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Special United States envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman has resigned after leading the American diplomatic campaign in the volatile region for two years as President Barack Obama's pointsman to the region.
Grossman would be replaced by Deputy Special US Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan David D Pearce in an acting capacity. His resignation would come into effect on December 14.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had roped in Grossman, a former State Department diplomat, after the death of Richard Holbrooke in 2010.
"Secretary Clinton asked Ambassador Grossman to return to government service from his retirement in January 2011 as the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. After almost two years in the position, and with Secretary Clinton's agreement, he will return to private life," said Laura Lucas, spokesperson of Grossman's office.
Clinton thanked Grossman for his efforts to create the "diplomatic surge" that she laid out in her February 2011 speech at the Asia Society, Lucas said, adding that those efforts, leading a diplomatic campaign through the Istanbul, Bonn, Chicago, and Tokyo conferences, have put in place a network of regional and international support for Afghanistan post 2014 and into the next decade.
"His work also helped set the conditions for an Afghan peace process that will enable Afghans to talk with other Afghans in pursuit of a negotiated settlement to end decades of conflict. This has been a major line of effort in support of the President's objectives to disrupt and defeat Al Qaeda and ensure that Afghanistan can no longer become a safe haven for terrorists," Lucas said.
"Under Ambassador Grossman's leadership, the United States also has worked to build a relationship with Pakistan based on identifying our shared interests and acting on them jointly. This work will continue," she said, adding that the strategies and efforts that Grossman has shepherded will continue to be executed by the State Department.