The appointment of veteran diplomat Peter Burleigh as charge d'affaires at the American embassy in New Delhi was a Department decision and not on the recommendation of Richard Holbrooke, Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, as had been rumored because of their earlier longtime working relationship, senior Administration sources have told rediff.com.
Meanwhile, the name of Marshall Bouton, former executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Asia Society in New York where he served for more than two decades, as emerged as the front-runner in the rumor mill for the ambassadorship to India although former US Congressman Sam Gedjenson and erstwhile Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Karl Inderfurth's names are still in the mix.
Sources said that Burleigh interim appointment had been pushed for "within the department and approved by the Secretary (of State Hillary Clinton) to bring in an experienced diplomat so as not to leave Delhi hanging."
They said that since the President had yet not nailed down his choice to occupy Roosevelt House in Delhi "and given the amount of time for the nomination and confirmation process takes which could be several months, it was decided that it's important to have an experienced diplomat in place there."
The sources although noting that there wasn't a Holbrooke imprimatur with the interim appointment of Burleigh, however acknowledged that "it has the added advantage that Peter Burleigh has had a working relationship with Ambassador Holbrooke going back to their days at the US Mission at the UN. So, there's a strong connection there. But it wasn't his appointment, it was the Department's appointment, and that's an important distinction," one source said, cognizant of the contention in many quarters that Holbrooke now calls the shots regarding anything to do South Asia and that the bureau officials dealing with the subcontinent have been marginalized.
However, the sources reiterated that "India is an integral part of our approach in Afghanistan and its behooves and helps to have someone like Ambassador Burleigh who knows Ambasador Holbrooke well. They had a good working relationship and there's no question that there will be no successful outcome of the AfPak policy without having India's involvement as a partner in this-India is a key player. And, so it's good to have seasoned diplomats like Ambassadors Holbrooke and Burleigh working together."
"Although the Holbrooke mission is devoted to dealing exclusively with AfPak, as has been clearly stated by him, as well as the President and the Secretary, we're adopting a regional approach and the US wants to work with India as a partner in this effort and its important to have a person like Ambassador Burleigh that can assist in that effort."
Another source said, "Ambassador Burleigh's appointment has to be seen in that India is very important to the United States and we do not want to leave the embassy unattended by a senior diplomat, during this interim transition time with India clearly into its election cycle. It's a sign of India's importance that we are placing in Delhi an experienced diplomat of the caliber of Ambassador Burleigh during this transition period and then of course, we will bring in the next ambassador to take the reins once the new Indian government is in place."
The source said, "Big decisions will not be made at this point in New Delhi about future policy--including toward the United States till that new government is in place and it makes sense to have an experienced diplomat serving as charge and Peter Burleigh knows India and the region well," the source said. "He's highly respected, and he will be there to give direction to the mission at a time when--while we recognize that India is in the middle of its electoral process, if the unexpected occurs, we want to have a senior diplomat there, and this is a dangerous time as we saw in Mumbai."
Burleigh in one of his avatars in the Clinton Administration was also Coordinator of the State Department's Counterterrorism Bureau.
"Clearly the Administration recognizes just as we've had our election and transition, India is moving into that phase and therefore one is respectful of that allowing the democratic process to unfold," the source added.
Burleigh, is the quintessential polyglot with a fluent familiarity of South Asian languages following his several postings in the region and also while a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal, during which time he picked up the native tongue.
He speaks Bengali, Hindi and also Sinhalese, which he learnt while a junior diplomat in Colombo, and later as Ambassador to the island nation in the Clinton Administration, but in 1997, after less than two years, was brought back as acting US Ambassador to the UN to replace then ambassador Bill Richardson who went on the become Energy Secretary, when Holbrooke's nomination as Ambassador to the UN was being delayed in the Senate confirmation process.
Meanwhile, the rumors that Bouton, currently president of the Chicago Council of Foreign Relations, was the top contender for the nomination as ambassador to Delhi was being greeted with elation by South Asia policy watchers like Stephen Cohen who told rediff.com, "He would be a great choice. He knows India so well, been there several times, has many friends and has co-chaired so many Asia Society Task Force reports on India. He has a comprehensive knowledge of the politics, economy, culture, of India and it runs deep."
But ex-Democratic Congressman from Connecticut Gejdenson was apparently lobbying strongly for the job and counting on his support for Obama during the campaign as a selling point and also hoping his years on the House Foreign Affairs Committee as a senior member and an strong ally of India would help to reinforce his case as would his international trade experience since losing his re-election bid in 2000 had headed his own company Sam Gejdenson International.
If Gejdenson had won re-election, he would have become the chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee on account of his seniority, but to the surprise of many, including his longtime close Indian American aide, Nisha Desai, he lost in a close election.
Other sources said Inderfurth, who was a South Asia policy advisor to the Obama campaign, was also still in the running, but not as strong a contender as he was earlier.
Former Deputy Secretary of State in the Clinton Administration, Strobe Talbott denied rumors that he was the first choice being considered by the Obama Administration. Talbott told rediff.com, " Not true, although I am flattered. But, please shoot it down, because I was not offered the job and no one contacted me."
