New U.S. Envoy to Rethink Reconstruction
The new American ambassador to Iraq said Wednesday that he planned to rethink the troubled Iraq reconstruction program and would intensify U.S. efforts to help the country move toward stability. Zalmay Khalilzad, who soon will begin his assignment as the top U.S. diplomat in Baghdad, told foreign journalists that he wanted to give Iraqis “greater control and responsibility” for the reconstruction effort at the same time that the U.S. adopted a more “proactive” approach in most other areas. Khalilzad also said that he intended to begin talks with Iraqis about developing a schedule for reducing the U.S. troop presence there. Full Story