Pentagon man for White House

Press, 27 February 1986, Page 28

Pentagon man for White House

By

TOM BRIDGMAN

NZPA staff correspondent

Washington A Pentagon official who has taken a hard-line stance against New Zealand over A.N.Z.U.S. appears set to move to the White House in a reshuffle of positions. According to reports, Mr James Kelly, at present deputy assistant Secretary of Defence for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, has. been chosen to succeed Dr Gaston Sigur of adviser to the President on Asia and the Pacific in the National Security Council. Dr Sigur will move to the State Department when the President’s nomination of Dr Paul Wolfowitz, now assistant Secretary of State for East

Asian and Pacific Affairs, as Ambassador to Indonesia is approved by the Senate.

No announcement has been made but White House sources are quoted as saying the appointment of Mr Kelly will be made formally later this week. Mr Kelly, aged 49, graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis in Maryland in 1959, and served for 23 years in the Navy Supply Corps, rising to the rank of commander.

He graduated from the National War College with work on Asia and has a master of business administration degree from Harvard University. Mr Kelly has worked with the Pacific fleet staff in Hawaii and has been a naval attache in Iran and South-East Asia.