US President Barack Obama on Thursday nominated Timothy R Roemer,a veteran Democratic Congressman and a member of the 9/11 Commission,to be his envoy in India and help advance Washingtons ties at this critical time for our nation and the world. We must address the tension between Pakistan and India over Kashmir. For generations,this issue has fuelled extremism and served as a central source of friction between two nuclear states. Resolving this dispute would allow them to focus more on sustainable development and less on armed conflict. This is what Roemer wrote in a US daily,The Philadelphia Inquirer,on October 23 last year in an article,Keys to securing Pakistan. Roemer,52,is currently president of the Center for National Policy (CNP),a Washington-based think tank. He is a distinguished scholar at the Mercatus Centre at George Mason University. He was a partner at Johnston and Associates,a public and legislative affairs consultancy,before he became president of the CNP. Roemer is not just known for his interventions in national security issues but also for his proactive initiatives in the education sector. His official resume says,Roemer was recognised for his successful leadership on legislation that helped improve Americas competitiveness by balancing the federal budget,reforming elementary and secondary public education and improving the affordability of higher education. While this could be seen as an asset since education is one of the key areas of engagement between India and the US,Roemers interest in Pakistan and Afghanistan is something South Block mandarins would be watching out for. Before joining CNP,Roemer had represented the Third District of Indiana the South Bend area for six terms as a Democrat Congressman,from 1991 to 2003. He has also served on the 9/11 Commission,investigating the September 11,2001,terror attacks on the US. After the attacks,Roemer used his position on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to support the work of a Joint Congressional Inquiry into the nature of the attacks. He was also the sponsor of legislation to establish the 9/11 Commission. He now serves on the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism which was created by the Congress in 2007.
