Quainton Tipped As Next Us Ambassador

Anthony Quainton, one of the few South Asian experts in the Clinton administration, is tipped to be the next US Ambassador to India succeeding Frank Wisner who is expected to go to France.

Senior administration sources said Quainton, who has considerable experience in South Asia, had the support of all senior career diplomats.

These diplomats conveyed their feelings to secretary of state Madeleine Albright that Quainton would be the ideal choice for New Delhi, the sources said.

The sources said their advice was under the consideration of Albright and his nomination by President Bill Clinton could be torpedoed only if the White House decided to go with a political appointee.

 

Wisner, the sources said, was almost certain to be nominated as Ambassador to France to succeed the late Pamela Harriman who died earlier this month. Wisner was earlier among the candidates on a short list to take over as undersecretary of state for political affairs, the number three slot at the state department, replacing Peter Tarnoff.

But with Clintons decision to nominate the former ambassador to India and Russia, Thomas Pickering, as the new undersecretary for political affairs, Wisners experience and fluency in French (his wife is French too) is expected to find him in Paris in the next couple of months.

Quainton currently is director general of the foreign service and director of personnel, a post he assumed in December 1995.

From September 1992 to December 1995, Quainton was assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security.