US plans to eliminate special envoy on Afghanistan, Pakistan

WASHINGTON_ June 24 2017: The US State Department is planning to eliminate the position of Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, senior US officials confirmed to CNN.

The move comes as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is conducting a broad review of the State Department's organizational structure with the intent of streamlining reporting channels, and potentially cutting several dozen similar senior positions.

But the decision to eliminate this particular post comes at a time when US President Donald Trump's administration is re-evaluating US military strategy in Afghanistan, potentially paving the way towards sending several thousand more troops to the country.

The Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan post was created in the early days of former President Barack Obama's administration, ahead of a major troop surge in the Afghanistan War.