NATO Eyes New Top Civilian Post in Kabul

Source: Wall Street Journal

KABUL--The North Atlantic Treaty Organization plans to create a new top civilian post in Kabul to flank its military chief in Afghanistan, U.S. General Stanley McChrystal, and the British ambassador to Afghanistan is the leading contender, senior officials familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

The announcement could be made as soon as Jan. 28, the day of an international conference on Afghanistan that's scheduled to be held in London, they said. The new appointee would head the civilian pillar of the U.S.-led coalition's work here, directing the flow of funds and aid to the provinces, and--if necessary--bypassing corrupt Afghan institutions. The appointee also would play a prominent role in trying to woo Taliban-led insurgents to switch sides and to reintegrate them into society.

A British government official said that the United Nations and European Union will also likely announce new special representatives to Afghanistan at or around the London conference.

American officials have long advocated for a senior international civilian figure to work hand-in-hand with the military on rolling back the insurgency and supervising economic development, in part through the existing network of military-run provincial reconstruction teams.

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