the post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.

Negroponte is currently US envoy to the United Nations.

Bush said he was sure that the new appointee, "a man of enormous experience and skill", would be able to handle the "difficult assignment".

If confirmed by the senate, Negroponte would head what might become the largest US embassy in the world in terms of manpower.

He would replace Paul Bremer, the US civilian administrator of Iraq, who is slated to step down after the country regains its sovereignty by July 1, as planned by the US.