Afghanistan opposes Ashdown as UN envoy

Paddy Ashdown, the international community's former envoy to Bosnia, should not be the United Nations' new representative in Afghanistan, the country's ambassador to the world body has told the BBC.
In an interview published on the broadcaster's website late Saturday, Zahir Tanin confirmed a newspaper report that Afghan President Hamid Karzai wanted to block Ashdown's appointment.
The Times quoted unnamed diplomats as saying Saturday that Karzai thought Ashdown wanted too much power and had raised his objection with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this week.