New AP bureau chief in Pakistan

NEW YORK—Chris Brummitt, a veteran correspondent who has covered wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was appointed on Monday as The Associated Press chief of bureau in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Brummitt, 37, currently news editor in Indonesia, played a pivotal role in coverage of the 2004 tsunami in Asia.

In his new assignment, he will oversee coverage of Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan, replacing Matthew Pennington, who is taking a leave of absence.

"Chris Brummitt is an exceptional journalist with a deep passion for Asia news," said John Daniszewski, AP managing editor for international news.

Brummitt was in charge of AP's news operations in Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004, when a tsunami triggered by a giant earthquake off the country's northwest tip devastated the Indian Ocean basin, killing up to 230,000 people.

Brummitt filed initial reports from Jakarta and led what came to be a 20-person team in the battered city of Banda Aceh. AP's tsunami coverage won the National Headliner Award for Spot News and the Associated Press Managing Editors' Award for Deadline Reporting in 2005.

A native of western England, Brummitt joined the AP in Jakarta shortly after receiving a degree in Indonesian literature from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.

Brummitt has produced ground-breaking coverage on al-Qaida-affiliated networks in Southeast Asia.