Saturday, September 11, 2010

Officially In: Cameron Munter to Islamabad

Cameron Munter, U.S. Ambassador to Serbia.Image via WikipediaThe rumors about Ambassador Cameron Hume (most recently to Indonesia) going to Pakistan as the next chief of mission is wrong. Right on Cameron, but wrong last name.

On September 10, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Cameron Munter to be Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The WH released the following brief bio:

Cameron Munter is a career member of the Foreign Service, with the rank of Minister.  He most recently served as Ambassador to Serbia. Dr. Munter has served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Iraq, the Czech Republic and Poland. Dr. Munter was the first leader of the first Provincial Reconstruction Team in Iraq in 2006, in Mosul.  In Washington, he was Director for Central Europe at the National Security Council, Executive Assistant to the Counselor at the State Department, and Chief of Staff of the NATO Enlargement Ratification Office.  His previous overseas assignments include Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. 

Dr. Munter received his PhD from the Johns Hopkins University and B.A. from Cornell University. He was also a Rusk Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University.

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Ambassador Munter was most recently advisor for political and military issues to then US ambassador to Iraq, Christopher R. Hill (Amb Hill has since moved on to the Korbel School). Pakistan's Dawn.com got wind of the appointment from its local sources last week and wrote:

"Another important indication from Mr Munter’s appointment is the continued grip of Richard Holbrooke on America’s Af-Pak policy. He has been closely associated with Mr Holbrooke having served in Europe in mid-nineties when the latter headed the Europe desk in the State Department. Mr Munter prematurely left his posting in Serbia to join Ambassador Chris Hill, a Holbrooke protégé, in Baghdad."

Current S/RAP Richard Holbrooke was actually the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (EUR) from 1994-96. NNDB has the following educational and career summary on Munter from its online database:

    University: BA, Cornell University
    University: University of Freiburg
    University: University of Marburg
    University: PhD Modern European History, Johns Hopkins University (1983)
    Scholar: Fellow, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University (1991)

    US Ambassador to Serbia (2007-)
    US State Department Deputy Chief of Mission, Prague, Czechia (2005-07)
    Coalition Provisional Authority Provincial Reconstruction Team, Mosul, Iraq (2006)
    US State Department Deputy Chief of Mission, Warsaw, Poland (2002-05)
    US National Security Council Director for Central, Eastern, Northern Europe (1999-2001)
    US State Department Executive Assistant to the Counselor (1998-99)
    US State Department Director, Northern European Initiative (1998)
    US State Department Chief of Staff, NATO Enlargement Ratification Office (1997-98)
    US State Department Bonn, Germany (1995-97)
    US State Department Prague, Czehcia (1992-95)
    US State Department Desk Officer, Czechoslovakia (1989-91)
    US State Department Staff Assistant, Bureau of European Affairs (1988-89)
    US State Department Warsaw, Poland (1986-88)
    Twentieth Century Fund Director of European Studies (1984-85)

If confirmed, Ambassador Munter would succeed career diplomat, Anne Patterson who was appointed to Islamabad in May 2007.









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