President Clinton to head U.N. tsunami relief

UNITED NATIONS -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan has selected former President Clinton to be the U.N. point man for tsunami reconstruction and to ensure the world doesn't forget the needs of those devastated by the Dec. 26 disaster, a U.N. diplomat said Tuesday.\nU.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard refused to confirm the appointment but said his office would release a statement shortly. Clinton had no immediate comment.\nAnnan wants the special envoy also to help resolve rebel conflicts in two of the hardest hit countries, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, Eckhard said.\nThis appointment could give Clinton a chance to use his political skills to mediate an uprising of separatist rebels fighting for independence since 1976 in Indonesia's Aceh province, as well as the conflict in Sri Lanka where Tamil Tiger rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland since 1983.\nSoon after the disaster, President Bush named Clinton and his father, former President George H.W. Bush, to head a nationwide private fund-raising effort to help countries devastated by the tsunamis across the Indian Ocean to Africa. The disaster killed more than 157,000 people and displaced millions in 11 countries.\nThe U.N. diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the appointment of Clinton as Annan's top envoy for the rehabilitation of tsunami-devastated countries would expand the former president's current efforts to raise money in the United States.\nThe two ex-presidents have been traveling throughout the country raising funds, and Bush said last week they hope to go to the tsunami-ravaged Indian Ocean region to illustrate the need for continued donations from Americans. He didn't say when the trip would happen.\nA celebrity tennis match Monday night featuring Andy Roddick, Tommy Haas, John McEnroe, Chris Evert and Jim Courier helped raise more than $518,000 for the Bush-Clinton Fund for Tsunami Relief.\nIn addition to the fund, Clinton launched a $45 million appeal with the U.N. children's agency to provide clean water and sanitation.\nClinton has praised the outpouring of support, most recently at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which ended on Sunday.