[JURIST] The White House said Monday that President Bush intends to nominate [announcement] Zalmay Khalilzad [official profile], current US ambassador to Iraq, to serve as the next US ambassador to the UN [mission website]. Rumors of the personnel change first circulated last week and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice formally announced Khalilzad's pending nomination [statement] Monday. Prior to being appointed to his current position by President Bush in April 2005, Khalilzad served as ambassador to Afghanistan.

Khalilzad will replace Acting US Representative to the UN Alejandro D. Wolff [official profile], who replaced John Bolton [official profile] when Bolton resigned [JURIST report] last month from his temporary appointment following the Senate's failure to confirm his re-appointment. President Bush will nominate Ryan Crocker to replace Khalilzad as ambassador to Iraq. AP has more.