For the last quarter of his eight-year presidency, which is currently witnessing a major push on expanding and deepening relations with India, President Barack Obama has inducted a new South Asia team at the White House.
Headed by Peter lavoy, former Acting Assistant Secretary of Defence for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, the team will also have Joshua White, another South Asia specialist at the Stimson Center. lavoy, currently a partner with Monitor 360, a strategic consulting firm, has been appointed as Senior Director for South Asian Affairs at the National Security Council.
In his new role, lavoy will advise the President and National Security Advisor Susan Rice on national security and foreign policy matters related to India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives and coordinate US policies toward South Asia across the departments and agencies of the US Government.
A recipient of the Pentagon’s Distinguished Public Service Medal, lavoy has served in the US Government for more than 20 years, including stints in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis, Chairman of the National Intelligence Council and National Intelligence Officer for South Asia.
Interestingly, news of the key appointments of lavoy and White have come not from the White House, but from Monitor 360 and Stimson Center respectively. Calling it “a proud day for Monitor 360”, firm’s CEO Doug Randall said: “Peter will bring to the White House his noted expertise in the (South Asia) region along with a deep understanding of narratives that will help propel US foreign policy forward.”
likewise, the Stimson Center announced that White will join the National Security Council as senior advisor and director for South Asian Affairs. “I consider it a privilege to take up these issues at the NSC at a time when US engagement in South Asia is as important as it has ever been,” White said in a statement from Stimson, where he has been senior associate and co-director of its South Asia programme.
The new team, led by lavoy, will deal with all eight countries of South Asia with the NSC getting rid of its separate Af-Pak directorate, the Foreign Policy magazine reported. But there has been no comment so far on the reshuffle from the White House. It was not immediately clear how soon the new team will take charge.