A top American envoy making his first visit to the region Tuesday sought new ways to battle Al-Qaeda in nuclear-armed Pakistan and help stem violence in neighboring Afghanistan. Envoy Richard Holbrooke arrived in the Pakistani capital on Monday, the same day Poland said militants suspected in the apparent killing of one its citizens had the support of some Pakistani officials. Pakistan firmly rejected the accusation, which points to just one of the many problems facing Holbrooke and the new US administration as it seeks to turn the tables on militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan. President Barack Obama has made it clear he regards Pakistan and Afghanistan not Iraq _ as the major anti-terror front and appointed Holbrooke, who was the White House envoy to the Balkans in the Kosovo conflict, as special representative to both countries. Holbrooke is expected to stay in Pakistan three days and will also visit Afghanistan and India on the trip, which the US State Department says is aime at gathering information to help form the basis of future American policy decisions in the region. Obama said on Monday Holbrooke would try to convince Pakistan that allowing terrorist safe havens along its border with Afghanistan endangers the interests of both Islamabad and Washington.
