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Highest ranking Indian American in State Department
Attorney Asheesh Jain becomes the highest-ranking Indian American with his appointment as special assistant, Bureau of Arms Control, US State Department.
Attorney Asheesh Jain has become the highest- ranking Indian American in the State Department with his appointment as special assistant in the Bureau of Arms Control.
Thirty four-year-old Jain, known popularly as Ash, has worked in the White House's Office of Global Communications and on Capitol Hill for US Senator Fred Thompson.
In his new position, Jain will work on regional and strategic security issues dealing primarily with South Asia, East Asia and the Middle East, according to State Department sources.
In December 2003, President George W. Bush hired Jain, who was born in Minnesota, to develop a communications strategy to explain US foreign policy objectives to overseas audiences.
He was seen as an important member of the White House team that wanted to supplement Bush's "war on terrorism" with a "war of ideas" to win the hearts and minds of Muslims living in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh and the principal Arab countries.
R. Vijayanagar, chairman of the Indian American Republican Council (IARC), has welcomed the appointment.
He said in a statement: "Ash brings a wealth of foreign policy expertise to this agency. We are extremely proud that he is among the group of more than 20 highly qualified Indian Americans serving in the Bush administration."
"President Bush is a strong, principled leader, committed to defending the security of the US and supporting freedom and democracy around the world. I am confident that Jain will serve our nation and community with honour and dignity, and on behalf of the IARC, we wish him the very best in his new position," Vijayanagar added.
The Bureau of Arms Control works to strengthen US national security by:
* developing policies in the areas of conventional, chemical/biological, and nuclear forces;
* advising the secretary of state on related national security issues such as missile testing and nuclear defence;
* supporting the under secretary of state for arms control and international security in dialogues and confidence building measures with other countries relating to regional security.
