James Franklin Jeffrey

James Franklin Jeffrey (born February 8, 1946) is an American diplomat who serves as the United States Special Representative for Syria Engagement and the Special Envoy to the International military intervention against ISIL.[1][2]

Jim Jeffrey
Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Incumbent
Assumed office January 4, 2019
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Brett McGurk
United States Special Representative for Syria Engagement
Incumbent
Assumed office August 17, 2018
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Position established
United States Ambassador to Iraq
In office August 18, 2010 – June 1, 2012
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Christopher R. Hill
Succeeded by	Robert S. Beecroft
United States Ambassador to Turkey
In office December 3, 2008 – July 31, 2010
President	George W. Bush Barack Obama
Preceded by	Ross Wilson
Succeeded by	Francis J. Ricciardone Jr.
Deputy National Security Advisor
In office August 1, 2007 – December 3, 2008
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Jack Dyer Crouch II
Succeeded by	Tom Donilon
United States Ambassador to Albania
In office October 22, 2002 – May 2, 2004
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Joseph Limprecht
Succeeded by	Marcie Berman Ries
Personal details
Born	(1946-02-08) February 8, 1946 Saugus, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alma mater	Northeastern University (BA) Boston University (MBA)

He has held senior assignments in Washington, D.C., and abroad, including as United States Ambassador to Iraq (2010–2012); United States Ambassador to Turkey (2008–2010); Deputy National Security Advisor (2007–2008); and United States Ambassador to Albania (2002–2004). In 2010 Jeffrey was appointed to the highest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service, Career Ambassador. From 1969 to 1976, Jeffrey was a U.S. Army infantry officer, with service in Germany and Vietnam.

Jeffrey is a visiting fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a member of the CIA External Advisory Board, a member of the American Council on Germany, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He serves on the advisory board for America Abroad Media.[3] He is a frequent commentator on broader foreign policy, national security, and economic trends.

Early life and education

Jeffrey was born in Saugus, Massachusetts, in 1946. He received a BA in History from Northeastern University in 1969, and an MBA from Boston University Graduate School of Management in 1977. Jeffrey also holds a diploma in the French language from the University of Paris.[4] He speaks German, Turkish, and French along with English.

Career

European security affairs

Jeffrey joined the US Foreign Service in 1977. After a training assignment in Tunis, Tunisia he was posted to Sofia, Bulgaria, where he served as the on-site U.S. representative during a hijacking of a Turkish Air Flight with five U.S. businessmen taken as hostages, in May 1981. Jeffrey then served on assignments in Adana and Ankara, Turkey as a political-military officer, from 1983 to 1987.

Jeffrey served in Munich, Germany, during the collapse of the Soviet Union and the reunification of Germany from 1989 to 1991, including as acting principal officer during the first Gulf War, and liaison to Radio Free Europe. He then was selected as the State Department's coordinator for the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (now OSCE). Jeffrey later served as the Deputy Presidential Special Advisor for Bosnia Implementation, working to put into place the Dayton Accords.

Middle East affairs

Jeffrey during the MSC 2019

In 1996 Jeffrey was selected as Deputy Chief of Mission to the American Embassy Kuwait, and served during Operation Desert Fox and the evacuation of Embassy Kuwait. In 1999 he returned to Turkey, as Deputy Chief of Mission. After serving as Ambassador to Albania from 2002 to 2004, he was selected by Secretary of State Colin Powell and Ambassador John Negroponte to bridge the transition from the Coalition Provisional Authority to the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and subsequently served as Deputy Chief of Mission from 2004 to 2005. He served as Chargé d'Affaires in Baghdad before returning to Washington to serve as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s Special Advisor for Iraq from 2006 to 2007. Jeffrey then served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, covering broader Middle East policy matters, including co-chairing the Interagency Iran Policy Group.

President George W. Bush nominated Jeffrey as Ambassador to Turkey in 2008, where he served in his fourth and final assignment to Turkey until 2010. President Barack Obama nominated him to serve as Ambassador to Iraq in 2010. Jeffrey oversaw its expansion into the largest Embassy in the world with almost 16,000 employees and an annual budget of over $6 billion, and worked with the U.S. military to ensure a successful transition to a civilian lead. According to Voice of America, after this successful transition, Iraq is now increasingly coming under the control of Iran.[5][6] Along with being the U.S. ambassador for Syrian engagement during the Syrian Civil War, he also assumed the role of Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on 4 January 2019.[7]

Deputy National Security Adviser

In the summer of 2007, Jeffrey was selected to serve on detail to the White House as Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Adviser for President George W. Bush, serving as acting National Security Adviser on Bush's 2007 and 2008 trips to the Pacific nations.

Recognition

Jeffrey at a panel discussion on Turkey, the Kurds, and the Middle East at Hudson Institute 2015

Jeffrey has received the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award on two occasions, in 2010 and 2012, as well as the Secretary of State's Career Service Award in 2012, and the Distinguished Honor Award in 2005. Secretary Leon Panetta presented him with the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Civilian Service in 2011, and CIA Director David Petraeus awarded Jeffrey the Director's Medal in 2012. He received Boston University's School of Management Award for Distinguished Service in 2006, and the American Bar Association's Award for Promoting Rule of Law Worldwide in 2004. His military awards include the Bronze Star.

Personal life

Jeffrey is married with two children and is a resident of Virginia.

See also

• Brett McGurk
• Joel Rayburn
• Michael Mulroy

References

1. "Former US ambassador to Ankara appointed as Trump's special Syria envoy". Daily Sabah. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
2. Ambassador James Jeffrey Assumes Role of Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS
3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-06-16.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. http://www.nndb.com/people/077/000128690/
5. https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/voa-news-iran/pro-iran-shiite-militias-iraq-expanding-despite-iraqi-leaders-efforts
6. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/15/world/middleeast/iran-iraq-iranian-power.html
7. Ambassador James Jeffrey Assumes Role of Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS

• The information of this article comes from the U.S. Department of State website .

External links

• Profile at the Embassy of the United States, Baghdad
• Analysis archive at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• "James F. Jeffrey collected news and commentary". The New York Times.
• James Franklin Jeffrey collected news and commentary at The Washington Times
• "Statement by Ambassador James F. Jeffrey", Senate Foreign Relations Committee, July 20, 2010

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Joseph Limprecht	United States Ambassador to Albania 2002–2004	Succeeded by Marcie Berman Ries
Preceded by Ross Wilson	United States Ambassador to Turkey 2008–2010	Succeeded by Francis J. Ricciardone Jr.
Preceded by Christopher R. Hill	United States Ambassador to Iraq 2010–2012	Succeeded by Robert S. Beecroft
New office	Special Representative for Syria Engagement 2018–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Brett McGurk	Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 2019–present
Political offices
Preceded by Jack Dyer Crouch II	Deputy National Security Advisor 2007–2008	Succeeded by Tom Donilon