Holbrooke Tapped For UN Spot
President Clinton announced Tuesday he is moving ahead with plans to nominate Richard Holbrooke to be ambassador to the United Nations after Holbrooke agreed to pay $5,000 to settle civil charges that he violated federal ethics laws.
"I will soon send to the Senate my nomination of Richard C. Holbrooke," Clinton said in a statement issued from the White House.
It has been eight months since Mr. Clinton first picked Holbrooke, the chief architect of the 1995 Bosnia peace accord and last fall's cease-fire in Kosovo, for the U.N. post formerly held by Energy Secretary Bill Richardson.
"From building lasting peace in Bosnia to searching for a political settlement in Kosovo, to finding a workable solution in Cyprus, Richard C. Holbrooke's intellect, vigor and diplomatic skills have significantly advanced the values and the interests of the American people," President Clinton said.
Holbrooke said in a statement that he settled the ethics suit "in order to allow my nomination to proceed."
"I now look forward to appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the confirmation hearings," he said.
Holbrooke, 57, denied the Justice Department's allegations that he improperly contacted a U.S. diplomat on behalf of his employer, the investment banking firm Credit Suisse First Boston.
Instead, he said he was acting as a special government employee asked to explain U.S. policy to Asian officials.
The Justice Department said Holbrooke did not willfully violate the law barring former government officials from contacting ex-colleagues about business for one year after leaving government.
The department also said the contact produced no direct financial gain for Holbrooke or his employer.
When the nature of the allegations against Holbrooke emerged last month, the White House reaffirmed that Clinton remained "lock, stock and barrel" behind the outspoken diplomat, whose ambition and forceful personality have won him detractors as well as fans.
"He is extraordinarily well qualified for this vital position," Mr. Clinton said, calling Holbrooke "a strong and capable diplomat."