August 17, 2003	Sunday	Jumadi-us-Sani 18, 1424

WASHINGTON, Aug 16: The White House on Friday named Robert Blackwill, fresh from a stormy two-year term as US ambassador to India, as a key aide to President George Bush and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

Mr Blackwill had left New Delhi for Washington late last month. He had announced his resignation as ambassador in April, less than a year after he was accused of treating staff like “furniture” as a controversy raged over his conduct in office.

He had said he was returning home to write and teach at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

But the White House said Mr Blackwill would work with other government departments “to help develop and coordinate the mid- and long-term direction of American foreign policy”.

Mr Blackwill’s resignation followed two years of rumours and innuendo over his handling of staff, and a testy relationship with Pakistan.

Diplomatic sources said last year that Mr Blackwill’s management style was unpopular, and the State Department sent investigators to his embassy to probe his performance.

“The word from Delhi is that this guy is incredibly arrogant and that he really does treat the staff like furniture,” said a diplomatic source at the time.—AFP