Clinton to introduce new U.S. ambassador to Pakistan

Pakistani civilian and military leaders are arriving in Washington this week for a U.S.-Pakistan strategic dialogue, and Secretary Clinton will be formally introducing them to the new U.S. ambassador to their country, Cameron Munter, seen above in Brussels last week, whom she swore in on Oct. 6.

"No country has gotten more attention from Secretary Clinton than Pakistan," Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, told the New York Times recently. Indeed, when Clinton visited Pakistan in July, she announced a giant slew of development projects for the country — hydroelectric dams, refurbishment of municipal water-supply systems, hospital renovations, agricultural projects, etc. — that are being funded through the Kerry-Lugar-Berman legislation passed in the United States last year that provides $7.5 billion over five years to fix Pakistan’s infrastructure and promote its economic develpment. And, she appealed to Americans to text help to Pakistanis during this year’s historic floods and last year’s refugee crisis in the Swat Valley.

The new ambassador has a huge job ahead of him. Winning hearts and minds isn’t easy, as research by an FP contributor recently concluded: "it’s easiest for Westerners to win hearts and minds only when that’s not what they’re explicitly setting out to do."