Next US envoy to India may talk about Kashmir

US President Barack Obama`s ambassadorial pick for New Delhi, Tim Roemer, is likely to bring “the Kashmir baggage” with him, a Times of India report said on Tuesday. Roemer, a think-tank security analyst, appears to have a great deal of familiarity with Pakistan. The danger of this, the report says, is that he may be encouraged to “view India through the Islamabad lens”. He could also have an uphill task trying to engage with an India that believes it has shrugged off the old “hyphenation” with Pakistan. Given Roemer`s knowledge of the terrorism problem, Indian diplomats said off the record they were not worried that the new ambassador would blame New Delhi for the break in talks with Pakistan. Result-oriented: In 2008 Roemer wrote in The Huffington Post, “In regards to Pakistan, the US must embark on an invigorated three-part strategy. First, we must encourage and support the building of sustainable institutions and enhancing the power of Pakistani civil society. Next, we must engage in tougher and smarter diplomacy to enhance our power in the region, especially when it comes to stemming the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)-related technology and weapons proliferation. Lastly, we must impose a more results-oriented system of military aid to ensure that in providing funding, we are not degrading our own efforts in the region.”According to the report, Roemer is known for his views supporting an “international diplomatic effort to resolve the Kashmir dispute and resolve regional tensions”, but he remains equally concerned about the safety of Islamabad`s nuclear weapons.