WASHINGTON: United States President Barack Obama on Tuesday nominated a career diplomat, David Hale, as ambassador to Pakistan.

He has to be approved by the Senate before he takes over his new responsibilities in Islamabad.

Mr Hale, born 1961, has currently been the US ambassador to Lebanon since Aug. 1, 2013. He will succeed Richard Olson, who has been US ambassador in Islamabad since September 2012.

Mr Hale had previously been the Special US Envoy for Middle East Peace between 2011 to 2013. Before that he was the deputy envoy from 2009-11.

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Hale also served as the US ambassador to Jordan from 2005 to 2008, after multiple tours in Jordan and Lebanon and service in Tunisia, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and at the U.S. Mission to the UN.

In Washington, Mr Hale was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israel, Egypt and the Levant and Director for Israel-Palestinian Affairs.

He held several staff posts, including Executive Assistant to Secretary of State Albright.

In 2013 former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave him the Distinguished Service Award. Mr Hale also has several Department Superior and Meritorious Honor awards.

He speaks Arabic, is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and a native of New Jersey. Hale joined the Foreign Service in 1984.

The United States has vowed to step up security and intelligence cooperation with Pakistan in a bid to combat Islamist militants. But relations have often been strained.