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Britain on Monday (February 9, 2009) picked up Sherard Cowper-Coles as special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Sherard Cowper-Coles is currently serving as British ambassador to Afghanistan. The announcement of Britain envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan came after US President Barack Obama's appointment of Richard Holbrooke as US representative to those nations.
According to a spokesperson for Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the decision to send a special envoy was taken to reinforce the UK's strategic engagement with Afghanistan and Pakistan. The spokesperson informed that Sherard Cowper-Coles will work with Holbrooke and other international partners to assist the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to reestablish peace and development in the region.
The US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Holbrooke stated that compared to Iraq it will be more difficult to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan. Both United States and Britain have deployed massive military contingent in Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. US is expected to deploy up to 17,000 more combat troops in Afghanistan. It is also likely to pressurize America's European allies to contribute more troops to counter the growing insurgency.
