AMBASSADOR DAVID L. MACK PDF
Preview AMBASSADOR DAVID L. MACK
The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR DAVID L. MACK Interviewed by: Charles Stuart Kennedy Initial interview date: October 24, 1995 Copyright 2010 ADST TABLE OF CONTENTS Background Born and raised in Oregon Harvard University Cairo, Egypt: Fulbright Fellowship 1964-1965 Arabic language study Ambassador and Mrs. Lucius Battle President Nasser Environment Entered the Foreign Service 1965 State Department: FS-100 and Consular training 1965 Baghdad, Iraq: General Services/Rotation Officer 1965-1967 Relations Dictator, Abdul Rahman Arif Ambassador Robert Strong Petroleum Environment Basra Soviet Embassy Amman, Jordan: Consular Officer 1967 Israeli border clashes Environment April Glaspie Marriage Palestinians Evacuation (Arab/Israel War) Ambassador Findley Burns Relations with King Hussein 1 Jerusalem: Consular Officer 1967-1968 Palestinians Status of Jerusalem Mix of visa applicants Arab post-War bitterness UN Security Council Resolutions Israeli West Bank rule Relations with Jews and Arabs Ambassador Walworth Barbour Consulate/Embassy relations Environment Mayor Teddy Kollek Beirut, Lebanon: FSI: Arabic Language study 1968-1969 Course of study US relations with Arab states Colleagues Tripoli, Libya: Political Officer/Interpreter 1969-1970 Wheelus Air Force Base King Idris Italian legacy Ambassador Joseph Palmer II Petroleum Environment Relations British military bases Libyan Revolution Meeting with Revolutionary Command Council Al-Baidah Mansour Kikhya Qadhafi Revolution members US interests Arab nationalism Unity with Egypt and Sudan Air Base negotiations Restrictions Italian residents Oil company negotiations Benghazi office Benghazi, Libya: Officer in Charge 1970-1972 C-130s Libya’s foreign relations shift Oil pricing 2 US Oil companies Libya/Italy relations Economy Egyptians Soviet weapons inventory Libya/Egypt relations Environment Local views of Qadhafi Arab Diplomats’ views of Qadhafi State Department; African Affairs; Office of Regional Policy 1972-1973 Sub-Sahara Africa Operations Israeli relationship with Africa State Department: Tunisia Desk Offer 1973-1975 USAID program Military assistance program Bourguiba USS Geary Yom Kippur (Ramadan) War US-Tunisian Economic Commission US/Libya relations Secretary of State Henry Kissinger Djerba Declaration Libya/Tunisia relations Gafsa insurrection State Department: Operations Center, Watch Officer 1975-1976 Operations Kissinger and the Foreign Service Major issues Kissinger’s relations with foreign Ambassadors US-Soviet relations Ambassador Meloy assassination aftermath Mission to Lebanon Robert Houghton Crossing from Cyprus Michel Khoury Discussions with Lebanese political leaders Syria/Israel understanding Lebanese militias Officials Family Kissinger’s policy goals Ed Djerejian 3 Baghdad, Iraq: Counselor, US Interests Section; Belgium Embassy 1977-1979 Relations Surveillance Environment US-Iraq issues Arab boycott of Israel Petroleum Economy President Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr Saddam Hussein Revolutionary Command Council Baath Party Local contacts Local employees Khalid Talia Communications Soviet-Iraq relationship US-Iraq commercial relations Arab Summit Shia Iraq-Iran relations Farewell lunch Iraq-Kuwait relations Impediment to diplomatic relations with US Egyptians Iraqi world view Security Tunis, Tunisia; Deputy Chief of Mission 1979-1982 Ambassador Stephen Bosworth Relations Tunis Arab League Headquarters Organization of Islamic Conference Economy US military assistance program Bourguiba Government Contacts with Arab League Embassy Teheran takeover Tunisia/Libya relations French influence Foreign Service Institute Arabic School Islamic Political group Ambassador Walter Cutler Human rights 4 Tourism State Department: Director, Office of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan 1982-1985 and Iraq Affairs Israel invades Lebanon Relations with governments Elizabeth Jones Secretary of State Alexander Haig Office working atmosphere Secretary of State George Schultz US Israeli policies Israeli/Lebanese Maronite relations Danger signs Philip Habib Bud McFarlane Casper Weinberger Operations Congressional interest Deployment of US forces in Lebanon Palestinian forces in Lebanon US post-war Lebanon policies Sabra-Shatila massacre Lebanese factions Syrian military presence Habib-Draper mission Ambassador Robert Dillon Contrary Embassy-Habib views Israel-Lebanon negotiations US presence at negotiations US Beirut Embassy bombed Lebanese Shia radicalization Syria’s Lebanon activities Temporary Duty to Beirut (Acting DCM) Shia groups May 17 Agreement South Lebanon Army Use of US armed forces in Lebanon President Amin Gemayel Maronite militia McFarlane’s force recommendations Richard Murphy Marine barracks bombed Congressional debate on US forces in Lebanon American Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC) Briefing Congressional staff USS New Jersey role 5 Donald Rumsfeld missions Return to Beirut Ambassador Reggie Bartholomew US Marines withdrawn Lebanon –Syria arrangement New embassy bombed Israelis in South Lebanon Richard Murphy missions to area Assad rejects proposals William Buckley murder David Dodge kidnapping and release Kidnappings of Americans Saudi help Jesse Jackson’s Damascus visit Jordan Help for Arafat Re-starting Arab-Israel Peace Process Re-starting US-Iraq relations Iran-Iraq War View of Yasser Arafat Operation Staunch Soviet Union Senior Seminar 1985-1986 Course content Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 1986-1989 Composition of Emirate Family Gulf Tanker War US-Iran relations Gulf of Hormuz US Naval presence Relations US oil and business presence Iranian navy Area oil production Area assistance to Iraq Council of Rulers Conducting business with Emirates Soviet Ambassador Felix Fedotov US-UAE military relationship Government organization Local Iranians Security precautions Iranian threats to oil production and shipments 6 Irangate Handling the press Relations sour Stinger Missile request Das Island President Zayed Survey of Gulf security needs Views on US dependability US strategic interests BCCI controversy US naval visits Ship re-flagging proposal Soviet offer to Kuwait Saudi based AWACS Oman Attack on USS Stark USS Roberts hits mine Oil production Iran-Iraq War Resolution 598 UAE-Iraq relations Iranian Airbus shot down Protection for American community Ayatollah Khomeini Gulf Islands’ ownership dispute Gulf Consultative Council (GCC) Gulf contingency planning (Military) Gulf military storage (PREPO) US trade Arab boycott Textiles Commercial diplomacy USIS activities Drug enforcement Palestinian intifada Obstacles to close US-Gulf relations Foreign community views of US Diplomat in Residence, Howard University 1989-1990 Environment Faculty attitudes Student attitudes African studies Ralph Bunche State Department: Deputy Assistant Secretary, NEA 1990-1993 7 Assistant Secretary John Kelly Area of responsibility Bi-lateral country relations US-Iran legal issues Sources of Iraq arms US-Iraq relations Arab nations support for Iraq Inter-Agency meeting on Iraq Iraq-Kuwait relations Kuwait-US relations Yemen Military arrangement with Gulf States Lebanon Middle East security issues Ambassador Prince Bandar Hostages Secretary of State James Baker Working atmosphere Embassy reporting Iran Iraq’s use of chemical warfare Kurds NOTES ON GULF WAR FOR BBC INTERVIEW, NOVEMBER, 1994 Situation in late May, 1990 US-Iraq relations tense and growing worse Arab ambassador ask US to “ease up” on Iraq Arab Summit in Baghdad highly critical of US US to use force to protect interests Iraq threatens Kuwait and UAE Iraq Ambassador assures no threat to Kuwait Ambassador Glaspie receives similar assurances US offers use of tanker aircraft for refueling in Gulf Iraqi troop movements prompt further Glaspie meeting Saddam Hussein again assures Glaspie Uncertainty in US re Saddam’s intentions Iraq invades Kuwait, August, 1991 Iraqi Ambassador Mashat Protection of Americans in Kuwait US demands total Iraqi withdrawal Baker meets Tariq Aziz in Geneva Iraqi Embassy closed Congress authorizes Desert Storm State excluded from Safwan cease-fire talks Iran sends agents to southern Iraq 8 US forces withdraw from Iraq Kurds flee Operation Provide Comfort FSI Evacuation Training Kuwait- US relations Saudi-US relations State Department: Deputy Assistant Secretary, NEA (Continued) Iraqi threats to Kuwait and UAE (continued) Iraqis assure Glaspie no hostile intentions to Kuwait US press guidance states US to protect interests in Gulf Meeting with Ambassador Mashat Did Saddam “get the message” given by Glaspie? Joint US-UAE joint air tanker exercise Kuwait declines close cooperation President Bush message to Saddam Iraq invades Kuwait ‘ Question of US commitment to Kuwait B-52 bomber exercise proposal Iran factor Iraq-Kuwait Task Force Kuwait seeks US military response Coordination with Allies Iraq assets frozen Saudis permit US forces Protection of all Arabian Peninsula oil fields Congressional participation Global oil supplies Military strategy considerations Iraq threat to Saudi Arabia Embassy Kuwait survival Russian cooperation King Hussein supports Saddam Arab World and Muslim positions Kelly/Mashat confrontation Ambassador Chas Freeman Evacuation of US personnel in Saudi Arabia issue Desert Storm Jan. 16 bombardment War’s swift end Post war relations with Jordan UN Resolution 687 Views on Saddam’s survivability Iraqi army Shia and Kurd insurrections Iraqi opposition groups Turkey views 9 US views of Iraq’s future Refugees Kurdistan Workers’ Party Operation Provide Comfort activities No-fly zones UN Resolution 688 Iraq National Congress (INC) Ahmad Chalabi Southern Watch Madrid Conference Relations with Iran via Swiss President Hashemi Rafsanjani US hostages in Lebanon released US rejects Iran proposal for secret talks GCC views on close US cooperation Iran Interests Section in Washington Gulf States’ financial contributions to Gulf War Contacts with Iraqi opposition groups Poland chosen to represent US in Iraq US aids in capping oil well fires Kuwait’s relations with Arab nations US-Kuwait post war relations Jordan/Saudi relations Yemen/US relations Views on relations with “Islam” Secretary of State James Baker Post-war US/Iraq policy Secretary of State Warren Christopher Christopher’s Near East tour US exports to Iran Near East countries on terrorist list Policy of Iran containment Comments on relations with Gulf Cooperation Council States (GCC) and Yemen states Arab-Israeli Peace process Economic relations Arab boycott Washington Conference with GCC States Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown’s Gulf visit Bahrain visit Commercial competition in Gulf Official visit to Yemen Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh European antipathy toward Islam Comments on April Glaspie and Gulf War 10
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