The designated US secretary of state is expected to appoint Middle East envoys from a group of shady and pro-Israeli diplomats.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is likely to name several diplomats that worked for the Clinton administration as US envoys to hot-spots in the Middle East, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

Although US President-elect Barack Obama and the secretary of state-designate have officially announced their choice of special envoys, there is speculation that the Middle East envoy for the incoming administration will either be Dennis Ross, Richard C Holbrooke or Martin Indyk.

There is also the possibility of Holbrooke being named as a special envoy to Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iran, the Times added, citing comments by an anonymous foreign policy adviser loyal to the Democratic Party.

Holbrooke served the Clinton administration as assistant secretary of state and is known for his role as chief negotiator of a ceasefire that ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995.

Considered a neoconservative politician, Holbrooke is accused of having been involved in the escape of several top Serb officials involved in genocides against the Bosnians.

Holbrooke worked closely with Radovan Karadzic, who currently stands trial at the UN war crimes court in The Hague for the massacre of nearly 8,000 civilians in Srebrenica.

According to prominent American law professor Francis Boyle, "all evidence and records" show Holbrooke to be an accomplice in the genocide.

At a war crimes tribunal, Karadzic confessed that Holbrooke had promised him immunity due to his withdrawal from public life.

The other two speculated choices are Dennis Ross and Martin Indyk, both of whom are pro-Israeli figures.

Martin Indyk is a former US ambassador to Israel while Dennis Ross is a past member of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) -- the most powerful Zionist lobby group in the United States.

During his tenure during both the Clinton and Bush administrations, Ross drew harsh criticism for what critics called his "biased" handling of Middle Eastern issues.

Ross, who served as the special envoy to the Middle East under former president Bill Clinton, is currently an advisor to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.