New U.N. Special Envoy Lands in Baghdad

The United Nations's new special envoy to Iraq Martin Kobler, a former ambassador to Baghdad for Germany, flew in on Saturday to take up his post, the U.N. mission said.

Kobler, 58, is a former top official at the German foreign ministry experienced in helping countries in conflict and served as Germany's ambassador to Iraq.

Coming from the U.N. mission in Afghanistan where he was deputy head, he was named to the Iraq post in August to replace Ad Melkert of the Netherlands, who led UNAMI, the U.N. mission in the country, since July 2009.